Butlins National Mineworkers Open Brass Band Festival - 17/18 January 2009

Held at the Butlins complex just outside the Lincolnshire coastal town of Skegness, this was the first time that the Band had entered the Butlins National Mineworkers Open Brass Band Festival. This festival features a set test piece contest for 4th to 1st section bands, an entertainment contest for youth bands, and a set test piece plus entertainment competition for championship section bands. As well as the competitive side of the festival, there is much brass based entertainment throughout the weekend, including concerts by several of the countries top bands (Grimethorpe, Desford Colliery, and Fodens), several master-classes, and the Grimstein Oompah Band, which this year featured one of the Band's former conductors Jim Davies.

Arriving at Skegness on the Friday evening, the Band spent most of the evening in rehearsal, putting the final touches to the set test piece, which on this occasion was Peter Graham's Harrison's Dream. The Band had engaged the Australian conductor Jason Katsikaris to direct the performance, and he had worked the Band hard from the beginning of December. After a reasonably early night, there was an early start for the Band on Saturday morning for another rehearsal before our contest performance. Not too early for breakfast though, and what a variety of breakfasts there were. From muesli, to porridge, to a full cooked English for the really hungry crew (Stephen, Dean, Jonathan, Alistair, and Mark), who can fully recommend the Ł5 special. This rehearsal was held at the Alford Silver Band bandroom. We would like to thank them for the use of this facility, which helped with our final touches. Back to Butlins, and contest time. The adjudicators remarks follow, but after we had played we didn't find out how we had done, as the contest is decided on the aggregate results from both the set test piece and entertainment performances.

Set Test Piece Contest - Adjudicators Remarks

Test Piece - Harrison's Dream

Philip Sparke

Impressive start but with a few too many accents for me. A has real drive a purpose. C Eb Bass plays well but a little lifeless for me. Better into D which goes very well. E + F + G extremely taut & effective. H a little untidy in comparison. Transition to J works really well and the waltz is played with style. N spooky & very well controlled, (until just before O), but O has real pathos and stature, some ensemble issues into P but P itself is great. R mostly okay but a little loud from some entries. The pause before U works very well. Very tense. Cornets not quite so secure this time. W Ticking clock very insistent - just right. Build into AA very well handled. CC diminuendo very nicely organised. Cornets are effective if not totally balanced. Good ending.

This was a pretty impressive performance. Apart from one or two personal "moments" you were technically very much on top of it and this allowed your MD room to manoeuvre musically. Very good!!

Thanks

Alan Morrison

Well organised in dynamic and percussion. It has drive and rhythm. Some horn tuning in unison, but a good start. Heard soloists with just odd slips. EEb Bass a little untuneful. Troms not entirely tuned but it has drive. Rhythm not exact at G1 and cornets weak and untidy at H. Not always clean and precise but it hangs together well and soloists were safe.

N Tuning a little edgy but mostly well phrased. Solo lines could have more expression and don't always link, but are generally safe. Some tuning problems into P. Brave euph if a little edgy in intonation. R is calm but lines could match motif more in dynamic and style. Still some tuning concerns in unisons and octaves. Horns very sharp.

Effective percussion and again rhythmic drive is apparent. V basses don't have clarity. The build was successful but lost steam and pace at the crucial moment before AA. This then lost balance in diminuendo. BB was calm with excellent work from soprano. CC not quite balanced and ethereal in texture. Too many entries heard in unison but a well paced crescendo. A good close.

Musically directed with much of the character and drive apparent and some very confident soloists.

So after a light snack, it was back to Alford to work on the second part of our weekend. After rehearsing the music, we then ran through the choreography of the performance. This proved to be a real team effort. Andy Kennedy provided the images to accompany the Hymn For Africa. John Belton worked out the various standing/sitting positions for the whole of the performance, as well as how me moved effortlessly (yes, really) from position to position. The programme notes for compere Frank Renton to use were prepared by Mark Unsworth, and Jason with a few 'feline' references kept everything in order. We finished this rehearsal in time to enjoy some of the other entertainment happening around the Butlins site. After another healthy breakfast, it was time for another rehearsal before moving up to the contest area to complete our performing for the weekend.

For this aspect of the contest we wore all black with a 'splash' of red, starting the entertainment with American Fanfare. For this piece the cornets circled the Band at the rear, with the trombones seated in the cornet front row seats. Returning to our normal set up, we performed the circus style march Jubilee. From this we moved into a 'big band formation' to accompany the Band's Principal Cornettist Neil Day, as he played the Harry James Concerto For Trumpet. Moving from solo to trio, the trombone section of the Band (Mark Unsworth, Jez Kearney, and Alistair Shipman) kept the big band style going with Its Not Unusual. In a complete contrast, with a photographic accompaniment and dimmed lights, Kathy Newiss stepped out of the Band to play the moving Flugel Horn feature Hymn For Africa. Finally, the Band reverted to its normal line up for the Finale from Glorifico Aeternum.

Entertainment Contest - Adjudicators Remarks

Philip Harper and Philip Sparke

American Fanfare

Impactful start and a good band sound in evidence - lots of detail to admire, a good start!

Just right this! Full of life and excitement but controlled too. Terrific start.

Jubilee

Lots of dramatic interest in dynamics which I like, in fact this is presented just like it should be. Most effective!

Exemplary performance - you got this just right!

(NOT SURE ABOUT THE PERCUSSIONISTS COSTUMES)

Concerto For Trumpet

Noticed the first inaccurate entry from the band I'm afraid, soloist is very confident but not entirely accurate either! However some great jazz scoops and bends. Some inner-weakness is noted on accompaniments (some out of balance, mainly out of tune....) Anyway, strong end!

Not quite. Band and soloist not always tightly together - this just lost a bit of tension here & there, I'm sure you have done it better!!

It's Not Unusual

Well done trombones - strong down the section! An effective and fun number.

This comes off well. Balance between trombones and band is not always ideal, but we got the idea.

Hymn For Africa

Lighting, images, stage layout all combine with some good controlled playing to make this one of your best pieces - well done everyone.

Very nicely done this. A moving performance from all.

Glorifico Aeternum

Overall this comes across very well - you could have given a bit more definition in a couple of places but not much to criticise!

Great again. Well paced finale.

Generally, well-polished and very well-presented. Splaying the sides of the band out works extremely well for sound and visuals. Thanks a lot.

This was a really well-put together programme. Played with the best of traditional brass band values but keeping the attention throughout. I like it!

After clearing the stage it was time for a few well earned beers.

Sarah and Andy and Sarah.

A new record for the number of people in the picture, with no-one actually looking at the camera. Margaret, David, Kirsty, Kathy, Neil, John, and Gareth.

Isn't black supposed to be slimming?

Is that Simon with a handbag?

Gareth, Kevin, Jason, and Tony.

Is it a bird, a plane, or a ........

Nice picture Kevin. For once!

A carefully posed picture.

Karl Kirk.

Only Karl would pose under that sign.

Is it Kathryn, or Katherine, or Katrina, or Kathleen?

No, it's Kathy!!

Jason, Thomas, and Mrs Childs.

Once all of the performances had been completed there was a short break for the results to be collated, before the official result ceremony.

The results are worked on the placing from the set test piece added to the placing from the entertainment contest. In the event of a tie, the overall placing will be decided by the placing from the set test piece position, which is why the Band finished in 5th place, even though we had the same points as the band that finished 4th.

1. Redbridge Brass (Jeremy Wise) 2nd + 2nd = 4pts
2. Hepworth (Cookson Homes) (Ian Porterhouse) 1st + 4th = 5pts
3. Desford Colliery (Russell Gray) 5th + 1st = 6pts
4. The Virtuosi GUS Band (John Berryman) 3rd + 6th = 9pts
5. East Yorkshire Motor Services (Jason Katsikaris) 4th +5th = 9pts
6. Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Allan Ramsay) 6th +7th = 13pts
7. Wingates (Andrew Duncan) 7th + 3rd = 10pts*
8. SWT Woodfalls (Dr Nicholas Childs) 9th + 8th = 17pts
9. Yorkshire Imperial Urquart Travel (David Evans) 8th + 12th = 20pts
10. United Co-op Milnrow (John Ward) 12th + 9th = 21pts
11. Skelmanthorpe (John Roberts) 10th + 10th = 20pts*
12. Thoresby Colliery (Martin Heartfield) 11th + 11th = 22 pts

The bands marked *, both went over the allotted time in the entertainment contest and so were deducted one place in the final results.

Although disappointed because 4th place carried a prize of Ł1000:00, the Band were happy with their overall performances, and learnt a lot from the experience of the weekend which will stand the Band in good stead for future performances.

Time to scrutinise the judges remarks.

Serious bunch aren't they?

Are they really that bad.

Obviously not. It must have just been the strain of trying to focus!

What do they mean about the percussionist's costumes?

Time to go, or should I stay.

Most of the Band returned home early Sunday evening, but for those lucky ones with Monday off work, an evening relaxing, with some more brass music, and maybe a glass or two of something.

Unfortunately, all the pictures from that period have failed to come out. Phew!

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