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National Championships 2003
We know this is really the bit you have been waiting for
- 4BR making fools of themselves with our dodgy predictions. We
have done extensive research and employed all the latest scientific
help we could find (as if) and this is what we will be holding our
hard reputations up with!
Read 'em and weep........
First Section
Remember 12 months ago – the last band taking the stage on
the stroke of midnight, the pubs well and truly closed, and the
audience on its last legs. Nobody would have given Staffordshire
much hope of making a mark at such an hour, but they did and they
walked off into the early morning gloom crowned as the 2002 National
First Section Champions. Somehow we don’t think it will happen
quite like that again – although the band that will be drawn
last this year will certainly be in with a shout, whoever they may
be.
Such is the field for this years contest that there doesn’t
seem to be an outstanding favourite to take the title for us, and
although there is sure to be the usual variances of the draw to
contend with, the winner could come from anywhere. It says something
about the standard of the bands in this section nationally that
just the one, Abergavenny Borough return to fight it out again.
Of the other 17 from last year, some of course were promoted to
the Championship Section (where none qualified for the Albert hall)
or didn’t manage to get a return ticket to compete at this
level again this year. That suggests a close run thing.
Last year “Leonardo” was a good technical test, but
fairly average musical experience, but this year the opposite is
true. “A Kensington Concerto” is lovely music indeed,
but technically it is well within the scope of these bands. Finding
and understanding the musical content however is a different matter.
At the Norwegian Championships earlier this year we listened to
some very good bands make a bit of a pig’s ear of this piece.
Right from the opening theme on the solo cornet, the simplicity
of the writing lulled band after band (and many an experienced British
MD) into believing they had to try and find some sort of hidden
meaning to the Eric Ball’s writing. As a result, they very
nearly all fell flat on their faces. Eric Ball’s music is
very transparent and open, and if played in the manner and to the
instructions of the score reveals it beauty and warmth to the full.
How many MD’s will fall into the trap of trying to make something
out of nothing? Just listen to how the cornet players approach the
opening and it will tell you everything you need to know. It is
a nine bar theme, marked clearly in three phrases, mp in dynamic
and with the instruction “semplice”. If a player does
exactly that then the band is off to a great start – if not
and they could well be up against it from the word go.
With that in mind then we think the winners could come from the
bands who are led by MD’s who have more than a passing acquaintance
with Eric Ball’s music, and who understand its meaning as
well as its technical structure. Playing the notes won’t and
shouldn’t be enough to impress James Scott – a man with
tremendous experience of understanding the composers works both
as a player, conductor and adjudicator. Try and blast through this
one and the bands will come a cropper – big time.
So who do we think will become National First Section Champions
and add their name to a list that since 1992 has included some very
decent bands.
A couple of bands stand out for us, and we think Kibworth and John
Berryman may well be the band to beat. His experience allied to
the form they showed in qualifying for the Finals makes them our
favourites. Close behind them we think it could be a good scrap
between Hade Edge with the very musical Simon Wood at the helm,
United Co-op (Crewe) and Jef Sparkes, City of Bristol and Bryn James,
with Abergavenny and Leighton Price and Zone One Brass and the young
Simon Dobson making up the rest of the top six. As for our dark
horse, we plumb for Bon Accord with Tony Swainson.
We will most probably be a proverbial mile out, and there are a
whole batch of bands who will be determined to play well - so don’t
be surprised if a totally different top 6 are announced from the
stage. The one thing that will be certain though - the music should
be the winner.
4BR Prediction:
1. Kibworth
2. Hade Edge (J&E Dickinson)
3. United Co-op (Crewe)
4. City of Bristol
5. Abergavenny Borough
6. Zone One Brass
Dark Horse: Bon Accord
Second Section:
Three bands who battled it out in Torquay last year in this section
return once more to try and take the title of 2003 Second Section
National Champions. Hade Edge who won so thrillingly will be hoping
to make it a double in the First Section this time, so it is left
to Langbaurgh Brass, Shirley and Penclawdd to return. Shirley came
third last year, and so they will be determined to go a couple of
places better and leave Dundee as Champions, whilst Penclawdd were
10th and Langbaurgh were 5th. Both will be hoping for higher places
for sure.
Joining them up from the Third Section finals line up of last year
are Arbroath Instrumental, who came 12th and Houghton Brass who
were 18th – both qualified in style and will be looking to
make a mark whilst the other contenders will all travel in hope
and expectation.
The set work was the British Open test piece in 1958, and although
the technical aspects are well within the scope of the 2003 bands
here, it will once again be the sense of musicality that they bring
to “Sunset Rhapsody” that should sort them out good
and proper. There are more than a few older heads on display here
as well – which should bode well for less brawn and more brain
power when it comes to the performances, and the likes of Graham
O’Connor, Norman Law, Dave Lea, Paul Fensom, Peter Christian
and Tony Small to name just a few have all had considerable experience
of playing and conducting Eric Ball works. It should we hope, hold
them in good stead.
The younger faces though could well bring vitality and a new sense
of understanding to the work, and so look out for bold approaches
from the likes of Craig Anderson, Gavin Saynor, Tim Oldroyd and
the rest of the younger guns. There could be some fascinating interpretations.
So with such an exciting mix of talent on stage, who do we think
will come out on top? Once more we think it could well be the bands
that display the control – especially in dynamics and balance
that could steal the top places, whilst a little experience from
the MD’s could go a long way. It’s Old Silkstone for
us then with Norman Law who we think could be the winners. They
were excellent value at the Regional Championships in Bradford earlier
this year and they could well add the Nationals to their Yorkshire
title. Behind them it is going to very close indeed, but our spies
have noted good form from the likes of Bollington who were winners
up in the North West, Shirley Band in the Midlands, Langbaurgh in
the North, Hatfield in Yorkshire and Penclawdd in Wales. Our dark
horse we think could well be Manx Concert Brass.
4BR Prediction:
1. Old Silkstone
2. Bollington
3. Shirley
4. Langbaurgh
5. Hatfield Coal Power
6. Penclawdd
Dark Horse: Manx Concert Brass
Third Section:
The Third Section sees the return of just the three bands from
last years Finals line up, but there are five bands who have moved
up from the Fourth Section – a great sign that they have continued
to improve and improve well.
The three that were here last year are Carlton Brass who came 8th
in 2002, Hebden Bridge (Walkley Clogs) who came 11th and Michelmersh
Silver who were 17th. They are joined by last years Fourth Section
National Champions, St. Dennis, Conway Town who came 5th, Lochgelly
who were 8th, Ware Brass who were 10th and Sandhurst Silver who
were 15th. That already makes for an exciting line up doesn’t
it? Of the others, there are plenty of bands who qualified, and
qualified well and a whole raft of MD’s with experience and
a lot of knowledge of playing and directing Eric Ball works at a
higher level.
The likes of Chris Wormald, Alan Lawton, Ian Craddock and Gavin
Lindsay have been and done it at the highest levels over the years,
but so have so many of the other MD’s as well. Once more,
it could well boil down to how that experience rubs off to the players
that may or may not make the difference. Youngsters (and there will
be many below the legal drinking age in these bands – although
that won’t stop many of them!) won’t have had much contact
with Eric Ball’s works, and so the need for control, balance,
tunefulness and understanding of the musical line and shape will
be essential to any successful performance. Give youngsters lots
of notes to play, and they are happy as Larry, but give them something
soft and quiet and they tend to pull long faces. This is where the
MD’s will earn their money.
Our spies have told us that there are a few bands that stand out
for them as potential winners, but the ones for us to put our hard
earned cash on are Diggle with the evergreen Alan Lawton at the
helm. They were excellent in qualification at Blackpool under Norman
Law, and the choice of Alan Lawton to take them here could well
spell even more success. The North West have produced some fine
bands at this level, and last year they came 1st, 2nd and 3rd, so
don’t be surprised if both Boarshurst and Jonathan Webster
and Hoover (Bolton) with Chris Wormald feature highly. Hebden Bridge
from Yorkshire have also been on good form whilst we also think
St. Dennis should put in another strong performance. The Scots shouldn’t
be too far out either and we plumb for Gavin Lindaay and Lochgelly
to make a mark, whilst our Dark Horse we think will be Carlton Brass.
4BR Prediction:
1. Diggle
2. St. Dennis
3. Boarshurst Silver
4. Hoover (Bolton)
5. Hebden Bridge
6. Lochgelly
Dark Horse: Carlton Brass
Fourth Section:
Last year, St. Dennis from Cornwall were clear winners of the Fourth
Section in a contest that was a real delight – lots of talented
young players, great support from the audience for all the bands
and a fine test piece in the form of Michael Ball’s “A
Cambrian Suite”. It made for a great occasion.
This year could well be the same, with one band for us standing
out as favourites to take the title and with a whole batch of others
more than capable of claiming the rest of the top six places. Three
bands from last year remain to fight it out again, with Wardle and
District Anderson under Phil Shaw determined to go one better than
the runners up spot they gained in Torquay, whilst the indefatigable
Long Eaton Band under Sharon Stansfield will be looking to improve
on 18th place. Finally, Hayle Town and Derek Johnston will also
be looking to improve slightly after they were placed third last
year. All three will travel with high ambitions.
The stand out band though is Lockwood Brass conducted by Nigel
Barnes who won the North East Regional title by five points and
who on the day sounded like a band that would have challenged strongly
in the section above at least. They will come to the contest with
very realistic ambitions of taking home the title. The question
is then – can anyone push them close?
On the day of course there is, and any number of bands could win
– but they will have to be playing to the very top of their
form. Dinnington Colliery with Toby Bannan at the helm were the
winners in Yorkshire and they were very compact and balanced as
they took the title in Bradford, whilst Camborne B Band will be
making the long trip under Alan Pope hoping to emulate last years
Cornish winners. The Welsh also have two strong contenders in Ogmore
Valley and Harlech whilst the London and Southern Counties provide
three bands in the form of Great Yarmouth, Hilgay and Woodbridge
Excelsior who could well feature.
“Call of the Sea” is the weakest of the test pieces
for us on paper – and we don’t just say that because
we couldn’t find out much about it in our test piece preview.
Unlike the others the score seems curiously one dimensional and
repetitive and although we have yet to hear it “live”
we think it may not have caught the imagination of the bands like
the others choices may have. It just looks very “old fashioned”
and with these bands full of youngsters ready and willing to give
it their best shot, perhaps this wasn’t the greatest of choices.
We will wait and see though – perhaps we are wrong and everyone
loved rehearsing it!!
4BR is looking forward to hearing the bands at this contest though
and spotting the young talents of tomorrow who in ten years or so
could well be strutting their stuff at the Royal Albert Hall. Each
year unearths little gems. So who is it going to be then?
As we have said, we think Lockwood will emerge winners –
if they play to form that is, whilst behind them it will be a very
close run thing indeed. We think both Wardle and Hayle could feature
again and don’t discount Grange Moor from Yorkshire who sounded
a good band in the making at Bradford. Dinnington could also shine
and we have an inkling Harlech may make it into the frame. Ou Dark
Horses are Great Yarmouth.
4BR Prediction:
1. Lockwood
2. Hayle Town
3. Grange Moor
4. Wardle and District Anderson Brass
5. Dinnington Colliery
6. Harlech
Dark Horse: Great Yarmouth
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