The first tremors of opposition to the setting up of a new Brass Band Players Registry have been recorded in the North West banding community.

Barnsley registry

Following a recent meeting of 50 people representing 38 member bands, the North West Area Brass Band Association has sent a letter to Kapitol Promotions outlining their opposition and wish to retain their member band registrations with the British Brass Band Registry based in Barnsley.

The NWBBA represents bands in the North West of England and surrounding areas, including Cheshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man – including current National champions Foden’s.

The Association is currently chaired by Peter Bates, with Shirley Woodward as its secretary.

Complex twist

In a slightly complex twist of circumstances, both are also the Treasurer and Chairperson respectively of the North West Regional Committee – the separate body that runs the North West Area contest under Kapitol’s auspices at Blackpool each year.

At their recent AGM held on 28th September, where just seven bands from the whole North West Area were represented, an open forum discussion on the same topic resulted in a decision to — ‘...pool their thoughts and formulate a response to Kapitol which, when constructed, they have asked the Regional Committee to forward’.

The Regional Secretary did confirm however that a request from the Brass Band Players Registrar to be given contact details of North West bands was refused and that the bands themselves would have to agree to the request individually.

North West discussion

Meanwhile, the NWBBA meeting was held Monday 22nd October where it was reported that a lengthy discussion concerning the formation of the Brass Band Players Registry by Kapitol Promotions was undertaken.

It was unanimously agreed that the following letter be sent to Kapitol Promotions as well as to all the NWABBA member bands and to the banding press.

Press Release:

Why are English bands being singled out with the need for a new Registry when they currently have a fully functional Registry at Barnsley, which has served them well for many, many years?NWABBA

Dear Mr. Morris and Ms. Bland,

We have been instructed to write to you with regard to your company setting up the Brass Band Players Registry and the announcement that only bands whose players are registered with this new organisation will be allowed to compete in the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain. This new Registry is for English bands only.

Why are English bands being singled out with the need for a new Registry when they currently have a fully functional Registry at Barnsley, which has served them well for many, many years?

An open meeting of the bands in membership of the North West Area Brass Bands Association was held on Monday evening and was attended by over 50 people representing 38 of our bands. The meeting discussed the Kapitol announcement and its implications on bands locally, regionally and financially.

It was pointed out that other contest organisations had obviously been consulted about the Brass Band Players Registry before the press announcement, yet the one body of people who are most affected by this, the Regional Committees, were only informed by a confidential telephone call to their Regional Secretary and were not given any chance to discuss this with their Committee members.

Without the regional events, there are no National Finals so why were the regions not given time to debate this announcement?

The unanimous decision of the bands attending the NWABBA open meeting was that Kapitol Promotions should be informed that the bands in the North West wish to retain their registrations with the British Brass Band Registry and do not see the need for another Registry for English bands, which is to be administered from Wales.

The bands do not see why they have to have Brass Band Players cards in order to compete at the North West Regional Championships in March since the National Rules 2012 state the definition of 'Registry' is the British Brass Band Registry, the Scottish Registry and the Welsh Registry.

The Entry Form states: "a player must be registered with only ONE accredited Registry."

As most bands will be completing their Entry Form before the end of December, under which rules are they signing to abide by?

Bands are concerned about future costs of Brass Band Players Registry as against the current payment they make to the British Brass Band Registry.

It was made clear at the meeting that the bands intend to communicate with each other and details of the open meeting were being circulated to all the member bands and also those in the North West region who are not Association members, as well as the brass band press.

There is very strong opposition in the North West Area Brass Bands Association to bands being forced to join another Registry in order to compete at the Nationals, and certain other contests.

It was suggested the bands use the British Brass Band Registry cards for Blackpool and then if they qualify for the Finals they get Brass Band Players cards.

This defeats the whole object of having just one registration card, but bands do not like being dictated too and forced to do something with which they wholeheartedly disagree.

Surely English bands should be part of a Registry in England which does not belong to any contest promoter but run for the benefit of the bands?

Yours sincerely,

Peter Bates — NWABBA Chairman
Shirley Woodward — NWABBA General Secretary