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4BR Review of the year
Fourth Section
John James casts his eye back over the year that was
in the Fourth Section.
There is plenty to choose from this year in this section and it
appears that there is a most promising 2003 to come. With many bands
playing with real conviction, who would dare say the standard of
brass bands in this section is on the decline? The overall standard
of playing was, for us, very good indeed and two bands from this
section figured in our short list for band of the year.
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. They ended the year with a fine second
place at the Borders contest – so 2002 ended on an upbeat
note.
St. Dennis, the famous old band confirmed that they are now 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 the band can
look forward to a very bright future. Winners at home in Cornwall,
Bristol at the Regionals and Torquay at the Nationals added up to
a very fine 2002.
All in all we thought many MD’s brought the highest levels
of playing from their bands, with lots of performers on top form,
add to this some intelligent choices of music and its no wonder
that the talent shone through. The contest music this year, particularly,
Michael Ball’s ‘Cambrian Suite’ and ‘Pennine
Moor’ for Pontins were most well chosen and allowed MD’s
and bands to really express themselves. This brings us nicely round
to mention Simon Dobson who in 2002 has had his talent deservedly
recognised. We wait with anticipation for the Regionals in 2003
when the test piece will be his fine composition ‘Lydian Pictures’
In our introduction we acknowledged that there is for many a continual
struggle to make ends meet and in this regard we take our hats off
to Bletchington Silver Band and their inspired Oxford Monopoly Challenge
- one of the cleverest and inspired fundraising projects of the
year.
The Cornish bands have certainly embraced the youth ethic and this
county had more than one band to boast about in the fourth section
- one mustn’t overlook Hayle Town. Their year got off to a
winning start at the Cornwall Brass Band Contest and this continued
in May in Weston Super Mare. Although the entries for Bugle were
down they were there and produced a decent performance. Derek Johnson
and the band capped a very good year with 3rd place in the National
Finals in Torquay. Pendennis Brass (Falmouth) ensured that it was
a threesome from Cornwall in Torquay taking third place in the Regionals.
Before we move too far away from the National Finals in Torquay
we must give acknowledgement to the South West Area Brass Band Association.
This group of people were the backbone of the Torquay event and
they worked tirelessly over that weekend without complaint or reward
despite late finishes and early mornings. May we at 4BarsRest take
this opportunity to offer some much-deserved applause for the association.
Lockwood Band won their section at the Malton Brass Band contest
and in the process took the best march award and the best soloist
prize (euph). This came on the back of a convincing win at Pontins
and on this form they must be a band to watch for in 2003.
First and runners-up prizes at the SCABA contests this year went
to Sandhurst Silver and these trophies went to sit beside the winners’
trophy from London and Southern Counties Regionals. Hungerford Town,
Jubilee Brass (Oxford) and Ware Brass joined them at the National
Finals. A good year for these bands and they will all be pitching
their skills in the third section for 2003.
The Welsh bands didn’t quite make their mark on the fourth
section in 2002, as in some previous years, but Conwy Town and Porthaethwy
Menai Bridge, both finished with top ten places in the National
Finals. Without question the best bit of conducting we saw in the
4th Section this year came from Gareth Ritter with the Abertillery
Band performance at Pontins before they went on to secure a prize
in Treorchy. Nantile Vale came to the contesting arena and whilst
not taking any prizes their efforts were to be commended.
In the Midlands probably the three bands that made it to Torquay
had the most successful time in 2002. Wem Jubilee took the Regional
top spot whilst Long Eaton Silver and Leicestershire Co-op Snibston
Charnwood certainly carried the flag well for the Region. These
bands captured good results at NorthEast Midlands and Weston-Super-Mare
contests.
Linthwaite were probably Yorkshire’s Pride in 2002 taking
runners-up spot at the Holme Firth contest, winning at Millbrook
on Whit Friday and becoming Yorkshire Regional Champions. Emley
Brass joined them in Torquay whilst in Scotland Jedforest Instrumental
battled it out with Lochgelly to take the top honours. They won
the Carnegie contest, were the best 4th Section Band in March and
Hymn Tune Brass in the Park event and made the trip to Torquay becoming
runners-up in the Scottish Regionals
Hetton Silver made the trip to Torquay as the North of England
Champions and they endorsed their form with the runners-up prize
in the CISWO contest. Kirby Lonsdale who also travelled to Torquay
from the Northern region joined them.
Timperley, Douglas Town and Wardle & District Anderson Brass
represented the North West in the National Finals however the 4th
Section in the North West overall was probably the strongest division
in 2002. Besses Boys, Nelson, Parr, Rivington and Adlington, Trinity
Girls, and Uppermill all deserve recognition for some good results.
Timperley Band not only gained 4th place in Torquay but also made
their mark at the Brass at the Preston GuildHall Contest. They took
four 1st prizes on Whit Friday (Broadoak, Carrbrook, The Station
Ashton-Under-Lyne & Roundthorn) and rounded out the season with
3rd place at Pontins in the Third Section. All in all a really good
year for Graham Hetherington and the band.
Wardle & District Anderson Brass were the runners-up at the
National Finals and they also scored a win on Whit Friday at the
Hurst contest whilst Douglas Town had Gordon Higginbottom at the
helm in their quest for glory in Torquay which unfortunately eluded
them. Besses Boys featured in the prizes all through 2002 taking
pots at the Tameside Open, Buxton Festival, Wigglesworth Contest
and North West Open Championships. Nelson Brass won their first
contest back in February at the Preston GuildHall and rounded out
the year with a win at the Wilkinson Northern Open. Parr Band (Richardson
Ltd.) St. Helens took the Buxton Festival Contest and set themselves
up again for a good Whit Friday with winning performances at Delph
& Scouthead and Austerlands. Rivington and Adlington started
out the year with a prize at the Preston GuildHall and followed
this with 2nd place at Buxton.
They really made a statement about their progress winning the NWCBBA
Fleetwood Contest and endorsed this with the runners-up spot at
the North West Open Championships. A good year for the band was
cemented when Ian Bateson and the band got in the frame at Pontins.
Trinity Girls won the Tameside Open and the Wilkinson Northern Open
and were placed in the Wychavon Entertainment Contest while Uppermill
featured at Tameside, were 4th at Pontins and were placed 1st at
Greenacres & Greenfield on Whit Friday. They had a challenge
in the North West Open Championships negotiating a route to the
contest with the roads closed for the Manchester Marathon. They
came 4th even though they had to go on stage with two players from
the previous band filling in. Their own players, who had been forced
to abandon their car, arrived on foot just as the band came off
stage.
© 4BarsRest
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