Teenage Contest Thrills !!

iancwilx

iancwilx

Well-Known Member
I remember being drawn last at the 1963 British Open at Belle Vue Manchester, with Yorkshire Imps, (My first top Section Contest at 17 years old) and going on to a packed Kings Hall to play "Life Divine" - the atmosphere was absolutely indescribable !! (We came 12th)
There were more significant results in the following years, but that opening chord really sticks in the mind !
What really sticks in your mind?- You know - when the hair rose on your neck, or you felt like tears at the end (When we won the Yorks Area in 1970 on Corsair, I had to help the 2nd Euph (My pal) off stage as he was weeping with emotion) - does it "Get to you?"
Let it all hang out !
 
WoodenFlugel

WoodenFlugel

Moderator
Staff member
Not quite teenage - I was in my twenties when this happened.

Pontins qualifiers down at Brean Sands, the piece was Music For A Festival and to be honest we had been struggling with it. We were waiting to play and the band after us were taking the **** out of our conductors "flamboyant" shirt. We played one of those performances when eveything goes right and the excitment built within the band as we went on (do you know what I mean here?). We won and qualified for our first final for something like 30 years. But to top it all when the next band came on after our performance (the ones taking the ****) one of our players said to one of theirs "follow that you ********! Classic! :wink:
 
T

tim

Member
When I was Ten and I walked onto the Royal Festival Hall stage it was incredible to look up and see so many people there to watch (mainly coz we were drawn last)

Anyway it was an incredible experience and one i'll never forget considering not everyone gets to play on that stage and definetly not most brass banders considering it's usually an orchestral stage.
 
R

rutribal

Member
Playing my second ever contest in Wembley Conference Centre for the 2nd Section Nationals! 16 years old and coming in 5th place with Burry Port Band, absolute magic!
 
Vickitorious

Vickitorious

Active Member
My most merorable time in banding was from last year when I was playing with the NYBBGB in Huddersfield Town Hall. The hall was nearly full and it was only my first course so the excitement was there already, but when we got to playing Paganini Variations and it came to the slow bit in the middle....oooooooooo, I can't explain how I felt! It was amazing! :D :D :D
 
D

drummergurl

Active Member
aimee, plays for st helens youth brass band (thought id answer that for ya!)

my best teenage moment could be yet to come, but so far, it has to be october 2003, when i played in the royal albert hall at the lovable age of 14 at the championship section finals!!! even if we did come last, it was a huge achievement for me to actually even get to play in the hall
 
lynchie

lynchie

Active Member
probably 2001 at blackpool when my youth band won pretty much all the prizes... was a most agreeable feeling!
 
BoozyBTrom

BoozyBTrom

Member
What sticks in my mind was playing for Frickley Juniors at the nationals at the Wembley Conference Centre on St Micheals Mount ( Great Peice. )

We were drawn last and were sat on stage for what felt like for ever. Eventually one of the Contest Stewards had to go and tell the Adjudicatrs that there was one band left to go.

We played an absolute blinder and won by a couple of points.

We later found out that the judges thought that there were only 18 bands in the section not 19. and were making thier minds up who had come where.


Great day and what a party after.
 
B

Borfeo

Member
Quite a few memories pop up when I think back.

Winning British Youth Championships in 1996 with West lothian Schools band, my first contest with them and was a fantastic performance

Winning European Youth Championships with WLSBB, that performance was electrifying, everybody gave 150% that day, and a full hall as well. To be called European Champions was something else.

Winning 3rd Section Scottish Champs in 1997 on Tintagel. Drawn first and thought that I'd messed up with a couple of splits in the 2nd movement solo, but we won by two points and some great remarks for the solo, couldn't help crying, the relief and joy got to me there.

There's others but those were the best three I can remember
 
PeterBale

PeterBale

Moderator
Staff member
I suppose it would be the first time I played with Coventry Festival Band in the Albert Halls in Nottingham - if I remember the audience seemed to nearly on top of us, and it added to the sense of occasion - i was either 16 or 17 at the time.
 
SoloBaritone

SoloBaritone

Member
Eww, Nigel stop!!

My best teenage thrill has got to be coming 3rd at the Masters the day after my 18th birthday. It was my first big contest, the piece was Pageantry and I was pooing my pants.

Jayne
 
S

Steve

Active Member
lynchie said:
probably 2001 at blackpool when my youth band won pretty much all the prizes... was a most agreeable feeling!
Click to expand...

Hell yeah, cant see anything EVER beating that.
 
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