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The Steelband from Formation to Stage Presentation;
Criteria Used
for Judging Steelbands at National Competitions
David Waddell,
Media Presenter &
International Judge for Steelband Competitions
My experience in steelpan commenced with the Invaders Steelband
under the watchful eyes of Ellie Manette and Gerald Forsyth, alongside players such as Emmanuel “Cobo Jack” Riley, Errol Zephryne,
Ray Holman, Winston “Bee” Phillips and Roy Rollock and others.
In 1962, while still relatively young (22 years
old), I was appointed as the leader of the Invaders Steelband stage
side, but subsequently went over to Starlift in 1963 and, by 1966 I
was appointed as the leader of the latter band. Between 1967 and
1969, I led Starlift to second place, and the Trinidad National
Panorama victory in 1969. From 1972 to 1978, I was leader of Third
World, but was soon forced to leave mainstream pan through family
commitments and never did return thereto.
During my tenure in the steelband movement I was
at the forefront of the note placement revolution and was
responsible for the modification of the Ellie Manette’s second pans
to its modern form, which is now used extensively in the U.S.A. and
in the U.K. This system of note placement is used in all double
pans, for example, double tenors, guitars, etc. Unification of the
three pans – cellos, tenor basses (all diminished) and the four pans
(tenor bass and cellos) all augmented a la second pans are also
included in the exercise.
On my return to the steelband movement, I became
a radio and television announcer and a judge, and to this day
continue to be a judge at the Panorama and other steelband
competitions both at home and in the U.K.
During this presentation, I will speak on the
steelband from formation to stage presentation. That is, what the
judge should be guided by and what the judge should look for in a
stage presentation - the count; the introduction; the blending of
the pans; pan positioning on stage; balance; blending of tones to
produce a particular sound; tone; choice of tune; arrangement; the
story-line; ideas; sequence of ideas; the build-up to a climax;
rhythm; mood of the music; player performance; clarity and
conclusion. In this I hope to cover all the necessary areas in the
judging scenario.
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Programme