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The 2002 4BarsRest awards:
Lower Section Band of the Year
This has been something of a topsy turvey year for the bands in
the Lowers Sections – what with the “night shift”
Nationals in Torquay and the continual struggle to make ends meet
in economic difficult times. For the vast majority of bands it is
a question of survival, but for the select few, ambitions are realised
and in 2002 quite a few bands made a mark in their respective sections.
All the Regions had bands that dominated to a certain extent, and
at National level the prizes were shared out throughout the country
with the Midlands taking the honours in the First Section in the
form of the Staffordshire band, Yorkshire the Second with Hade Edge,
the North West the Third with Silk Brass and the West of England
the Fourth in the shape of St. Dennis.
At Pontins it was Dobcross, Old Silkstone, Wire and Lockwood who
won the big money, whilst at the Miners, Barnsley, Strata, Frickley
and Lochgelly won through.
So lots of bands having good years – and that’s not
including the bands that won numerous regional contests!
Here are our five then. Remember though – these are just
a nap hand of bands that made a mark on us during the year –
there were others, so if you feel your band did better, make sure
you use your vote!
St. Dennis
A famous old band now firmly back on the road to better and bigger
things after a fine 2002 that saw them win the Fourth Section at
Torquay as well as come runners up at Pontins.
Having a famous past can be a hindrance at times, but this band
can now look forward to a very bright future. Winners at home in
Cornwall, Bristol at the Regionals and Torquay at the Nationals
adds up to a very fine 2002. Well done everyone!
Hade Edge (J&E Dickinson)
A real up and coming band – complete with a tremendous MD.
Hade Edge took the honours in Torquay with a cracker of a show on
Kenneth Hesketh’s tricky “Danceries” but followed
this up with an unlucky 13th at Pontins. That shouldn’t detract
from the fact that they sounded a very good outfit indeed during
the year, especially when we heard them take the Yorkshire Regional
title in Bradford in March. On that day they wouldn’t have
sounded out of place a section or two above them.
Wire Brass
Runners up in Torquay in the Third Section, they put behind them
that very close result to gain a superb victory at Pontins where
they stamped their class on the opposition. A band with an ambition
to climb high, they are ably led by Paul Andrews and were winners
at the North West Regionals in perhaps the strongest Third Section
field of the year. Wire won’t be out of place in the higher
section during 2003.
Briton Ferry Silver
The Welsh band came 4th at the Nationals in Torquay, but back home
in the Welsh Championship they remained unbeaten all year winning
all three regional contests as well as the National Eisteddfod crown
and came runners up at the Welsh Regionals. Very well directed by
Mike Faro, who won the award for “Best Conductor of the Year”
in Wales for his efforts, they are a band very much on the up.
Lochgelly
Lochgelly won through to the Nationals finals in Torquay after
giving a cracker of a performance at Motherwell to win the Regional
crown by three clear points. In Torquay they really impressed us
– although not the judges who put them 8th, but we really
liked the way MD Gavin Lindsay directed his charges. They gained
their reward though at the Mineworkers Championships in Blackpool
where they once again showed their class to win the Fourth Section
by a clear two point margin. This week they ended the year with
a fine second place at the Borders contest – so 2002 ended
on an upbeat note.
2001 winner:
Peter Hawke Garages Lindley Band
How to vote....
Make sure you read all the articles
for each category before going to the voting
form.
© 4BarsRest
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