January 2008
Desford take Mineworkers title at Skegness!
 |
|
|
A well balanced mixture of Life Divine and divinely inspired entertainment gave Desford it’s second successive Butlins Mineworkers’ title at Skegness in January, conducted by Russel Gray. The band did just enough over the two days of contesting to pip the on-form Wingates into second place. Adjudicators Major Peter Parkes and David Read were in the box, and deemed Desford to have that extra stamp of class about them over both days.
Conductor Russel Gray was delighted “I was pleased with the performance of Life Divine, which I felt had a real stamp of quality about it, whilst I felt we produced a very good entertainment programme too, with a balanced mix of new and old. It was musically very satisfying to work with the band”.
For the entertainment programme the band chose to begin with a newly commissioned arrangement of “the Saints” by the pen of talented arranger and composer Leigh Baker, followed by Stardust which was beautifully played by Nick Hudson. Then the band played a new arrangement of the hymn Deep Harmony, and followed this up with Honey Pie and Clock with the Dresden Chimes. The band concluded the programme with the finale from Daphnis and Chloe.
This starts the year on nicely for the band, especially with the six thousand pound first prize!
Desford Adjudicator Remarks
Life Divine – Peter Parkes (193 points)
Confident Start. Moves nicely into the
ALLEGRO VIVACE not quite clean but it settles.
(E) not quite clean. Good bass. Well played through to the Rall – (the trill needs another look!). Good Trombones.
ANDANTE nicely played.
(I) Good horn and it moves nicely into
(J) Allegro Vivace well done.
(L) not quite clean
MOLTO MAESTOSO all okay!
ALLEGRO VIVACE Just the right style for this
MOLTO MAESTOSO good troms.
ANDANTE NOSITINUTO (??) okay
PRESTO fine
A very good performance – well done!
Life Divine – Alan Morrison (193 points)
ANDANTE
A solid start and it flows well. Almost secure Troms but uneven trill and entry into (A)
ALLEGRO
Neat & tidy with precise ensemble. Lively and maintaining the tempo through well measured fragments. The odd loose moment and blemish. Good trills but not always clean in minims.
ANDANTE
Expressive and well shaped if not lacking a little flow. The odd blip, but it has a nice feel with intelligent use of rubato.
ALLEGRO
Llively and tight with good individual contributions
MAESTOSO
Stately and broad all well controlled and proud
ALLEGRO
It finds the space and all fragments matters so well meaning on own time. Musical shape is also applied
MAESTOSO
Occasional blips hit security yet so well controlled.
ANDANTE
It has flow (at last!) and the overall sound has balance and control
A super ending!
A well prepared and engaging performance that had musical shape and control.
Entertainment Programme – Peter Parkes (194 points)
SAINTS FANTASY
All well played. Excellent solosists. A very good start to the programme
STARDUST
Very good playing from everyone. Just the right style for this great music
HONEY PIE
Not quite as effective as Stadust, but still very enjoyable.
DEEP HARMONY
Good start and an excellent band sound. V3 not quite together but it settles. There were some problems with balance.
CLOCK WITH THE DRESDEN FIGURES
Lovely light touch to this. Well done everyone
DAPHNIS & CHLOE
Starts well – much very good playing from everyone. The 5/4 section works very well.
(I) balance needs more core, not always clean at the top, but overall a very good performance with excellent playing almost throughout.
Entertainment Programme – David Read (194 Points)
SAINTS FANTASY
Confident & effective
(C) keep it balanced one or two tentative moments. A good opening number for the programme
STARDUST
Lush as required – good colour from te band accompaniment. I sit back and enjoy this! Well done all.
HONEY PIE
You capture the old dance style, playing does depict it effectively
DEEP HARMONY
Good balance. Be careful at the start of phrases. Smooth lines. Quartet not always together on movement
CLOCK WITH THE DRESDEN FIGURES
Lovely band sound, with the expressive ‘Dresden’ – well balanced accompaniment. Clock is always ticking!
DAPHNIS & CHLOE
Broad sweep to open – all the colours brought out showing great technical skill – all grouping & entries are secure. Perhaps I would have liked even greater peaks in ff & fff.
A well played programme with only minor lapses as mentioned.