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2003 Pontins Brass Band Championships
Pontins Holiday Camp, Prestatyn, North Wales
Sat/Sun 25/26th October
Fourth Section:
Retrospective
We give our retrospective opinion of the Fourth Section, that saw
a Phoenix from the Flames victory!
The Fourth Section saw 18 bands take to the stage to give performances
of Philip Wilby’s “The Seasons”. Our pre match
prediction to win, Wardle and District had withdrawn but overall
we had three in the prizes (Phoenix, Lockwood and Pemberton and
three just outside).
Phoenix were drawn 14 and gave a performance that was strong and
impressive and helped by beautifully played accompaniments from
trombones and baritones. All three movements were superbly constructed
and their euphonium player really shone, whilst they were perhaps
the only band on the day that really caught the marziale snap of
the finale. It was a well-deserved victory.
Second place went to Besses Boys conducted by M. Stringer who produced
a bold fresh sound with plenty of vitality and all three movements
were well constructed and benefited especially from the playing
of the solo cornets and soprano. The final podium place went to
Wellington (Telford) who certainly looked the part, and although
they started shakily improved as they went along and ended with
perhaps the strongest finale of the day. Third spot for a good musical
portrait was well deserved.
The other three places in the top six went to Lockwood Brass, Pemberton
Old B and Portheathwy Menai Bridge. All three gave strong performances
that very nearly came off completely, but were just hampered with
little costly errors that denied them the chance to challenge higher.
Lockwood had a lovely warm bass and trombone sound and the percussion
section was about the best of the day, but those little errors and
some overblowing towards the end robbed them of coming higher up.
Pemberton Old B started off in tremendous fashion, with the flugel
horn player on top form, but the second movement just didn’t
work as well and even a lively finale couldn’t move them closer
to the top prizes. Finally, Porthaethwy Menai Bridge sufferred the
same fate, with a super opening, a shaky middle movement and a fine
ending. Their percussion section also played a fine part.
After that there were many performances of much the same standard,
with the bands that filled the placings 7 – 14 being much
of a muchness. Dronfield who were 7th just needed a it more vigour
to have claimed a top six prize, whilst Rivington and Adlington
had lots of style, a horn section of contrasting years and an approach
that we liked. Kirkby and Pillowell also had their moments with
Kirkby really committed and with a very classy horn player, whilst
Pillowell had a super rep player. They just fell short for us with
the choice of a very brisk tempo in the final movement.
Greenfield, Sale Uppermill and Chalgrove also played their part,
but came where they deserved for us. Greenfield had the best and
more tuneful muted playing of the day, whilst Sale had a super solo
cornet player and a solo horn who played the trills at the end of
the second movement with real panache. Uppermill started nervously
but improved as things went along, whilst Chalgrove had two good
movements and a poor second one that cost them marks.
The bands that came 15th – 18th struggled a little overall,
but Standish, Five Rivers, Sacriston and Pothleven should be happy
with their efforts on a difficult set work. Standish had an unlucky
ending to the first movment that unsettled the band for a while
afterwards, whilst Five Rivers were perhaps a bit too bold and dynamically
loud and some of the solo lines couldn’t quite command. A
little less would have given them much more. Sacriston we noted
as one that could and should have been higher as there was quality
about the overall ensemble but too many little costly slips that
started to rob a nice musical picture, whilst Porthleven had a controlled
opening and a start player in Emily Evans aged 7 who played the
horn solo with an aplomb of a star in the making.
Fine winners then, and no complaints as Phoenix rose from the flames
to claim a fine victory. David Bishop – Rowe directed a fine
performance and one that would have been at least a couple of points
ahead of the rest of the field. Well done to him (he did after all
have the Welsh surname of the ex Pontypool star scrum half) and
to the band who sound as if they could more than hold their own
in a higher section.
Test Piece:
Suite - The Seasons, Philip Wilby
1. Phoenix West Midlands Brass, D. Bishop-Rowe, 14
2. Besses Boys, M. Stringer, 6
3. Wellington (Telford) Brass, S. Curtis, 2
4. Lockwood Brass, N. Barnes, 15
5. Pemberton Old B, P. Ashley, 3
6. Porthaethwy Menai Bridge, C. Williams, 11
7. Dronfield [CMW], R. White, 12
8. Rivington & Adlington, H. Bentham, 9
9. Kirkby Colliery Welfare, S. Berrill, 13
10. Pillowell Silver, C. Lewis, 5
11. Greenfield, D. Chapman, 16
12. Sale Brass, S. Shawcross, 4
13. Uppermill, S. Wood. 8
14. Chalgrove, S. Sizeland, 1
15. Standish, J. Roberts, 10
16. Five Rivers Brass, T. Griffiths, 18
17. Sacriston Colliery, R. Wallace, 19
18. Porthleven Town, F. E. Evans, 17
W. Wardle & District Anderson Brass, P. Shaw, 7
© 4BarsRest
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