Preview: 2024 Regionals
2024 is well underway and this year’s Regional contests are rapidly bearing down on us. Bands across the country have been working hard on the five test pieces which will determine the grading tables for the next year. First up, as always, is the North West this Saturday, 25th February, at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, before Yorkshire and The Midlands on 2nd & 3rd March, West of England and Scotland on 9th & 10th March and concluding with the North of England, London & Southern Counties and Wales on 16th & 17th March. I love the Regionals. The whole idea of a weekend devoted to banding and socialising is one I enjoy tremendously. Contests are about more than just the one weekend though, with preparation having been ongoing for weeks. The test pieces were announced last autumn and bands will have had half an eye on them from that point onwards; a quick run through at the end of a rehearsal before taking the part home to look at tricky corners. Get through the Christ