Ebony Steelband Cops 22nd Title as UK Panorama Champs - 2017 UK Panorama Results

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London, United Kingdom - The hugely-popular and community-supported annual UK Panorama played out successfully on August 26th to the delight of pan music lovers. They were there en masse, and actually had to be asked repeatedly and firmly by the MC, to move to the side to give their respective beloved steel orchestras the opportunity to perform and be heard optimally, allowing the judges—June Bacchus-Ifill, Ray Holman, Robert Bailey, Rudy “Two Lef” Smith and Annise “Halfers” Hadeed—the full benefit of their sound.

Defending champs Ebony Steelband, ninety-players strong, returned to the winner’s spot for the third year running, with arranger Duvone Stewart accomplishing the ‘hat-trick’ feat for the first time in the UK. For Ebony, it made for its 22nd (twenty-second) national title.  The Ebony Steelband music organization has now triumphed in both the UK Panorama and the Junior National competition this season, as the Ebony Juniors copped the Junior Panorama title less than two weeks ago.

It has been a trail of success for champion arranger Duvone Stewart, who had his first championship for the year in the medium steel orchestra category in the 2017 Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama with Pan Elders Steel Orchestra. He would follow this up with Starlift Steel Orchestra in the St. Vincent & the Grenadines National Panorama, and now Ebony in the UK.

Ebony Steelband at the 2017 UK National Panorama
Ebony Steelband at the 2017 UK National Panorama
 

Two players, including Delphina “Panness” James, first executed a moving one-minute tribute of the classic Bridge Over Troubled Waters in memoriam of the Grenfell Tower fire victims. Then, it was onto the business at hand - winning a Panorama. 

This was a classic Duvone Stewart production. There was flair, and theatrical drama. He incorporated various motifs - readily identifiable and including eastern, western and oriental influences to which the crowd raucously responded. His storytelling was outstanding and positioned in front the band, he himself punctuated the points of emphasis with grand flourishes, having both his musicians and the crowd along for the ride. Stewart himself appeared spiritually transcended at specific moments during Ebony’s performance - along with players equally so.  And when they were in the closing stages, it was here that Ebony exemplified the title of the song itself i.e. Far From Finished.  Stewart instituted pointed pauses, any of which could have been the last chords, until Ebony came back with the real finale - with the players singing “We Far From Finished, Woi” in triumph, to the delight of the audience.

Ebony’s musicianship was flawless, they executed the passages - they are veterans at their craft. They accomplished both Stewart’s musical vision, and their goal - the championship title; they were on fire and nailed it. Ebony and Stewart are a great fit for each other.

The first notes in the 2017 competition were struck while there was still light in the sky, by eventually second-placing band Metronomes.  The musical organization made history when they took the stage with 110 musicians—reportedly the largest in UK Panorama history—for their showcase of arranger Leroy Clarke’s version of Full Extreme.

Clarke, who was presumably also on drums, incorporated into his arrangement transitions were which smooth, and he made sure that the key elements of the song’s theme prevailed throughout.  Yellow t-shirts brought a glow to the panists’ stage presence, as they set the musical bar of professionalism for the evening. The band was tight, harmonic and essentially left pan lovers in musical ecstasy; they responded with resounding applause at the end, wanting more pan for the evening  which had only just begun.

A new Panorama entrant, Impact Steel Orchestra, was part of the original Panorama lineup and expected to perform in position number one, but was a no-show, which meant that seven, and not eight, steel orchestras were in the running for the title this year.

Second in the musical saddle was Endurance Steel Orchestra, one of two bands going with Peter Ram’s wildly popular Good Morning as arranged by Marlon Hibbert. Though smaller than the more established orchestras, Endurance’s players, pan lovers all, enjoyed their time in the spotlight after the many hours of practice they put in.

Mangrove Steelband at the 2017 UK National Panorama
Mangrove Steelband at the 2017 UK National Panorama

Mangrove Steelband which was last champion back in 2011, played as they placed in the 2017 competition - third. The orchestra gave tributes with clenched fists raised in the air to noteworthy people who had passed, such as Darcus Howe, and also for the recent and tragic Grenfell Tower fire victims, while expressing solidarity with its survivors.

Mangrove led off with champion arranger Andre White and their tune of choice, Full Extreme. The all-white clad panists kept things “jammin’,” both playing and dancing the part.

Phase One Steel Orchestra at the 2017 UK National Panorama
Phase One Steel Orchestra at the 2017 UK National Panorama

Competitor number four, Phase One Steel Orchestra, is itself a championship band, having won the National Panorama title exactly thirty years ago in 1987, at their first—and only—foray into Panorama until now.  With fifty-five musicians in its ranks on the Panorama stage, the Phillip family is at the core foundation of this organization, with Stephon Phillip taking the arranging reins as the band returned to the Panorama fold. With composer Kyle Noel’s funky Hold Dat Panstick as their tune of choice, believe that Phase One’s players did just that - unhesitatingly. Grooving from their very first notes, they laid down their musical declaration hoping to win on this, the thirtieth anniversary of their original championship.

Following Phase One in the penultimate position of the evening was Croydon Steel Orchestra, also with fifty-five players. Pajama-styled in their attire in keeping with the Good Morning theme, their musical attitude was nothing to ‘yawn’ at. They held their own as they invited the crowd to musically wake up and dance right along with them to the sounds of their Brent Holder-arrangement.

Southside Harmonics which last competed in Panorama back in 2009 gave a memorable account of themselves, with a solid, classic and well-structured arrangement of Rumble In The Jungle as conceived by Eustace Benjamin. They were the only band which did not have players ‘on the ground’ and instead all fifty-five musicians were elevated.  Southside Harmonics sounded their final notes at 11:35 p.m. local time, bringing the curtains down on an awesome evening of Pan in the UK.

Now this article should be solely about the excellence in pan, the pure enthusiasm and skill of the panists, and the passionate community support of the art form.

But it would be remiss not to mention the freaking ‘fotographers’ who were unabashedly and obnoxiously ‘part’ of the show, even as the cameraman streaming live tried repeatedly in vain to move from side to side in an effort to ‘cut’ them from view.  And the way it unfolded, at first it was maybe one who dared, then a couple trickled across - and then the floodgates opened, as all became emboldened. These individuals may love pan, but this is still a formal showcase; this behavior would not be condoned at ‘regular’ musical events. From those with cell phones dancing across, to the miscellaneous photogs walking in front and pausing for “stills,” to the homegrown “videographers” who selfishly walked across the entire band during their competition performance, it made for poor visuals of an otherwise sterling show. 

There were several, but of particular note was one egregious character attired in a distinctive white (of all colors!) t-shirt and black and white checkered pants.  He moved from time to time in front of the bands, becoming more invasive on each venture, until he found himself on stage within the players of at least three competitors - Endurance, Phase One and Southside Harmonics. Really.

Even though Panorama unfolds on this ‘informal’ stage on a street, the event organizers, BAS (British Association of Steelbands), must take control of their performance and production environment, and ensure these rogue individuals are efficiently removed or dissuaded from treating this as their personal backyard barbecue ‘lime’ - especially as BAS is endeavoring to share and capture performances for posterity.

The judges were ready with the results a short while after, and these were announced, with a three-way tie between Croydon, Endurance and Phase One steel orchestras for fifth place, while the remaining four bands occupied the top berths. Congratulations to all the participants for their show-stopping presentations after their days/weeks of rehearsals, and to BAS for their organization of this national marquis music event in the national calendar of the United Kingdom.


2017 UK National Panorama RESULTS

Result / score / play position  Band / Video Selection/
Performer
Arranger, Tuner, Manager
1st

283 pts



( #5 )
Ebony Steelband

Far from Finished

(“Voice”)

Arranger:
Duvone Stewart
Duvone Stewart


Tuner:
Dudley Dickson
 

Managers:
Albert Faustine
& Ashley Bullard
 
2nd

269 pts



( #1 )
Metronomes

Full Extreme

(“Ultimate Rejects featuring MX Prime”)

Arranger:
Leroy Clarke
Leroy Clarke


Tuners:
Toussaint Clarke & Grafton Yearwood


 Manager:
 Eversley Mills
 
3rd

266 pts



( #3 )
Mangrove Steelband

Full Extreme

(“Ultimate Rejects featuring MX Prime”)

Arranger:
Andre White
Andre White


Tuner:
Bertram “Birch” Kelman
Bertram “Birch” Kelman



 Manager:
  Debi Gardner
 
4th

237 pts



( #7 )
Southside Harmonics

Rumble in the Jungle

(Chuck Gordon)

Arranger:
Eustace Benjamin


Tuner:
Tony Charles


 Manager:
 Julian Gibbs
 
5th

227 pts



( #6 )
Croydon Steel Orchestra

Good Morning

(Peter Ram)

Arranger:

Brent Holder MBE


Tuner:
Emily Lemmerman
Emily Lemmerman



 Manager:
 Paul Dowie
 
5th

227 pts



( #2 )
Endurance Steel Orchestra

Good Morning

(Peter Ram)

Arranger:
Marlon Hibbert
Marlon Hibbert


Tuners::
Grafton Yearwood & Toussaint Clarke


 Manager:
 Shareen Gray
 
5th

227 pts



( #4 )
Phase One Steel Orchestra

Hold Dat Panstick
 
(Sheldon “Mocha” Martin)

Arranger:
Stephon Phillip
Stephon Phillip


Tuner:
Victor Phillip


 Manager:
Beverley Phillip
 

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