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Post Match Analysis:
Welsh Regional Championships 2002
Second Section:
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea
Saturday 16th March
Adjudicator: Robert Childs
Commences: After results of 3rd Section
Results:
1. Penclawdd (Nigel Seaman): 5 192
2. Rhyl (L. Lawrie): 3 189
3. Llanrug (P. Hughes): 1 186
4. Lewis Merthyr (L. Harries): 2 185
5. Cwmbran (J. Burns): 4 185
There is a saying that small is beautiful, but ask any bloke. Size
matters. A section made up of five bands may sound an easy way of
gaining qualification, but you still have to put in a quality performance
to make the grade, and for 80% of the bands on show here, the quality
was missing.
Not so the winners, Penclawdd Brass from West Wales who put in a
performance of real note on the difficult set work of Ewald’s
“Symphony for Brass” that gave adjudicator Robert Childs
perhaps his easiest task of the whole weekend. It was a very clear
winner. Penclawdd have a core of experienced players around the
stand, and many of them have played at a higher level. This was
evident in the way in which they didn’t overblow and were able
to make light of most of the technical demands of the Michael Hopkinson
arrangement.
Robert Childs in the box had a complete understanding of the nuances
and intricacies of the score as he had recorded the work a few months
earlier with his own band, and it was obvious that Penclawdd stuck
closely to his interpretation. Nigel Seaman directed the performance
with the knowledge he has gleaned as a top class tuba player with
the National Orchestra of Wales and as a resident conductor of some
of the best bands in the Principality over the years. It was clear
and well defined and was a class above the rest of the field. The
win was the bands first at the contest since they took the top section
prize way back in 1986. Perhaps this is a sign that they are on
the way back.
Second place went to Rhyl who gave a decent showing of the music
but never really mastered all the detail. There were good moments
and a couple of very good moments, but for the most part it was
a solid and unspectacular account that wasn’t in the same league
as Penclawdd. Still, it gave them second place and a trip to Torquay
and shows that they have made further progress since winning the
third section title here in 1999.
Third place went to Llanrug who were a further three points behind
Rhyl. They too had their moments, but it was an account that suffered
from nerves and far too many small blips and blobs that robbed them
of their chance of really challenging for a qualification spot,
but was certainly the best of the other two performances on show.
Fourth place went to Lewis Merthyr who were making a welcome return
to the contesting stage and followed Llanrug on as second band of
the day. Not the greatest of performances, but one that they can
certainly build on and hopefully start the return back to the glory
days when they ruled the roost here in 1984. Finally, Cwmbran came
fifth and they too found the technical as well as musical nuances
of the piece a little too much and although they performed well,
they lacked consistency and at times the tuning in the quieter moments
suffered. Still, another band with plenty of talent to work with.
Robert Childs won’t have many easier days than this in the
box in which to make a decision, and it must be said that Penclawdd
sounded a class and a half above the rest of the small field. Below
them it was a bit more evenly matched, but even so, Rhyl were clear
runners up on a day when the set test proved a bit too hard for
the other challengers.
© 4BarsRest
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