Today was the day I’ve been rehearsing with Knottingley Silver Band for, Brass At The Guild held at Preston’s Guild Hall. It has been a long day: up at 5:30am, back in just before 9pm. As I said yesterday, morning practice isn’t something that’s readily available for percussionists as it’s pointless to cart all the required kit about as it won’t be used on stage – our instruments are provided for us by a hired company. No one else suffers that problem and, even though we get a short amount to time to get set up and familiarise ourselves with the equipment, it’s never straightforward!
Anyway, the piece was played after many hours of waiting around with little to do. The Guild Hall is an… interesting place. Possibly a little past its heyday but a lovely place to play in. Once I’d come off stage, we nipped out for some food in town after finding a cache for the day (GC26A06).
Mrs Pitts’ assessment of out performance was that we weren’t the best, but we weren’t the worst either. The feeling on stage was that we could have played it better. A fellow percussionist totally messed up the fourth movement, and there were a few places where scrappy playing dominated.
Once we got back to the Guild Hall, we were there in time to see the last Championship band (of only two to perform) and hear the results being announced.
After a short speech from both adjudicators, it was on to the results. Firstly, the prize for best soloist was announced. This went to the euphonium player of Knottingley Silver. Much delight was to be had, although in my mind, I did wonder whether the prizes were just being shared around the bands.
The other positions were given, third upwards. Flixton in third, Morecambe in second, then… Knottingley Silver as winners.
Very happy!
Red Bull Launch
Red Bull became the sixth team to show off the car it will race in 2013, one which it hopes will provide its fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship double.
2012 saw Red Bull earn a third drivers’ and constructors’ championship, with Sebastian Vettel becoming the youngest ever triple champion. The purple Renault-powered RB9 is the ninth created by Red Bull since taking over the Jaguar team for the start of the 2005 season.
Adrian Newey has once again designed this vehicle, which – like other new cars – appears to be an evolution of last year’s car. This evolution was part of the reason why Formula One saw eight different winners. The car looks good – the purple is different – although not much appears different at first glance from last year.
Red Bull will doubtless do well in 2013, but whether they have run out of things to evolve on the car will only become clear once the whole field is on track later this month.
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