The final World of Brass — 4barsrest.com Rankings of 2014 confirm Cory as the world's number one contesting band for a remarkable eighth year in succession. There are few changes near the top over the past month, but wins in their respective national championships for Brass Band Willebroek (Belgium) and Brass Band 13 Etoiles (Switzerland) see both making significant moves up the table.
The other ranking contests taking place since the last update were:
Scottish Open — won by Whitburn;
Scottish Shield — won by Bon Accord;
Scottish Challenge Cup — won by Renfrew Burgh;
SEWBBA Merthyr Tydfil — won by Pontardulais;
Leicester Open — won by Newstead Brass;
North Wales BBA — won by Llanrug;
Northern Ireland Brass Band League — won by Downshire Brass;
Milton Keynes Contest — won by Redbridge Brass;
Wessex BBA — won by AW Parker (Drybrook);
Gloucester BBA — won by AW Parker (Drybrook).
Top 10 bands
1. Cory
2. Black Dyke
3. Tredegar
4. Foden's
5. Grimethorpe Colliery
6. Brighouse and Rastrick
7. Flowers
8. Fairey
9. Eikanger-Bjørsvik
10. Burgermusik Luzern
To view all the ranked bands, go to:
www.4barsrest.com/rankings/default.asp
Reflection
As ever, at the end of the year, we can reflect on how much bands have achieved in worldwide competition over the past 12 months. The success enjoyed by Black Dyke in 2014 is well documented, but it is reflected here in the band’s outstanding points increase of over 685, making it the year’s best performer by a considerable distance.
It wasn't such a successful year this time for the Welsh giants Cory and Tredegar, with both featuring among four bands with the year's biggest points deficit, but given the distance they were ahead this time last year it would have taken something fairly remarkable for both to have gone much higher in 2014.
Remarkably, the 2015 contesting season is only three weeks away, with over 90 bands lining up at Skegness for the Butlins Mineworkers National Festival, where Flowers will be hoping to build further upon the excellent year it enjoyed in 2014. But the big question for the next 12 months is — can anyone ever unseat Cory from the number one position?
2014 was a good year for:
2013/2014: Total points +/-
4th to 2nd: Black Dyke: 1,330.43 (+685.66)
21st to 7th: Flowers: 486.73 (+366.53)
48th to 10th: Burgermusik Luzern: 289.03 (+260.31)
7th to 5th: Grimethorpe Colliery: 634.15 (+162.01)
59th to 22nd: Stavanger: 109.00 (+88.25)
32nd to 16th: Desford Colliery: 139.40 (+82.26)
11th to 9th: Eikanger-Bjørsvik: 395.00 (+75.32)
36th to 19th: Brass Band Willebroek: 115.63 (+68.08)
15th to 14th: Whitburn: 194.56 (+38.21)
34th to 27th: Brass Band 13 Etoiles: 80.24 (+27.11)
2014 was a bad year for:
2013/2014: Total points +/-
2nd to 3rd: Tredegar: 983.30 (-380.26)
3rd to 4th: Foden's: 724.02 (-249.10)
6th to 13th: Leyland: 246.85 (-231.22)
1st to 1st: Cory: 1,945.43 (-160.38)
10th to 12th: Carlton Main Frickley Colliery: 262.77 (-150.09)
8th to 11th: Co-operative Funeralcare: 284.95 (-149.29)
12th to 17th: Tongwynlais Temperance: 136.48 (-96.06)
17th to 32nd: Seindorf Beaumaris: 59.84 (-80.45)
14th to 21st: Virtuosi GUS: 111.00 (-65.11)
13th to 18th: Manger Musikklag: 132.98 (-63.59)
Ten best new entries:
107th Murley Silver, N. Ireland 8.61
141st Marple, North West 5.32
143rd Hatfield, Yorkshire 5.27
145th Blidworth Welfare, Midlands 5.05
149th Thundersley, London & SC 4.82
158th Tullis Russell Mills, Scotland 4.23
162nd Lockwood Brass, North 4.08
164th AW Parker (Drybrook), West 4.03
170th Brass Band Wipptal, Italy 3.66
171st Bayerische Brassband Akademie (3BA), Germany 3.60
