For 2004 the pan fraternity is celebrating the 40^th Anniversary of Carnival as well as the 26^th Anniversary of the Notting Hill Panorama, ‘Champions of Steel’ competition.

In 1964, Rhaune Laslette the organiser of the inaugural Notting Hill Children’s Neighbourhood Festival invited the Russell Henderson Steelband to perform. Steelband music is the first recognised form of music to appear at the Carnival and in this iconic year of Carnival, Sterling Betancourt and Russell Henderson, who both appeared at that inaugural Carnival will appear with their steelbands, Nostalgia and Panectar, as guest orchestras.

Seven steel orchestras with over 500 pan musicians who have practiced for hundreds of hours will be playing thousands of pan instruments when they compete for the prestigious title of the Notting Hill Panorama ‘Champions of Steel 2004’. In addition, three steelbands, two traditional and one conventional, will appear as guest steelbands. 

With five of the seven steelbands choosing to play De Fosto’s, ‘War 2004’, it will certainly be a musical war on the night.  Mangrove Steelband are the defending champions and the mantle for their musical arrangement has fallen to the young and talented, Kyron Akal.  Besides Ebony’s arranger Anise ’Haffers’ Hadeed, who holds the world record as the only arranger to win Panorama thirteen times with nine consecutive wins; Glissando’s world recognised veteran arranger Rudy ‘Two Lef’ Smith and Southside Harmonics’s established musical director, Eustace Benjamin, the remaining arrangers are all young and will bring new life and enthusiasm into this competition.  It will be a night filled with a wealth of steelband music. 

ORDER OF APPEARANCE

1.          Stardust Steel Orchestra

2.          Croydon Steel Orchestra

3.          Ebony Steel Orchestra

4.          Real Steel Orchestra

5.          Southside Harmonics Steel Orchestra

6.          Mangrove Steel Band

7.          Glissando Steel Orchestra

2004 NATIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION

Participants

Stardust Steel Orchestra

Formed in 1983, the orchestra comprises of thirty to fifty players during the Panorama season and reduces to a smaller group for the rest of the year; their players come from local schools and community.  Over the past twenty years, they have appeared at every panorama competition except in 2001 when an unfortunate accident with their float prevented their participation. Stardust has achieved third place in the Notting Hill Panorama in 1986, 1987 and second in 1989. They celebrate their 21^st anniversary this year.

Manager:                       Rhonda & Adrian Baptiste

Arranger:                   Terry Boyd & Derek Homer

Tuner:                         Dudley Dickson

Captain:                     Tara Baptiste

Tune:                         War 2004

Pan Yard Address:  Acton Vale Community Centre, Beech Ave London W3

Practice Times:              Thurs/Fri:  7pm – 10pm

 Croydon Steel Orchestra

CSO was formed in the summer of 2000 after the Croydon Schools Steel Orchestra folded.  CSO consists of pan musicians from two regional area steel bands in the borough of Croydon namely Addington and Woodside.  They performed at the 2001 BAS Pan Explosion competition celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Steelpan in the UK.  In 2002, fifteen players from the band played with the much-acclaimed London All Stars Steel Orchestra at the Notting Hill Panorama, ‘Champions of Steel’ competition.   This valuable experience assisted CSO in capturing eight position at their first Panorama competition in 2003.

Manager:                      Paul Dowie

Arrangers:                    Paul Dowie

Tuner:                         Gerald Forsyth

Captain:                       Belinda Stevens

Tune:                         Ah Pay Meh Dues – De Fosto

Pan Yard Address:     Fairchildes Primary School, Fairchildes Ave, Croydon.

Practice Times:                         Mon – Fri – 4pm – 8:30pm

Ebony Steel Orchestra

Ebony, founded in 1968, lays claim to being “Europe’s finest”, have built a reputation for musical excellence both nationally and internationally winning the Notting Hill Panorama thirteen times with nine consecutive wins. In 2000 and 2002, they were crowned the European Champions of the European Steelband Music Festival and placed fourth and third respectively in the World finals held in Trinidad in October 2000/2002. Ebony has been at the forefront of steelband music for the past decade in Britain and runs a successful program for people with disabilities. Ebony celebrates their 36^th anniversary this year.

Director:                       Pepe Francis

Arranger:                     Anise‘Haffers’ Hadeed

Tuner:                         Dudley Dickson

Captain:                      Albert Faustin

Tune:                         War 2004

Pan Yard Address:         6 Acklam Road, London W10

Practice Times:                         Sun – Fri   8pm- 12pm

Real Steel Orchestra

From an eight-strong outfit in 1991, Real Steel has scaled the heights of professional success. After playing on the road at Notting Hill Carnival for seven years, Real Steel decided to compete in the 2002 Panorama contest for the first time. Its 45-50 players included ex-members of Real Steel and players from other bands in France, London, Thornbury, Bath, Portsmouth, and Swindon. Their rendition of the ‘Bomb’ earned them third place.  In the 2003 Panorama they achieved fifth place.  They celebrate their 13^th anniversary this year.

Manager:                     Julia Wilkins

Arranger:                     Leroy Clarke

Tuners:                       Toussaint Clarke

Captains:                     Sebastian Clarke

Tune:                         War 2004

Pan Yard Address:          The Soundhouse, Miller Way, Estover, Plymouth.

Practice Times:             Tues, Thurs and Sundays:  7pm - 12pm

Southside Harmonics Steel Orchestra

Formed in 1979, they were formerly called Lambeth Community Youth Steelband, the band recruits its members from schools in the South London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon and Wandsworth.  They achieved third place in 1994/ 1995 and fourth in 1993/1996 in the Notting Hill Panorama competition.  They won the ‘On the Road’ competition in 1994/1995 whilst placing second in 1992.  They returned to the competition in 2003 after a two-year break and were adjudged 10^th in the Panorama. Southside celebrates their 25^th anniversary this year.

Manager:     Julian Gibbs

Arranger:                         Eustace Benjamin

Tuner:                         G.P – ‘Blue Boy’

Captain:                         Julian Gibbs

Tune:                         War 2004

Pan Yard Address:                         Willington Adventure Playground, Willington Road, London SW4

Practice Times:                         Wed & Fri:  7pm – 10p.m

 Mangrove Steel Band

Mangrove was formed in 1980 by Trinidadians in the Ladbroke Grove area who wanted to keep the music and culture of the Caribbean alive.  Since then the band has gained great success in the Notting Hill Panorama championships over the years, winning on six occasions and runners up six other times, they are the “Millennium Champions of Steel”.  Being very active in the Notting Hill Carnival has seen them win various prizes from “Best Band on the Road” to “Biggest Band on the Road”.  Mangrove is acclaimed to be the most traveled band in Europe and is the defending Panorama Champions. Mangrove celebrates their 24^th anniversary this year.

Manager:                         Matthew Phillip

Arranger:                         Kyron Akal

Tuners: 

Captain:                         Andrew Facey & John David

Tune:                         War 2004

Pan Yard Address:  The Tabernacle, Powis Square, London W11

Practice Times:                         Sun – Fri:  8pm – 2am

Glissando Steel Orchestra

Formed in 1978 by Bertrand Parris, Glissando Steel Orchestra is a leading light in the Caribbean community in Britain.  They are proud to be the only steel orchestra that has the first purpose built sound proofed panyard in Britain. They won the first GLC Capital Radio Music Festival in 1983 and went on to capture the title for the next two consecutive years, the only band to achieve this distinction. The Orchestra is recognised as being talented, innovative and highly professional. They achieved second place in the 1997 Panorama competition and captured third place in 1978, 1999, 2000 and 2003. Glissando celebrates their 26^th anniversary this year.

Manager:                         Chris Cox

Arranger:                         Rudy ‘Two Lef’ Smith

Tuners:                         Clifford Alfred

Captain:                         Chris Cox

Tune:                         Jamboree

Pan Yard Address: Venture playground, 103a Wornington Road, London, W10 Practice Times:           Mon – Fri: 7pm – 12pm.  Sun: 3pm - 8pm

NATIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION

Guest Bands

Nostalgia Steel Orchestra

Nostalgia represents the traditional aspects of steelpan with their

Manager/Arranger Sterling Betancourt, 73, a pioneer of steelpan music, has performed at every carnival since he was first invited in 1964. More at steelpan_history by bbc.co.uk

 ‘pan-round-neck’ steelband. They were the first to inject the Trinidadian aspect of carnival into the original Notting Hill Procession in 1964 by playing in the streets. Nostalgia professes of it’s cosmopolitan make up as they have members coming from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, U.K, Canada, India, U.S.A and of course the Caribbean.  Once they hit the road, they draw people to them like “Pied Pipers” many of whom eventually join the band because of the enjoyment they found.

Manager:                         Sterling Betancourt

Arranger:                         Sterling Betancourt

Pan Yard Address:          Maxilla Social Club, Maxilla Road, London W11

Panectar Steel Orchestra

Formed in 1998, their intention was to get together and have fun at Carnival with their families. They adopted the single pan band status owing to the length of the carnival route and their ages. The band has taken on a life of its’ own as the younger family members joined in. They now have a core of 15-20 very committed people who practise weekly. Panectar appeared at the 2003 Panorama and was billed to appear at the 2002 panorama but owing to technical difficulties were unable to do so.

Manager:                         Panectar Committee

Arranger:                         Miguel Barradas

Pan Yard Address:  95 Sirdah Road, London, W11

Birmingham School of Pan

BSP was founded in 2003 by Phillip ‘Jamma’ Stewart and their mission statement is ‘teaching the true art of playing pan’. A lot of the band’s success is due to 98% of their membership being born in the Caribbean. They have a current membership of 35 full time members and have enjoyed Radio and TV coverage; recent performances include Symphony Hall, ICC Birmingham, BBC Radio West Midlands Easter Music Concert and Birmingham Carnival. BSP will be under some vigorous training, over the next few years in preparation for their appearance at the Notting Hill Panorama, ‘Champions of Steel’ competition.

Manager:                         Phillip ‘Jamma’ Stewart

Arranger:                         Jamma

Pan Yard Address:                         To be advised

Year

1st

2^nd

3rd

1978

Paddington Youth

Metronomes

Glissando

1979

Metronomes

Paddington Youth

Ebony

1980

London All Stars

Ebony

Metronomes

1981

Metronomes/Mangrove

London All Stars

1982

Metronomes

Ebony

London All Stars

1983

Ebony

Metronomes

Mangrove

1984

Metronomes

Ebony

Mangrove

1985

London All Stars

Mangrove

Ebony

1986

Mangrove

Ebony

Stardust

1987

Phase 1

London All Stars

Stardust

1988

Ebony

Metronomes

Mangrove

1989 (Bromyard)

London All Stars

Stardust

1989 (INC)

Ebony

Mangrove

Metronomes

1990

Mangrove

Ebony

Metronomes

1991

Ebony

Mangrove

London All Stars/North Stars

1992

Ebony

Mangrove/Metronomes

Pantonic

1993

Ebony

Metronomes

Mangrove

1994

Ebony

Pantonic

Lambeth Youth

1995

Ebony

Pantonic

Lambeth Youth

1996

Ebony

Eclipse

Mangrove

1997

Ebony

Glissando

Eclipse

1998

Ebony

Southside

Eclipse

1999

Ebony

Mangrove

Glissando

2000

Mangrove

Ebony

Glissando

2001

Ebony

Mangrove

Metronomes

2002

Mangrove/North Stars

Real Steel

2003

Mangrove

Ebony

Glissando