A couple of changes were made to the event in 2007 - firstly, the venue from last year had been deemed unsuitable for it to be used again, so a new venue was found, this being the Kemnal Technology College in Sidcup, near Bromley. Also, an idea trialled a couple of years previously had been resurrected - the solo and team competitions (bugles and drums) used to be held on a separate day in a separate location, but were now brought into the same day, and a bell lyre competition was brought in to make the day a big event of all the London District Band competitions.
As the events were taking place over a few hours, not all of the Band had to travel at the same time, so the people in the solo and team competitions went first followed by the rest of the Band a bit later. For the first time in quite a number of years, the 3rd Enfield was represented in the Solo Drummer competition, in the form of L/Cpl Andrew Clarke.
As a Band it had also been decided that we wouldn’t be entering the Open Band competition this year, so as to focus on the remaining competitions. The 1st Enfield would of course be entering all of the solo and team competitions, as well as the Company Band competition. That competition in particular is for bandspeople from the same group, but as well as that they are also eligible for the Devonshire Cup. They decided not to enter the Musical Accuracy competition as a Company, but the joint Band did, for which the test piece was Roxburgh. This has to be played as well as a drum solo plus a march of our choice, which was Parsons Green - a challenge but we’d spent plenty of time learning it! The 1st’s Company Band would be playing Shamrock twice.
The 1st/3rd Band was first up and put in a good performance despite one or two small errors, and we were followed by the 1st Warley and then the 3rd Bromley. Last up in the competition was the 1st Enfield’s Company Band, who also put in a good performance. The Open Band, Junior Band and Zone Band competitions also took place afterwards, in which there was only one entrant in each. Soon after that, it was time for the results to be announced, which were as follows:
Devonshire Cup (Traditional Band competition) - single Companies also count for Company Band competition
1st Enfield 180
1st Enfield/Amicus/3rd Enfield 168.5
3rd Bromley 167.5
1st Warley 161
Don West Trophy (Musical Accuracy)
3rd Bromley 140.5
1st Enfield/Amicus/3rd Enfield 136
1st Orpington GB 131
1st Warley 126
Drum Major’s competition
3rd Bromley (A) 83
1st Enfield/Amicus/3rd Enfield 76
1st Orpington GB 75
3rd Bromley (B) 67
As well as that, the sole entrants in the remaining three competitions obviously won - the 1st Orpington GB in the Junior Band on 134 marks, the East Zone in the Zone Band on 171 marks, and the Pacemakers in the Open Band.
So in slightly controversial fashion, the joint Band had in fact lost both of the trophies it held, and in the Devonshrie Cup led to the slightly strange situation of the 1st and 3rd losing the competition to the 1st… this also meant that their Company Band won the Company Band competition, to add to winning both team competitions and all three solo competitions as well. It was alleged that some people were unhappy with the way marks were given, including one of the judges apparently being able to mark bands on music without looking at the music itself - whether that’s true or not I don’t know!
However, not a lot can be done in retrospect and despite the obvious disappointment, it’s up to us to win both trophies back next year! A positive from the competition also was Andrew coming fourth in the Solo Drummer competition, an excellent achievement considering the fact that it was his first time in the competition, let’s hope he can build on that next year! Written by Tom Boorman