Chapel en le Frith 19th June 2010

The coach left the ‘Hollingwood’ filled with a nervous but excitable band on board en-route for their first competition since amalgamation and the first under the auspice of the Marching Display Band Association (MDBA). On board the coach were 26 active members and several supporters and committee as we headed up into the Peak and Chapel -en-le – Frith a venue were the band had performed privately on several occasions before.
With time to stretch the legs before changing into uniform and taking up our position ready for the parade move-off at 1:00 pm in glorious sunshine. Completing the first half of the parade which included the long drag up the hill before reaching the level ground and continuation around the housing estate to the Memorial Park on Rowton Grange Road and a brief respite for the members, but not officials who now had to attend the judges briefing and then a quick return to complete preparations for the three band contest.
Taking up our position at the entrance to the arena were the 24 members eligible to perform, only eight year old Josh our little mascot and newly injured drummer Liam unable to participate. Our members previous contest experience accounted for their nervousness with only seven members with multiple experience on the contest field, seven more with between one and four appearances and ten others that had never been judged before, a very daunting challenge to face. The next fifteen minutes seemed to rush by as the band performed and played the well rehearsed entertainment programme, which was well received by the watching audience and fellow carnival fraternity. Straight back round to the entrance at the conclusion ready to follow the Breaston Highlanders Band and the Polesworth Pioneers on to the arena for the results to be announced. Without a PA system the Official in Charge for the day Bert Cook commenced with the second placed band the ‘Chesterfield Musketeers Showband’ with 74 points followed by the winners, the Breaston Highlanders Band with 76 and then the third placed Polesworth Pioneers with 60 points.
After exiting the arena with young Josh carrying the Silver Trophy and Diploma we were given the first chance to peruse the judge’s findings from the sheets. Disappointing for the ‘Musketeers’ to find that under the new system of three judges, the band had come out top in Entertainment/Dress with 36 points out of forty, three more than the winning band, a further 4 points above the other bands for Music, but in marching our basic drill had let the result slip away to 76 equal to the winners but with a two point penalty for a dropped item making a total of 74 points. A lesson must be learnt if this experience is to be repeated again by the band in the future, but still encouraging to our inexperienced ranks, and our management are proud of every member. Sadly unnecessary comments faintly disguised appeared on the F/B social networking belittling these efforts from within the winning band, but when challenged a different version was given. These comments sadly make you wonder whether it is worth subjecting our inexperienced group to this environment in the future. Overall we accepted the judge’s findings and intend to commence correcting the problem with our basic marching in our performance at the Brinsley Carnival tomorrow.

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All comments written are purely an opinion of the event by members involved. These are not by any means intended as derogatory or defamatory in anyway to the organisors or the people involved.