Best Youth Bands
- Thread starter Feefee
- Start date
Matt-Trom939
Member
I personanlly feel Greater Gwent are one of the best youth bands around at the moment as we are currently the National Champions of Great Britain(premier section) and the British Open Youth Champions.
Yes...... but in the same respect we're National Youth, National Festival and World Champions (against adult bands)...... doesn't mean we're better than every one it shows we were the best on a certain test on a certain day. So it's all subjective, a contest win means you were good on a given day... you have to prove that with and back it up with consistent concerts of high quality entertainment and repeat victories. That might be interestin giving every youth band that has been mentioned on here a certain amount of points for each certain title won...... PM me with what you've won and I'll make a damn good hash at it 
Matt-Trom939
Member
You say youve won National Festival but you compete in the schools section as you are effectivaly a school brass band. You say your National Youth Champions but that was once again in the school section. I mean this is no degrading way as from what i hear Smithills are an exceptionally gd band, but how can you measure yourself against bands who are no where near the same standard as you.
p.s. Gwent Band were European Youth Chamions aswell (you asked!)
p.s. Gwent Band were European Youth Chamions aswell (you asked!)
Yes we are a school Band but we have been Champions of the Open and Community Sections in the same vein and we have won the Tameside Youth Open all but two years of its running!!!! And I know for fact we'd give you a run for yaz money Don't know many youth Bands who have both Journey Into Freedom and Year Of The Dragon running at once, possibly even in a school concert!!!
I wasn't comparing us to you in any way if you read my post I quite clearly say that you can't compare any youth bands really, However what I did say was that it would be interesting to grade each contest and then tot up the points to find the best contesting youth band either yearly or over a period of time!!!
Don't know many youth Bands who have both Journey Into Freedom and Year Of The Dragon running at once, possibly even in a school concert!!!I wasn't comparing us to you in any way if you read my post I quite clearly say that you can't compare any youth bands really, However what I did say was that it would be interesting to grade each contest and then tot up the points to find the best contesting youth band either yearly or over a period of time!!!
Last edited:
Matt-Trom939
Member
I belive that a commitee of some form should invite who they consider to be the best youth bands around(judging them on recent contest successes etc) to one contest with a set test(a hard one-non of this siffionetta rubbish) and they can battle it out to see who can give the best performance. Hopefully there would be around 10 top class youth bands to make it a really interesting contest. The premier section in manchester was dissapointing this year with only two bands.
Most youth bands wouldn't go....... SImply because they dont have the time or desire for yet another contest, if only two turn out at the Nationals how many would realy be that bother with a new contest, you would have to start seeing twelve or so bands turn up at the nationals before organisers were interested in even entertaining a new contest.... I mean look at when the Open is this year September well that immediately rules us out as a school band... mental, but then there are so many youth contests that this is the only possibly time for it!!!
There isn't time, or demand, for another!
There isn't time, or demand, for another!
Matt-Trom939
Member
Yeh i suppose your right. I aslo agree that the time of pontins this year is ridiculous. It means having rehersals throughout the smummer holidays when your never guna get a full band together for them due to people going on holiday and courses like NYBBW. Another Gwent ensemble is going on tour at the end of the summer so half the brass players will be missing from rehersals to go on that. I dont understand what the problem was with having it at the same time as last year-it was a perfect time!
LAst years time was better but it still would interupt rehearsals for MFY, which is the Number one priority at Smithills with a record like ours, and I believe it was so that they could reinstate the old Rhyl Festival... but I don't even think that that is happening anymore.......
Any ways
TOPIC!!!!!
Any ways
TOPIC!!!!!
chizzum
Member
Wardle and Rochdale
Well i seem to believe that ben(principle euph at Rochdale) has become quite hated on here and im beginning to do so myself. I attend Wardle High School, played with the band right from the start in year 7 and played with the Youth Band for some years. Won the Nationals with them in 2004 and had a fantastic time. I also play with Rochdale Youth who have domminated the Action Research Competition for the mojority of about 6 years now with high standard winnings also depicted in Music for Youth.
Bin has a point sometimes when he's discusses the fact that players are brought back to help with other bands and he's right they are but i hear you say, so do Rochdale. Yes we do but not as soloists like other bands. We bring back one or two players each year to sit on the ends of the rows.
Wardle have been playing to a consistant level recently but have had a hard timecoping with music teachers with several leaving; but they are back on their feet getting the top awards now with Lee Rigg, and new head of music Paul Lovett-Cooper; both of Black Dyke.
So I hope I have answered a few uncertain topics and have warned Ben to shut up as he's new and out of his depth!
Well i seem to believe that ben(principle euph at Rochdale) has become quite hated on here and im beginning to do so myself. I attend Wardle High School, played with the band right from the start in year 7 and played with the Youth Band for some years. Won the Nationals with them in 2004 and had a fantastic time. I also play with Rochdale Youth who have domminated the Action Research Competition for the mojority of about 6 years now with high standard winnings also depicted in Music for Youth.
Bin has a point sometimes when he's discusses the fact that players are brought back to help with other bands and he's right they are but i hear you say, so do Rochdale. Yes we do but not as soloists like other bands. We bring back one or two players each year to sit on the ends of the rows.
Wardle have been playing to a consistant level recently but have had a hard timecoping with music teachers with several leaving; but they are back on their feet getting the top awards now with Lee Rigg, and new head of music Paul Lovett-Cooper; both of Black Dyke.
So I hope I have answered a few uncertain topics and have warned Ben to shut up as he's new and out of his depth!
chizzum
Member
Wardle and Rochdale
Well i seem to believe that ben(principle euph at Rochdale) has become quite hated on here and im beginning to do so myself. I attend Wardle High School, played with the band right from the start in year 7 and played with the Youth Band for some years. Won the Nationals with them in 2004 and had a fantastic time. I also play with Rochdale Youth who have domminated the Action Research Competition for the mojority of about 6 years now with high standard winnings also depicted in Music for Youth.
Bin has a point sometimes when he's discusses the fact that players are brought back to help with other bands and he's right they are but i hear you say, so do Rochdale. Yes we do but not as soloists like other bands. We bring back one or two players each year to sit on the ends of the rows.
Wardle have been playing to a consistant level recently but have had a hard timecoping with music teachers with several leaving; but they are back on their feet getting the top awards now with Lee Rigg, and new head of music Paul Lovett-Cooper; both of Black Dyke.
So I hope I have answered a few uncertain topics and have warned Ben to shut up as he's new and out of his depth!
Well i seem to believe that ben(principle euph at Rochdale) has become quite hated on here and im beginning to do so myself. I attend Wardle High School, played with the band right from the start in year 7 and played with the Youth Band for some years. Won the Nationals with them in 2004 and had a fantastic time. I also play with Rochdale Youth who have domminated the Action Research Competition for the mojority of about 6 years now with high standard winnings also depicted in Music for Youth.
Bin has a point sometimes when he's discusses the fact that players are brought back to help with other bands and he's right they are but i hear you say, so do Rochdale. Yes we do but not as soloists like other bands. We bring back one or two players each year to sit on the ends of the rows.
Wardle have been playing to a consistant level recently but have had a hard timecoping with music teachers with several leaving; but they are back on their feet getting the top awards now with Lee Rigg, and new head of music Paul Lovett-Cooper; both of Black Dyke.
So I hope I have answered a few uncertain topics and have warned Ben to shut up as he's new and out of his depth!
^Two times my friend, I say!!!!
What you say is true but I dont know of many bands who bring back players year on year at the top of a row???? Do I?
But just something about Wardle, when our concert Band Qualified for NFMY at Wardle there Band over ran the eight minute slot by about 2 minutes yet still qualified??????
What you say is true but I dont know of many bands who bring back players year on year at the top of a row???? Do I?
But just something about Wardle, when our concert Band Qualified for NFMY at Wardle there Band over ran the eight minute slot by about 2 minutes yet still qualified??????
Last edited:
persins
Member
I'm probably repeating views already expressed within this thread but I really haven't got the time to wade through all the comments!!
I would have to say that the Cornish youth bands must be up there when discussing the best Youth bands in the country. Mount Charles, Camborne and St. Austell all have stonking youth bands and I'm sure that they are not the only ones.
With regards to the County bands, I seem to remember that Hampshire were way up there a while ago when Leighton Rich was at the helm. I've not heard much about them recently but surely they deserve an honourable mention anyway!
I would have to say that the Cornish youth bands must be up there when discussing the best Youth bands in the country. Mount Charles, Camborne and St. Austell all have stonking youth bands and I'm sure that they are not the only ones.
With regards to the County bands, I seem to remember that Hampshire were way up there a while ago when Leighton Rich was at the helm. I've not heard much about them recently but surely they deserve an honourable mention anyway!
drummergurl
Active Member
ok, i think ive posted in here before.. but i can't really be bothered to wade through this and find what i wrote.. (sorry mods)
best youth bands... the ones that come to my mind are bands such as stockport schools, smithills, astley youth, mount charles, west lothian... i was tempted to write st helens youth, but in all honesty i think they are on their way down.. yes they are still a pretty good youth band, but they aren't as good as they once were.
there is alot of competition between youth bands... and sometimes it goes too far. yes some youth bands might be abit better than others, and i know of youth bands who will only enter a contest if they are fairly certain of a win. i think this is completely the wrong attitude to have in youth bands.
any youth band who can put a band out should be proud! no matter what the standard. i think some bands, and conductors of those bands have become so obsessed with being the best that they drill it into their young players that this is how they have to be too.
best youth bands... the ones that come to my mind are bands such as stockport schools, smithills, astley youth, mount charles, west lothian... i was tempted to write st helens youth, but in all honesty i think they are on their way down.. yes they are still a pretty good youth band, but they aren't as good as they once were.
there is alot of competition between youth bands... and sometimes it goes too far. yes some youth bands might be abit better than others, and i know of youth bands who will only enter a contest if they are fairly certain of a win. i think this is completely the wrong attitude to have in youth bands.
any youth band who can put a band out should be proud! no matter what the standard. i think some bands, and conductors of those bands have become so obsessed with being the best that they drill it into their young players that this is how they have to be too.
Matt-Trom939
Member
I do agree that there is two much competition between youth bands. When we (Greater Gwent Band) won the nationals this year we were going into our changing room(which happened to be next to the band that came 2nd) and a member fo the band that came 2nd came out and randomly started hurling abuse at a big group of us.
However it was very unfortunate for him as two of the members of the group were th two crudest and most abusive people in the band.
He never knew what hit him.....
However it was very unfortunate for him as two of the members of the group were th two crudest and most abusive people in the band.
He never knew what hit him.....
Andy Cooper
Member
Rochdale_Euph/Ben said:
Only the use of the English language methinks!
flugeldude666
Member
even tho i dont really like them i have to say rochdale, mount charles n sellers have my vote. im not sure about mount charles but i know the set up of rochdale and sellers is completely different to bands like youth brass 2000 who pull players from vast areas. rochdale especialy have achieved a hell of a lot with just the people who turn up every week, and the same with sellers (although we havent got many firsts) have punched above our weight consistently over the last few years with ordinary kids who just play brass instruments for a good time basically. considering we only started about 10 years ago with about 20 complete beginners (me being one of them) i dont think people can say we haven't achieved much ...
andybt1984
Member
I think when this thread was started a certain Shaw Youth band was forgotten about.