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Brass in Concert Championships
2001: Spennymoor Awaits the Entertainers
The Spennymoor Leisure Centre on Sunday 18th November sees the
last major contest of the year, when 11 top bands take part in the
UK’s premier Entertainment Contest – The Brass In Concert
Championships.
Although not all the top bands in the country are in attendance
(there are no ticks in the register this year for YBS, Brighouse,
Williams Fairey, Buy As You View Cory, Tredegar plus those perennial
absentees, Black Dyke), there is still enough quality on stage to
make ensure the contest’s status as the top entertainment show
in the country. Started in 1977 it is now in it’s silver jubilee
year 25 years later.
This year sees a line up of (in playing order) DUT Yorkshire Imperial
Rothwell, Kirkintilloch, Leyland, Ransomes, Ever Ready, Fodens,
Todmorden Old, Sellers International, Grimethorpe, Besses O’
th’ Barn and Carlton Main. Pretty good value in anyone’s
book and bands that all can show off in all sorts of ways to try
and catch the ears of the adjudicators Geoffrey Whitham and Nigel
Boddice, whilst the soloists will have to try and impress Jim Davies.
Plenty of prizes on offer, from a trophy for the youngest player
on the day to one for the best new arrangement or composition to
one for the neatest package of musical scores and notes. That’s
entertainment Folks!
The usual points will be up for grabs as well with 200 points on
offer for the music itself and 60 for entertainment and presentation,
to give a winning score out of 260. As usual there will be plenty
of debate about the latter as last year Grimethorpe wion the music
section by 2 clear points from eventual winners Fodens and by 4
from second placed Leyland and still came 3rd.
Thankfully however, we’ll be spared we hope the awful spectacle
of sweaty overweight men prancing about into tutu’s or imported
Irish dancers falling over their own feet whilst trying to do a
passable impression of Michael Flatley on speed. Thanks must go
to Roy Newsome and the bands themselves for agreeing that making
complete fools of themselves in the name of entertainment should
be the preserve of “The Generation Game” and not brass
band bass players.
Still, there should be plenty of standing up, putting on funny hats,
loads of untuneful singing etc. However, there will hopefully be
some pretty brilliant exponents of the art of brass instrument playing
as well, and it will take some player to top Glyn Williams effort
with Fodens last year when he managed to play more instruments than
Roy Castle in a series of “Record Breakers”. The quality
of the soloists on offer will be an undoubted highlight, whilst
the number of new arrangements of fairly obscure orchestral pieces
will again show the poverty of our own brass band repertoire. Spennymoor
awaits the entertainers – lets hope none get paid off.
The Competing Bands:
DUT Yorkshire Imperial Rothwell
4BR Ranking: 23
Conductor: David Evans
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 17
Best Result: Winners 1995. Second place – 1981, 1985. Third
place – 1984, 1986. Fourth place – 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992.
Fifth place – 1987, 1990, 1997. Sixth place – 1994. Unplaced
– 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999.
Worst Result: 12th place 1999.
Last 5 years: 2000 – DNE: 1999 – 12th: 1998 – 9th:
1997 – 5TH: 1996 – 8TH.
2001 Form Guide: Area - 7th: Masters - 6th: Open - 14th: Nationals
- DNQ.
2001 has been something of a year of recovery for “The Imps”
which had seen them start off in some uncertain style when they
parted company with Thomas Wyss after the Areas where they came
7th. David Evans was brought in to great effect however and the
Masters saw them come home in 6th place with Roy Newsome actually
giving them the top spot. It wasn’t that good but it did herald
the start of the recovery proper. The Open saw further realistic
entrenchment in 14th place so they won’t be short on confidence.
A good record at the contest, which saw them first compete as far
back as 1982 and they had a very consistent record until they took
the title in 1995 under Alan Exely. The following years saw them
drop back a bit as form and players left and they dropped out in
2000. A welcome return then.
Kirkintilloch
4BR Ranking: 16
Conductor: Allan Ramsey
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 0
Best Result:
Worst Result:
Last 5 years:
2001 Form Guide: Area – 5th: Open – 16th: National –
DNQ: Grand Shield – 1st: Troon – 1st: Whitburn –
3rd.
What a fine end to a fine year for the Scottish band that for so
long had been held in the shadows by the two heavyweights north
of the border – CWS and Whitburn. The Area was a bit of a damp
squib to start the year, but what a recovery after a fine performance
at the Grand Shield upset the apple cart and many more fancied bands
to see them take the title and the chance to compete at the Open.
A decent showing there led them on to win the controversial Troon
contest a few months back, but a disappointing 3rd place at the
recent Whitburn contest may have dented the confidence a bit coming
into this one. Allan Ramsey has a good team to work with and by
all accounts they put up a very interesting entertainment show.
Whether this could be enough on their debut remains to be seen though.
Summon the Heroes?
Leyland
4BR Ranking: 8
Conductor: Richard Evans
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 17
Best Result: Winners – 1989, 1991, 1992, 1997. Second place
– 1984, 1993, 1998, 2000. Third place – 1982, 1983, 1988,
1994, 1999. Fourth place – 1985, 1987, 1995. Fifth place –
1986.
Worst Result: 5th place 1986.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 2nd: 1999 – 3rd: 1998 – 2nd:
1997 – 1st: 1996 – DNE.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 3rd: Masters – 13th: Open –
9th: National – 6th.
2001 has been the year of the return of the Leyland band as a true
competing force at National level contesting following a dismal
couple of years when things seemed to be teetering on the edge of
extinction. That may sound harsh, especially as their record is
virtually second to none here, but at both the Open and the Nationals
in 1999 they seemed to had become a spent force.
The players and committee have rallied to fine effect and their
form at the Area and the National this year confirmed their return
in full. Still - they can be a bit wobbly at times (such as the
Masters) but on their day they are one of the most enterprising
and scintillating entertainment outfits around. Garry Cutt has done
most of the hard graft on the contest stage, but for these occasions
there is only one man that can do the biz with them – Tricky
Dicky. He makes another return like a latter day Frank Sinatra and
will most probably be just as good. Come fly with me indeed. Leyland
are back in town.
The Ransome Band
4BR Ranking: 12
Conductor: Russell Gray
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 6
Best Result: 5th place – 2000. Sixth place – 1998, 1999.
Unplaced – 1977, 1978, 1979.
Worst Result: 10th place 1979.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 5th: 1999 – 6th: 1998 – 6th:
1997 – DNE: 1996 – DNE.
2001 Form Guide: Area - 4th: Masters – 8th: Open – DNQ:
National – 13th: European – 8th.
2001 has been something of a year of entrenchment for Ransomes.
The National of 2000 heralded them in as a force to be reckoned
with, but they have shown that they are no flash in the pan merchants
with solid if unspectacular performances wherever they have played
this year. The Area saw them be a little complacent as the threat
of not qualifying for the Nationals was taken from them but they
returned to form at the Masters with a fine 8th place and where
one of the judges had them as high as 4th. The added bauble of the
European saw them perform without a little luck and the trip cost
them the chance to get back into the Open. The Nationals however
saw them perform well to come 13th in a strong field.
Not the greatest of track records at the contest with only a 5th
place last year as their best, but it must be added that in the
last three years they have never been out of the prizes. Perhaps
some added entertainment spice to match their good playing could
see them come even higher.
Ever Ready
4BR Ranking: 17
Conductor: Stephen Roberts
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 24
Best Result: 4th place – 1977. Fifth place – 1978, 1983.
Sixth place – 1984. Unplaced – 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982,
1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995,
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.
Worst Result: 12th place 1992.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 7th: 1999 – 11th: 1998 – 7th:
1997 – 11th: 1996 – 10th.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 3rd: Masters – 7th: Open –
12th: National – DNQ: Grand Shield – 2nd.
The only band on show to have played at all the Spennymoor contests,
Ever Ready can be said to have been more ever present than ever
successful on their own front door. A best of 4th in the first year
is the best they have done, and for the most part they have found
themselves in the lower reaches of the prize list. Stephen Roberts
however is no stranger to the contest and has a fine track record
of bringing interesting new arrangements and compositions to light
here. This could well do the band a favour.
Ever Ready are a band on the up at the present, even though the
year started somewhat disastrously with them missing out on their
annual pilgrimage to the Nationals. The Grand Shield saw them display
great character under Ray Farr to secure a long awaited return to
the Open, where they performed with vigour and style to come home
a well-deserved 12th. In between they put up a superb effort in
coming 7th at the Masters and showed that on their day they could
very well mix it with the big boys. They will need more of that
at Spennymoor to make a better mark than last years encouraging
7th place.
Fodens
4BR Ranking: 3
Conductor: Ray Farr
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 12
Best Result: Winners – 1987, 1988, 1990, 1998, 2000. Second
place – 1996, 1997, 1999. Third place – 1991. Fourth place
– 1983, 1984. Sixth place – 1986.
Worst Result: 6th place 1986.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 1st: 1999 – 2nd: 1998 – 1st:
1997 – 2nd: 1996 – 2nd.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 2nd: Masters – 4th: Open –
7th: National – 2nd.
What an amazing year for the band from Sandbach. Never has a band
had so much publicity, good wishes and general support in a year
that in fact has seen them not actually win anything. This is mainly
because lady luck has certainly not smiled in their direction. The
Open and Nationals saw them give two of the most musical performances
heard for many a long year at the venues, but still they came away
with only hard luck. 4th at the Masters is a fine result for many
bands, but for Fodens it marked possibly their worse performance
for a long time at a major contest. They’ve had plenty of upheavals
of late and have used their fair share of stickmen into the bargain,
but they are a class act nonetheless.
A fine record in Spennymoor in surprisingly only 12 outings here
over the years and with 5 wins and 3 seconds and a third place in
their last 9 performances here, shows how good they are at the entertainment
format. Last year was no exception, with a programme of well thought
out and brilliantly executed music under the baton of Ray Farr that
featured euphonium player Glyn Williams tour de force virtuoso performance.
You never know what we might get from the duo this year. Watch out.
Todmorden Old
4BR Ranking: 19
Conductor: Dennis Hadfield
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 1
Best Result: 9th – 2000.
Worst Result: As above.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 9th.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 6th: Masters – 16th: Open –
11th: National – DNQ.
A year of solid achievement for Todmorden Old amid internal squabbles
and rumblings that could have sunk many a band into the mire. Hopefully
that’s all behind the hard working outfit now and they will
approach Spennymoor after a year in which they have performed with
merit wherever they have played. The Area saw them put up a fine
showing to come 6th in perhaps the strongest Area contest in the
country, whilst the Open saw another solid and workmanlike performance
that secured them 11th – ahead of many other more fancied bands.
The Masters was the one disappointment and to be fair it was a day
at the office that they would rather forget.
A very hard working band, they have in Dennis Hadfield a man who
asks for and usually gets 100% commitment. Last year was their debut
at the contest and they came 9th so this year they shouldn’t
be fazed and could well improve.
Sellers International
4BR Ranking: 25
Conductor: Philip McCann
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 8
Best Result: Third place – 1992: Fifth place – 1993, 1999.
Sixth place – 2000. Unplaced – 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998.
Worst Result: 9th place – 1996.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 6th: 1999 – 5th: 1998 – 8th:
1997 – 7th: 1996 – 9th.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 12th: Masters – 15th: Open –
DNQ: National – DNQ: Grand Shield – 4th.
The return to Sellers of Phillip McCann is seen by many to have
been long overdue; especially as he was somewhat shamefully treated
there the last time he had the baton. Sellers owe him much as he
had taken the band to very nearly the very top of the contesting
tree before they parted company. 3rd place in 1992 has been their
best effort so far, but that was under his control and his return
could well see the band start returning to those happier days.
2001 then could end on a better note; as for the most part it has
been a year of immense disappointment. The Area was a disaster,
as was the Masters and the Grand Shield for that matter, where 4th
place in a not very strong field heralded the start of the end for
Alan Exely. The start of the McCann second term though could be
well worth listening out for, especially as they have secured the
arranging skills of Andy Duncan to fall back on.
Grimethorpe Colliery UK Coal
4BR Ranking: 7
Conductor: Garry Cutt
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 21
Best Result: Winners – 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986,
1993, 1994, 1999. Second place – 1978, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1991,
1992, 1995. Third place – 1985, 1987, 1990, 2000. Fourth place
- 1996.
Worst Result: 4th place 1996.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 3rd: 1999 – 1st: 1998 – DNE:
1997 – DNE: 1996 – 4th.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 4th: Open – 4th: National –
DNQ.
What a record eh? 9 wins, 7 seconds and a worst performance in
21 attempts of 4th. No one but no one has done so much to develop
the entertainment contest into a near art form as Grimethorpe, and
their reputation as Kings of the format is well deserved.
In addition they have shown that all the hype of the ludicrous “Brassed
Off” stuff has not affected them on the serious contest stage
either and in Garry Cutt they have one of the very best MD’s
in business. 2001 has proved the fact with superb performances at
both the Area (where they were a little unlucky not to qualify for
the Nationals) and the Open where Garry Cutt moulded a cracker of
a show on Les Preludes. They also have some of the most talented
players around the stand and their celluloid experiences have certainly
given a few of them the thespian tendency to show off their acting
talents on the Spennymoor stage. We are sure they will try and out
do the opposition again both in the playing and entertainment departments
– so don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Besses O’ th’ Barn
4BR Ranking: 36
Conductor: Gareth Pritchard
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 20
Best Result: 4th place 1993: Fifth place – 1984, 1985. Sixth
place – 1977, 1982. Unplaced – 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983,
1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000.
Worst Result: 11th in 1991 and 1994.
Last 5 years: 2000 – 10th: 1999 – 9th: 1998 – DNE:
1997 – DNE: 1996- DNE.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 6th: Masters – 10th: Open –
DNQ: National – DNQ: Grand Shield – 11th: Pontins –
15th: Yeovil – 8th.
A real mixed year for Besses in 2001 and Spennymoor sees them fresh
from the disappointment of gaining 15th spot in a very average field
in Pontins. Besses are a very good band on their day, but 2001 has
not seen too many of them for their liking. The Area showed promise
and the Masters reinforced their progress under Gareth Pritchard,
but since then it’s been a series of major down turns both
at the Grand Shield and Pontins and it will take some effort from
the band to recover against this strong field.
Gareth Pritchard has a quality team of players around the stand,
and some are well worth watching (please refer to Pontins report)
and last year they performed with merit off the number one spot
to come home 10th. A worthy if unspectacular run of 20 attempts
has seen them come only as high as 4th nearly ten years ago, and
Gareth Pritchard could open his goody box of quality arrangements
to take a few more scalps, but most probably it will be another
day down at the bottom end of a high quality field.
Carlton Main Frickley
4BR Ranking: 14
Conductor: Paul Andrews
Spennymoor Record Overall:
Appearances: 8
Best Result: 4th place – 1979, 1982: Unplaced – 1977,
1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984.
Worst Result: 10th place 1978 and 1980.
Last 5 years: First appearance since 1984.
2001 Form Guide: Area – 10th: Masters – 3rd: Open –
17th: National – DNQ.
Carlton Main makes a welcome return to the contest for the first
time since the year of the Miners Strike in 1984. That was a year
that everyone in the coalfields did well to survive and Carlton
Main themselves went through many lows before 1999 saw them back
to winning ways when they won the Grand Shield and returned to the
Open. Since then they have maintained the progress under the baton
of John Hinckley and the highlight of this years campaigns was undoubtedly
their 3rd place at the Masters where the three judges placed them
2nd, 4th and 10th. The Open saw them fall back a bit to come home
17th, but they have the ability to play well above themselves on
the day and take more than a few notable scalps.
Paul Andrews takes the baton for their first foray into the premier
entertainment contest, and it will be something of a baptism of
fire for all concerned. Whether they perform above expectations
we will have to wait and see, but it’s a joy to report that
one of the most famous names in the banding world has made it back.
4br prediction:
Entertainment Contests are notoriously hard to predict as on their
day any of the bands could literally draw a white rabbit out of
the hat and give the audience and judges alike a feast of entertainment
last bettered only on “Opportunity Knocks”.
What we will get is hard to say as the novelty items have thankfully
been struck a blow by a combination of common sense and good taste
by Roy Newsome and the bands themselves. As we said, there is no
accounting for taste – especially when any remnant of it has
been thrown out of the bloody window by dressing up in silly clothes,
juggling jelly or generally making an arse of oneself in the cause
of gaining an extra point or two off the entertainment judges. Until
the scoring system is properly sorted out, then we are afraid someone
is going to make themselves look a complete plonker come Sunday
night – and for what?
The best bands always sound the best bands whatever they play. It’s
in the quality of the sound, the production, the musicianship –
not in the tutu’s and red noses
There will be some brilliant solo playing that will entertain the
audience royally and some arrangements and compositions that will
do the same. Why do we need the amateur dramatics then?
Thus we think that the best bands will come out on top – and
the best bands for us are the ones who have shown their class all
year on whatever contest stage. Therefore we plumb for Grimethorpe
closely followed by Fodens and Leyland to fill the top three places
on the podium, with Sellers, Ransomes and Todmorden filling the
other places. Our dark horse we think could well be Yorkshire Imps.
4BR Prediction:
Grimethorpe Colliery UK Coal
Fodens
Leyland
Sellers International
Ransomes
Todmorden Old
Dark Horses: DUT Yorkshire Imperial Rothwell.
Last Years Result:
Fodens
Leyland
Grimethorpe
Stavanger
Ransomes
Sellers International
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