The WMBBA is disappointed to announce that, unfortunately, due to the number of entries received for the contest on Sunday 17th November 2013 at Pershore, the contest has had to be cancelled.
The Association will be contacting bands about future events in due course
As a playing member of a WMBBA band, it saddens me to see yet another year go by with no Association band contest.
My views are totally my own on this point, but time after time, the Association fails to deliver on calendared events for West Midlands bands.
Two years ago, I predicted the demise of this contest – due to some short-sighted decisions made by the organising committee, and now, despite the rather predictable defensive stance from some committee members, re: my observations, I am once again being proven correct.
As I have previously stated, this process has reflected the pattern followed by the demise (and consequent loss) of the Entertainment Contest and the Solo Contest.
How many more cancelled/postponed events can occur, before the penny drops that there is a problem?
I am sorry if my blunt observations touch raw nerves, but the ‘head in the sand’ situation that seems apparent from outside, is surely due for identification and rectification from within the committee?
If the need to prove yourselves right, (I refer to the tone/content of private communications sent to myself, from Association Officers, in the name of the Association ), is stronger than the will to correct the problems, then nothing will change until the Association has to fold.
At present, I believe that member bands are getting poor value for their subscriptions, in terms of quality/quantity of WMBBA events, as well as the picture of local banding that is being projected to the rest of the country.
As a mature member of the local Brass Band community, I see little that the WMBBA is doing to support my interest/hobby, I just see an empty vessel, captain-less and becalmed, floundering towards obscurity on a wave of empty gestures.
When are we going to see some positive news/actions?
I hold my breath in anticipation.
Hi Mark,
This is my personal reply and not that of the WMBBA
There has been some comment on social sites about the demise of the WMBBA contest. The association would love to run a contest and tried very hard to keep the contest at the Spa Centre in Leamington. The spiralling costs of the Spa Centre hire and insurance prevented the contest from coninuing there (the contest ran at a loss for its last few years in Leamington).
For the last few years, the contest has had to be cancelled simply due to the lack of interest from bands, not the lack of will on the part of the committee. You will appreciate that it is impossible to run a contest where only 5 bands wish to compete, with 1 or 2 in each section. Anectodatal evidence shows that there is no longer any appitite from bands for a contest of any form in this expensive era where the costs of attending outweigh any potential prize money.
The association has run other events such as the Youth Training Day and Funding Advice Days. Unfortunately, the apathy of bands to send their younger players means that again it is impossible to run the 2013 Youth Training Day where only half a dozen players have registered to attend – all events have a cost to run (Are you aware that one recetn training day was personally underwritten by a committe member to ensure it could go ahead?). Very few bands sent a representative to the recent BFBB funding discussion.
In terms of future events, you will of course be aware that the association has sent out to all band secretaries information and requests for feedback as to what bands want from the organisation. Again, the general apathy of bands means that the association received little / no response to this request & the committee cannnot second guess what bands want. If you are not aware, perhaps you shoudl speak to your band secretary and ask if they returned any feedback?
It is now several years since anyone outside of the current committee despite attempts and requests for volunteers. In my personal opinion, the association is at a tipping point – it wants to provide events or assitance to bands, but unless bands are willing to commit to something, then there is little point in the organisation trying to arrange events. This year may see somethign different in a ‘festival’ type of event for local bands, but again, unless bands are willing to commit, then this would be a pointless exercise in trying to arrange a festival.
The committee welcomes any ideas for future events (other than a contest!)