Mission Accomplished.

At the beginning of the year Mark Peacock the Senior Band’s conductor said that the main mission for 2008 was for the band to be promoted from the Senior Cup, in the British Open Contest at Blackpool, to the Grand Shield.

The test piece this year was Martin Ellerby’s Elgar Variations, which was the test piece used at the European Brass band Championships in 2007. It is a piece of music that has an ‘easy listening’ feel to it, but it requires a conductor with a very intuitive musical understanding of what is required from the music.

19 bands from the Championship section had been invited to the Senior Cup this year and Pemberton were drawn No3 in the order of play.

The performance was one that certainly had the audience enthralled from the opening bars to the end and many people from other bands congratulated members of the band on their rendition. The cornet solo played with style and feeling by the Principal Cornet Joanne Johnson.

The problem with being drawn so early in a field of 19 is that you are required to have to socialize in the bar with other players and supporters, also some doubts start to enter the mind as to whether your performance was enough for the adjudicators to put the band in the top 4 which is required to gain promotion to the Grand Shield.

4barsrest

Live comments by Malcolm Wood

“Really nice opening – detail is evident, Nice cornet line. Tempos are slick but detail remains – some refined playing and great dynamics. Euph impresses in solo. Ensemble work is compact. Cornet is so expressive supported by lovely ensemble. Final section remains musical to the very end.

Overall: Very musical throughout – some lovely playing on show here.”

“A piece of music that certainly tested the bands. For us though the cream should come to the top in the shape of EYMS coming out as winners with Skelmanthorpe and Pemberton in the mix.”

1.     EYMS
2.     Skelmanthorpe
3.     Pemberton
4.     Stocksbridge
5.     Ratby
6.     Wire Brass

Result time and the adjudicators gave their summary of the days playing.

“In the end the top four bands separated themselves from the rest of the field, and in Chris Wormald’s summary to the audience, he made the point that if parts of each of those fine performances had been knitted together, then one tremendous performance would have been the result.”

The result at Buxton one week previous was not to be repeated but 4^th was enough for the band to gain promotion to the Grand Shield in 2009.

Retrospectives

Mark Peacock

“To everyone in the Senior band well done yesterday in the Senior Cup! It wasn't to be three wins on this wonderful piece but we gave it a good go! Thank you for making my Christmas wish list come true in qualifying for the Grand Shield. Mission accomplished and a content conductor. As ace would say "Cheers!"

4barsrest

“Mark Peacock’s Pemberton Old Wigan JJB proved that winning at Buxton on the same piece six days earlier was no flash in the pan, and from the number three draw they really nailed a great show that fully deserved to gain the last qualification place on offer on the day.  

Although a performance that again wasn’t without the odd hiccup, it was nonetheless nicely styled, full of character, with some excellent ensemble and solo playing.

And from yours truly

Well done to everyone, you have worked extremely hard over the last few months, this is the most difficult contest that the band is involved in and you have done yourselves proud. Number 1 would have been nice but qualification to the Grand Shield was the mission and that has been achieved.