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Preview:
North West Regional Championships
And so the musical juggernaut that is the Regional Championships
of Great Britain now roll into the unlovely seaside Mecca of Blackpool.
Appropriate really for the bands in the Championship Section as
they get to grips with "Whitsun Wakes" and it's musical
memories of the seaside fun fair here, but for the rest it's the
venue of the Winter Gardens on Sunday March 10th that will the Mecca
itself, as 78 bands of the region do battle to see who claims the
qualifying spots for London and Torquay. From one run down seaside
town to another for some then.
Championship Section:
The Winter Gardens
Opera House
Sunday March 10th
Adjudicator: Dr Roy Newsome
Commences: Approx 3.15 pm Competing Bands:
BT (M. Fowles): Besses O' th' Barn (S. Sykes): Fodens (R. Gray): Freckleton (P.
Dalton): Haydock Ogden Travel (I. Brownbill): Leyland (G. Cutt): Longridge (S.
Booth): Marple (J. Cant): Mossley (J. Davies): Williams Fairey (H. Snell): Wingates
(B. Hurdley). What ever Yorkshire can do, Lancashire believes they can do
better. It will be a hard act to follow though for the 11 bands on show as Bradford
set a pretty high standard and it will take some damn good playing from the top
bands here to equal or better the winning performance from Black Dyke or Grimethorpe
for that matter.
Who cares though? It's about winning here, not comparisons (that
can come in London), so who will be the bands looking to join both
Fodens and Williams Fairey at the Albert Hall? As these bands both
came in the top four last year, the same scenario as Bradford could
very well occur, with the bands coming 3rd and 4th also making the
trip.
Last year Williams Fairey and Howard Snell set an electrifying
mark with the performance of the whole regional championships on
"Jazz". This time around it's the great man's swansong
and both he and the band will be keen to see things off in style.
That they can is in no doubt - if they do however is something else,
and with plenty of new faces to blend in around the stand they may
well be vulnerable to the challenge. There is an unhappy precedent
of great men having feet of clay on their very last outings, so
we hope Howard Snell doesn't suffer the same fate as the great Donald
Bradman.
Fodens have also had more
than a few changes in the past months and will be conducted by the third new face
in as many years at the contest when Russell Gray takes the helm. They have the
class and personnel to win here (and anywhere else really) but the recent changes
may have taken the hardened edge of them for the time being. They may need a bit
more time to gell, but they have performed this music with style before and they
will be determined to regain their crown. Leyland have plumbed once again
for the mercurial talents of Gary Cutt who thrillingly took them to third place
here last year (unlucky not to have come higher) and they have been playing to
a very high level in recent months. They too have lost a few faces, but they are
a band on the up and 2002 could be the year when they return to the top of the
Lancashire pile.
Besses o' th' Barn will be conducted by Steve Sykes (not newly
appointed Lynda Nicholson) and they will be keen to put a fairly
miserable 2001 behind them - a year that saw them burgled as well
as come down the lists in national contests. Steve Sykes will bring
verve to their challenge, and they have enough good players around
the stand to make a mark, but they could well do with a large dollop
of good luck to really challenge for a qualifying place. Should
hope to better last year's 6th place though.
BT will again by taken by the talented Michael Fowles and they
will also be keen to put in another good showing at the contest.
5th last year and 4th the year before show that they can mix it
with the heavyweights of the region, but they only came 2nd at Rhyl,
2nd at the recent Wilkinson Contest and 8th at Yeovil, so they may
need to up the ante to challenge successfully once more.
Freckleton and Peter Dalton have survived with comfort at the contest
since being promoted in 1998, and have recently won the Fleetwood
contest, but they have since come out of the prizes at both the
Wilkinson Contest (4th) and Preston (5th). 4th place at this contest
last year was very well deserved and they are more than able to
produce good quality well shaped performances.
Haydock Ogden Travel and Ian Brownbill are making their debut in
the top section this year, and they will have to play to their best
form to make a mark against a very strong field. The difference
between the first and the championship section can be wide indeed.
They were 3rd at Pontins in the first section last year and have
since come 6th at the Wilkinson contest and 2nd at Fleetwood. They
have come a very long way since winning the second section in 1997
and 4th place in the first section last year may be an indicator
of how they may fare against the premier bands of Lancashire.
Longridge and Stephen Booth will be hoping to make
a mark, especially as they have been very active in the recruitment stakes and
have recently announced Brett Baker, principal trombone at Black Dyke as Musical
Director. They will need to be on form for the task ahead though as they come
off the back of a very disappointing 22nd place at Pontins. A band with a long
history and hopefully a secure future, they will need to be on the top of their
form here to take a few scalps. 2002 sees the welcome return of the Marple
band under Jim Cant, and it has been something of a triumph for the band, that
less than 12 months ago was really facing extinction. Real hard work from the
indefatigable secretary Eileen Murphy and the players brings them back to a contest
that only in 1999 saw them come third. Hopefully the horrors of 2001 are behind
them and they can secure their future here with a good quality performance - they
deserve it.
Mossley have ridden a fast rising escalator of success in the past
couple of years, but the fulcrum to that success, Simon Stonehouse
has left the band and this time out they will be taken by John Davies.
They came second at the Manchester contest a few months ago and
so will still be in a confident mood of at least taking one or two
scalps on their first time back in the premier section for over
30 years, but it's going to be so much harder this time.
Finally Wingates, who came 7th here last year under Brian Grant,
and have this year made the sensible appointment of Bryan Hurdley
to spearhead their assault. He's a man who has a well-merited reputation
for being a top class band trainer and this should hold them in
good stead, as in recent national contests they have flattered to
deceive. 9th at the Grand Shield and 10th at Pontins should and
could have been so much better for a band that has lots of talented
players and a big rounded sound.
So, who is it going to be then? Fairey's, Fodens, Leyland, Wingates?
Who knows, but with Roy Newsome in the box, they will have to impress a man with
a great deal of knowledge and experience of top level banding, and one who knows
the ropes. The top bands in Lancashire are as good, if not better than any bands
elsewhere, so it should be a high-class contest. It really does seem to be a fight
to the death between the three traditional heavyweights of recent years, and with
sentiment and hard headed pragmatism on our side, we think it could well be a
repeat of last years top three. The Bands: BT
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: 5th place last year and 4th the year before should tell us
something about the standard they can perform to here, but they also have come
2nd at lesser contests (Wilkinson and Rhyl) in the recent past so they may need
to recapture some form to repeat last year's result. Plenty of talent and
with Mike Fowles in front of them, they could well make it a repeat performance
if they play to their potential. Besses O' th' Barn
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: Another band hoping to improve on last year's result. Besses
come to the contest off the back of a 2001 that saw 11th place at the Grand Shield,
10th at the Masters and 15th at Pontins. They have parted company with their MD
and replaced him with Steve Sykes. Could Besses' repeat their performance
here of 1999, when they were 5th, or could it be another year of mid table respectability?
They have the potential to do well, but they may need a bit of luck to push for
a prize. Fodens
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: The triple champions of 1998, 99, 2000 came second here last
year - a year when they very nearly won both the Nationals, and should possibly
have won the Open. Lots of changes in personnel and a new man at the helm
may weaken their challenge on paper, but on stage they are a formidable ensemble
and should be there or thereabouts come the final whistle.
Freckleton
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: One of the most consistent bands at Blackpool over the past
few years, Freckleton come to the contest hoping to regain the form of Blackpool
2001 when they were 4th, and not the Wilkinson Contest and Preston of late, when
they could only manage a 4th and a 5th place and the Grand Shield when they were
18th. Should be more than capable of holding their own in this field, but
will need to play to form to push for a prize. Mid field this time around may
be where they finish. Haydock Ogden Travel
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: Debut year in the top section for Ian Brownbill and his band,
after promotion from the First Section, where last year they came 4th. They were
3rd at Pontins in the same section and recently came 2nd at the Fleetwood contest
and 6th at the Wilkinson competition. Talented players and a fine young
conductor mean a good future, but the immediate present may be tough and they
could do well to take one or two scalps this time out. Leyland
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: Last year they deserved possibly to come 2nd but it did them
little harm and throughout 2001 they were a band that improved each time they
took the stage. It culminated in a fine 6th place at the Nationals and with Garry
Cutt at the helm, they will at the sharp end come Sunday evening. Lots of
talent around the stand and Garry Cutt will surely bring the best out of them
and the music. Leyalnd continue to improve and should on form get the booking
forms out for a weekend at a London hotel.
Longridge
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: The 1996 National First Section Champions, also took the First
Section title here in 2000, but didn't compete last year. 22nd and last at Pontins
wasn't a good result, but a recent 3rd place at the Fleetwood contest should have
given them heart. Stephen Booth takes the band, and they will be hoping
at least to defeat a couple of bands. It could be difficult though. Marple
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: The return of a fine band - although they certainly won't
be as strong as they were when they were coming in 3rd and 4th in 1998 and 1999. Marple
have done well to even get here this year and they deserve to do well. A comfortable
mid field place shouldn't be beyond them and the hard working Jim Cant. Mossley
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: Last year's First Section Champions recently cam 2nd at the
Manchester contest, and they will have to perform above themselves f they are
to make a mark against these bands. Plenty of talent around the stands,
but the gap between First and the Championship is huge and it could be more of
a holding their own exercise for them this time out. Williams
Fairey
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: The aristocrat band of Lancashire will be looking for a wining
send off for Howard Snell - and there won't be many to bet against them doing
it as well. The recent recruitment drive of new players has certainly given
the band an even stronger feel to it, and this could well be enough for them to
retain their title. Wingates
4BR Ranking:
Last Year:
Last 5 Years: Another band hoping to do better than last year. Wingates
have the talent, but are fragile flowers and have tended to wilt under the spotlight
of late. Bryan Hurdley will have done his homework though and instilled
a bit more belief and steel to a potentially very good band. Should do better
than last year's 7th, but you never know. 2001 Result: 1.
Williams Fairey
2. Fodens
3. Leyland
4. Freckleton
5. BT
6. Besses O' th Barn 4BR Prediction: 1.
Williams Fairey
2. Fodens
3. Leyland
4. Wingates
5. Besses O' th' Barn
6. Freckleton Dark Horse: Marple
© 4BarsRest
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