Editorial ~ 2007: January

This month we give our opinion on Le Roi d'YBS; Good contesting news and the brass band predictions of Nostradamus...

Le Roi d'YBS?

The departure of Professor David King from the YBS Band has been well documented in the past couple of weeks, but even if this has led to people taking time to remember the great achievements of this rather unique combination, it is also interesting to speculate about their futures too.

What that future does hold for them both is rather intriguing. Have we seen the last of the great Australian on the contesting stage, at least for the time being? Will YBS flourish now that their figurehead has gone, or will they struggle to keep their profile as one of the very best bands in the movement?

The answers to both questions are most probably tied to time and finance rather than pure music matters more than anything else.

YBS are seemingly putting in place well managed foundations for their immediate future. New players and a sense of esprit de corps could well herald something of a post King entrenchment in the short term, but it is the long term when for all the brave talk and fighting spirit, the finance of running a top class brass band really comes into question. Paying bills is much harder than playing test pieces as many bands have found to their long term survival costs in the past.

Professor King on the other hand well have time on his side to really reflect on what his next banding move may be. If he is to be tempted back full time, rather than on an occasional basis, then it will surely have to encompass a project that ignites his enthusiasm and passion rather than just the possibility of adding a few more contest successes to his CV.

A brand new band perhaps, or a resurrection of a famous old name now dormant or languishing in the miasma of middle of the road top class banding?  Or now that he has perhaps achieved as much as he has ever wanted to, he will channel his unique energies into new projects such as his association with the Coldstream Guards or further enhancing the status of the courses run at Salford University?  We will have to wait and see.

For both YBS and David King, 2007 promises to be a very interesting year indeed. 

What do you think?
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Good contesting news

The news that the European Brass Band Association has signed a new sponsorship contract with the instrument makers Buffet Crampon S.A.S. the new owners of both Courtois and Besson brands, as well as getting the iconic old trophy back to present to their winning band in 2007, is excellent news for the wider brass band world.

It also builds on the undoubted success of the 2006 Europeans in Belfast, and with other sponsors also coming on board to add further financial stability EBBA should be congratulated for their efforts in continuing to enhance the profile and importance of the festival.

It also allows outgoing President of EBBA, Markus Bach the opportunity to leave his position after the 2007 event in Birmingham with a well deserved degree of satisfaction too – for without his efforts to ensure that the event was safeguarded for the benefit of the brass band movement as a whole in Europe, the contest would surely have regressed.

We shouldn't forget that just over a year ago the future of the contest was very much in balance with the possibility of a damaging split with a rival promoter offering their own version of the event very much on the cards. That would have been a disaster.

At a time when the future of many contests is in the balance, EBBA (as well as others such as Brass in Concert) have shown that by making brass band contests populist and professionally organized their future is bright and more importantly, relevant.

Congratulations and plaudits are more than appropriate in all cases.

What do you think?
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Nostradamus and brass bands

It is said that the old sage of 16th Century France (not of the Brass in Concert venue in Gateshead) was a dab hand at predicting the future for all sorts of things - from moon landings to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire (Chelsea Football Club's not Julius Caesar's). But try as experts might, until now, not one of his indecipherable quatrains tends to make a mention of brass bands.

However, it appears that the old fraud may have well noted, however obliquely, a few pointers to which bands may end the following year stacked with trophies and prize money.

It should therefore come as no surprise that it seems that his latest batch of four line French fancies for 2007 suggest that the main contest prizes may well continue to reside in the same old hands, with BAYV tipped for European glory in Birmingham, Black Dyke making it a hat trick at the British Open and after a battle royal in London, Grimethorpe holding on to their National crown.

By all accounts he also tips Grimey to regain their Brass in Concert title, although there may be a present surprise or two from European shores, Brighouse and Fodens to fill their boots at Whit Friday once more and a couple of shocks at the Areas. The judges he says will remain muted at London and Birmingham too.

Could he be right then? Given that any old charlatan (4BR Editor included) could come up with these usual suspects and not be too far off, then why not? Have a think about it, and see what bands you can come up with to take the major honours next year – you will find that it is a pretty narrow field of realistic choice.

Perhaps Nostradamus knew that too well – although by all accounts he didn't see Rothwell's Masters triumph coming last year. We will see just how accurate the predictions of the French (and Welsh) seer are come Butlins next month.

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