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Report from 4barsrest.com:
2009 North West Regional Championship - Second Section: Runners & Riders
The North West has plenty of strength in depth at this level, so which one of these dozen will win through on Sunday?
 Sunday 1st March
Empress Ballroom
Adjudicator: Malcolm Brownbill
Test Piece: New World Sketches – Dan Price
Draw: 2.00pm
Commences: 3.00pm approx after First Section results
Haslingden and Helmshore
Conductor: David Holland
Last 13 Years:
2008: 2nd (D. Holland)
2007: 10th in First Section (D. Holland) (rel)
2006: 5th (D. Holland)
2005: 12th (D. Holland)
2004: 3rd in Second Section (D. Holland) (prom)
2003: 5th (D. Holland)
2002: 3rd (D. Holland)
2001: 5th in Third Section (D. Holland) (prom)
2000: 3rd (D. Holland)
1999: 6th in Fourth Section (prom)
1998: 2nd
1997: 9th
1996: DNC
A band that has enjoyed great success over the last couple of years, Pontins champions H&H will be looking to be booking B&B once more in Harrogate come September.
They do tend to enjoy the seaside more than most, so Blackpool in March should see them feel right at home. 2nd last year, they started 2009 with a decent return at Butlins and then won at that well known coastal resort of Preston a few weeks back. Perhaps the band to beat?
MD David Holland will also be at the helm of Nelson Brass on Sunday competing in the Fourth Section. Nelson Brass will be looking to return to better days this year after a huge drop in form saw them come 23rd last year. Hopefully that is the foundation point (they came 8th at Wilkinson’s later in the season) to build to better things, and the experienced Dave Holland will surely bring the band back on track.
North West bands at the Finals:
2008: 2nd, 7th
2007: 6th, 9th
2006: 2nd, 9th
2005: 2nd, 4th
2004: 6th, 12th
2003: 2nd, 8th
2002: 4th, 6th
2001: 7th, 13th
2000: 1st, 5th
1999: 2nd, 9th
1998: 1st, 11th
4BR Prediction:
Plenty of good bands to enjoy and it promises to be a cracking contest. A couple of bands do stand out though, and Haslingden & Helmshore should be the band to beat, with the likes of Oldham (Lees), Middleton, Flixton, Rainford and United Co-op 2000. Eccleston are our dark horse.
1. Haslingden & Helmshore
2. Oldham (Lees)
3. Middleton
4. Flixton
5. Rainford
6. United Co-op 2000 Brass
Dark Horse: Eccleston Brass
4barsrest.com
23/02/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: Brass at the Guild Hall
Mark Bentham and Pemberton come out on top at Preston as Haslingden & Helmshore, Eccleston and Blackley all gain early season victories too.
Despite the bad weather on the weekend, there was still a great turn out of bands at Preston, where the local bragging rights ahead of the North West Regional contest were up for grabs - as well as some nice prize money.
Second Section
In the Second Section it was Haslingden & Helmshore who put behind them the disappointment of Butlins to record a victory over Lostock Hall and Oldham (Lees).
Results:
Second Section
1. Haslingden & Helmshore (D Holland) - 195
Crusade - Rieks van der Velde
2. Lostock Hall Memorial (J Wood) - 194
Kaleidescope - Philip Sparke
3. Oldham Band (Lees) (J Collins) - 191
New World Sketches - Dan Price
4. Pemberton Old Wigan JJB 'B' (P Ashley) - 189
The Once and Future King - Andrew Baker
5. Pilling Jubilee Silver (B Porter) - 188
Triptych for Brass Band - Philip Sparke
6. Deiniolen (G Saynor) - 187
Diversions: Variations on a Swiss Folk Song - Philip Sparke
7. Eagley (G Westwood) - 186
The Once and Future King - Andrew Baker
8. Greenalls (K Scott) - 184
Kaleidescope - Philip Sparke
9. Tyldesley (R Taylor) - 179
Trittico - James Curnow
10. Besses o' th' Barn (C Whiteoak) - 175
Land of the Long White Cloud - Philip Sparke
Best Soloist: Solo Cornet - Oldham Band (Lees)
4barsrest.com
10/02/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2009 North West Regional Championship
Details of all the runners and riders, judges and timings for the North West Regional Championshps on Sunday 1st March have been released.
Second Section:
Empress Ballroom
Draw: 2.00pm
Commence approx: 3.00pm after 1st Section results
Adjudicator: Malcolm Brownbill
Besses o'th'Barn (Carl Whiteoak)
Delph (Philip Goodwin)
Eccleston Brass (Ian Bateson)
Flixton (TBA)
Haslingden & Helmshore (David Holland)
Hoover (Bolton) (Lee Dunkly)
Middleton (Matt Stringer)
Old Hall Brass (John North)
Oldham (Lees) (John Collins)
Rainford (Neil Samuel)
Silk Brass (Macclesfield) (James Cant)
United Co-op 2000 Brass (Jamie Meredith)
4barsrest.com
26/01/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2009 Butlins Mineworkers Championships - Second Section retrospective
21 bands battled it out in true Crusade fashion in the Second Section, but it was East London Brass that finally flew the victors standard come the announcement of the results.
Twenty one bands competed in the Second Section in what turned out to be one of the most evenly matched contests we have listened to for some considerable time - everyone struggled musically somewhat.
By all accounts there were a few grumbles on the Saturday night (and way into the following week) from some people who thought that the result was a bit of a dogs dinner, and didn't accurately reflect the opinion that their own band should have come in the prizes instead of a rival or three.
Beer talk
That was either the beer talking or it obviously came from people who hadn't taken the time to actually listen to all the competing bands, for there was very little, if anything, to disagree about from the findings of Peter Roberts and Derek Southcott in the box.
It was the test piece that caused the competing bands the problems, not the judges.
This was a deceptive one - a clever, colourful and atmospheric work, full of neat writing - oodles of excitement and pathos in equal measures. It was a story of a Crusader who by the sounds of it was racked with a bit of self remorse after he had chopped up a few of Saladin's men before breakfast.
The problem for the competing bands was that very nearly all of them managed to play the notes to some degree of competency, but so few actual made them sound relevant to the unfolding story.
Infidel bosom
Too many sounded as if their Crusade would have stopped the moment they stepped foot on foreign soil. Some ended up sounding like a group of English football fans on a rampage at a Champions League fixture, rather than committed Christian's hell bent on returning Jerusalem to the bosom of the infidel.
Well shaped
The winners, East London Brass, directed by Jayne Murrill certainly got to grips with what the music was all about, and gave a performance that was so well shaped and delivered, despite the occasional unforced solo error and moment of ensemble fragility.
The dynamics were well controlled, with a clear definition to the mid ranking levels from mp to forte, but it was the musicality that so impressed the most - a heightened sense of anxiety and excitement in the more robust sections and a real melancholic feel to the more reflective ones.
It wasn't perfect by any means, but it certainly made the story come to life, and they will have been delighted to have left Skegness with their own crusading booty - it was well deserved.
Daunting target
The Londoners must have known that they would have to play to the top of their form right from the word go in fact, after Kippax had set a daunting target to beat from the number 1 draw.
Although we may not have realised it at the time, but this was going to be the most secure and technically competent performance of the day - tightly directed by Colin Hardy at the helm.
What perhaps just allowed it to be beaten was that they perhaps enjoyed the blood and guts bit a touch too much in places, as it got a little brittle and edgy - but it was certainly an exciting performance full of intense commitment.
Good scrap
It was much the same story from Dodworth MW and Elliot Darwin in 3rd place (it is well known that Yorkshire has enjoyed a good old scrap or two over the years) with a rendition that also went for the jugular so to speak.
There was bags of excitement and plenty of tooth and claw playing, but the need for a touch more subtlety in the reflective sections perhaps cost them the chance of taking the title - it was a pretty fine effort though.
Arguement
After these three bands came a group of five or six that you could have made an argument for to come in just about any order.
Middleton were eventually awarded 4th for a performance that grew in stature the longer it went along - from a slightly hesitant start to a full blown and tumultuous climax. The band and MD Matthew Stringer really did opt for the full strength version of 11th century events - and it very nearly paid off.
Holme Silver meanwhile gave a slightly more reflective account to come 5th. Perhaps this one crept under the radar a little as the lighter sounds and more refined approach to the aggressive sections of writing perhaps hinted that Duncan Beckley would have opted for the United Nations to sort out the problem rather than the Crusaders themselves.
Pros and cons
From here on in it was a question of weighing up the pros and cons of performances that certainly had plenty of excitement, but also lacked for overall consistency.
The group of bands including Haslingden & Helmshore, Becontree Brass, Alder Valley, Strata Brass and Matlock all delivered persuasive accounts that had extended periods when they seemed to be on track for possible podium places.
However, they all also had extended periods when there was not enough attention paid to contrasting dynamics, accurate tempi and especially internal band balances. All of them were a step or three back in overall quality from the top three finishers and one step back from Middleton and perhaps Holme.
For us, Strata and Haslingden & Helmshore could have perhaps been a touch miffed they didn't come a little higher than they did after producing well thought out performances that just varied a bit too much at times in overall quality.
The same applied to Becontree, Alder Valley and Matlock - all of whom ended up on the winning side in the Crusade, but left for home after suffering a few too many losses of personnel.
Cut off point
There was a bit of a cut off point after these bands, although the likes of Flixton, Rockingham and perhaps Shirland Welfare may have just done enough to have finished in the top 10 on another day - they were on the coat tails of the bands above and a little distance ahead of the bands below them.
From Grange Moor down in the overall results it was a tale of basic flaws and concerns, individual errors, wayward ensemble, badly chosen tempi and a fair bit of the heart ruling the head by both MDs and players.
That said, each of the bands did at times produce playing that made you sit up and be drawn into the musical picture they were trying to create - but it soon became overblown, untuneful or just too patchy and uneven in execution.
No complaints
No complaints then for the likes of Lewis Merthyr, Frickley South Elmsall, Chinnor, Leicester Cooperative SMW and Yiewsley & West Drayton - all of whom gave of their best but found that their trip to the Holy Lands had been a bumpy old ride.
Each will be better for the experience come the Areas we are sure, as the piece did highlight many specific areas that needed to be worked on, but had the potential to become major plus points in the future.
One to forget
So too South Yorkshire Police and Delph who ended up the day at the bottom of the results table, but both of whom showed enough character and confidence about themselves to perhaps write this one off as a musical overseas trip to forget.
Panache
At the end of the day East London Brass took the honours and hoisted the Butlins standard above their bandroom. For their delightful conductor Jayne Murrill it must have been a most rewarding result as she her band had certainly delivered the story of the Crusades with panache, feeling, and sensitivity.
It was a very worthy winner of a contest that once again showed that there is more to music than just playing the notes.
David Tinker
4barsrest.com
21/01/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: 2009 Butlins Mineworkers
Results for the 2009 Butlins Mineworkers Festival from the Skyline Resort, Skegness, 17-18 January.
Second Section
A highly enjoyable Second Section contest also saw victory go to a band from London & the Southern Counties, with a delighted East London Brass conducted by Jayne Murrill taking the honours and the £1,500 top prize.
Their performance of Rieks van der Velde's colourful test piece, 'Crusades' saw them snatch the title from Kippax, conducted by Colin Hardy, who had set the marker to beat off the number one draw earlier in the day. In third place came the improving Dodworth MW Band directed by Eliott Darwin.
The win for East London Brass also gave Jayne two first prizes on the weekend too, as she was also playing solo trombone with Redbridge in the Championship Section, whilst victory for the revitalised band also sets them up with confidence ahead of the Regional Championships in Stevenage in a couple of months time.
4BR was in listening to all the bands over the weekend, and full retrospectives of each contest will appear on the site a little later this week.
Second Section:
Venue: Lakeside Butlins Skyline Resort
Date: Saturday17th January
Draw: 8.30am
Commence: 10.00am
Test Piece: Crusade (Rieks van der Velde)
Adjudicators: Derek Southcott & Peter Roberts
Results:
1. East London Brass (Jayne Murrill), 16
2. Kippax (Colin Hardy), 1
3. Dodworth MW (Elliott Darwin), 18
4. Middleton (Matthew Stringer), 15
5. Holme Silver (Duncan Beckley), 17
6. Haslingden & Helmshore (David Holland), 20
7. Becontree Brass (Graham Chambers), 6
8. Alder Valley Brass (Roger Burke), 7
9. Strata Brass (David Hirst), 12
10. The Matlock Band (Roger Jepson), 11
11. The Flixton Band (Alan Hobbins), 9
12. Rockingham (Graham O'Connor), 13
13. Shirland Welfare Band (Andrew Dennis), 14
14. Grange Moor (John Ingman), 4
15. Lewis Merthyr (Gareth Pritchard), 3
16. Frickley South Elmsall (David Nichols), 21
17. Chinnor Silver (David Pegram), 10
18. Leicester Cooperative SMW (Graham Jacklin), 2
19. Yiewsley & West Drayton (Christopher Cole), 5
20. South Yorkshire Police Band (Leigh Baker), 8
21. Delph (Phil Goodwin), 19
Highest placed Mining Band: Dodworth Colliery
4barsrest.com
18/01/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2009 Butlins Mineworkers Championships - Second Section preview & prediction
Once more into the breach so to speak as 21 bands don their chain mail and head for a bit of Crusading glory at the Lakeside.
Venue: Lakeside Butlins Skyline Resort
Date: Saturday17th January
Draw: 8.30am
Commence: 10.00am
Test Piece: Crusade (Rieks van der Velde)
Adjudicators: Derek Southcott & Peter Roberts
Prizes:
First Prize: The Butlins Second Section Trophy, £1,500 and the Second Section Champions Banner
Second Prize: £900
Third Prize: £650
Fourth Prize: £450
Highest Placed Mining Band - The British Coal Corporation Challenge
Another fascinating contest is in store the Second Section where no less than 13 bands return again to Skegness hoping to carry away the title and a large wodge of cash.
The 21 band field has a well balanced look to it too, with two of those returning bands having played in the First Section last year, two in the Third Section, and others coming to the contest after competing at the Lower Section Section National Finals, Pontins, Leamington Spa and Wilkinsons.
Enjoyable romp
Rieks van der Velde's set work is an enjoyable old romp through the blood, gore and misplaced religious fervour of the Crusades of the 11th to 13th centuries, and should provide plenty of challenges both technical and musical for the competing bands.
Peter Roberts and Derek Southcott wouldn't be out of place on a good Crusade or two either, so they should enjoy their day in the box, with a whole host of contenders in with a real chance of picking up the £1,500 first prize.
Returnees
Of the returnees, Haslingden & Helmshore will be looking to retain the title they won in such splendid fashion last year - a win that set them up for a fine 2008 contesting season. They could well be the band to beat once more.
Hot on their heels however will surely be the bands that came 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th last time out - all bands with proven track records at this level too. Dodworth Colliery MW continue to move very much in the right direction and will be hungry for yet more contesting success, whilst Middleton will be looking for a repeat of last year's podium finish and an improvement on their recent 9th place at the Wilkinson Contest.
Frickley South Elmsall will be keen to up their ante to claim a top three spot after just missing out 12 months ago, whilst Kippax is always a band to fear at this level, especialy under the command of the vastly experienced Colin Hardy.
Phil Goodwin and Delph know just what it takes to win a title here and came 6th at the Wilkinson contest, whilst Yiewsley & West Drayton were 9th last year but came a very encouraging 3rd at the Leamington Spa Contest.
Solid outfit
Matlock and the urbane Roger Jepson are a solid outfit and will be keen to build on their Leamington Spa win in the Third Section, and East London Brass under Jayne Murrill are certainly not a band to discount after a fine win at Folkestone late last year.
There is sure to be a strong presence from Yorkshire and Rockingham (just promoted from the Third Section), South Yorkshire Police, Holme Silver and Grange Moor have all tasted varying degrees of contesting success over the past couple of years.
Encouraging
Alder Valley will be looking to improve on their encouraging showing at the Lower Section National Finals where they came 11th, whilst Chinnor Silver are a solid outfit well led by Dave Pegram and could spring a surprise or two.
The very busy Becontree Brass were 11th in the First Section last year, so they will be keen to put in a good accout of themselves this time around.
Other strong contenders come in the form of Leicester Co-operative SMW under Graham Jacklin - fresh from a hard earned 5th place at Leamington Spa, and Lewis Merthyr from Wales who have been making good progress under the baton of Gareth Pritchard.
Strong challenge
Shirland Welfare are always a band to look out for, despite coming down a section this year after coming 18th in the First Section last time out, whilst there is sure to be a strong challenge from the competitive Strata Brass and David Hirst and Flixton who came 9th at Pontins late last year in the Third Section.
All in all then a musical crusade of top notch Second Section bands - and the makings of a cracking contest.
Who will win?
Hard prediction
A hard one as you would expect, but the likes of Haslingden & Helmshore, Strata Brass, Dodworth MW and Kippax should be confident that if they play to form they should be in the mix come the announcement of the results.
Delph and Flixton could be the other two bands to stake a claim for the prizes, whilst Matlock could be a bit of a dark old war horse.
4BR Prediction:
1. Haslingden & Helmshore
2. Dodworth MW
3. Kippax
4. Strata Brass
5. Delph
6. Flixton
Dark Horse: Matlock
4barsrest.com
14/01/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2009 Butlins Mineworkers Championships - Lower Section test piece reviews
Second Section:
Crusade - Rieks van der Velde
Crusade was written for the 2006 Gouden Spiker Festival (Brass Band 3rd section) and in2007 the piece was the set work at the North American Brass Band Championships in the Challenge Section.
The crusades were a series of military campaigns that took place during the 11th through 13th centuries. Originally, they were Roman Catholic endeavours to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims, but developed into territorial wars.
Besides the recapture of Jerusalem important aims were to keep the Islamic power outside of Europe, to reunite the Byzantine (oriental) Christians with the Roman Catholic church and to extend of the European sphere of influence to the east. The best-known crusade is that of 1096, which was organised after an appeal of pope Urban II ("God wills it.") and was commanded by Godfrey of Bouillon. After that another 8 crusades were organised.
Crusade describes the journey of a young crusader, who leaves his home to fight for his religion, but of course also to seek adventure and fame. In a metaphorical sense however, it can also be considered as describing life in general.
The work opens with an Intrada, in which the composer, Rieks van der Velde, introduces the opening notes of the main theme (the melody of psalm 24) in a playful manner.
We meet the hero of this tale as he bids his family farewell. Of course he goes through some difficult moments here, but adventure calls and soon he and his comrades are on their way. In a cheerful mood he rides onwards, dreaming of distant countries, chivalrous fighting and precious treasures.
The journey proves to be a chain of exuberant and more sedate moments. While bravura and spunk prevail, surely all that glisters is not gold. Memories of the quiet life at home come up.
Moreover, not everything that crosses his path meets his highly elevated expectations. Worse still: from time to time he is confronted with considerable setbacks.
Gradually the naivety of the young man makes place for a more serious mood. In the exuberant passages dissonant creep in. In the sedate parts the mood changes from inner peace into bitterness and finally in dismay. The reality of the battlefield affects him deeply.
After a period of mourning and religious contemplation he goes through a phase that seems like an inner battle between optimism and disillusionment. Gradually he learns to accept life as it is.
The work finishes in a triumphant march based on the hymn-tune. Optimism has eventually obtained the upper hand and as a purified and vigorous man the knight returns in triumph!
Although Crusade was composed almost completely in minor keys, Rieks van der Velde has succeeded in giving the piece an optimistic character. It is as if he wants to show us that we can make out for ourselves how to experience the so called certain facts.
4barsrest.com
14/01/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2009 Butlins Mineworkers Championship - The Adjudicators
There is a very experienced mix of musical knowledge in the box on the weekend from Frank Renton to Simone Rebello.
Second Section:
 Peter Roberts:
Peter Roberts needs no introduction to brass band audiences all over the World. He has long been regarded as the finest exponent of the soprano cornet in the history of the brass band movement and his talents have seen him perform on all the major contesting and concert stages in the UK, Europe and abroad.
He was born in Grimethorpe in 1950 and his early musical career was linked that famous band, where he played soprano cornet for many years. A miner by trade, he lost his job following the end of the pit closures, but immediately retrained himself in music to gain professional qualifications and an honours degree from Barnsley College under Major Peter Parkes.
His roll of honour of contesting wins reads like no other - 7 British Open victories, 1 National Championship, 7 European titles, 2 All England Masters titles, 2 British Open Solo Championships, 6 Granada Band of the Year titles, 4 British Open Eb/Bb solo titles, 1 Granada Band of the Year Soloist Award, 1 Swiss Open Soloist award, 2 Brass in Concert Soloist awards, 3 Mineworkers Senior Solo Champion titles and 1 New Zealand Champion of Champion s title.
Recently he released his eagerly awaited solo CD, entitled appropriately "Legend" which has become a phenomenal best seller by brass band standards. The book of the same name has also been bought by his legion of many fans.
Since 1997 he has been part of the amazingly successful Yorkshire Building Society Band and was a member of the famous Virtuosi Brass Band of Great Britain and the Kings of Brass, whilst in the USA he has been a member of the famous Brass Band of Battle Creek. In 2005 he joined the Black Dyke Band, retiring from playing at the end of 2007.
 Derek Southcott:
Derek is a talented and highly respected musician having a rich variety of experience in performance, teaching and adjudicating.
Always dedicated to his art, by the age of 18 Derek was awarded the Champion Trombone Player of Great Britain. In the same year he was also a member of the Champion Trombone Quartet of Great Britain alongside his fellow band members from Black Dyke Mills Band.
No stranger to the world of entertainment, for 22 years he has played with the world renowned Syd Lawrence Orchestra as principal trombone and toured with international artists such as Johnny Mathis and Shirley Bassey.
He has played in over 4000 recording sessions playing with the BBC Northern Radio Orchestra, James Shepherd Versatile Brass as principal trombonist, and Yorkshire Television, Granada, Welsh Television BBC and many independent television companies as a session musician and as a soloist.
As a teacher Derek spent six years as a Professor of Brass Instrumental Teaching for the British Army. He has spent three year as trombone tutor and examiner for Leeds College of Music. He still continues to work with young people and has been responsible for the development of music in schools, setting up and conducting successful wind bands and dance bands in a number of schools in the Yorkshire and Lancashire areas.
As a consultant and clinician Derek has traveled extensively and still regularly visits Norway and Switzerland to lecture and perform.
His credentials as an adjudicator are equally impressive. Derek has been adjudicator at the Stavanger Festival in Norway and on home soil at Spennymoor Brass in Concert and Whit Friday.
He continues to perform with the Derek Southcott Sextet, running his own Calder Valley Youth Dance Orchestra and teaching in 7 different schools and conducting all their musical ensembles.
4barsrest.com
14/01/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2009 Butlins Mineworkers Championship
Organisers announce full details of the forthcoming contests in Skegness.
Butlins have released full details of the six sections of the forthcoming Mineworkers Contest to be held at the Butlins Skyline Resort in Skegness on the weekend of 17th January.
Second Section:
Venue: Lakeside Butlins Skyline Resort
Date: Saturday17th January
Draw: 8.30am
Commence: 10.00am
Test Piece: Crusade (Rieks van der Velde)
Adjudicators: Derek Southcott & Peter Roberts
Prizes:
First Prize: The Butlins Second Section Trophy, £1,500 and the Second Section Champions Banner
Second Prize: £900
Third Prize: £650
Fourth Prize: £450
Highest Placed Mining Band - The British Coal Corporation Challenge
Competing bands:
1. Alder Valley Brass (Roger Burke)
2. Becontree Brass (Graham Chambers)
3. Chinnor Silver (David Pegram)
4. Delph (Phil Goodwin)
5. Dodworth MW (Elliott Darwin)
6. East London Brass (Jayne Murrill)
7. Frickley South Elmsall (TBA)
8. Grange Moor (John Ingman)
9. Haslingden & Helmshore (David Holland)
10. Holme Silver (Duncan Beckley)
11. Leicester Cooperative SMW (Graham Jacklin)
12. Lewis Merthyr (Gareth Pritchard)
13. Middleton (Matthew Stringer)
14. Rockingham (Graham O'Connor)
15. Shirland Welfare Band (Andrew Dennis)
16. South Yorkshire Police Band (Leigh Baker)
17. Strata Brass (David Hirst)
18. The Flixton Band (TBA)
19. The Kippax Band (Colin Hardy)
20. The Matlock Band (Roger Jepson)
21. Yiewsley & West Drayton (Christopher Cole)
4barsrest.com
05/01/09
Report from 4barsrest.com:
4BR make Telegraph headlines!
It seems the influence of 4BR is spreading to the dizzy heights of the Telegraph newspaper...
Unfortunatley on this occassion its the Lancashire Telegraph....
Chip pan blaze
Amid lead stories of a Burnley solicitor's anger over a prostitution 'scandal', a Blackburn dad who died in a chip pan blaze and that Rossendale tops the north west home birth league table, it seems that the news of Haslingden & Helmshore's 9th place in the 2008 4BR Money List was worthy of headline news.
Breathless report
The paper breathlessly reported that "A brass band in the Valley has finished in the top ten of a national prize honours list after winning numerous awards over the last three seasons.
Haslingden and Helmshore brass band has earned a ninth position place in the 4BR Money List, which was set up to highlight the most consistent bands in the country.
The musicians received the prize after performing at dozens of locations up and down the country during the past three years.
They received cash prizes at the Guild Hall, £300, North West Regional, £100, Tameside Open, £300, Whit Friday, £300, Buxton, £500, Butlins £1,500, and Pontins, £1,800."
Who says the press are not interested in brass bands then...
4barsrest.com
03/01/09
Haslingden & Helmshore Band - Review of the Year: 2008
As the band looks forward to a new year, it's time to reflect on the last 12 months and what has undoubtedly been the most successful year in the history of Haslingden & Helmshore Band.
January
After relegation to the Second Section in the national gradings at the end of 2007, the band headed off to the Butlins Mineworkers' Contest at Skegness and had a fabulous three nights in luxury accomodation with the added bonus of being awarded the title of Butlins Mineworkers' Second Section Champion Band 2008 and £1,500 following a fine and unbeatable performance of An Alberta Suite. The usual backstage antics included line dancing with a rather upbeat band knowing that following a lot of hard work it was now time to sit back, relax and enjoy the performance. Once again, it was an excellent weekend on the East Coast. The band entered the brass band World Ranking's Top 200 at 198. Martin Crankshaw returned on Eb Bass and Dee Russell left the Flugel Horn position.
February
An outing to Brass at the Guild, Preston provided the band with the opportunity to perform the area test piece Three Part Invention. After only 2 weeks of rehearsals, a 3rd place and £300 in prize money was a real boost ahead of the most important contest in the band's diary. Bernard Kellow joined the band on 2nd Cornet.
March
The band competed in the North West Regional Brass Band Championships at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Following a suprisingly nervy performance of Three Part Invention, being awarded North West Area Second Section Runners-up 2008 and qualification to the National Championships of Great Britain was quite an achievement. It also added £100 to the prize winnings and another glass trophy, the 9th out of 12 performances for being placed in the prestigious Top 6. Unfortunately the band missed out on being promoted to the First Section by just 1/2 point. Towards the end of the month, the band performed Purcell Variants at the Tameside Open Brass Band Championships and won 3rd prize and a further £300. It was also the 50th time that the band were directed on a contest stage under the baton of David Holland. Chris Parkinson returned to the band on 2nd Euphonium and Brian Topping left the position of Soprano Cornet.
April
Musical Director David Holland celebrated 18 years at the helm of Haslingden & Helmshore Band.
May
The band performed Purcell Variants at Buxton Brass Band Festival. This was undoubtedly the finest hour for Haslingden & Helmshore with a flawless performance and the well deserved title of Buxton Brass Band Festival Second Section Champion Band 2008 and £500 to add to the pot. The band also took part in the annual Whit Friday March Contests around the villages of Saddleworth & Tameside. This was a most enjoyable evening with the band performing High Command and winning the Second Section at both Carrbrook & Greenacres, being placed 7th out of 78 bands at Delph and winning the award for Best Non-Championship Band and a rather surprising Deportment prize at Broadoak, adding £300 to the ever increasing prize fund of 2008.
June
Haslingden & Helmshore welcomed two new signings. Alex Timms joined the band as Assistant Principal Cornet and Andrea Moss took over the position of Soprano Cornet.
July
Another new recruit as Joshua Hughes is registered to the band ahead of the National Championships of Great Britain.
August
The band took part in a "Sponsored Walk/Concert on the Move" around the villages of Haslingden & Helmshore. The walk was nearly eight miles long and started at 10.30am, finishing at 6.30pm with 15 stops around the two villages and performances of more than 20 pieces of music. The fundraiser was a huge success and raised more than £4,000.
September
The band competed in the National Championships of Great Britain held at the Conference Centre in Harrogate. Although the performance of Rhapsodic Variations - My Tower, My Strength didn't quite go to plan and a disappointing 7th place was inevitable, the weekend was an enjoyable experience and only the second time that the band has performed at the finals. Adam Wheeler left the position of 2nd Horn for university.
October
Another cold month, another holiday camp weekend! The band competed in the Pontins Brass Band Championships held at Prestatyn with a fine performance of A Royal Mile Suite and once again walked away with 1st prize, the title of Pontins Brass Band Championships Second Section Champion Band 2008 and £1,800. Tutti Cornet Niki Russell decided to take a "sabatical" from the band.
November
The band competed in the Wilkinson Northern Open Brass Band Championships with a performance of Purcell Variants. Although it wasn't our finest hour, 5th place still wasn't anything to be ashamed of, it was just one contest too many for a quite jaded band! However, the band put on a fine show at The Theatre of Haslingden High School later in the month. "Around the World in 80 Minutes" was a self-promoted concert and a testament to a year of playing in as many different contests and venues as possible. Jamie Smith joined the band on 2nd Horn.
December
The end of a very tiring year proved to be worth every second of hard work, extra rehearsals, sectionals and neglecting families and loved ones as the band rose to 134th in the World Rankings. More impressively, the band came 9th in the 4BR Money List behind Cory, Grimethorpe Colliery, Fodens, Desford Colliery, Brighouse & Rastrick, Tredegar, Black Dyke & Whitburn, cementing the place of Most Successful Non-Championship Brass Band of 2008 on the contest stage with winnings of £4,800. The band was also one of only 5 bands nominated for Best Lower Section/Youth Band of the Year by 4barsrest.com. The band bid a fond farewell to Kath Thacker & Nigel Martin who have "retired" to Scotland after more than 11 years with Haslingden & Helmshore. Bernard Kellow also left the position of 2nd Cornet.
Thank you
Haslingden & Helmshore Band would like to thank their families and friends for being so understanding and supportive throughout an extremely busy but lucrative year, the people of Haslingden & Helmshore for their support and many thanks to our guest players. A huge thank you to members of the band, both past and present, for lots of hard work, determination and teeth-gritting during 2008.
We would like to wish Kath & Nigel all the best as they start their new life in Scotland and thank both of them for the many years of service and time they have dedicated to the band.
And lastly to our MD David Holland for his drive, tantrums and the blood, sweat & tears shed. Congratulations on 2 trebles this year - wins at Butlins, Buxton & Pontins and the 3 birthdays in the space of 6 weeks - directing a contest for the 50th time, 18 years as Musical Director and the big 60!
Happy New Year and here's to a great 2009!!!
Gwenneth McFarland
31/12/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
4BR Money List
After the final flurry of contests around Europe from Perth to Montreux, the results of the 4BR Money sees Cory top the money earners for 2008.
The final round of major contests around Europe last weekend only made a slight dent on the overall placings on the 4BR Money List.
Biggest prize
The biggest prize of all was won by Scottish Co-op, as they regained the Scottish Open title and banked a healthy £3,000 for their efforts, bringing their 2008 winnings to £4,400 pushing themselves into 12th place.
Kirkintiloch picked up £1,500 for coming runner up and Whitburn £500 for third, a result which pushed their winnings to a nice round £5,000 figure and moving them up to 8th place in the table.
Swiss rolls
In Switzerland, Brass Band Treize Etoiles' victory in Montreux saw them pick up 3,000 swiss francs (£1,581) to push their overall 2008 winnings to over £2,000 - not enough though to get them into the exclusive '3 Grand Club'.
Going Dutch
In Holland, it was Brass Band Rijnmond who took the honours, although there was no direct cash award and in Belgium there was victory for Festival Brass Band who picked up 500 Euro.
Wales
Finally, in Wales the Beaumaris Band took the £500 top prize on offer to push their 2008 winnings to an impressive £2,700, but it was Point of Ayr, who won the Second Section and picked up £200 who were able to push their winnings up to the £3,500 mark for the season.
Final result
With no more major contests to be won the final 4BR Money List table sees Cory as the top earners for the 2008 season, followed by Grimethorpe and Fodens.
Three year winnings
With 4BR Money List now in its third season, we have been able to see who have been the more consistent money earners of the past three seasons.
1. Fodens - £36,510
2008 - £11,350
2007 - £15,360
2006 - £9,800
2. Brighouse & Rastrick - £34,700
2008 - £9,900
2007 - £11,900
2006 - £12,900
3. Cory - £29,317
2008 - £14,597
2007 - £6,420
2006 - £8,300
4. Grimethorpe - £26,050
2008 - £13,350
2007 - £8,500
2006 - £4,200
5= Desford - £19,000
2008 - £10,300
2007 - £7,200
2006 - £1,500
5= Flowers - £19,000
2008 - £2,075
2007 - £5,750
2006 - £11,175
7. Black Dyke - £17,675
2008 - £5,600
2007 - £6,175
2006 - £5,900
8. Whitburn - £16,822
2008 - £5,000
2007 - £7,750
2006 - £4,075
9. Tredegar - £14,950
2008 - £7,230
2007 - £220
2006 - £7,530
10. Rothwell Temperance - £12,525
2008 - £3,925
2007 - £2,400
2006 - £6,200
2008 4BR Money List Table:
1. Cory - £14,597
(Welsh Regional - £75; European Championship - £7,422; British Open - £1,500; National Finals - £1,000; Brass in Concert - £4,600)
2. Grimethorpe Colliery - £13,350
(Yorkshire Regional - £100; European Championship - £6,250; English National - £4,000; British Open - £2,000; Brass in Concert - £1,000)
3. Fodens - £11,350
(North West Regional - £200; Masters - £250; Whit Friday - £6,150; British Open - £3,000; National Finals - £1,500; Brass in Concert - £250)
4. Desford Colliery - £10,300
(Butlins - £6,000; Midlands Regional - £200; Masters £4,000; Brass in Concert - £100)
5. Brighouse & Rastrick - £9,900
(English National - £2000; Whit Friday - £7,150; Brass in Concert - £750)
6. Tredegar - £7,230
(Miners Eisteddfod - £2,000; Welsh Regional - £200; Masters - £2,000; SEWBBA - £230; Grand Shield - £400; Welsh Eisteddfod - £900; Wychavon - £1,500)
7. Black Dyke - £5,600
(Yorkshire Regional - £200; English National - £3,000; British Open - £400; National Finals - £2,000)
8. Whitburn - £5,000
(Scottish Regional - £200; Brass in the Park - £500; Land O' Burns - £2,500; West Lothian - £700; Brass in Concert - £600; Scottish Open - £500)
9. Haslingden & Helmshore - £4,800
(Butlins - £1,500; Guild Hall - £300; North West Regional - £100; Tameside Open - £300; Whit Friday - £300; Buxton - £500; Pontins - £1,800)
10. Fairey - £4,650
(North West Regional - £75; Whit Friday - £4,075; Brass in Concert - £500)
11. Eikanger Bjorsvik - £4,575
(Norwegian National - £3,705; SIDDIS - £870)
12. Scottish Co-op - £4,400
(West Lothian - £1,400; Scottish Open - £3,000
13. Uppermill - £4,245
(Buxton - £400; North West Regional - £200; Whit Friday - £445; Holmfirth - £200; Marsden - £150; Hebden Bridge - £200; National Finals - £750; Pontins - £1,800; Wilkinson Open - £100)
14. Woolston Brass - £4,110
(FABB Austraiasian Open - £4,110)
15. Stavanger - £3,958
(Norwegian Nationals - £741; European Championships - £781; SIDDIS - £436; Brass in Concert - £2,000)
16. Rothwell Temperance - £3,925
(Whit Friday - £3,925)
17. Bactiguard Wire Brass - £3,900
(Butlins - £1,000; Fleetwood - £400; St Helens - £800; Senior Cup - £400; Pontins - £1,300)
18. Oldham (Lees) - £3,715
(Guild Hall - £700; North West Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; Whit Friday - £415; Pontins - £1,800)
19. Marsden (Ossett Brewery) - £3,700
(Morley Hymn - £500; Brighouse March - £500; Easingwold - £500; Whit Friday £1,900; Senior Trophy - £300)
20. Leyland - £3,558
(North West Regional - £100; Whit Friday - £1,200; Grand Shield - £800; Grenland Festival - £358; British Open - £1,000; Brass in Concert - £100)
21. Rainford - £3,525
(Guild Hall - £700; St Helens - £1,500; Whit Friday - £325; Pontins - £1,000)
22. Point of Ayr - £3,500
(Welsh Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; St Helens - £800; National Finals - £1,000; Pontins - £700; North Wales BBA - £200)
23. Wingates - £3,000
(Butlins - £2,500; Whit Friday - £500)
Report from 4barsrest.com
04/12/08
A Musical World Tour with Haslingden & Helmshore Band
On Saturday 29th November, Haslingden & Helmshore Band will be performing at Haslingden High School. The concert is a celebration of music from around the world culminating in a traditional British Proms finale.
Tickets are available from Phil Shatliff:
Telephone: 07899 983544
E-mail: haslingdenband@aol.com
"Around the World in 80 Minutes"
Haslingden & Helmshore Band
Musical Director: David Holland
Saturday 29th November 2008
7.30pm
Haslingden High School Theatre
Greens Lane
Off Broadway
Haslingden
Rossendale
Lancashire
BB4 4EY
Tickets: £8
Concessions: £6
Event Supported by: Jones Taylor Steven Insurance Brokers
Gwenneth McFarland
20/11/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
4BR Money List
Brass in Concert victory gives Cory the number 1 top spot, as everything falls into first place for the European Champions at The Sage.
Money, money, money…
There was plenty up for grabs at The Sage this weekend and it was Cory who picked up the majority of it - £4,600 in fact.
First ever win
The first ever win for a band from outside England at Brass in Concert meant that Cory will not only finish the year as the number 1 ranked band in the 4BR/World of Brass Rankings, but for the first time ever, will also end the 2008 season as the 4BR Money List winners too.
In fact, Cory couldn't have asked for anything better in terms of the result.
Unbeatable
Starting the contest off in fourth spot in the list, and with leaders Grimethorpe only managing third place, Brighouse, fourth, Fodens coming sixth and Desford out of the prizes, Cory's first prize of £4,000 plus £600 for the 'Quality of Performance' means that they cannot now be overtaken.
The result also meant that Stavanger, who came runner up, and picked up £2,000, meant they pushed themselves into 12th place with an impressive £4,392 in season's winnings.
Runner up
Grimethorpe's third place and £1,000 means the Yorkshire band will end in the year in second place, whilst last year's leading money winner, Brighouse & Rastrick couldn't quite pick up enough prize money (£750) to improve on their current fifth spot.
After such a great start to the year, Desford failed to add anything more than the £100 appearance fee award to their current total, which meant they drop down to fifth spot overall.
Other end of the table
At the other end of the table, YBS just fail to make it ino the '3 Grand Club' this year with a seasons winnings of £2,975 after their appearance at The Sage.
Meanwhile there was money up for grabs too around the country at Treorchy, Torquay, St Helens, Kippax and Leicester, but only Uppermill of the '3 Grand Club' gave their cash register a boost by picking up £100 for third place at the Wilkinsons Contest.
There is now only the Scottish Open to come
If you think your band has won more than these top 20 rivals then let us know...
(No solo awards are included in the prize money list)
Current Table:
1. Cory - £14,597
(Welsh Regional - £75; European Championship - £7,422; British Open - £1,500; National Finals - £1,000; Brass in Concert - £4,600)
2. Grimethorpe Colliery - £13,350
(Yorkshire Regional - £100; European Championship - £6,250; English National - £4,000; British Open - £2,000; Brass in Concert - £1,000)
3. Fodens - £11,350
(North West Regional - £200; Masters - £250; Whit Friday - £6,150; British Open - £3,000; National Finals - £1,500; Brass in Concert - £250)
4. Desford Colliery - £10,300
(Butlins - £6,000; Midlands Regional - £200; Masters £4,000; Brass in Concert - £100)
5. Brighouse & Rastrick - £9,900
(English National - £2000; Whit Friday - £7,150; Brass in Concert - £750)
6. Tredegar - £7,230
(Miners Eisteddfod - £2,000; Welsh Regional - £200; Masters - £2,000; SEWBBA - £230; Grand Shield - £400; Welsh Eisteddfod - £900; Wychavon - £1,500)
7. Black Dyke - £5,600
(Yorkshire Regional - £200; English National - £3,000; British Open - £400; National Finals - £2,000)
8. Haslingden & Helmshore - £4,800
(Butlins - £1,500; Guild Hall - £300; North West Regional - £100; Tameside Open - £300; Whit Friday - £300; Buxton - £500; Pontins - £1,800)
9. Fairey - £4,650
(North West Regional - £75; Whit Friday - £4,075; Brass in Concert - £500)
10. Eikanger Bjorsvik - £4,575
(Norwegian National - £3,705; SIDDIS - £870)
11. Whitburn - £4,500
(Scottish Regional - £200; Brass in the Park - £500; Land O' Burns - £2,500; West Lothian - £700; Brass in Concert - £600)
12. Stavanger - £4,392
(Norwegian Nationals - £741; European Championships - £781; SIDDIS - £870; Brass in Concert - £2,000)
11. Uppermill - £4,245
(Buxton - £400; North West Regional - £200; Whit Friday - £445; Holmfirth - £200; Marsden - £150; Hebden Bridge - £200; National Finals - £750; Pontins - £1,800; Wilkinson Open - £100)
11. Woolston Brass - £4,110
(FABB Austraiasian Open - £4,110)
13. Rothwell Temperance - £3,925
(Whit Friday - £3,925)
14= Bactiguard Wire Brass - £3,900
(Butlins - £1,000; Fleetwood - £400; St Helens - £800; Senior Cup - £400; Pontins - £1,300)
16. Oldham (Lees) - £3,715
(Guild Hall - £700; North West Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; Whit Friday - £415; Pontins - £1,800)
17. Marsden (Ossett Brewery) - £3,700
(Morley Hymn - £500; Brighouse March - £500; Easingwold - £500; Whit Friday £1,900; Senior Trophy - £300)
18. Leyland - £3,558
(North West Regional - £100; Whit Friday - £1,200; Grand Shield - £800; Grenland Festival - £358; British Open - £1,000; Brass in Concert - £100)
19. Rainford - £3,525
(Guild Hall - £700; St Helens - £1,500; Whit Friday - £325; Pontins - £1,000)
20. Point of Ayr - £3,300
(Welsh Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; St Helens - £800; National Finals - £1,000; Pontins - £700)
21. Wingates - £3,000
(Butlins - £2,500; Whit Friday - £500)
4barsrest.com
18/11/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: Wilkinson Northern Open
The Wilkinson Northern Open Brass Band Championships
16th November 2008
Theatre Royal St Helens
Second Section
Adjudicator: Major Peter Parkes
1. Dodworth Colliery, Eliot Darwin, 185, (8)
2. Skelmersdale, John Ludden, 184 (4)
3. Valley Brass, David Chadwick, 183 (5)
4. Stalybridge, J. Binns, 182 (9)
5. Haslingden & Helmshore, David Holland, 181 (3)
6. Delph, Philip Goodwin, 180 (7)
7. York Railway Institute, Derek Warley, 179 (6)
8. Pemberton Old Wigan JJB 'B', Peter Ashley, 178(2)
9. Middleton, Matt Stringer, 177 (1)
10. Greenalls, K. Stott, 176 (10)
11. Eagley, G. Westwood, 175 (11)
Withdrawn
Holme Silver
Old Hall Brass
Tyldesley
Best Basses Skelmersdale
Best Overall Soloist Solo Cornet Dodworth
4bars rest.com
18/11/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
4BR Money List
SIDDIS Krone pushes Eikanger into top 10.
With the England cricket team showing their usual aptitude for not being able to hit a cow's backside with a banjo, let alone a cricket ball against a pub side for a million dollars a piece, it was left up to the Norwegians to try and win some much needed entertainment dosh for their coffers.
Krone payout
The SIDDIS Entertainment Contest took place in Stavanger on the weekend, where Manger Musikklag took the top honours.
That win wasn't enough to push them into the '3Grand' Club however, as the top prize of 18,000 Krone equates to around £1,567 - as the band didn't win a single Krone at the Nationals in Bergen earlier in the year.
The same applies to Stavanger, who picked up the third prize of 5,000 Krone (£435), meaning their current 2008 winnings ahead of their appearance at The Sage is £2,392.
Eikanger benefit
Despite not being able to win their fourth succesive SIDDIS title, runners-up Eikanger picked up the small matter of 10,000 Krone (about £870), which meant they boost their 2008 winnings from £3,705 to an impressive £4,575 - and a leap up the table from 16th to 9th place.
More to come
With no other major contest on the weekend, eyes are now firmly set on The Sage in a couple of weeks time, with further payouts at Treorchy and the Scottish Open.
If you think your band has won more than these top 20 rivals then let us know...
Current Table:
1. Grimethorpe Colliery - £12,350
(Yorkshire Regional - £100; European Championship - £6,250; English National - £4,000; British Open - £2,000)
2. Fodens - £11,100
(North West Regional - £200; Masters - £250; Whit Friday - £6,150; British Open - £3,000; National Finals - £1,500)
3. Desford Colliery - £10,200
(Butlins - £6,000; Midlands Regional - £200; Masters £4,000)
4. Cory - £9,997
(Welsh Regional - £75; European Championship - £7,422; British Open - £1,500; National Finals - £1,000)
5. Brighouse & Rastrick - £9,150
(English National - £2000; Whit Friday - £7,150)
6. Tredegar - £7,230
(Miners Eisteddfod - £2,000; Welsh Regional - £200; Masters - £2,000; SEWBBA - £230; Grand Shield - £400; Welsh Eisteddfod - £900; Wychavon - £1,500)
7. Black Dyke - £5,600
(Yorkshire Regional - £200; English National - £3,000; British Open - £400; National Finals - £2,000)
8. Haslingden & Helmshore - £4,800
(Butlins - £1,500; Guild Hall - £300; North West Regional - £100; Tameside Open - £300; Whit Friday - £300; Buxton - £500; Pontins - £1,800)
9. Eikanger Bjorsvik - £4,575
(Norwegian National - £3,705; SIDDIS - £870)
10. Uppermill - £4,145
(Buxton - £400; North West Regional - £200; Whit Friday - £445; Holmfirth - £200; Marsden - £150; Hebden Bridge - £200; National Finals - £750; Pontins - £1,800)
11. Woolston Brass - £4,110
(FABB Austraiasian Open - £4,110)
12. Fairey - £4,075
(North West Regional - £75; Whit Friday - £4,075)
13. Rothwell Temperance - £3,925
(Whit Friday - £3,925)
14= Bactiguard Wire Brass - £3,900
(Butlins - £1,000; Fleetwood - £400; St Helens - £800; Senior Cup - £400; Pontins - £1,300)
14= Whitburn - £3,900
(Scottish Regional - £200; Brass in the Park - £500; Land O' Burns - £2,500; West Lothian - £700)
16. Oldham (Lees) - £3,715
(Guild Hall - £700; North West Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; Whit Friday - £415; Pontins - £1,800)
17. Marsden (Ossett Brewery) - £3,700
(Morley Hymn - £500; Brighouse March - £500; Easingwold - £500; Whit Friday £1,900; Senior Trophy - £300)
18. Rainford - £3,525
(Guild Hall - £700; St Helens - £1,500; Whit Friday - £325; Pontins - £1,000)
19. Leyland - £3,458
(North West Regional - £100; Whit Friday - £1,200; Grand Shield - £800; Grenland Festival - £358; British Open - £1,000)
20. Point of Ayr - £3,300
(Welsh Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; St Helens - £800; National Finals - £1,000; Pontins - £700)
21. Wingates - £3,000
(Butlins - £2,500; Whit Friday - £500)
4barsrest.com
02/11/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
4BR Money List
Pontins glory leads to Money List changes as Uppermill and Haslingden & Helmshore muscle in on the top 10.
With just a few weeks to go to the Sir Allan Stanfordeque winner takes all showdown at The Sage, there was big money to won at both ends of the globe on the weekend.
Seaside pounds and dollars
The big British payouts were to be found at Prestatyn and the Pontins Championships, where wins for Uppermill in the Fourth Section and Haslingden & Helmshore in the Second, pushed the bands into the top 10 money earners for the year - a fantastic achievment.
Not far behind
Not far behind them after a fine Pontins experience comes Bactiguard Wire Brass in joint 13th place after picking up £1,300 as runner up in the Championship Section, with Oldham (Lees) just a couple of places further back in 15th after their win in the Third Section.
Rainford come in at 18th and Point of Ayr at 20th - ahead of some pretty famous banding names.
Just under the mark
Pontins winners Sovereign are now one of a clutch of bands just below the £3,000 mark after their top section victory gave them a payout of £2,500, whilst others close to making a late entry are the likes of Skelmanthorpe and Lostock Hall, both winning £2,900 so far this year in prize money.
Down under
At the same time the bands were wrapping up warm against the cold in North Wales some of the best Australian and New Zealand bands were battling it out at the Australian Open - in much warmer weather.
Woolston Brass won both sections of the two legged contest, picking up $10,000, which at immediate conversion prices was worth just on £4,110.
More to come
There are still plenty of opportunities to come for bands to make a final burst into the £3,000+club with SIDDIS, Treorchy and the Scottish Open still to come. The really big dosh though will be on hand at The Sage.
If you think your band has won more than these top 20 rivals then let us know...
Current Table:
1. Grimethorpe Colliery - £12,350
(Yorkshire Regional - £100; European Championship - £6,250; English National - £4,000; British Open - £2,000)
2. Fodens - £11,100
(North West Regional - £200; Masters - £250; Whit Friday - £6,150; British Open - £3,000; National Finals - £1,500)
3. Desford Colliery - £10,200
(Butlins - £6,000; Midlands Regional - £200; Masters £4,000)
4. Cory - £9,997
(Welsh Regional - £75; European Championship - £7,422; British Open - £1,500; National Finals - £1,000)
5. Brighouse & Rastrick - £9,150
(English National - £2000; Whit Friday - £7,150)
6. Tredegar - £7,230
(Miners Eisteddfod - £2,000; Welsh Regional - £200; Masters - £2,000; SEWBBA - £230; Grand Shield - £400; Welsh Eisteddfod - £900; Wychavon - £1,500)
7. Black Dyke - £5,600
(Yorkshire Regional - £200; English National - £3,000; British Open - £400; National Finals - £2,000)
8. Haslingden & Helmshore - £4,800
(Butlins - £1,500; Guild Hall - £300; North West Regional - £100; Tameside Open - £300; Whit Friday - £300; Buxton - £500; Pontins - £1,800)
9. Uppermill - £4,145
(Buxton - £400; North West Regional - £200; Whit Friday - £445; Holmfirth - £200; Marsden - £150; Hebden Bridge - £200; National Finals - £750; Pontins - £1,800)
10. Woolston Brass - £4,110
(FABB Austraiasian Open - £4,110)
11. Fairey - £4,075
(North West Regional - £75; Whit Friday - £4,075)
12. Rothwell Temperance - £3,925
(Whit Friday - £3,925)
13= Bactiguard Wire Brass - £3,900
(Butlins - £1,000; Fleetwood - £400; St Helens - £800; Senior Cup - £400; Pontins - £1,300)
13= Whitburn - £3,900
(Scottish Regional - £200; Brass in the Park - £500; Land O' Burns - £2,500; West Lothian - £700)
15. Oldham (Lees) - £3,715
(Guild Hall - £700; North West Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; Whit Friday - £415; Pontins - £1,800)
16. Eikanger Bjorsvik - £3,705
(Norwegian National - £3,705)
17. Marsden (Ossett Brewery) - £3,700
(Morley Hymn - £500; Brighouse March - £500; Easingwold - £500; Whit Friday £1,900; Senior Trophy - £300)
18. Rainford - £3,525
(Guild Hall - £700; St Helens - £1,500; Whit Friday - £325; Pontins - £1,000)
19. Leyland - £3,458
(North West Regional - £100; Whit Friday - £1,200; Grand Shield - £800; Grenland Festival - £358; British Open - £1,000)
20. Point of Ayr - £3,300
(Welsh Regional - £200; Tameside Open - £600; St Helens - £800; National Finals - £1,000; Pontins - £700)
21. Wingates - £3,000
(Butlins - £2,500; Whit Friday - £500)
4barsrest.com
30/10/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Pontins Championship - Second Section Retrospective
A well chosen test piece and conductors and bands with a bit of common sense made for a pick me up Prozac contest on Sunday morning. 
Seaside double: Haslingden & Helmshore enjoy the bracing seaside air
Picture: Niki Stirzaker
If the First Section left you feeling depressed then thankfully there was a pick me up of musical Prozac in the Second Section on Sunday morning.
A well chosen test piece (James Scott knows just about exactly where the real musical level of lower section bands are - National Music Panel take note) meant that each of the 13 competing bands could approach Alan Fernie's 'A Royal Mile Suite' knowing that they could just about master its technical and musical hurdles - players and conductors alike, and still have something extra to spare.
Enjoyable contest
The result was an enjoyable contest of true Second Section standard.
That may not be saying much in the greater scheme of things, but at least it meant that the audience and judges, Malcolm Brownbill and Colin Hardy, were not subjected to another long day of musical mediocrity.
Degree of discretion
It also meant that the two adjudicators could use a greater degree of well placed discretion in their approach to each of the performances too. Instead of having to encounter a litany of poor basics, the competent playing allowed them to question contrasts in tempi, internal balances and dare one say it, interpretation.
It is easy to separate bands out in a 'split count' manner at this level at times, but with so many of the performances having the basics in place, those other factors came into play. Malcolm and Colin must have been delighted - and so too were the audience.
Strange noise
It also meant that on occasions there was a strange bleeping noise coming from what seemed to be the tent, as the duo sought to find out exactly how much leeway the MDs thought was appropriate in each of the sections.
It may have been a touch disconcerting at times, but it did mean that they knew exactly which bands took too many liberties with the circa tempi markings. Some of the final movement march efforts plodded along like a funeral cortege.
Explained
That may also have explained why the fancied Point of Ayr ended up in third place overall behind the eventual winners, Haslingden & Helmshore and second placed Rainford.
The North Wales band certainly produced a powerful performance, with a sound that wouldn't have been out of place in the First Section, but noticeable nervousness in the quieter sections and that slightly prosaic tempo in the final march cost them dearly.
Seaside double
Haslingden & Helmshore meanwhile made it a seaside double by taking the title under the direction of Dave Holland. Their performance was purposeful, bright and vibrant and despite a few intonation problems and the rather needless bass choreography, it retained focus and flow right to the end.
Excellent solo contributions also helped, with a sweet soprano and solid solo cornet the pick of a tasty bunch of lead performers. This was a very competent band on fine form.
With Colin and Malcolm clearly enjoying the contest, their accurate and encouraging comments were reflected in the choices they made in the results.
A few eyebrows were raised by Point of Ayr's third place, but in what was an enjoyable and encouraging contest, the winners Haslingden & Helmshore's admirable consistency gave them another well merited holiday camp triumph.
Iwan Fox
4barsrest.com
29/10/08
Hi-de-High for Haslingden!
Contesting for Haslingden & Helmshore Band has been the highlight of 2008, especially at holiday camps! The Butlins Mineworkers' Second Section Champion Band of 2008 also scooped the title of Pontins Second Section Champions yesterday.
After a short rehearsal on Friday evening, several members headed straight to the Prestatyn Sands Resort to enjoy the Pontins weekend. It was either this or join the rest of the band at 7am on a cold Sunday morning to board a coach heading for North Wales. Leaving Haslingden 10 minutes later than planned, there was also another unfortunate incident - the toilet didn't work and the coach had to stop twice on it's journey at service areas. So 45 minutes later than planned, the band arrived at their rehearsal venue (just across the road from Point of Ayr's bandroom) for a quick run through Alan Fernie's "A Royal Mile Suite" and had their sights firmly fixed on 2nd place. We'd normally aim for 1st place, but the odds given out by bookies William Hill on Point of Ayr winning this contest were a dead cert!
We were pre-drawn to play 7th out of 13 bands, so off we headed to registration and one step closer to Brass Band World Domination of holiday camps.
There were mixed feelings from members of the band on what the majority thought was a decent performance. Some thought it was awesome, others thought it could have gone a little better. In hindsight, the major factor was the acoustics in the Lunar Bar that caught most of us out and question our intonation, dynamics and why it sounded so different to our home in Wells Street, Haslingden.
As the results were announced, we were feeling fairly confident as we knew that we'd done all that we could and given the best performance possible. 6th, 5th and 4th place were announced with a short interlude from both adjudicators on what they'd expected to hear and how they wanted it to be played - with a swagger!
When 3rd place was announced there was a feeling of shock around the room, but also relief that it was awarded to Point of Ayr, the bookies favourites. 2nd place went to Rainford and the nerves kicked in around the band - we'd either won or tried to be too edgy and brassy with certain elements of the piece.
As 1st place was announced the band erupted - you'd have thought that we'd just won the Open!
Fortunately the adjudicators loved our interpretation of the set piece and gave us some wonderful remarks, a real boost for both the band and the MD after only a few weeks of rehearsals.
So once again, after a quick photo session, we headed for the bar to celebrate another win - with a swagger!!!
Thank you to Agnes Gallacher (Nelson Brass) who helped out on 1st Horn and Mark Robinson (BMP Goodshaw Europe) for stepping in at the last minute on 2nd Horn.
A huge well done to the band, especially our Solo Euphonium Geoff Hayes and Craig McFarland on Principal Cornet for proving just what a class act he really is. And to Sarah Taylor who stepped up from 1st Horn to Solo Horn and played so confidently, even though she claimed to be a "bag of nerves". Sarah was covering for our resident Solo Horn Melanie McFarland who is recovering from recent surgery but still insisted on playing 3rd Percussion.
And lastly, a special mention must go to our Musical Director David Holland who once again directed the band to another fine performance and victory, although the comedy element of jumping back when the cornet rank faced outwards in the final bars was quite shocking for some of the band!
Gwenneth McFarland
27/10/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: 2008 Pontins
Second Section:
Sunday 26 October
Test-piece: A Royal Mile Suite, Alan Fernie
Start: 9.00am
Venue: Lunar's Hall
Adjudicators: Malcolm Brownbill and Colin Hardy
Double celebration for Haslingden
It was a double celebration in the Second Section as Haslingden & Helmshore added the Pontins title to the Butlins Mineworkers crown they won in Skegness earlier in the year.
Their committed performance of Alan Fernie's 'A Royal Mile Suite' gave them victory and the £1,800 top prize over local rivals Rainford and the fancied Point of Ayr in third.
Adjudicator's Malcolm Brownbill and Colin Hardy spoke of the need to enhance the basics of good brass playing with an eye to tempi - something not too many bands did on the day as the final march section of the piece, reminiscent of 'Pines of Rome,' saw many bands trudge wearily to the final few bars of the piece.
Not so the winners whose brisk march to the title was enhanced by solid ensemble playing and secure soloists.
The final top six placings went to Tylorstown, Tullis Russell Mills and Oddfellow Brass.
Results:
1. Haslingden & Helmshore, D Holland, 7
2. Rainford, N Samuel, 13
3. Point of Ayr Colliery, G Evans, 11
4. Tylorstown, G Davies, 8
5. Tullis Russell Mills, J Hinckley, 4
6. Oddfellows Brass, R Boulter, 1
7. United Co-op 2000 Brass, J Meredith, 6
8. Llwydcoed, R Griffiths, 12
9. Kippax, R Gray, 9
10. Thundersley, R Morris, 5
11. Stalybridge Old, J Lewis, 3
12. Clifton & Lightcliffe, J Clay, 10
13. Dearham, GJ Williams, 2
Youngest Player: Joe Selson, Clifton and Lightcliffe
4barsrest.com
26/10/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Pontins Championship - Second Section: Introduction & Prediction
Who is able to go the extra Mile and win the Second Section title on Sunday morning?
Sunday 26th October
Venue: Lunars Bar
Draw: Pre-drawn
Commence: 9.00am
Test Piece: A Royal Mile Suite, Alan Fernie
Adjudicators: Malcolm Brownbill and Colin Hardy
First Prize: £1,800+ Commemorative Cup
Second Prize: £1,000 + Commemorative Cup
Third Prize: £700 + Commemorative Cup
Fouth Prize: £450
Special Award: Youngest Player in Section
Controller: Colin Morrison
Those who have set their alarm clocks for the right time on Sunday morning (the clocks go back an hour) will be in for an intriguing contest in Lunars Bar, as 13 bands tackle Alan Fernie's excellent 'A Royal Mile Suite'.
The piece last appeared as the Third Section test in 2006 at Butlins, and proved to be an accessible and popular work with both competitors and audience alike.
Instinctive
Alan Fernie knows instinctively where to pitch the technical hurdles as well as the musical ones, and there will be enough testing moments throughout the piece to ensure none of the well matched bands take anything for granted.
The four parts of this expressive suite reflect the atmosphere and character of Edinburgh's Royal Mile from the opening 'At the Palace Gates' through 'Holyrood Park' and 'Jenny Ha's Reel' to 'Castrum Dun Edin'.
Technically, it's not a difficult task for this level, but it still needs playing and any conductor who has spent time along the Royal Mile will surely want to bring the character of a very colourful and atmospheric part of the Scottish capital to life.
Sombre note
On a slightly more somber note, 26 bands competed in this section in 2005, but now that has been halved. With excellent prize money and a well chosen test piece it should attract more, but perhaps some contest fatigue is starting to show itself.
Six return
Six bands return from last year, with four of the top five coming back for another crack at the title. In addition, three bands that competed very well at the Lower Section Nationals are also on show too.
Haslingden and Helmshore weren't perhaps at their very best at Harrogate, although they still posted a creditable 7th place. They should be better suited to this work and return to the good form that won them Butlins and the Regionals is very much on the cards.
4BR Prediction:
A clear winner stands out for us in Point of Ayr if they match the form they showed at Harrogate, although we think they could be hard pushed by their fellow Welsh contenders Tylorstown.
Haslingden and Helmshore and Kippax will push them all the way for sure, whilst Rainford and United Co-op 2000 Brass could be the bands to fill the remaining top six places. Our dark horse comes from Scotland in the shape of the great bunch from Tullis Russell Mills.
1. Point of Ayr
2. Tylorstown
3. Haslingden and Helmshore
4. Kippax
5. Rainford
6. United Co-op
Dark Horse: Tullis Russell
4bars rest.com
21/10/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Lower Section National Finals - Second Section Retrospective
Picking a winner is one thing, picking a test piece that was totally inappropriate was another in the Second Section...
One of the most significant developments in recent banding history was the decision of the Salvation Army to make its music accessible to its colleagues in the secular brass band movement.
Here was an exceptionally rich resource of music for bands to utilize, and as a result the relationship between the Salvation Army and its counterparts has grown with enormous respect for each other's music.
Rich resource
It doesn't matter whether you're from a Salvationist background or not, there is a great deal of music from their back catalogue in particular that is immensely enjoyable to play and listen to, whilst the religious inspiration often challenges the mind.
Sir Dean Goffin was one of the finest Salvation Army composers who also took the opportunity to compose for non SA bands. His 'Rhapsody in Brass' was used at the British Open in 1949 and his music is held in the highest regard with 'Rhapsodic Variations: My Strength, My Tower', considered to be his finest work.
Finest selection?
However, the one thing that can be said about the contest on Sunday is that the piece is definitely not one of the finest selections to have been given to bands at this level to declare a National Champion.
To decide such a contest, every band deserves to have a fair crack at the whip, but that unfortunately, through no fault of their own, was not the case here.
Daunting
Based on a theme and variations, the work starts with two powerful opening chords, developing in the first variation with grace and elegance. The Scherzo in contrast is playful and fiery, before the music takes a lyrical direction with the daunting Lento with its extended solos for cornet and euphonium. Having survived that, the Passacaglia rounds off the work in thrilling fashion.
Some coped better than others, its as simple as that.
All the bands on the day started with good intentions, but the crux came when they reached the central Lento, where it became, a quite unnecessarily cruel musical experience far too often.
Soldierd on
Bands soldiered on and deserve immense praise for doing so, but the writing was simply too difficult. No soloist should beat themselves up over their performance because Championship Section standard principals would have had their work cut out with this piece. For the Second Section it was wholly misplaced.
The bands that survived the ordeal of the Lento still had a great deal of work to do in handling the Passacaglia. Some recovered poise and clarity and went on to finish strongly, whilst others lost focus and concentration, opted for speed and ran out of steam before the finish. For many it seemed a relief to get it over and done with.
As one band representative (who obviously didn't want to be named) told 4BR during the contest, it was perfectly acceptable for the Music Panel to select a piece that would test, but not one that would make bands struggle just to play the notes.
Sympathy
Adjudicator Jim Davies (who did a fine job with Peter Roberts) told the audience prior to the results that it had been a great test piece to play, but also carefully made the point that there wasn't a band that actually got to grips with it, however well they played. He complimented the bands for their efforts but there was sympathy for the cornet and euphonium soloists.
Now when perhaps one of the finest post war cornet players says that then you know all too clearly that he wasn't just being kind. It wasn't misplaced or patronising in anyway shape or form either.
When taking a look at the results, five of the top six awarded podium places played in the first seven bands. However, it was the very last band to play on the weekend that finally claimed the National title.
Potential
Haslingden and Helmshore whilst finishing seventh will probably have been a touch disappointed, after a performance that didn't quite live up to its potential.
The opening suffered somewhat from tuning issues and they just couldn't find a sense of security thereafter, despite a well shaped interpretation from the MD. The Passacaglia finale was their strongest part of the piece, but by then they had found their true form a little too late.
Winners?
At the conclusion of the contest the winners were unquestionably Point of Ayr (few would disagree we think), but the test piece beat all of the bands.
There were plenty of commendable accounts in this contest, but to give a performance that a band could be proud off at the National finals was an impossible task for some - and that can't be right.
The Music Panel will have plenty to think about as they ponder choices for next year and beyond at this level.
Malcolm Wood
4barsrest.com
01/10/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Sympathy for test results in Second Section
Adjudicator Jim Davies has plenty of sympathy after stern Second Section test.
Legendary cornet virtuoso Jim Davies certainly had a great deal of sympathy for the cornet players in the Second Section on Sunday, as he and fellow judge Peter Roberts had the unenviable task of sorting out the bands on Dean Goffin's 'My Strength, My Tower'.
Sympathetic
In what proved to be the most difficult of all the set works on the weekend, Jim was forthright in his remarks about what they had heard, although he was also sympathetic to the plight of the principal cornet players in particular who had to overcome the cruel extended solo in the central Lento movement.
Clear pin points
In his remarks off the stage before the announcement of the results Jim had clearly pinpointed the areas both he and Peter looked out for and he offered advice and support for those players who had a real baptism of contesting fire.
4barsrest.com
29/09/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: 2008 Nationals - Section 2
Full results for the 2008 National Championships of Great Britian - Second Section, from Harrogate's International Conference Centre.
The Point of Ayr Band rounded off a great weekend for Welsh banding in Harrogate when under the direction of Michael Fowles they crowned their comeback year to brass band contesting by taking the Second Section National title.
Return
15 years after they lifted the National First Section title, but just six months after they returned to the contesting fold after lying almost dormant in North Wales for seven long seasons of inactivity, they triumphed once again.
Well deserved
It was a well deserved victory too and after such a long lay off they didn't complain too much that they had to wait all day to produce the winning performance off the number 16 draw either.
Severe test
In a contest that tested the bands to the very limits and beyond with a severe test in Dean Goffin's 'Rhapsodic Variations - My Strength, My Tower,' Point of Ayr took the £1,000 top prize and National Trophy by a narrow one point margin from the youthfully impressive Wardle and Anderson District Brass conducted by Sean Conway, with Barton Town and Richard Evans in third.
In a contest that saw the honours fairly evenly spread out among the regions, Yorkshire provided the fourth placed YBS Concert Band ahead of fifth place Welsh contenders Tylorstown and the Midlanders of City of Coventry in sixth.
Test Piece:
Rhapsodic Variations - My Strength, My Tower - Dean Goffin
Adjudicators:
Jim Davies and Peter Roberts
Results:
1. Point of Ayr, Michael Fowles, 16, 188
2. Wardle and Anderson District Brass, Sean Conway, 6, 187
3. Barton Town, Richard Evans, 2, 186
4. YBS Concert Brass, Ian Craddock, 4, 184
5. Tylorstown, Gary Davies, 1, 183
6. City of Coventry, Stephen Cooper, 7, 182
7. Haslingden and Helmshore, David Holland, 10, 181
8. Bristol East and Kingswood, Roy Curran, 12, 180
9. Slaithwaite, Barry Hudson, 15, 179
10. Johnstone, Ray Tennant, 9, 178
11. Alder Valley, Roger Burke, 11, 177
12. Campbletown Brass, Craig Anderson, 5, 176
13. Shrewton Silver, Michael Dunford, 14, 175
14. Harborough, Chris Groom, 3, 174
15. Murton Colliery, Dennis Noble, 8, 173
16. Epsom & Ewell, Ted Howard, 13, 172
Best instrumentalist:
Susan Butterworth (Solo cornet) Wardle and Anderson District Brass
4barsrest.com
28/09/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Live: Nationals 2008 - Section 2
International Conference Centre, Harrogate Live comments of the 2nd section bands from the Lower Section National Finals, International Conference Centre, Harrogate.
Test Piece:
Rhapsodic Variations - My Strength, My Tower - Dean Goffin
Adjudicators:
Jim Davies and Peter Roberts
Commences at the conclusion of the First Section
Live comments:
Haslingden and Helmshore, David Holland, 10
Region: North West
Opening:
Not the greatest start. We have tuning issues throughout.
Scherzo:
Fiery and passionate but never 100 per cent. Sounds as if the band are struggling with this.
Lento:
Lots of mute juggling detracts somewhat. More uncertain moments in solo lines. This just doesn't seem to be improving..
Passacaglia:
Probably the best playing but this has been tough going - for us and the band.
Overall:
Not the band we know. They just struggled with this throughout.
Star player: Euph - Good effort in difficult circumstances.
4barsrest.com
28/09/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Lower Section National Finals: Harrogate 08 - Introduction and Preview
Malcolm Wood looks forward to a weekend of fun and games at Harrogate as the organisers look to add value to the Lower Section Nationals.
 Having just got our breath back from a highly enjoyable British Open in the busy metropolitan atmosphere of Birmingham, 4BR is set to enjoy a more leisurely weekend in the genteel surroundings of Harrogate.
However, with 72 bands packed into an area as small as the Birmingham's old Bull Ring shopping centre, and with just as excitable an army of supporters in their wake, it may turn out to be a weekend the well coiffured Daily Mail reading blue rinse ladies that seem to live here in abundance, may well be advised to stay well clear of.
The Lower Section Finals have been in Harrogate since 2004 and whilst the venue itself isn't the most vibrant place on earth, in the context of a major brass band contest the International Conference Centre does the job well enough.
Teashop
As for the town itself? There is just enough to do in Harrogate for those who can't stomach the prospect of listening to a contest for four or five hours in a hall that can at times resemble the atmosphere found at an Embalmer's Convention, but there's only so many cups of tea and cream cakes that you can wolf down at Betty's Teashop.
The workshops that have become such a successful feature of Brass in Concert would be ideal here and the inclusion of a kiddies play area whilst the adults are involved in the contest would certain be a big plus for the participants.
Celebration
Bands mingle in the bars and in the pubs around the spa town, but why not put a function on such as a family night on the Saturday evening so people can celebrate together - and lets face it, getting to the National finals is a celebration in itself.
That may be a little way down the line, but we hear that new things are to be tried this year.
 Clinics
York Instruments are to host player clinics and recitals throughout the weekend for instance. Owen Farr, David Childs and Angelo Bearpark will be on hand to offer advice and tips to players from 11.00am - 1.00pm and 3.30pm - 5.30pm each day. A fine idea, and hopefully the first of many progressive initiatives to come.
The Norwegians continue to show us how it is done at their National Championship in Bergen so why not follow their example with the announcement of the results onto big screens? Peter Bates will no doubt be on hand to bring the awaited masses the results, but please, no repeat performances of 'Champagne Charlie' as was the case last year - even Simon Cowell would draw the line at that!
Kapitol Promotions certainly run a slick and professional weekend here. With an army of back stage helpers things run like clockwork and as we've already said, they've built a platform over the past four years on which they can build.
Credit crunch
Once again, an all-day ticket will be in operation at £10 for Adults and £7.50 for Concessions, which isn't bad at all considering that you'll get charged £7.50 and £5 respectively per section. But what about a family ticket of £20 that includes two children under the age of 16? The credit crunch has come to the brass band world too, so it has to be a good idea in these difficult times?
Talking of the credit crunch lets also hope the Conference Centre itself has become aware of it too. The organisers have no control over is the cost of the food and drink on sale in the venue, but it still comes as a bit of a shock when a sandwich, pasty, and a cup of tea costs as much as a ticket to listen to the bands all day.
Harrogate will be a familiar venue for thirteen bands this year that return again in the various sections. A special mention though to Wellington (Telford) who make it four times in a row this year, a fantastic effort.
As always, there's more than a comment or two that can be made on the selection of the test pieces, but each set work has plenty to challenge the bands and there will be no easy rides this weekend for certain.
Cracking start
The whole weekend commences at 9.30am on Saturday morning with 'The Shipbuilders' testing the Fourth Section contenders - a real blast from the past, and a great piece to show which of the bands has found its contesting sea legs in landlocked Harrogate. It promises to provide a cracking start.
Saturday afternoon focuses on the Third Section with Sandy Smith's arrangement, 'Suite for Brass'. The Black Dyke horn player is one of the best arrangers in the business and bands will certainly have earned a pint or two on Saturday night after coming to grips with it.
Philip Sparke's intriguing 'The Saga of Haakon the Good' is the Nordic challenge for First Section bands bright and early on Sunday morning, and along with the other pieces, it created some interesting viewpoints from the bands.
The whole weekend is brought to a close with Sir Dean Goffin's 'My Strength, My Tower' for the Second Section bands - a fine old piece that could take test the strength of character of quite a few players and conductors alike.
Judges
Once again the organisers have opted for eight adjudicators who have bucket loads of experience between them.
Richard Evans and Chris Wormald deliberate in the Fourth; good friends, Stan Lippeatt and Kevin Wadsworth oversee the Third; cornet virtuosi Jim Davies and Peter Roberts will make the decision on the Second Section, and Steve Sykes and Melvin White to be in session on Sunday morning in the First Section.
An interesting mix, but how fascinating it would be to have somebody from a non-banding background such as the orchestral world giving their views?
Coverage
4BR will be there once more providing our 'live' coverage (or as quick as we can our correspondent to run down the winding runway from the hall to the foyer and get it typed up) and we'll have our usual retrospectives, podcast with interviews and opinions and music clips too.
Keep a look out for us and come and say hello, and have a look at what we've said about your performances and the picture galleries too. Then you can either say thanks or give us a well earned mouthful of criticism too!
See you on the weekend.
4barsrest.com
23/09/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Lower Section National Finals: Second Section - Introduction & Predictions
Malcolm Wood wonders which of the 16 contenders will be able to wax rhapsodic on Sunday to claim the National title on Dean Goffin's stern test of musical character.
Test Piece: Rhapsodic Variations - My Strength, My Tower (Dean Goffin)
Adjudicators: Jim Davies and Peter Roberts
Sunday 28th September
Commences at the conclusion of the First Section
If you part with your £10 on Sunday to enjoy the delights of the First and Second Sections then we think you will be in for a great day.
The Second Section comprises an excellent selection of well matched bands that will have to overcome both a fairly long wait and very difficult test piece if they are to leave Harrogate as Second Section National Champions. .
Stern musical test
For when they do walk on stage they will be faced with perhaps the sternest musical test of the entire weekend, with Dean Goffin's demanding, 'Rhapsodic Variations, My Strength, My Tower', which came into prominence for many non Salvation Army people with it's inclusion on the YBS seminal recording, 'Essays of Brass' during the mid 1990s.
The popularity of 'Rhapsody in Brass', used at the British Open in 1949 led admirers of Goffin's music to ask for more. The end result was a return to an earlier test piece: 'My Strength, My Tower'. As per convention in SA circles, a religious text was added to the original work and Goffin opted for Scheffler's hymn, 'Thee I love, my strength, my tower.'
The end result is an excellent work, although it's choice may have a surprised a few people. Like 'On Ratcliff Highway' last year though, it has the potential to challenge the bands to the full and beyond, and should provide an essential ingredient in what promises to be an intriguing contest.
North West
The strength of lower section banding in the North West is well documented, and the two representatives in champions Wardle and District Anderson Brass and Haslingden and Helmshore are as good as any that have made the trip across the Pennines in recent years.
Both will have their admirers, and with good form to back up their claims too, it could the year when the trophy heads back to the North West again.
4BR Prediction:
Could be very close this, but we think experience may well prove to be the telling extra ingredient on a test piece that should test the bands to their limits.
With that in mind we opt for a close run fight between Point of Ayr and Barton with the two North West bands of Haslingden & Helmshore and Wardle and District Anderson Brass close behind. Tylorstown are a band on the up too and should make it into the frame whilst Johnstone Silver and our dark horse of Alder Valley make up the numbers.
1. Point of Ayr
2. Barton Town
3. Haslingden and Helmshore
4. Wardle and District Anderson Brass
5. Tylorstwon
6. Johnstone Silver
Dark Horses: Alder Valley
4barsrest.com
23/09/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Lower Section National Finals: Second Section - Runners & Riders
16 of the best bands from around the UK - and all trying to claim the Second Section National title.
Haslingden and Helmshore
Region: North West
Conductor: David Holland
www.haslingdenband.co.uk
Qualified: 2nd place (North West) - 182 (D Holland)
Principal Players:
Principal Cornet: Craig McFarland
Euphonium: Geoff Hayes
Soprano: Andrea Moss
Solo Horn: Melanie McFarland
Trombone: Phil Shatliff
Flugel: Gwenneth McFarland
Baritone: Gillian Mastyla
Eb Bass: Martin Bradshaw
Bb Bass: Chris Faulkner
Percussion: Andrew McFarland
History:
The Haslingden & Helmshore Bands have been in existence since approximately 1870. Known as the Haslingden Boro Temperance Band and the Helmshore Public Prize Band, the two bands were rivals for 100 years and1972 merged to form the current band.
2008 has been an extremely successful year for the band with them competing in five contests and being placed in the first 3 at each one. They currently hold the titles of Second Section Champions at both the Butlins Mineworkers Championship and Buxton Contest.
In preparation for Harrogate the band organized an 8 mile sponsored walk of Haslingden & Helmshore, stopping at 15 locations around the two villages and performing at each one.
Conductor:
David Holland started his playing career with the Tintwistle Band. Aged 16 he joined the Lancashire Constabulary and the Band of the Lancashire Constabulary.
He subsequently left Tintwistle as the Police Band rose through the sections. By now David had moved onto Eb bass and was a member of the eight man Lancashire Constabulary Fanfare Trumpet Team. In 1990 he was appointed MD of Haslingden & Helmshore, then a non-contesting band.
Under David's direction they have enjoyed many successes, taking them to the National Finals in 1998 where they gained second place in the Fourth Section.
This year has been busy and eventful. Not only has the band won a trophy in each of the five contests that they have competed in, David celebrated his 60th birthday and directed the band in a contest performance for the 50th time!
Test piece opinions:
"A great choice by the selectors and a fabulous piece of music that has been a pleasure to work on.
All sections of the band are required to concentrate and work hard for the full duration of the piece especially when other sections of the band are playing the melodic lines and solos. A great Second Section test."
4barsrest.com
23/09/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Lower Section National Finals: Test piece review - My Strength, My Tower
Paul Hindmarsh looks more closely at Dean Goffin's masterful work and wonders if the added extra touches will make it even better? Second Section: Rhapsodic Variations 'My Strength, My Tower' by Dean Goffin
Sir Dean Goffin (1916 - 1984) was a remarkable Salvationist composer. A New Zealander, he came from a musical Salvationist family. His father was a composer of marches. Dean became a bandmaster at the tender age of 19. He was the first major Salvationist composer to benefit from a University education, graduating from the University of Otago in 1950.
He served in North Africa and the Middle East during the Second World War, forming the band of the 20th Infantry Battalion of the 4th Brigade. His celebrated Rhapsody in Brass was sketched in 1942 while he was on active war service in North Africa.
Shortly after graduating, he trained to become a full-time SA officer, serving first in his native land before being commissioned as National Bandmaster (1956-60) and then Secretary for Bands and Songsters (1960 - 66) in the British Territory. He then returned to New Zealand, where is served until his death.
Best music
His best music - those works where he revealed something of his own personality - reveal a love of counterpoint and classical forms. Not every work was successful. He found it problematic reconcile his love of contrapuntal development with the march form in Crusaders, but his understanding of formal logic paid dividends in his early meditation The Light of the World.
His masterwork is unquestionably the Rhapsodic Variations which he composed as a sequel to Rhapsody in Brass. This work was conceived as a test piece over 50 years ago, but remained in manuscript when Goffin was commissioned as an Officer in the SA. At that time, this precluded any future for the work in the wider musical arena, so to facilitate its eventual publication ( by the Salvation Army in January 1963), Goffin adapted the gentle, modal theme as an anthem, setting John Wesley's translation of a hymn by Johann Scheffler which begins, 'Thee will I love, my strength, my tower'.
Technical challenges
The considerable technical challenges faced by the players in mastering this music are embedded in an intricate web of strict counterpoint and free imitation. To lift the music off the page, players, guided by their ears and the conductor, need to be aware how their part fits into this fabric and how they should match in dynamic and phrasing.
Even in the apparently simple theme, one can hear a fine contrapuntal mind at work in the way that the central climax builds through imitative voicing - a technique which Goffin extends into the concluding paragraph and how in the concluding paragraph. Nothing should be overstated. The music should unfold naturally.
Five variations
The five variations that follow are not of the elaborative 'air varie' kind. Each has its own character, rather like Brahms' masterpiece the Variations on the St. Antony Chorale. The first variation is a graceful and elegant miniature. Tempo needs to be measured, but the imitative writing needs to be integrated and to flow.
It should be approached like chamber music. It leads directly into a fiery scherzo, which increases the tempo somewhat. But beware: if it goes too fast the clarity of the contrapuntal lines will be lost. This music is full of energy, power and drive, but the composer also asks for strength of attack, which should not be sacrificed to excessive speed in my view.
Central Lento
The central Lento could not provide a greater contrast. This movement is all about subtlety - a liquid, free-flowing rubato in the arabesques of the solo cornet and euphonium, supported by well-balanced, atmospheric and tuneful accompaniments from the muted instruments and the enhanced percussion.
The way the basses attack the forte-piano starts and the accents that follow will be crucial to the bell-like sound which Goffin seems to be creating. In his original manuscript the composer indicated that these attacks should be rather gentle.
Miracle
The Passacaglia that follows is a miracle of contrapuntal invention. Over the measured tread of the repeating bass line, Goffin weaves all manner of intricate lines. As the movement unfolds the 'ground bass' is turned up-side down, played at double speed against a half-speed version. The considerable energy that is unleashed grows out of the way Goffin weaves his web of musical lines.
It is a masterly moment which will require a great deal of thought and preparation to bring off . The work comes to a brilliant conclusion with a sparkling and very fast dance in a swift duple time. Clarity of articulation, smooth phrasing where required and a full dynamic range will be essential.
Deft touches
For the 2008 Nationals, Brian Bowen has added some deft touches of additional percussion, as well as constructing a repiano cornet part from the elements of the solo and second cornet lines. Bowen's addition of timpani is logical. The new glockenspiel parts appear tasteful and restrained.
The tubular bell notes in the rhapsodic lento seem to take greater liberties with Goffin's original, but should sound well. It will be interesting to hear whether the repeated tam-tam strikes add to or detract from the air of mystery that Goffin creates in this movement.
Will the single phrase given to the xylophone as the contrapuntal drama heats up in Variation 4 be worth the wait?
My Strength, My Tower is one of the finest works published by the Salvation Army. It will present a stern test of technique and musicianship to all the competing bands.
Paul Hindmarsh
4barsrest.com
23/09/08
You'll Never Walk Alone
On Sunday 31st August, members of Haslingden & Helmshore Band took part in a sponsored walk. The aim of the walk was to raise funds for the band in preparation of the National Championships of Great Britain to be held later this month in Harrogate. Once again, in keeping with H & H tradition it was an event with a twist, as the band walked almost 8 miles, stopping at varoius landmarks and pubs around the two villages and performing at each one. Not so much a sponsored walk, more of a concert "on the move"!
We gathered at our bandroom in Wells Street, Haslingden at around 10.30am. As our intention was a concert on the move, the MD was in his favourite grey pinstripe suit and band members were in band uniform, although some of the footwear wouldn't normally be permitted on regular band engagements! After starting the day with a performance of "Strike Up The Band", we loaded our support cars (5 in total) with the basses, refreshments, spare shoes, raincoats, and a full drumkit. The support cars were used all day to transport supporters (including 4 children under the age of three), collectors, music, large instruments, camera equipment and ensure that players didn't fatigue. We left the bandroom shortly before 11am - our MD, 23 players, 7 supporters, 4 children and 2 dogs in tow!!!
Our first stop (after quite a hike from the bandroom) was at The Halo, a panopticon that celebrates it's first birthday this weekend. Set on the highest point of Haslingden, it can be seen for miles around, especially at night when lit up with a turquoise glow. We were greated by two photographers: an independant to promote The Halo, the other, a representative of the Rossendale Free Press.
We moved on to Ski Rossendale, Whitaker Park and Tesco, before arriving at The Woolpack where we stopped for refreshments - alcohol, and more importantly, food kindly donated by the proprieters. This proved to be the ideal time to have a short break as the heavens opened on our arrival, but fortunately the rain stopped just as we were leaving. From there we walked to The Station, Helmshore Cenotaph, Sunnybank Social Club, Helmshore Textile Museum, Haslingden Sports Centre, The Clarence and Haslingden Cenotaph. At this point we had to say goodbye to a couple of players as we were an hour behind our original schedule. But we were now on the last leg of the Haslingden & Helmshore "marathon" and after a brisk walk up Grane Road to The Holden Arms, we headed to the band's local drinking establishment and the summit of our Everest, The Duke of Wellington. We performed 3 pieces of music, the finale being "You'll Never Walk Alone", a testiment to our 8 mile hike and 8 hour fundraiser.
A huge "Well Done" and thank you to members of the band who were so enthusiastic throughout the day. A special thank you to our supporters and collectors for their hard work, support and determination. Thanks to friends, familes and the people of Haslingden & Helmshore who either sponsored the band or donated money. And lastly, to the venues where we performed, without which none of this would have been possible.
LOCATION:
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MUSIC PERFORMED:
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The Bandroom
Wells Street, Haslingden
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Strike Up The Band
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The Halo
Haslingden Old Road, Haslingden
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March: Pennine Way
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Ski Rossendale
Haslingden Old Road, Haslingden
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Grandstand
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Whitaker Park
Haslingden Old Road, Haslingden
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Share My Yoke (Soloist: Alex Timms)
Londonderry Air
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Tesco
Haslingden Road, Haslingden
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March: Death or Glory
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The Woolpack
Manchester Road, Haslingden
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Concerto de Aranjuez (Soloist: Gwenneth McFarland)
The Shepherd's Song (Soloist: Craig McFarland)
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The Station
Helmshore Road, Helmshore
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Ticket to Ride
(Is this the way to) Amarillo
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Helmshore Cenotaph
Helmshore Road, Helmshore
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Nimrod
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Sunnybank Social Club
Helmshore Road, Helmshore
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YMCA
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Helmshore Textile Museum
Holcombe Road, Helmshore
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Moon River
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Haslingden Sports Centre
Helmshore Road, Haslingden
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Sports Report (Match of the Day)
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The Clarence
Helmshore Road, Haslingden
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The Way You Look Tonight (Soloists: Craig McFarland &
Gwenneth McFarland)
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Haslingden Cenotaph
Manchester Road, Haslingden
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Sunset (Soloists: Craig McFarland & Alex Timms)
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The Holden Arms
Grane Road, Helmshore
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Jerusalem
I Hear You Calling (Soloist: Gwenneth McFarland)
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The Duke of Wellington
Grane Road, Haslingden
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March: Wellington
World In Union
Finale: You'll Never Walk Alone
|
| |
|
| THE BAND |
|
|
Musical Director:
|
David Holland |
| Principal Cornet: |
Craig McFarland |
| Assistant Principal Cornet: |
Alex Timms |
| Soprano Cornet: |
Andrea Moss |
| Repiano Cornet: |
Catherine Halliday |
2nd Cornet:
|
Cat Bradshaw
Rob Hammond |
| 3rd Cornet: |
Josh Hughes |
| Flugel Horn: |
Gwenneth McFarland |
| Solo Horn: |
Melanie McFarland |
| 1st Horn: |
Sarah Taylor |
| 2nd Horn: |
Adam Wheeler |
| Solo Euphonium: |
Geoff Hayes |
| 1st Baritone: |
Gillian Mastyla |
2nd Baritone:
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Dicky Mint
Lewis Taylor |
| Solo Trombone: |
Phil Shatliff |
| 2nd Trombone: |
Kim Russell |
| Bass Trombone: |
Ian McFarland |
| Eb Bass: |
Martin Bradshaw |
Bb Bass:
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Chris Faulkner
Dave Price |
Percussion:
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Andrew McFarland
Andrea Holland |
| |
|
Supporters & Collectors:
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Karl Halliday
Jayne Wheeler
Sandra Taylor
Steven Taylor
Clifford Hughes
Dorothy McFarland
Pat Faulkner |
Supporters:
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Jenifer McFarland
Isabel McFarland
Ben Halliday
Jack Halliday
Jess & Charlie! |
Gwenneth McFarland
01/09/08
The "Reds" winning streak continues!
No, I'm not talking about Manchester United winning the Champions League!!! It appears that the Haslingden & Helmshore "Reds" success on the contest field is becoming somewhat of a chore. Last Friday, the band took part in the annual Whit Friday March Contests around Saddleworth and Tameside and once again came away with a few excellent results - and one rather surprising one!
We met at the bandroom at 3pm, and in keeping with H & H tradition stood in the middle of Wells Street and had a quick blow through our chosen contest march, "High Command". Unfortunately it wasn't as good as it should have been, but it was the first time that the entire band had all been there to rehearse together and it's good to get the bad one out of the way early! We then boarded our coach and headed for Tameside. After last year's disappointing and frustrating Whit Friday, where we managed to compete in only four contests all evening due to the number of bands that had descended on Saddleworth, we'd already decided to steer clear of the more popular villages.
So we returned to our usual route of Denton, Droylsden, Broadoak, Hurst Cross and Dukinfield. We were playing okay but the band never quite gelled and we knew we had to up our game, although we somehow managed to win the Deportment prize at Broadoak! This was a bit of a surprise for the band considering that one of our bass players tripped over a police cone - we think we were awarded extra points for the fact that he kept on playing and had an excellent recovery! It may also have helped that our drummer couldn't see our MD telling him to knock us off, and we ended up playing until we were practically on the podium!
At Carrbrook, we played our hearts out and came off stage with a bit of a buzz. It paid off as we won the Second Section and finished 8th overall out of 44 bands. Greenacres proved to be even better, and after another fine performance we once again won the Second Section and managed to come 5th overall out of 43 bands. It was now 9pm, and our drinking ban only had 30 minutes left to run. So after a brief discussion as to whether we continue heading for more contests with Second Section prizes, or head straight to Delph and it's fantastic atmosphere to try and play there, our minds were made up when the heavens opened. So we headed for Delph and booked on. Fortunately the gamble paid off as we put in our best performance of the evening, and although there was no prize for Second Section we actually won the prize for Best Non-Championship Section Band. More impressively, we also finished 7th overall out of 78, beating some top class bands in the process. So at 10.30pm, we finally had our first taste of alcohol and relaxed!
It was another successful date in the band's 2008 calendar, and the confidence within the band continues to grow ahead of our next contest - The National Championships of Great Britain in September.
Many thanks to our former flugel player and friend of the band, Phil Sharples, who stepped in at the eleventh hour on tutti cornet. And once again, well done band & MD!
Go the Reds!!!!!
Gwenneth McFarland
22/05/08
Help! We need a bigger trophy cabinet.....
A trip to Buxton Brass Band Festival on Sunday was well worth the effort as the band once again came away with 1st prize.
Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side and after a stressful journey in treacherous rain, a rather soggy band rehearsed in the Old Hall Hotel fifteen minutes later than originally planned. Once again, spirits were high after a week of excellent rehearsals and we knew that we had really got to grips with our own choice test piece. We chose to play the fabulous "Purcell Variants" by Peter Meechan, a piece that the band enjoy playing and one that really shows off the quality of all of our players and soloists.
Off a number 1 draw, we walked on stage confident and completely at ease with our surroundings. The last time the band played at Buxton Contest was in 1995. Although we came away with 3rd place in the Fourth Section after a nice performance of Drake Rimmer's "Othello", it was only our second ever contest with the newly rebuilt Haslingden & Helmshore Band. Only a handfull of us had ever contested before, with the rest of the band being inexperienced youngsters or old men dragged back from retirement. So as you can imagine, we were pretty nervous. How times have changed since then! I think it's fair to say that on Sunday the whole band played to the best of their ability and it was our finest performance to date.
Based on Purcell's Queen Mary's Funeral Music, the piece opens with the trombones playing the theme extremely quietly whilst the entire (muted) cornet section and timpanist throw in the odd quaver very loudly. Our trombones did us proud on the day, playing their opening feature so quietly it was almost eerie. This leads into a cornet cadenza that was executed so nicely by our Principal, and joined shortly afterwards by the Solo Horn. Both players were exceptional, as were the accompaniments and it was obvious within the first half of the first movement that the next ten minutes were going to be pretty awesome!
In the second, slower movement, it was once again a chance for some of our soloists to shine. Wonderful playing by our Solo Euphonium and Soprano Cornet was echoed by our 2nd Euphonium, Solo Trombone and Flugel when they each joined on duets.
By the third movement, we knew it was going well and we had nothing to lose. Our basses and percussion also proved that this was going to be the performance to beat, and all around the band you could feel that we were enjoying ourselves. Even the MD managed to smile throughout!
Once offstage, we still couldn't contain our excitement and pride, and we knew that we had played our best.
And fortunately for us, the adjudicator agreed. John Berryman's remarks were fantastic and so complimentary to everyone. Not only were we placed 1st, we also won a trophy for being the best NWABBA band. So once again, with our two cups, we headed for the bar to celebrate another win in 2008.
Many thanks to Anthony O'Mara & Jamie Wade who helped out on cornet and John Hamer who never lets us down when we need a 2nd Euphonium. And a massive welcome to our newest recruits, Alex Timms, who joins us on Assistant Principal Cornet and Andrea Moss who takes up the helm of Soprano Cornet.
Well done to everyone who played and made Sunday such a success, and as always to our wonderful Musical Director, well directed!
Gwenneth McFarland
07/05/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: Buxton Contest
Wins for Pemberton, Haslingden & Helmshore, Matlock and Uppermill at Buxton.
A very well attended Buxton Contest saw some fine playing in all of the sections on the weekend. The overall standard was good with both adjudicators congratulating all the bands for their efforts.
Meanwhile, the contest organisers were grateful to the High Peak Borough Council and all their staff at the Pavillion Gardens who helped make the day such a success.
Thanks also went to Shirley Woodward, the contest coordinator, and all her team who made sure the contest ran smoothly. Finally congratulations to all the prize winners and indeed all those who didn't get in the frame for all their hard work producing a most enjoyable days contesting.
In the Championship Section, the honours went to Pemberton Old Wigan JJB with a timely run out of Ellerby's 'Elgar Variation,' which took the top prize of £400 and the Brian Stead & Gordon Nelson Memorial Trophy.
In the Second Section the top prize went to the successful Haslingden & Helmshore, whilst in the Third it was Matlock that beat off their rivals to take the first prize. Upermill continued their recent good form by taking the Fourth Section victory laurels.
Second Section:
Adjudicator: John Berryman
1. Haslingden & Helmshore (David Holland) - 190pts
Purcell Variants - Meechan
2. Eccleston Brass (Ian Bateson) - 188pts
Tam O'Shanters Ride - Wright
3. Barton Town (Garry Oglesby) - 186pts
Resurgam - Ball
4. Hoover Bolton (Adam Cook) - 185pts
Journey into Freedom - Ball
The Alan Singleton Memorial Trophy and £100 for the highest place band in membership of NWABBA went to Haslingden & Helmshore Band.
4barsrest.com
05/05/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Buxton Contest
There looks to be a good turn out of bands for the weekend's Buxton Contest - so get along and enjoy the playing.
Twenty-nine bands are lined up to provide a feast of music at the Buxton Brass Band Festival next Sunday (4th May).
The day at the Pavilion Gardens will start at 9.45am. The adjudicators are John Berryman for Third, Second and Championship with Steve Pritchard-Jones judging the thirteen bands in the Fourth Section.
Competing bands are:
Second Section:
Barton Town (Garry Oglesby)
Eccleston Brass (Ian Bateson)
Haslingden & Helmshore (David Holland)
Hoover (Bolton) (Adam Cooke)
4barsrest.com
30/04/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
4BR Money List
With the Regional Championships finally over there is now a huge field of 167 bands in the 4BR Money List race...
With the last batch of the regional contest out of the way there hasn't been much movement at the top of the Money List, although with the Tameside Contest offering a nice pot of money to successful bands there has been some movement just below the top.
Haslingden & Helmshore is now up to an impressive 4th place with Oldham (Lees) making it into the top 10.
Next big money up for grabs is at the European Championships.
Current table:
1. Desford Colliery - £6,200 (Championship Section: Great Britain)
2. Eikanger Bjorsvik - £3,705 (Championship Section: Norway)
3. Wingates - £2,500 (Championship Section: Great Britain)
4. Haslingden & Helmshore - £2,275 (Second Section: Great Britain)
5. Tredegar - £2,200 (Championship Section: Great Britain)
4barsrest.com
02/04/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
National Finalists 2008
The list of qualifiers for the National Finals 2008 is now complete.
After four weekends of competition that has seen over five hundred bands compete across the UK, the full list of finalists who will compete at Harrogate in September is now known.
The list of qualifiers for the National Finals in Harrogate is as follows:
Second Section: Sunday 28th September
Alder Valley Brass
Barton Town
Bristol East and Kingsmead
Campbeltown Brass
City of Coventry Brass
Epsom & Ewell Silver
Harborough
Haslingden & Helmshore
Johnstone Silver
Murton Colliery
Point of Ayr Colliery
Shrewton Silver
Slaithwaite
Tylorstown Arriva Trains
Wardle & District Anderson Brass
YBS Concert Brass
4 barsrest.com
30/03/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: 2008 Tameside Open
With the clocks going forward one hour, event organisers wiped the sleep from their eyes as preparations began for the annual Tameside Open Brass Band Championships, now in its eleventh year.
Held at Tameside Hippodrome, Ashton-under-Lyne, the day certainly didn't disappoint. With total prize money of £5,200 up for grabs, twenty-three bands from around the country travelled to Tameside to compete in a four section own choice contest staged throughout the day.
Barry Thompson adjudicated the Fourth and Third Sections, and Kevin Wadsworth the Second and Championship Sections.
The standard of music, the atmosphere and professionalism of the bands kept the audience enthralled. The contest unfolded and it was success for Timperley, Point of Ayr Colliery, Oldham Band (Lees) and Darwen Brass.
Conductor Steve Hartley led Darwen Brass to victory in the Fourth Section. In the Third Section, Conductor John Collins with Oldham Band (Lees) was victorious, improving on their second place last year. In the Second Section, Conductor Peter Christian's Point of Ayr Colliery beat Wardle & District Anderson Brass by one point.
Finally, in the Championship Section, Timperley took the title for the second year running, whilst local bands Ashton-under-Lyne and Mossley finished in second and third place respectively as they did in 2007.
The contest ended with the presentations performed by the Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Mike Smith.
Tameside will once again be staging two further brass contest this year; the British Open Solo & Quartet Championships on Sunday 2nd November at Dukinfield Town Hall and the Tameside Youth Brass Festival on Sunday 23rd November, again at Dukinfield Town Hall.
Second Section:
Test Piece: Own Choice
Adjudicator: Kevin Wadsworth
1. Point of Ayr (Peter Christian) 180
Purcell Variations (Kenneth Downie)
2. Wardle and District Anderson Brass (Sean Conway) 179
Three Part Invention (Kenneth Downie)
3. Haslingden & Helmshore (David Holland) 176
Purcell Variants (Peter Meechan)
4. Dodworth Colliery MW (Eliot Darwin) 175
Oceans (Goff Richards)
5. Tyldesley (Brian Taylor) 174
James Cook - Circumnavigator (Gilbert Vinter)
6. Trinity Girls (Stuart Barton) 173
Three Part Invention (Kenneth Downie)
4barsrest.com
30/03/08
Congratulations again, Grandad!
Congratulations to our Band Secretary and Bb Bass player Chris Faulkner, who became a grandfather for the second time on Sunday.
It must have been an eventful weekend for the Faulkner family as, although it was a bank holiday, the band still decided to have a rehearsal on Sunday morning. And Chris' wife Pat is heavily involved in our local church, St Peter's, Haslingden, so of all the times for their daughter to go into labour, I'm sure that Easter Sunday must have been the worst one possible! Chris unfortunately missed our rehearsal on Sunday due to the events of the previous few hours. As always, situations involving members of our band never quite go according to plan!
His daughter went into labour in the early hours of Sunday morning, and although she and her husband had planned a home delivery for the birth of their second child, somebody up there decided to have a joke at their expense and chose Easter weekend as the best time to opt for the annual Haslingden & Helmshore downfall of snow. For those people not familiar with Haslingden or where it is, it's actually one of the highest points in England (usually 3 degrees colder than anywhere else in the country!) and when the snow arrives, we grind to a halt.
Firstly, the midwife couldn't get anywhere near the house because the roads were completely covered, so Amy & Andy decided to make their own way to the hospital, but unfortunately their car wouldn't go anywhere either. They then decided to call an ambulance, but the ambulance couldn't get anywhere near the house, so the police and mountain rescue team were called. I believe that Mr Secretary spent most of Sunday morning digging vehicles out of snow and collecting and spreading grit on the streets of Haslingden!
Eventually, Amy gave birth to a second baby girl at 8.30pm on Sunday evening. The band wish to say a huge "Congratulations" to the proud grandparents, Chris & Pat, and also to their daughter and son-in-law, Amy & Andy, on the new (and as yet un-named) addition to the ever-expanding Faulkner Clan.
Gwenneth McFarland
25/03/08
2008 4BR Money List
Haslingden & Helmshore Band are currently 7th in the world! (unfortunately, only where prize money is concerned!). In the latest 4barsrest.com "Money List" (updated 22/03/08), our band has been listed as the sixth most successful prize money winning band of 2008, although they've made a mistake with their maths and we're actually seventh. The 4BR Money List is compiled on a regular basis throughout the year by totalling up the prize money won at contests, and although we're only 7th in the listing, we're actually the only brass band worldwide that has so far won something at three contests. The band are elated with the results that have been achieved in 2008 and are hoping to maintain our current winning streak and strengthen the band furthermore before representing the North West at the National Championships of Great Britain in September.
1. Desford Colliery - £6,200 (Championship Section: Great Britain)
2. Eikanger Bjorsvik - £3,705 (Championship Section: Norway)
3. Wingates - £2,500 (Championship Section: Great Britain)
4. Tredegar - £2,200 (Championship Section: Great Britain)
5. Polysteel - £2,075 (Championship Section: Great Britain)
6. Oslo Brass Band - £1,945 (First Section: Norway)
7. Haslingden & Helmshore - £1,875 (Second Section: Great Britain)
Gwenneth McFarland
22/03/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Tameside Open 2008
Organisers release full details of forthcoming contest
Date: Sunday 30 March 2008
Venue: Tameside Hippodrome, Ashton-under-Lyne
SECOND SECTION
Test Piece: Own Choice
FIRST PRIZE and £600
SECOND PRIZE and £400
THIRD PRIZE and £300
Adjudicator: Kevin Wadsworth
Draw: 1.00pm prompt
Start: 2.00pm approximately
1. Dodworth Colliery MW Brass (Eliot J Darwin)
2. Greenall's (Howard Bousfield)
3. Haslingden & Helmshore (Nick Shepherd)
4. Point of Ayr Colliery (Peter Christian)
5. Trinity Girls (Stuart Barton)
6. Tyldesley (Rob Taylor)
4barsrest.com
15/03/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 North West Regional Championship
Retrospective: Second Section
An enjoyable contest and a fine winner here as the bands just about got to grips with Downie's very tricky test piece.
Wardle & District Anderson Brass took the Second Section title with a performance that was a real cut above the other eleven contenders on Sunday.
Haslingden & Helmshore claimed the other final place in a contest where the standard overall was good, but where adjudicator John Maines could have had no problem in sorting out the best from the rest.
Halfway Point
As we reached halfway we were sill waiting for a performance that would raise the bar, and Haslingden & Helmshore certainly did that with a performance that was consistently well delivered through the three movements.
The music always had space to breathe and apart from some poor intonation in the 'Romance' the playing was well controlled and they got the all important basics right. 2nd place and a trip to Harrogate for the finals was well deserved and they should be more than confident of being able to do very well there come September.
Enjoyable
This had been a most enjoyable contest with most bands getting the technique right but many falling down on the musicality of a piece that has taken its fair share of casualties around the country over the past two weeks.
No such problems for the winners though who gave a performance that was a cut above their rivals and perhaps above the Second Section. Both qualifiers will be strong contenders come the finals we are sure.
David Tinker
4barsrest.com
14/03/08
Harrogate, here we come!
Cat & Martin Bradshaw proudly showing off the Second Section Runners-up trophy
Most people would probably say that a trip to the seaside in March is a bad idea, but try telling this to over 2000 bandsmen! When it's the North West Regional Contest, the most important contest of the year for many bands, nothing will keep them away.
We met at our bandroom at 7.30am, waiting for the coach to take us to Blackpool. The rehearsal was good, and once again, the band was hopeful of a decent result. Shortly after the 9.30am draw came the news that we had been drawn 6th out of 12 bands. We had just over an hour to relax before heading for the Winter Gardens.
Unfortunately our performance didn't go quite as we had hoped. The first movement was quite shaky and it was obvious that for some of us the nerves had kicked in. The 2nd movement was very musical and things seemed to be improving, apart from a couple of tuning issues and a wobbly last note (sorry about that!). Although we were prepared as a band, after extra rehearsals, sectionals and the help of a guest conductor, it just wasn't to be on the day. It was obvious coming off stage that most of us were disappointed with how we'd played, and I've never actually seen steam coming from our MD's ears whilst we've been playing!
After a couple of hours in the bar, most of the band went to listen to the Second Section results. A few of us (including the by now suicidal MD!) opted for staying in the bar. The suspense was agonising as 6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd places were announced and we (thankfully) hadn't had a mention. When 2nd place was announced with an invitation to play in the National Finals later this year, Haslingden & Helmshore Band's name was once again in the magical Top 6 (9 times in 11 years). Kath was the first one back to the bar to break the news that we had been placed 2nd and had qualified, proving that she can actually run faster than her llama! When asked who'd won, she replied "I don't know and I don't care!".
After collecting the trophy, our Band Secretary Chris Faulkner returned to the bar and read out the adjudicators remarks. They were very fair, pointing out that a few clips had let us down, but he did seem to enjoy our performance. So once again, celebrating by drinking copius amounts of alcohol was to be the order of the day! Unfortunately, we missed out on gaining promotion straight back into the First Section by only half a point.
Congratulations to Wardle & District Anderson Brass who were the winners of our section, and also Blackburn & Darwen Band who came second in the First Section. We'll see you all at Harrogate.
Thanks to Eccleston Brass who lent us their triangle beater after our rather clumsy percussion section, Bing, Bang & Bong, forgot to take their stick bag - therefore they were awarded the "Wooden Spoon" Award of the day!
Many thanks to Paul Andrews (MD of Wire Brass) who conducted us at a couple of rehearsals before the contest. And to our MD, a huge well done for all of your hard work and determination in the run up to this contest. Once again you managed to escape your ride on the Big One, but we'll get you next year!!!
And not forgetting our two new members, Yvonne Owen and Bernard Kellow whose first contest it was with the band. Well done everyone! The fun(draising) starts here!!!
Gwenneth McFarland
10/03/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: Regionals 2008 - North West
Results from the 2008 North West Regional Championships from the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
Second Section:
Venue: Empress Ballroom
Adjudicator: John Maines
Test Piece: Three Part Invention - Kenneth Downie
1. Wardle and District Anderson Brass (S Conway), 9, 184
2. Haslingden and Helmshore (D Holland), 6, 182
3. Manx Concert Brass (I Clague), 8, 181
4. Eccleston Brass (I Bateson), 7, 180
5. Rainford (N Samuel), 10, 179
6. Old Hall Brass (T Halliwell), 1, 178
7. Delph (P Goodwin), 5, 177
8. United Co-op 2000 Brass (J Meredith), 11, 176
9. Middleton (M Stringer), 4, 175
10. Trinity Girls (S Barton), 12, 174
11. Stalybridge Old (J Lewis), 2, 173
12. Hoover (Bolton) (A Cooke), 3, 172
Top 2 bands qualify
4barsrest.com
09/03/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 North West Regional Championship
Second Section: Runners & Riders
Which of the bands here will be able to invent something spectacular to catch the ear of John Maines and planning their arrangements for Harrogate?
Date: Sunday 9th March
Venue: Empress Ballroom, Winter Gardens
Adjudicator: John Maines
Test Piece: Three Part Invention - Kenneth Downie
Commences: 10.30am
Haslingden and Helmshore
Conductor: David Holland
Last 12 Years:
2007: 10th in First Section (D Holland) (rel)
2006: 5th in First Section (D Holland)
2005: 12th in First Section (D Holland)
2004: 3rd in Second Section (D Holland) (prom)
2003: 5th in Second Section (D Holland)
2002: 3rd in Second Section (D Holland)
2001: 5th in Third Section (D Holland) (prom)
2000: 3rd in Third Section (D Holland)
1999: 6th in Fourth Section (D Holland) (prom)
1998: 2nd in Fourth Section (D Holland)
1997: 9th in Fourth Section (D Holland)
!996: DNC
One of the pre match favourites? The band has had a wonderful start to the 2008 season with a fine win at Butlins and 3rd place at Preston. Confidence must be sky high after they ended 2007 with 11th place at Pontins in the First Section.
As we have said so many times before, relegation is not at times a terrible thing to happen to a band, and Haslingden and David Holland have certainly shown that. At this level and on this type of form they could well be the band everyone has to beat.
4BR Prediction:
This has the look of being a very close run thing. Who will come out on top come the announcement of the results - only John Maines will have the definitive answer to that, but we think it could well be a battle between the likes of Haslingden & Helmshore, Rainford, Wardle, Old Hall, United Co-op and Trinity Girls.
Our not so dark horses are Middleton, who could just as any, go and take the title by the scruff of the neck.
1. Haslingden & Helmshore
2. Rainford
3. Old Hall
4. Wardle and District
5. United co-op
6. Trinity Girls
Dark Horses: Middleton
4barsrest.com
03/03/08
Another contest, another trophy!
The band competed in the Second Section at "Brass at the Guild" yesterday and came away with another trophy - two in 15 days!
Only two weeks after becoming the Butlins Mineworkers Second Section Champion Band of 2008, Haslingden & Helmshore Band were awarded third place out of 8 bands. Some might say that performing the "Butlins" piece again would have been the logical thing to do, but we enjoy a challenge and instead opted to play the Area testpiece "Three Part Invention", after less than two weeks of rehearsals.
We only had three objectives yesterday - to see how fast we could work up a testpiece to contest standard, to find out where we can improve on it before the Area contest next month and to be placed in the top 3.
The band wishes to say a huge thank you to Arlene Cunliffe (Principal Cornet, Darwen Brass) who helped us out at such short notice. Arlene used to be 2nd man down with our band before taking a "sabatical" from playing to have a family. We wish both Arlene and Darwen Brass the best of luck in Blackpool when they will be competing for the first time at the Area contest.
Thanks also to our original "Mr Dependable" John Hamer, and to our other "Mr Dependable" Michael Kitson, who travels such a long way to attend our rehearsals and still manages to smile throughout them - Kitto, how do you do it?
A special mention must go to our 3rd percussionist Rob Hammond, who was not only wearing the flashiest waistcoat of the day, but also had the best comments on the adjudicator's remarks for his magnificent glock and xylophone playing!
And once again, well done MD.
Congratulations to Blackburn & Darwen Band who came 5th out of sixteen bands in the Championship Section (with a couple of our players helping out!), and also to our friends at Farnworth & Walkden who won the Fourth Section.
Gwenneth McFarland
04/02/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Results: 2008 Brass at the Guild
Second Section:
Date: Sunday, February 3rd
Venue: Main Hall, The Guildhall, Preston
Adjudicator: Michael Hughes
1st Prize - Brass at the Guild Trophy + £700
2nd Prize - Brass at the Guild Trophy + £400
3rd Prize - Brass at the Guild Trophy + £300
Results
1. Rainford (N Samuel) 184
Chorale (Ray Steadman-Allen)
2. Old Hall Brass (T Halliwell) 182
Essays (Edward Gregson)
3. Haslingden & Helmshore (D Holland) 180
Three Part Invention (Kenneth Downie)
4. Valley Brass (D Chadwick) 179
Resurgam (Eric Ball)
5. Pemberton Old Wigan JJB 'B' Band (P Ashley) 178
Symphony For Brass (Victor Ewald)
6. Pilling Jubilee (B Porter) 176
Rhapsody In Brass (Dean Goffin)
7. Eagley (G Westwood) 174
Purcell Variations (Kenneth Downie)
8. Greenalls (H Bousfield) 173
Chorale (Ray Steadman-Allen)
Withdrawn
Flixton
Holywell
Stalybridge
Best Soloist Trophy: Valley Brass (Euphonium)
4barsrest.com
03/02/08
New Year, New Objectives, New Goals!
The New Year has brought some luck to the band, becoming the Second Section Champions at Butlins Mineworkers Contest in Skegness for 2008. It's given the band a reason to celebrate again, and a reason to continue our ongoing efforts to be more than "just a village band".
Haslingden & Helmshore Band will be competing in the Second Secion at "Brass at the Guild" this Sunday (3rd February), and hoping for a decent result. It's a difficult contest with some excellent bands competing against us, and, given that we've had less than a fortnight to rehearse our chosen testpiece (as the Butlins testpiece was all that we could think about for a couple of months!), we are hopeful of a few possitive remarks to help us along the way.
The band website is currently under reconstruction. We're hoping to complete a "facelift" of our website very soon. Mr Forum/Computer Geek has been working hard updating our photo albums. He's done an excellent job and we hope that guests will take a look at our photo gallery to see what the band has been up to recently. If anyone has any photos of the band, please e-mail them to craig@rtec.co.uk so that we can add them to our website. We welcome any photographs, no matter what they are, when they were taken or what state they are in.
And we currently have a couple of vacancies for cornet players of a good standard. Anyone wishing to apply for an audition should contact Craig McFarland on 07979 368598.
Gwenneth McFarland
02/02/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Butlins Mineworkers Championships
Retrospective: Second Section
It was a battle between the Red and White Rose for the top honours in the Second Section where Haslingden & Helmshore eventually took the honours is fine style.
Butlins Champions 2008: Chris Faulkner receives the Mineworkers trophy from Steve Walker
Picture: John Stirzaker
On coming to this contest 4BR was immediately drawn towards the test piece choice, 'An Alberta Suite' by Derek Broadbent, who had produced an enjoyable concert work that was also readily accessible as asset work test.
The piece proved to be an entertaining mixture of styles, melodies, stiff but not overtly treacherous technical challenges, with plenty of music for the bands and their MDs to get to grips with. The euphonium and principal cornet players both had critical solo lines but there were testing features across all areas of the band including technically challenging underscored and accompanying parts for flugel and horn (to name but two).
On paper
On paper the contest looked an appetizing prospect with fourteen well matched bands in competition for the £1,500 first prize. And so it proved.
Butlins 'Lakeside' venue is a fairly wide prefabricated structure comprising a low ceiling, dry acoustic and an adjudicator's enclosure within immediate earshot, approximately twelve rows back from the band. There was in fact nowhere to hide, as every single note and nuance could be scrutinized (and was we are sure) by Geoffrey Whitham and Kevin Wadsworth..
Impressive
Haslingden and Helmshore under the baton of David Holland took the honours and the Butlins Trophy from ninth in the draw.
They set a steady tempo at the outset and delivered an opening fanfare with just the right style and presence, whilst the slower lullaby was nicely controlled and flowed quite beautifully to the close. A few crackles in the euphonium solo line didn't really detract, but then no band came away totally flawless at this competition. The final toccata with its rapid semi-quaver figures was well balanced and throughout the piece the horn section gave a really good account of themselves. It was an impressive winning performance.
4barsrest.com
23/01/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Haslingden sing and dance to victory
Line dancing celebrations for Haslingden & Helmshore after their win in the Butlins Second Section at Skegness.
"In fact we were singing the piece before we went on stage and even did a little bit of sneaky line dancing to get in the right frame of mind!" - Chris Faulkner
With the announcement of the results complete and the fun and games of celebrating a win in the Second Section just about to start, Haslingden & Helmshore Band Secretary Chris Faulkner revealed to 4BR the secret to the bands success - a bit of pre match singing and dancing!
Commanding margin
His band had just taken the Butlins Mineworkers Second Section title and the £1,500 top prize with a performance of Derek Broadbent's "An Alberta Suite" that gave them a commanding three point margin over second placed Dodworth Miners Welfare with Middleton Band a point further back in third.
Sneaky line dancing
Asked by 4BR if the band had enjoyed the descriptive test piece, Chris answered with a bit of a twinkle in his eye - "Certainly. We all enjoyed it, especially the last movement. In fact we were singing the piece before we went on stage and even a few of the band did a little bit of sneaky line dancing to get in the right frame of mind!"
Unorthodox approach
That slightly unorthodox approach certainly paid dividends and under MD David Holland the band produced a high class account of themselves to take the first prize and boost their confidence ahead of the regional championships in a few weeks time.
"It's a great start to 2008," Chris said. The band has worked so hard in the past few weeks under David. Now we hope we can take that form into the Regional contest."
4barsrest.com
21/01/08
"Dark Horses" win at a canter!
The New Year has brought some good fortune for the band, with a highly successful weekend at the Butlins Mineworkers Open Brass Band Festival.
After a three hour journey in treacherous weather to Skegness, most of the band were in high spirits on Friday evening in the bar and hopeful of a good result in the Second Section the following day.
Even an early start to the day couldn't dampen our enthusiasm, and confidence was high after an excellent rehearsal. A draw of 9th place out of 14 meant a couple of hours to chill out before unleashing our performance on an unsuspecting audience. Just before registration, the band chose to warm up individually as opposed to blow through the testpiece together, our motto being "if we can't play it by now, then we never will!".
Line dancing was de rigueur for many band members backstage as the band drawn before us performed the 3rd and final movement entitled "A Country Line". Some of us were gutted that we'd kept to our usual red jackets, instead of opting for checked shirts, jeans & stetsons!
A good performance was all we could achieve on the contest stage (unfortunately we'd left our excellent one in the rehearsal room at 7.45am!). But positive comments from many people (both friends and complete strangers) kept us hopeful and, just for a change, we headed for the bar. And ten-pin bowling is always a must for our band, with 42 of us enjoying lobbing bowls both at the pins and, on a couple of occasions, each other.
The results were announced at 8pm. A very hopeful band sat together, feeling both confident and a little nervous. And a couple were also feeling a little tipsy! 4th place was announced, but we didn't care about that as we'd aimed all along for top three. 3rd place was awarded to Middleton, and our band were thrilled for them as two of our members had helped them out on their performance, a favour returned by borrowing three of theirs. 2nd place was announced, and by now we knew we were either good or had blown it completely. As 1st place was announced, a very elated band rocked the bar - you'd have thought we'd just won the lottery! The organisers were very good and let us celebrate our win with around 11 minutes of non-stop cheers and screams. We'd done it - Haslingden & Helmshore were finally back in the prizes!
An evening of endless drinking, hugging and merriment was to follow. The Adjudicators' remarks were very complimentary and we were thrilled that we'd actually won by three clear points. The only complaint from the band was that the lid didn't come off our cup, so no drinking was to be had from the Holy Grail! Once again, the band enjoyed a fantastic weekend at Butlins.
Thank you to our fantastic deps, Tony, Bob & Sylvia from Middleton Band who bailed us out on the day. And thanks also to Dee Russell who unfortunately is leaving us. The band wishes her all the best and would like to say a huge thank you to her for her time with the band. And, as always, a special thank you to our "Mr Dependable" John Hamer, who, although officially "retired" from banding, is always willing and able.
And finally, a massive thank you and well done to our wonderful MD, who's hard work, determination, enthusiasm, insults and tantrums have finally paid off!!!
Gwenneth McFarland
21/01/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
Butlins Mineworkers Open Brass Band Festival
Second Section:
Date: Saturday, January 19th
Venue: Lakeside, Butlins Skyline Resort
Adjudicators: Geoffrey Whitham & Kevin Wadsworth
Start Time: 10.00am
Test Piece: An Alberta Suite (Derek Broadbent)
Results:
1. Haslingden & Helmshore (David Holland) 185
2. Dodworth MW (Elliott Darwin) 182
3. Middleton (Matthew Stringer) 181
4. Frickley South Elmsall (Dave Nichols) 180
5. Kippax Band (Keith Wardle) 179
6. Johnstone Silver (Raymond Tennant) 177
7. YBS Concert Brass (Ian Craddock) 175
8. Delph (Phil Goodwin) 173
9. Yiewsley & West Drayton (Christopher Cole) 172
10. East London Brass (Jayne Murrill) 171
11. City of Coventry (Stephen Cooper) 170
12. Leicestershire Co-op SMW (Graham Jacklin) 169
13. Long Eaton Silver (Sharon Stansfield) 168
14. Betteshanger Welfare (Tim Vinall) 167
Highest placed mining band: Dodworth MW
4barsrest.com
19/01/08
Report from 4barsrest.com:
2008 Butlins Mineworkers Championships
Second Section
We cast our beady little eyes over what should be a keenly contested contest as 15 bands get to grips with the wilds of Alberta posed by Derek Broadbent's test piece.
Date: Saturday January 19th
Venue: Lakeside, Butlins Skyline Resort
Adjudicators: Geoffrey Whitham & Kevin Wadsworth
Draw Time: 8.45am
Start Time: 10.00am
Test Piece: An Alberta Suite - Derek Broadbent
Prizes
First Prize: £1,500 + The Joe Levick Association Challenge Cup & Champions
Second Prize: £900
Third Prize: £650
Fourth Prize: £450
The British Coal Corporation Challenge Trophy for the Highest Placed Mining Band
Another well chosen set workwill test 14 pretty evenly mathed bands in the Second Section.
Derek Broadbent is of course better known as one of the movements leading conductors and adjudicators, but he is also a talented composer for the medium too if this piece is anything to go by. Written very much as a celebratory work it should prove to be popular with players and audience alike in Skegness on the weekend - the last movement could be played in the disco in the evening to accompany some country and western line dancing.
Not too much to fear
The bands won't have too much to fear from the piece itself - each of its three movements is full of fairly transparent writing with clear rhythmic writing and well defined melodic lines. It cries out for a band that can play the basics and play them well, and there is a whole host of them here who can do just that. Kevin Wadsworth and Geoffrey Whittam should have an enjoyable time in the box picking out the prize winners.
Of the bands on parade, Delph and Kippax could well be the bands to beat once more. Both are strongly led and have plenty of talented players in the ranks, whilst they could be pushed all the way by the likes of Dodworth MW who seem to be on an inexorable rise up the sections and Johnstone Silver from Scotland led by the vastly experienced Ray Tennant.
Others to look out for are Frickley South Elmsall who have a fine record of achievement here and YBS Concert, with our dark horses being Haslingden & Helmshore.
4BR Prediction:
1. Kippax
2. Delph
3. Dodworth MW
4. Johnstone Silver
5. Frickley South Elmsall
6. YBS Concert
Dark Horse: Haslingden & Helmshore
Haslingden & Helmshore
Conductor: David Holland
Principal Players:
Principal Cornet: Craig McFarland
Euphonium: Geoff Hayes
Soprano: Brian Topping
Trombone: Phil Shatliff
Solo Horn: Melanie McFarland
Flugel: Gwenneth McFarland
Solo Baritone: Gillian Mastyla
Eb Bass: Martin Bradshaw
Butlins Record:
2007: 8th (First Section)
2006: 7th (First Section)
2005: 13th (First Section)
Haslingden & Helmshore will be making their debut in the Second Section contest here this year after losing their national grading in the First Section after coming 10th at Blackpool.
That was a touch unlucky, but sometimes a relegation can be good for a band and if they can show the form here that they did throughout the rest of the 2007 contesting year then perhaps they could well have an early season celebration on their hands.
4barsrest.com
15/01/08
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