Looking back on the day...

Looking back on the day...
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot

Well, it was quite a day. It always is. Plenty of players will tell
you that the Worlds is not the most enjoyable contest but it is the
top of the tree for all of us.

The Grade 1 qualifiers threw up a couple of slight upsets. I think
most people had expected the 78th Frasers back in the mix and
personally I doubt that Australia Highlanders should have got beyond
that stage.

Anyhow, it was great to see both Cullybackey and Ballycoan make it
through and they were sounding really well in the tuning areas.

I struggled to pull myself away from FM - even though they hold the
title for least fun band to watch tuning. They only ever seem to play
a couple of parts at most but they sound so great playing those
snatches that it hard to credit anyone besting them.

I wandered around and videoed some bits and pieces which I'll be
posting on YouTube over the start of next week.

Strathclyde Police sounded assured and Vale were about as good as I've
heard them in 10 years.

SFU just didn't strike me as the winners on the day but they are
certainly one of the great bands of our time. FM have suffered for
years through the perceived lack of a top flight drum corps. I thought
that prejudice had been laid to rest but I can't help being a little
disappointed to see how the crowd was sure once SFU had won the drums that it was all over. FM would be well down at the back and wouldn't be far enough ahead in the pipes.

The results overall were very good again for Ulster bands with the
Grades (and Drum Majors) dominated by NI talent. Ravara got a very
well deserved 2nd in Grade 2 - although I'm not sure they would relish
promotion next year.

I'll post a link to the full results later.

The photo above shows what could so easily have ruined the whole day.
The weather. We were very lucky. The early part of the day was quite
showery and yesterday was a total washout. But in the end today just
had a couple of showers to interfere with our music. Not too bad at
all - although a lot of people will be trying to get the mud out of
their socks for some time to come.

All in all it was another good Worlds and I just hope that next year
the big prize will be coming back "home".