Two very impressive qualifiers booked their place at the First Section National Final by showing that contest relegation can provide the catalyst for long term musical success.

Newly crowned champion Marsden Silver and Unite the Union have both featured in the Championship Section in Yorkshire in recent years, but through a combination of various struggles have found themselves in the First Section of late.

Rejuvenated

However, by re-appraising their long term musical goals rather than short term top flight contest survival, both have been rejuvenated, and under experienced MDs Alan Widdop and John Roberts will be formidable challengers in Cheltenham in September.

And with the duo 'clear' according to the judges, Ewan Easton and David Hirst, another experienced MD in Jim Davies led Skelmanthorpe into third, with the final top-six places taken by Old Sikstone, Drighlington and Lindley.

Major turning point

For Marsden in particular, 2017 has proved to be a major turning point.

After dropping down to just 12 players, a complete recalibration of their long term objectives has seen them revitalised under MD Alan Widdop — as witnessed by their joyful celebrations, which included a well-balanced rendition of their 'anthem', the hymn tune 'Diadem', almost as good as their winning performance of 'The Land of the Long White Cloud'.

"We were determined to enjoy success again,"Jason Evans, principal cornet for the last 16 years, told 4BR. "We knew we had to be realistic and put long term plans in place, so relegation has been the start of a new era and not the end of our proud history.

It's been hard at times, but with Alan leading us and with such a committed group of dedicated players we are now getting right back on track. We want to succeed with our music making, not simply survive with our contesting. This has made it all worthwhile."

Collective determination

For Alan Widdop, the chance to work with a band with such a collective determination has also given him a new lease of contesting life.

"It really has,"he said, as he proudly raised the Graham O'Connor Memorial Trophy as winning conductor. "This is the type of banding you really enjoy — great people and great determination. That realism also means full rehearsals and commitment. How many conductors can enjoy that week in week out? I can't be happier!"

Alan also revealed that despite playing with the likes of Black Dyke during his long career, this was also the first time that he had ever worked on Philip Sparke's composition. "I've either played or conducted just about everything else, but until we got it out after it was announced I had never even seen it,"he said. "It's one of my favourites now of course!"

Fully understand the score

For the judges, only two bands and their vastly experienced MDs managed, in the words of David in his analytical pre-results address, to "…fully understand the score and brought the music to life."

He added: "Only two or three for instance captured the maestoso feel of the opening and no one was clean or perfect. We had some good performances but many with lots of inconsistencies. We also had a great deal of discussion over the bands placed third, fourth and fifth, but the top two were clear."

Ewan agreed: "Dynamics and tempo were problems for many — as was intonation, which bands even at this level must work hard on. Some also had nothing left in speed for that final coda. A lot found what the composer wanted to say, but not all managed to do so convincingly."

Echoed findings

The results certainly echoed the judge's findings, leaving few to complain about their eventual outcome, as a colourful early marker off the number 3 draw from Skelmanthope was eventually only overcome by the more consistent renditions of their rivals.

That was heard throughout the contest with the difficulty in trying to maintain a sense of majesty in the compound opening, balanced by the need to show fleeted-footed precision in the extended Molto Vivace section and a languid bluesy lyricism in the central Larghetto — elements that were not always consistently executed or portrayed.

Cohesive solidity

Not so with the winners, as aided by the splendid 'Best Soloist' soprano work of former Brighouse & Rastrick top man Chris Wood, Marsden's cohesive solidity and sense of control even at pace enabled them to showcase style as well as substance as they raced towards a title they last won in 2006.

Meanwhile, it was also very nearly the same with Unite the Union, as John Roberts ensured that the broad sweep of the opening statement was balanced by the occasional dab on the vivace breaks to ensure their second appearance at Cheltenham in the last three years.

Behind them the judges found increasing cracks and inconsistencies, although each of the top-six certainly brought colour and excitement to their renditions, whilst others such as the fancied Stannington were left to rue a robust approach that although exciting, may just have lost its effectiveness in the bright acoustic.

Not so the deserved winners, who put behind them a couple of years of uncertainty and peril to return to winning ways in the most wonderful of fashion.

We knew we had to be realistic and put long term plans in place, so relegation has been the start of a new era and not the end of our proud historyMarsden Silver Principal Cornet, Jason Smith.

Result:

First Section:

Test Piece: 'Land of the Long White Cloud' — Philip Sparke
Adjudicators: David Hirst and Ewan Easton

1. Marsden Silver (Alan Widdop)*
2. Unite the Union (John Roberts)*
3. Skelmanthorpe (Jim Davies)
4. Old Silkstone (Sam Fisher)
5. Drighlington (Duncan Beckley)
6. Lindley (Neil Jowett)
7. Hebden Bridge (Robert Savage)
8. Knottingley Silver (Kevin Belcher)
9. Hade Edge (Jonathan Beatty)
10. South Yorkshire Police (Jack Capstaff)
11. Stannington (Derek Renshaw)
12. Cornerstone (Damian Wileman)

*Top two bands qualify for National Final in Cheltenham

Best Soloist: Christopher Wood (soprano) — Marsden Silver
Youngest Player: Elizabeth Chung (aged 11) Hade Edge