Well done to all the Pontins winners!

**MICKTHEEUPH** · 28.10.2003, 12:10

Plenty of topics and postings about the drinking exploits at the weekend but not much congrats to the winning bands so :

Well done Skelmanthorpe! Hard luck Hepworth and Fishburn who both put in performances worthy of winning on another day. A pat on the back to all the rest for getting thro' a very difficult (and nerve-tingling) test-piece.

Well done to the winners in the other sections!

regards

Mike Fox
Pennine

**MICKTHEEUPH** · 28.10.2003, 12:21

And a special well done to Emma Farrow (Hepworth Euph) for winning the instrumentalist prize! Don't know if she's a tMP member but believe she's just a slip of a girl (16/17?) - shouldn't be allowed - retirement beckons!

Mike Fox
Euph
Pennine Brass

**twm_trombone** · 28.10.2003, 13:14

I would like to congratulate the Llanrug Silver Band on their success in the 2nd Section of the Pontins Festival of Brass during the weekend. Their success is long overdue and have in the past been hard done by in mumerous contesting events, none more so than in the lower section finals, where many belive they deserved better than 14th.

**PeterBale** · 28.10.2003, 16:58

Originally Posted by twm_trombone

I would like to congratulate the Llanrug Silver Band on their success in the 2nd Section of the Pontins Festival of Brass during the weekend. Their success is long overdue and have in the future been hard done by in mumerous contesting events, none more so than in the lower section finals, where many belive they where deserving of a higher finish than the 14th place the judges pestoed on them.

Were these Italian judges, and did they bring any mozzerella to go with the pesto

**Darth_Tuba** · 28.10.2003, 17:03

Originally Posted by twm_trombone

and have in the future been hard done by in mumerous contesting events

An interesting prediction...

**Voldemort** · 28.10.2003, 17:10

Originally Posted by twm_trombone

I would like to congratulate the Llanrug Silver Band on their success in the 2nd Section of the Pontins Festival of Brass during the weekend. Their success is long overdue and have in the future been hard done by in mumerous contesting events, none more so than in the lower section finals, where many belive they where deserving of a higher finish than the 14th place the judges pestoed on them.

having replaced more than half of the band with ex championship section players what result did you expect?
re the comment on the lower section finals, which has also appeared in the letters page on 4barsrest i think you need to learn that contesting is contesting and you either gracefully accept the result or don't bother participating.

**stopher** · 28.10.2003, 19:49

Lets get this straight now! - yes there are a few ex-championship players at Llanrug (myself included) but the majority of these were sitting at home or the pub after their old band folded. Only one or two actually carried on playing an joined other bands in the area. All the band has done is got those players playing again. And they are enjoying it, even if it does take them a bit longer to get to band now!Personally, I joined Llanrug as I needed a change and liked the atmosphere.

As for the comments on 4BR - the band has accepted the decision of Messrs Beckely and Morrison.

I think what the band did find hard to accept (and I think this was the feeling in the hall as well at the time - I was there in spiritS!!!) was being told that the piece was portraying a sunset and how good the sunsets in Florida are!

Firstly, trying to picture a sunset was something that the composer specifically said the piece does not show and that he wanted to try to portray someone reminiscing over their life. As for Florida, shows what half a day in a box can do to your health - guess David Blaine could have got it a bit closer!

As far as the band are concerned now though, we proved a few people right and a few others wrong with the result in Pontins As for the players who have joined,They were free to join any band they wanted. We just asked them first!

Chris

**Cornetto** · 28.10.2003, 22:45

Originally Posted by MICKTHEEUPH

And a special well done to Emma Farrow (Hepworth Euph) for winning the instrumentalist prize! Don't know if she's a tMP member but believe she's just a slip of a girl (16/17?) - shouldn't be allowed - retirement beckons!

Mike Fox
Euph
Pennine Brass

Yup, just 16 I think, and principal at NYBB too. I think she's got more sense than to come on here though

I'll pass on the congrats! We're all dead pleased for her, especially as Morgan, Glyn and Dave Thornton were all playing too (and I believe none of them let themselves down!).

Well to Skelmanthorpe + Hepworth + Carlton Main - heard you all and really enjoyed it.... even in the hungover state that i was in!

**Watchdog** · 29.10.2003, 00:22

Originally Posted by stopher

Lets get this straight now! -

The only people that need to get things straight are you and your band.

The reasons that you were 14th at Dundee was that you overblew consistently and had constant tuning and intonation problems. I was with a section 1 band for the weekend, but sat and listened to all except one band in the 2nd section - the judges got it just about right and its about time you accepted it. The sour grapes that have come from you are nothing short of disgraceful, particularly the ranting ramblings on 4bars Rest that quite honestly don`t make any sense at all.

I was quite relieved to see that Llanrug won at Pontins, it means we will be spared the embarrassing complaints about everything and anything except the one thing that lost you the Finals - ie the bands playing.

Learn how to accept defeat with dignity and respect your fellow competitors, then when you win, you will enjoy it more and more people will appreciate the effort you put in. You may even find some will be pleased for you.

Watchdog

**stopher** · 29.10.2003, 01:40

The only thing I wanted to get straight in the above post was about Llanrug and the ex-championships players in the band.

As far as I'm concerned, the letter to 4BR from the band chairman (and any other comments from the band) were not the band grumbling about coming 14th in the Nationals -we've accepted that placing and accepted the fact that there were better bands there on the day. We've moved on and due to that look what happened (and off a numer one draw to make it more of a challenge!) The comments made were referring to how Messrs Becley and Morrison interpreted the piece.

What none of us can really understand (and I know that we are not the only band) is how the adjudicators used an analogy of a sunset and memories of a holiday abroad to judge a piece where the composer himself said that that piece should not represent a sunset! .

We tried to interpret the piece by using the composers directions!We would love to know that if the adjudicators contradict what the composer wants, then how the hell are bands supposed to play a piece!

If we were overblowing and our tuning and intonation was all to pot, then we deserved to come where we did. Saying that the number of pleasing comments we had from other bands during the day about our performance was quite suprising really but we all accept that it is down to two men, their interpretation and their decision.

A year ago, the band played the same piece at Pontins and came 6th and Old Silkstone won off the number one draw. The adjudicators on that day were slightly older and maybe know the piece (and what is required of it) better than the 2 who were in the box at the nationals. We didn't win on that day but accepted the decision.

As far as I'm concerned, the band have proved some people wrong with the result at pontins. We can and will take decisions on the chin and will accept whatever the decision is, even if others can't!

As soon as the nationals result was out, I know our conductor went straight up to Pete Christian to congratulate him on coming 2nd. To be told that our behaviour is disgraceful and "un-sportsmanlike" is a nonsense in itself.

We haven't gone around saying we were robbed, the opposite I feel.
After hearing the adjudicators comments and reading their account of our performance after Pontins, I think it is fair to say that they knew what the composer wanted from the piece. Maybe that is where their experience shows!

Chris

**geordiecolin** · 29.10.2003, 13:09

Woah!!!

Just thought I'd add my congratulations to ALL who were placed at Pontins

**neiltwist** · 29.10.2003, 13:35

I'll add my congratulations, and extend it to all who played :P

**Phoenixhorn** · 29.10.2003, 15:51

I also would like to pass on my congratulations to everyone in every section that played it was a cool weekend even though I had to leave straight after we played, in the tent i did notice alot of friendship between bands and it looked great, I would have liked to have stayed and meet some TMP'ers but I was otherwise engaged. Once again Well done to everyone!!!