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Pan's Progress from Pleasance to Park
Written by : Stephen Spark
Location : London
Photographer : Peter Hogan
Posted : Sep 2, 2007 : 8:06:14 PM |
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After what seemed to be an entire summer of rain, it was relief to see the sun make a glorious appearance on Saturday 25 August to welcome Panorama to its new home in Hyde Park.
The first challenge was to find where the competition was happening. Advance publicity had been vague or simply wrong; the stage – and, yes, there really was a stage – turned out to be on the Park Lane side of the park roughly half-way between Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner. Those who entered from the HPC end came across the steel bands spread out alongside Rotten Row and the Serpentine. It certainly made a contrast with Kensal Road’s gritty urban street scene, and most people seemed to be enjoying the relaxed atmosphere in the park as the bands warmed up and entertained a mix of steelpan aficionados and casual passers-by.
Unless there is a radical rethink, you can be sure that next year the diehard pan enthusiasts won’t waste time with the warm-up and will head straight for the main performance area in an attempt to get a place next to the fence. Only the earliest arrivals stood a chance of actually seeing the bands, thanks to the wretched arrangements for ordinary spectators. This section of Hyde Park is flat – there is no convenient earth bank like the one at Horniman’s Pleasance and the direct view ahead is blocked by the judges’ tent – so most people only got a view of the back of fellow spectators’ heads. Many people complained that the sound was no better than the view, and even the VIPs hardly fared any better. A temporary stand is the obvious solution (if the Royal Parks would allow it), but there would obviously be a cost, which would lead to accusations of a free event being commercialised. And of course you can’t really dance on a stand. What we really need is a hill…
This year the choice of music was limited to just two tunes: Sharing Licks (composed by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and chosen by Ebony, Mangrove, Metronomes, Southside Harmonics and Stardust) and Band from Space (by Amrit Samaroo and performed by Croydon SO, Glissando, Pantasia and Real Steel). This made Smokey Joe’s job easier, playing the relevant track (vocals on both by Crazy) before each band’s performance, but some members of the audience apparently did not appreciate the repetition. Sharing Licks is a rather unexceptional track, similar to many that Crazy has performed over the years, so it was surprising that so many bands chose it in preference to the sweeter, more infectious melody of Band from Space. However, this did allow us to compare the the same tune under different arrangements – and how different they were.
After a guest performance from the ABC Brass Band from Rotterdam Carnival, Mangrove were first on, sounding as solid and heavy as ever, followed by Pantasia who gave us a joyful rendition of a very pleasing arrangement of Band from Space. Metronomes took the third slot, in front of Real Steel and then an excellent performance of Sharing Licks by Stardust. Even if technically perhaps they weren’t quite the tightest, Croydon SO gave us the most danceable version of Band from Space. Alone of all the bands, Southside Harmonics failed to make use of the stage, which may explain the “muddiness” of their sound; the physical arrangement of the band surely played a part in their disappointing results. Next up was Ebony, which had that extra polish and tightness – not to mention sheer verve – that have taken them to victory so often, although at times it took some effort to hear Sharing Licks under the complex arrangement. Closing the competition was Glissando, which sounded a little under-powered by contrast with the mighty Ebony.
The results were not too long in coming and were met with the usual mix of wild cheers and dark mutterings, as Ebony once again took the top spot – but only by two points from a deserving Stardust, followed by Mangrove.
Thanks are certainly due to whoever organised the weather, which greatly contributed to the success of the first Hyde Park Panorama, and, more seriously, to everyone who ensured the event ran smoothly. Their priority for next year is surely to find some way to offer a better view to far more people. Some maps and signs would be helpful too, particularly now that the event is in a more high-profile location and likely to attract people who never would have ventured to Horniman’s Pleasance after dark. It could be a wonderful opportunity to present steelpan to a whole new audience, explaining its unique history and offering bands a chance to recruit new players.
RESULTS
1. Ebony Steel Orchestra (264 points)
2. Stardust Steel Orchestra (263)
3. Mangrove Steelband (257)
4. Metronomes Steel Orchestra (255)
5. Pantasia Steel Orchestra (252)
6. Real Steel (246)
7. Croydon Steel Orchestra (245)
8. Glissando Steel Orchestra (228)
9. Southside Harmonics (211)
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