They may have been older than most of their competitors by a good six decades, but that didn't stop Max Croot and Peter Williams from making their eisteddfod debut this year.
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Max, 90, and Peter, 85, competed in the Open Instrumental Duet section.
With Max playing the trombone and Peter on the euphonium, the pair scored 92 out of 100 and proudly declared they placed "second out of two".
The "young kids" in their 30s who pipped them at the post were classical guitarists from Wollongong.
The judge declared it "good to see two gentleman sharing a love of music and enjoying it with humour."
The pair played the aptly named song 'The Pals' and marched onto stage in full costume. Peter's wife Maz said their appearance livened up the show.
"Everyone was getting a bit sleepy and then these two old codgers came out and everyone laughed through the whole thing," she said.
"We've got 174 years between us so it depends if I'm still around if we enter the Eisteddfod again, but I'm ever the optimist.
- Max Croot, 90
Max is a patron of the Shoalhaven Eisteddfod but had never competed. He said the pair did it "for a bit of fun" and said there could be a return to glory in 2020.
"We've got 174 years between us so it depends if I'm still around if we enter again, but I'm ever the optimist," Max said.
"We had a ball though."
Max may be 90, but it's very likely his love of music has kept him young.
"Music is the only art which involves every section of the brain," he said.
Max and Peter share a lifelong love of music and met "too long ago" through the Shoalhaven City Concert Band.
Max has taught the trombone to generations of children across Nowra and now has some well-known prodigies to his name. Peter has been playing the bugle at defence force celebrations for almost 77 years, after first picking the instrument up at the age of seven.
The pair will perform at the Stars of the Eisteddfod concert at 2pm on June 22 at SEC. Book at shoalhavenentertainment.com.au or call 1300 788 503.
