2005 Masters Becomes International?!

[nickjones]

Put yourselves in the masters organisers position? what would you do if the " top 3 english bands" did not support your competition ? would you not try and make it more attractive for the bands to enter , do we know the reasons why Grimethorpe and Black Dyke dosn't enter the masters ?
at the end of the day , it's only a competition I think it's wrong of a band to pin it's financial hope on winning a competition , I mean after travel costs , player and conductor expenses , entry fee's there wont be much out of the winnings. there is more to Banding then working on a piece for a month , going to a venue 200 + miles away , then playing on stage for 15 mins.
Its a bit late in the day to start complaining...maybe if the top English bands had supported the competition , we would not be having this topic discussed now.
Still good idea to invite continental bands scottish and welsh bands , am sure the organisers will get some support from these bands.

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

Still good idea to invite continental bands scottish and welsh bands , am sure the organisers will get some support from these bands.

This is the bizzare thing, I actually think it is a good thing too. Just don't like the way the organisers have conducted themselves.

 

[neiltwist]

there is more to Banding then working on a piece for a month , going to a venue 200 + miles away , then playing on stage for 15 mins.

is there? :shock:

 

[nickjones]

There sure is neil....touring , recording , social events.....concerts.
yes there is more to life then entering competitions...

 

[Australian Euphonium]

As a total outsider to this, I keep getting suprised at how people from all sides of the argument are so quick to judge Leyland band's decision to withdraw.

You can gather clues, have your suspiscions, know what you know, but at the crux of the issue, absolutely no one, bar the band's conductor or management knows what is the best thing to do by everyone involved. If they withdrew, for whatever reason, even if you're 99% convinced it was for reasons which were false (which, let me make clear, i do certainly not think is the case) it is still not your place to say "band x did this, therefore, they are bad and have let us down" Certainly, from what reaches the aussie banding grapevine, it seemed like Leyland were indeed genuinely making a huge effort to pull through whatever strife they might have been in to get to that contest - then to make a decision not to attend, and have such a rant thrown at them?? surely this must feel like an incredible slap in the face to the band that has supported the contest better than most since it's inauguration.

As for the broader statement, i'm not english, therefore won't comment on an "all-english" controversy, that is, until enough band's refuse their invites so one of ours can attend the "All england masters international brass band championships" , and yes, the tongue is firmly in cheek... just to cover against any nasty legal action

 

[glen miler]

As for Leyland, they didn't seem to have any problem "finding" players at short notice for the area contest in March.

We "found" two players for the area in David King anf Geoff Harrop, good friends of Garry Cutt and world class players. Both agreed to help out over a month in advance of the area. Both played an absolute blinder and both charged us NOTHING for their time and effort.

CHECK YOUR FACTS before making insulting insinuations in future.

What I said was that you sorted your player problems before one contest and not the other [which I think is FACT], I didn't comment on how you sorted them, who with or whether you paid any players.

What I was trying to say and please correct me if I am wrong is that if the Masters had been the Areas or indeed the Finals in September then you would not have withdrawn, short notice or not. I guess the surprise is that this has now resulted in you not being invited next year.

 

[NAS]

What I was trying to say and please correct me if I am wrong is that if the Masters had been the Areas or indeed the Finals in September then you would not have withdrawn, short notice or not.

I know this band well having played for them before moving to Faireys... and I think you are wrong. The bottom line is, they couldnt get anyone... therefore if it had been the Area or the Finals then they would have still been faced with the same decision!

Im not criticising your post as you firmly believe what you have written, and this is just what I firmly believe.

 

[Brassbones]

What I said was that you sorted your player problems before one contest and not the other [which I think is FACT], I didn't comment on how you sorted them, who with or whether you paid any players.

What I was trying to say and please correct me if I am wrong is that if the Masters had been the Areas or indeed the Finals in September then you would not have withdrawn, short notice or not. I guess the surprise is that this has now resulted in you not being invited next year.

"What I was trying to say and please correct me if I am wrong.." :?

You are correct in ONE thing. You implied in your previous post, and now state quite blatantly, that Leyland as a band, hold the Area qualifier in higher regard than the All England Masters! This is complete and utter, potentially libellous, claptrap. Having been redlined by the moderator for your last posting I thought you might have more sense than to underline your stupidity.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHO DO YOU PLAY FOR? In the unlikely event that we get an answer to the above I may entertain further drivel, in the meantime I suggest that you crawl back under your anonymous little stone.

For the benefit of everyone else. We managed to solve our problems for the Area because we had at least a month’s notice (not 10 days glen) of the absences, and had top quality replacements ready (unlike the Masters glen, because it was too short notice). The fact that they did it for nothing was an added bonus (pro players would of charged several hundred quid a piece glen, IF they were available).

 

[nickjones]

Well the ball is in your court now mr miler...
I am no sherlock holmes...would guess he has some axe to grind with the Leyland band...
Blimey Paul £700 per player for a weeks rehersals and the competition...wow I know people who would have helped you out for next to nothing..

 

[Brassbones]

Well the ball is in your court now mr miler...
I am no sherlock holmes...would guess he has some axe to grind with the Leyland band...
Blimey Paul £700 per player for a weeks rehersals and the competition...wow I know people who would have helped you out for next to nothing..

Scary isn't it? But if you want to give YBS a run for their money you need players of equal or better standard. Oh, and a decent draw :wink:

Btw, check my reply to you on Kennedys Swinton Band.

 

[PeterBale]

People following this thread may be interested to read Allan Littlemore's contribution to the 4barsrest Comments section:
http://www.4barsrest.com/comments/034.asp

 

[Brassbones]

People following this thread may be interested to read Allan Littlemore's contribution to the 4barsrest Comments section:
http://www.4barsrest.com/comments/034.asp

Wow! I'll say no more on this thread! Just read Allans letter!!!

 

[lynchie]

he does have a good way with words... I don't think anyone could have said it any better!

 

[Aidan]

yup thats a great well thought out letter..

Among the bands invited is one, which has been invited every year since 1989. For its own good reasons it has chosen to decline every year. It now has preference over Leyland and is invited again for 2005. What part of 'NO' do the organisers not understand?

that really says it all!

 

[nickjones]

Wow another attempt at trying to get on the good side of the organisers of the Masters.
blimey loads of axes , grinders...and now burning bridges...WHEN WILL THIS MADNESS END????? :wink:

 

[Exiled_Janner]

It seems that one major problem is that the Masters has often been compared along with the Open and the National Finals. For these 2 contests qualification is quite clear & all the associated rules well-published so everybody knows where they stand.

The difference with the Masters is that being an Invitation contest, the line-up of bands is always going to be up for debate because there is no strict set of criteria on which basis to issue the invites - it seems that the main thing is the band must be deemed to be a 'good' band.

Certainly nobody knew in advance what bands needed to achieve to gain an invite for 2005 - for those bands competing in 2005 - nobody yet knows what they have to do to get re-invited for the following year. Or have I missed something here?

 

[NAS]

People following this thread may be interested to read Allan Littlemore's contribution to the 4barsrest Comments section:
http://www.4barsrest.com/comments/034.asp

Nuff said!!

 

[Mike S]

People following this thread may be interested to read Allan Littlemore's contribution to the 4barsrest Comments section:
http://www.4barsrest.com/comments/034.asp

What a well constructed letter this is. Hats off to Leyland for the way in which they have conducted themselves over this furore, and hats off to Allan Littlemore, once but no longer associated with Leyland, for sticking up for them and exposing the exchange of calls and correspondence which should shame Biggs and Franklin.

 

[glen miler]

Having been redlined by the moderator for your last posting I thought you might have more sense than to underline your stupidity.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHO DO YOU PLAY FOR? In the unlikely event that we get an answer to the above I may entertain further drivel, in the meantime I suggest that you crawl back under your anonymous little stone.

I was expressing an opinion as someone who paid to go to Cambridge and paid to watch the contest.

I assumed this forum was for people to express opinions and do not expect everyone to agree with mine. I enjoy the banter on here which is usually more intelligent than the dishing out of insults -"stupidity", "drivel" , "crawl under stones" etc.

Contrary to Sherlock I have no axe to grind with Leyland, in fact prior to the Masters and insults I had a positive view of them having thought they were brilliant in the Areas.


Phil Shatliff, Lancashire

What band I play in is irrelevant as these views represent me NOT them.

 

[Humphrey]

It really doesn't matter how many changes the organisers make. Some things will remain constant. Invitations will still be issued and accepted or declined. The bands will still have to rehearse the test piece and endure extra rehearsals at extra expense to the band. They will still go to Cambridge and try their best to win the contest. That the bands do this year after year is the reason this contest still exists. In short it is the goodwill of the bands which ensures the continued success of the Masters. I would suggest to the organisers that despite their own derogatory comments and thinly veiled legal posturing, they might be better trying to hold on to the (quickly diminishing) goodwill still remaining. I would also suggest that their stance against Leyland is perhaps not the best way to do so!