The Association of Brass Band Adjudicator’s has reopened the debate over adjudication standards, with an astonishing attack on Steven Mead in an article which was sent to 4BR and has since appeared on the ABBA website.

Mythical Meetings

Under the headline, 'Mythical Meetings!!', ABBA Secretary, C Brian Buckley states that he is 'at a loss' to understand why the euphonium star asserted that he had agreed a meeting between himself and his organisation.

Inconceivable

He goes on further to write that since his ‘untimely and largely rhetorical comments’ first appeared on his website, Steven has not contacted him either by phone e-mail or snail mail and that it is '...inconceivable that he has prepared copious information comparing a range of adjudicating systems.'

Initial offer

As reported previously on 4BR, ABBA had initially offered to meet and discuss the issues raised by Steven Mead in his article, 'Time for Change', the statement published both on the 4BR website and their own site, concluding that, "... meeting with Steven Mead at this stage would be both unproductive and premature."

No approach

It now appears that ABBA states that no subsequent approach, formal or otherwise, was made by Steven Mead, although 4BR has seen copies of e-mails sent by the Whitburn conductor to the organisation through Brian Buckley dated the 15th September (just three days after the contest), which was subsequently resent 10 days later.

Did write

Speaking to 4BR, Steven stated: "I did write to ABBA through Brian on the 15th September and again by resending the original e-mail 10 days later after receiving no reply.

"I also agreed that I would attend a meeting with ABBA, most notably during an audio interview on 4BR which was undertaken five days after the contest. Brian had mentioned to me on the phone, the date of October 7th, which I initally reserved but explianed I would prefer to speak with Derek Braodbent (ABBA Chairman) first."

Collating information

Steven added: "As I had no replay to my e-mails I presumed they’s changed their mind, but I carried on collating information in respect to my concerns as I clearly stated I would."

ABBA article:

The published article from the ABBA Secretary reads as follows:

'Mythical Meetings!!

As Secretary of ABBA, I am at a loss to understand why Steven Mead continues to assert that a meeting had been agreed between himself and ABBA.

As far as I am aware, I am the only member of the Executive Committee that has been in direct contact with Steven Mead since he published his untimely and largely rhetorical comments in the article (subsequently and rapidly amended by him), that appeared on his personal website following the conclusion of the "British Open" event at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in September 2009.

This article was obviously influenced by Steven's intense disappointment at the placing of the band he had prepared for and directed at this event.

Given the nature of the content of his article, I telephoned Steven late on Sunday morning, the day after the "British Open".

He expressed discomfort about the possibility of meeting the Executive Committee of ABBA, indicating that he would only want to meet the Chairperson of ABBA, a surprising disclosure given the original text of his article.

Since he was busy preparing to leave the UK later that afternoon to fulfil a series of overseas engagements and would not be returning to the UK for several weeks, it was left with Steven to contact me on his return. We could then discuss the possibility of arranging a meeting between himself and ABBA should this be considered a productive step forward!

To date, Steven has not contacted me neither by mobile or fixed telephone, e-mail or snail-mail. So I find it quite remarkable that such a busy and obviously well organised professional person publicly contends that he has written to ABBA twice without reply.

Following our September Sunday morning telephone discussion; I was expecting him to make contact. This has not happened. Likewise, I have not been made aware of any other ABBA member having has contact with Steven on this matter.

Without having made arrangements for such a meeting to take place, it is inconceivable that (according to his most recent commentary on this matter, as published on his website), he has "prepared copious information comparing a range of adjudicating systems from many different spheres of music contests", — all this in preparation for a mythical meeting between himself and ABBA that could not take place until he had contacted ABBA.

He also highlights that he has prepared "considerable analytical data from systems used for marching bands, ice skating and gymnastic events". Perhaps these assessments are more appropriate for application to visual, rather than aurally assessed competitions.

Disappointingly, much of Steven's recently published comments are again largely rhetoric in style, being short on factual statements, but littered with rather imaginative phrases.

The role of ABBA is not to address changes that Steven contends are "needed with regard to the current set up of the Brass band movement's contests", but merely to address the adjudication process — in January 2003 ABBA carried out an exercise on criteria based marking at their Annual CPD session.

It would be helpful if Steven could let ABBA have sight of his evidence that supports his contention that the adjudication process can be improved to benefit all participants and those who administer and officiate at competitive events.

It would also be a constructive initiative if Steven could obtain permission from "the leading lights in the brass band world" who have provided him "some quite superb systems", to release their identity to ABBA so that discussions leading to meaningful conclusion can then ensue.

Not surprisingly ABBA is wary of creating an illusion of progress, but are committed to making genuine progress.

C Brian Buckley
Secretary – ABBA