Midland Area Championships
BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL MARCH 14th 2009
DRAW 14, PLACED 1st OUT OF 16
Pentacle by Graham Cole
REMARKS.
![Midland area 2009_3](files/midland-area-2009_3.jpg)
RETROSPECTIVE from FOUR BARS REST. Derek Broadbent and Brian Buckley both commented on Pentacle as a test of both physical and musical endurance, touching on the need for rhythmic accuracy in the opening bars and tight percussion along the way. But both were glowing in their praise of Phoenix West Midlands, making up for a rare disappointing showing in Harrogate last year to rise through the substantial field of sixteen bands to takevictory by a comfortable margin…it would have been interesting to see what the points difference would have been had they been awarded. Inspiring David Maplestone’s inspiring and dynamic direction continues to be a potent factor in Phoenix’s success. But so does the unswerving commitment of the young players around the stands, as with Shirland in the Second Section, aided by a sprinkling of experienced old hands to create a winning balance. And winning is a subject on which Phoenix has a good deal of knowledge. As runner up on the band’s First Section debut last year, Phoenix immediately stamped its authority on the section and there was almost a sense of inevitability that they were going to pull something off again this year. As the band left the stage after its performance from the number fourteen draw though, that inevitability started to feel very much like certainty. Detail The detail in the opening bars will have caught the ears of the adjudicators immediately, whilst the playing throughout was never less than controlled and well paced. Most of all though the band created atmosphere and space, the former quality having been very notably absent from a good number of earlier performances or at best short lived in others. There were just the occasional moments of wobbly ensemble but the excitement in Fire and Quintessence was palpable. All in all it was one of those often elusive contest performances that convinced of its quality from the very start. How the band will cope with the challenges of Championship Section banding remains to be seen but at First Section level they are up there with the very best. In common with the other Regional First Sections so far this year, Pentacle was always going to separate the field out into just a few quality performances. The fact that it turned out to be something of a one horse race is to the immense credit of David Maplestone and the players of Phoenix West Midlands.
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