What numbers are the right numbers for the Royal Albert Hall?

The decision to reduce the number of bands automatically invited to the Championship Section National Final in 2025 raised more than a few eyebrows when it came to light less than 48 hours before the contest took place at the Royal Albert Hall.

Those who have witnessed the slow decline in audience numbers would agree that a structural overhaul has been long overdue, yet limiting the ‘pre-qualifiers’ to three instead of four seemed a rather puzzling answer to what has long been an almost intractable conundrum for Kapitol Promotions.  

Balancing act conundrum

It is a balancing act that is as simple as it is complex: How do you make a regionally representative brass band contest artistically engaging enough in terms of musical excellence to attract a paying audience in the numbers required to balance the financial books?

It is a balancing act that is as simple as it is complex:

For instance, given that ‘Harrison’s Dream’  this year was a concise 13 minutes or so, and most modern day contest works come in around the 17 minute mark, any time saving on the Albert Hall contest day by having one fewer band could be rendered negligible depending on the work used in 2025.

In that respect simply reducing the competitors from 20 to 19 appears to be a sticking plaster to suture a hemorrhaging of audience life-blood that in recent years has become an ever more visible sea of red in the Albert Hall’s vast auditorium.

There are so many things to balance at the Royal Albert Hall

Wrong focus

It would though be wrong to focus blame on the regional representatives at the Kapitol Forum Meeting on 14th May who voted (not unanimously) to change Rule 13 a (ii).  

This has been an issue addressed by various people (4BR included) on numerous occasions, yet given the level of apathy and disengagement (notably from Championship Section bands) to play a proactive role in their own regional governance, it has remained unchanged since 1996.

Kapitol has given the regions autonomy, empowering them to be able to come up with initiatives to bring to the forum to be discussed and voted upon.

Kapitol has given the regions autonomy, empowering them to be able to come up with initiatives to bring to the forum to be discussed and voted upon. 

It in turn mirrors the democratic process that regional committees themselves have in accepting proposals for discussion and voting on from their member bands.

In the red... seats have become more plentiful in recent years

Little desire

However, there remains little desire from the bands, due to apathy or self-preservation, to change the fundamental problems of a regional system that has long been unfit for purpose. 

It is a little curious then that they should start raising concerns now when this particular change simply scratches the surface at its apex.

An earlier proposal concerning qualification numbers in Sections 1- 4 had already been agreed, so, with the best of intentions it could well be that it was seen as an aligned option.

4BR understood that there was no official proposal brought to the meeting – but one which emerged following a discussion.  An earlier proposal concerning qualification numbers in Sections 1- 4 had already been agreed, so, with the best of intentions it could well be that it was seen as an aligned option.

Curious

However, given that a further proposal to allow bands to borrow up to 2 players in Sections 3 & 4 at regional contests was deferred until representatives had taken it back to their regional committees, it seemed curious to why the change to the Championship Section was not also postponed until further agreement had been reached.

For time being though two Championship Section bands from each region will coninue to ‘qualify’ for the Royal Albert Hall, but with just the podium finishers automatically invited back, the 2025 event will now see a field of 19 bands. 

For time being though two Championship Section bands from each region will continue to ‘qualify’ for the Royal Albert Hall, but with just the podium finishers automatically invited back, the 2025 event will now see a field of 19 bands. 

At present there will be 19 bands on stage at the 2025 National Final

November forum

What options there are for further amendment to the proposal may seem limited, although it is understood that there is another Forum meeting in November.

This may well offer enough time for the Championship bands in each region (or through the UK Leading Bands Forum) to come up with a different proposal that can be submitted by their regional representative and voted on to be implemented for 2025.

It is important to recognise however that the aim must be to ensure that in the long term, the Albert Hall event remains a regionally representative contest that is artistically engaging enough (in format, time constraints and test-piece selection) to attract a paying audience in sufficient numbers to make it financially feasible.

It is important to recognise however that the aim must be to ensure that in the long term, the Albert Hall event remains a regionally representative contest that is artistically engaging enough (in format, time constraints and test-piece selection) to attract a paying audience in sufficient numbers to make it financially feasible.

Options

Three options seem to be available :

1. To agree to an endorsement of the proposal voted on at the May 14th meeting and accept a reduction in the total number of finalists from 20 to 19 including the three ‘pre-qualified’ bands.

2. To ask for the proposal to be overturned with a return to 20 competitors.

3. To vote to trial a new system from 2025 to be implemented over a period of three years.

This could include one of two options that many people have already discussed.

a) Option 1: 10 plus 8

The top 10 bands in the contest to be automatically invited to the following year’s contest in addition to 1 representative band from each region (the highest placed band not already subject to an automatic invitation).

It marks a further reduction in overall numbers from 19 to 18 bands, but still retains representation from each region of the country.

It also rewards competitive consistency and gives time for more bands to plan their finances for the contesting year ahead. In addition, it also offers an increase in contest day time planning for the contest organisers, who themselves can be more confident that the best bands in the country compete at the event, and in turn making it more attractive to listeners.  

It marks a further reduction in overall numbers from 19 to 18 bands, but still retains representation from each region of the country.

Bands would still be required to compete at the Regional Championships.

For 2025 this would mean: 18 bands

West of England (3 bands): Flowers (1st); Aldbourne (9th) plus 1 other
North West (2 bands): Foden’s (2nd) plus 1 other   
Yorkshire (4 bands): Black Dyke (3rd); Carlton Main Frickley (7th); Brighouse & Rastrick (10th) plus 1 other 
Wales (3 bands): Cory (4th); Tredegar (6th) plus 1 other
Scotland (2 bands): the cooperation band (5th) plus 1 other
London & Southern Counties: (2 bands): Zone One Brass (8th) plus 1 other
Midlands: (1 band)
North of England: (1 band)

 
b) Option 2: 8 plus 8

The top 8 bands in the contest to be automatically invited back to the following year’s contest in addition to 1 representative band from each region (the highest placed band not already subject to an automatic invitation).

It marks a further reduction in overall numbers from 19 to 16 bands, but still retains representation from each region of the country.

It rewards a higher level of competitive consistency and gives time for more bands (than current proposal) to plan their finances for the contesting year ahead.

It rewards a higher level of competitive consistency and gives time for more bands (than current proposal) to plan their finances for the contesting year ahead.

It also offers a further increase in contest day time planning for contest organisers as well as  confidence that the majority of the consistently more successful bands compete at the event, and in turn making it more attractive to listeners.  

Bands would still be required to compete at the Regional Championships.

For 2025 this would mean: 16 bands

West of England (2 bands): Flowers (1st) plus 1 other
North West (2 bands): Foden’s (2nd) plus 1 other   
Yorkshire (3 bands): Black Dyke (3rd); Carlton Main Frickley (7th) plus 1 other 
Wales (3 bands): Cory (4th); Tredegar (6th) plus 1 other
Scotland (2 bands): the cooperation band (5th) plus 1 other
London & Southern Counties: (2 bands): Zone One Brass (8th) plus 1 other
Midlands: (1 band)
North of England: (1 band)   

The numbers

Whether or not these two ideas from the options available will gain any traction with band representtives remains to be seen. Perhaps someone can come up with other alternatives that meet the same objectives.

Change at the Royal Albert Hall is required.   The question is, just how far are we willing to back our representatives to go with the numbers?

Iwan Fox