East Steel, Oulton Bands, Sparrows at Rothwell Festival

It's Friday evening, March 23rd, and we are on the road to Rothwell, to the Blackburn Hall to be precise. Wanda has organised for the steelband section to take its place for the first time ever at Rothwell Festival, and here we are in this lovely Victorian concert hall.



The Federation of Festivals doesn't allow photography at its festivals. This doesn't usually deter our parents but it does stop us getting some good action shots. We got special permission for this posed joint band picture at the end, and we invited this lovely adjudicator to join us.

At the end of the Friday school day it seemed a massive effort to get to Rothwell, but really it is only what the Oulton parents do every Tuesday to get their Sparrows to Sparrows, if you see what I mean.

In the event, the event was totally worth it. All the bands sounded great and Wanda's effort to arrange this totally paid off. Here are some pictures of the bands in rehearsal or gigging elsewhere.

Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows, Stanningley and Oulton Steelbands play the Wharfedale Festival

It's Thursday 18th May, and three sets of steelbands are converging on Ilkley Kings Hall. Wanda is bringing Oulton Year Five, Oulton Year Six, and Oulton Fledglings. Bex and I are bringing Sparrows, and Carole and I are bringing Stanningley year Five Steel.

We played all the usual tunes, and Sparrows featured songs this year were Symphony Number 40 [Mozart arranged VJ], Wings of a Dove [Prince Buster arranged DG] and Rockabye [Sean Paul and Clean Bandit arranged BA]

Stanningley played Come and Sing Together and Russian Folk Song Sledging, both originally arranged by myself and then arranged further by Year Five themselves.

Oulton Year Five played Merrily, Skip to my Lou, Liza Jane and Frere Jacques

Oulton Year Six played Scale Song, Jamaica Farewell and Egyptian Reggae,

Oulton Fledglings played Mad World, Next to Me , Lazy Coconut and one Wanda can't remember [!]

Before we started I discussed the question of smiling with the Wharfedale Committee members. This is a thorny point for us [from the Foxwood Panyard].

At the beginning of their gigging careers our children are getting used to concentrating, performing on stage, not being nervous, being confident - all the things that go with public performance.

They are also expressing themselves through their own playing and interacting with others in a deepest ensemble. If they want to move, tap their feet or smile we think it should be natural and spontaneous and grow out of their feelings for the performance.

I know that other steelbands train their players to do [sort of] synchronised jumps and dance moves, but personally I find these unnatural and somewhat disconcerting. Our players will move when they are ready. I did discuss this with the committee The wonderful adjudicator took all my comments on board, and picked out how the players were involved in their music-making in all the other subtle ways. We were all really pleased.

Sparrows, Oulton and Clapgate Steelbands at Wharfedale Festival 2016

Pleased to say that Ash and Millie have been practising and have perfected not smiling. [Okay it come natural]. And Lucy is doing well. [Everyone else is too blurred a picture to be able to tell.

Every year I think Ilkley and the Wharfedale Festival is a train journey too far, a van load too far, a journey too far, and an extra practice too far, and then Blanche and Liz and her friends make us feel like royalty. And Craiglands or Kings Hall - both such lovely, formal, old-fashioned venues. And so grateful that they have moved the festival out of SATs week, but of course, GCSEs, AS and A levels still take their natural toll.

Adjudicator Steven Roberts makes us feel like pan royalty and in his [let's be frank] eulogy to us all, he never mentions no smiling! In pan adjudication heaven! Thanks to the usual suspects.

Here's mine, Millie's and Deangelo's phone satnavs fighting for supremacy on our way home. [Mine won. It fell over less often].

Best quote was from Deangelo [to Bex as she brought him over from South Leeds to Ilkley] recently come from Turks and Kakos: "This such beautiful scenery. Where I come from all you can see is white sands and sea." How awful! Not!

Bands were Oulton, led by Wanda, Clapgate led by Bex and me; Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows, led by me and Bex. Sparrows were Ash [who melted the adjudicator's heart], Millie, Lucy, Kirsten, Deangelo, Owen, Alice. Adults making up for the GCSE, A level and first year uni losses were me, Bex, Wanda and guests: Vicky and Natalie [who also melted Stephen's heart!].

Oulton Steel Band play Trinity and Allerton CE Steel Band play St John's

Well, two primary school steelbands tread the boards on the same day. I go first as audience to see Wanda weave her magic wand over Leeds Trinity Centre with the wonderful Oultonettes. The sound carries, and I hear them before I see them. Trinity is suitably seasonal with reindeer and snowflakes.

Besides panning they also sing some seasonal songs. I have to leave before the lunchtime rush starts, but not before Oulton have made their mark.











In the afternoon it is over to St John's at Moortown for Allerton CE's debut outside gig. The school has already transported the pans and glocks over already. All I have to do is count to 4 and find the B flats.

Each class payed one tune, and everybody from each class was included. That makes nearly one hundred children from years 5 and 6 . Mr Moore's class even managed Silent Night, which has 6 beats to the bar] We also played African Noel, Jingle Bells [not the whole song, but a nice two-chord 16 bar version of the chorus] and Winter Wonderland.

Our tunes were interspersed between readings, and the whole event proceeded at a fine pace. I will upload the pictures once permissions are established.