Two of four semi-final leaders in their respective groupings were toppled Saturday night, as the 2006 Steelband Panorama competition climaxed with Digicel Phase II Pan Groove displacing Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars in the large band category and, at the same event, Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille losing its berth to Sforzata.
By Terry JosephThe Phase II triumph was doubly significant, not only representing ascendancy to the top spot after 18 years, during which the Woodbrook band was six times second-placed and five times third, but repeating the double scored in 1987 and 1988 with another pair of consecutive victories.
But overall, it was yet another laborious pan marathon at the Queen's Park Savannah,Port of Spain although the ultimate playoff for large and medium conventional orchestras, which sold out the Grand Stand and enjoyed stout patronage of the North Stand, didn't last 18 hours like the semi-final round at the same venue two weeks earlier, Saturday's final punished punctual patrons for some seven hours; getting underway some 55 minutes later than its advertised start time of 7 p.m.
First up was medium band Sangre Grande Cordettes, one of its soprano pan players performing the national anthem without removing his headgear, an oversight frowned upon by Pan Trinbago president Patrick Arnold, betimes lamenting a much larger negligence on the part of one of his executive members, who forgot to install some $15,000 worth of commissioned signage intended to remind the audience that Panorama 2006 was a tribute to (the late) master arranger, Clive Bradley.
Nonetheless, the show was underway with Cordettes giving a spirited account of BJ Marcelle's arrangement of Kitchener's 1974 hit, "Jericho", in spite of the glaring spelling error of the song's title on their banner, earning the night's first ovation for group performance.
The cellar slot was reserved for Harmonites, who played next, doing Mark Loquan's "Colours Again" (sung by Destra), then there was Parry's Pan School with Selwyn Paul's "Do It for Kitch", taking us up to 9 pm when Clico Sforzata took the stage to interpret Yohan Popwell's work on Baron's vintage hit, "This Melody Sweet", which would take the band to top berth.
The three band per-hour ratio had been established. HCL Valley Harps, under the baton of a lively Michelle Huggins-Watts entertained us next with "This One's For You, Bradley" (a composition by Len "Boogsie" Sharpe and Anthony "Lexo" Alexis), followed by Courts Laventille Sound Specialists with Ken "Professor" Philmore's arrangement of "Colours Again", before bmobile Arima Angel Harps rendered Godwin Bowen's work on Scrunter's "Woman on the Bass" and Excellent Stores Silver Stars played Edwin Pouchet's variations on the self-composed "High on De Pan" (vocalised by Eunice Peters).
First up among the large conventional orchestras was Sagicor Exodus. They did Pelham Goddard's arrangement of Destra's "Max it Up", a much improved rendition.
In what was already becoming a long night, bpTT Renegades came to us at 11.40 p.m. but failed to generate its usual level of excitement, not for want of on-stage energy in executing Dr Jit Samaroo's take on De Fosto's "Judgement Day". PCS Starlift, easily the success story of Panorama 2006, lifted the crowd in a fashion that brought back memories of their 1978 victory with Sparrow's "Du Du Yemi".
A revitalised Starlift, again under the musical command of Ray Holman, dressed in scarlet suit and matching hat, delivered a performance that riveted the Grand Stand crowd, invoking a comment made to this reporter by Holman at the advent of the season, suggesting that better instruments and more dexterous players could have pulled of a win with his arrangement of the self-composed "If We Really Want."
Although TCL Group Skiffle Bunch had virtuoso Liam Teague develop its arrangement of "Colours Again", delivery just wasn't there, leaving the band to tie for last place with fellow San Fernando legend, NLCB Fonclaire who, playing at position seven, rendered Darren Sheppard's treatment of another Mark Loquan song (with Clarence Morris) "Good Times".
The lights went up on Trinidad All Stars shortly after 1 am and the Duke Street, Port of Spain band injected much fire into De Fosto's "Soca Warriors", which was arranged by Leon "Smooth" Edwards but, although it had taken them to the top of the standings at the end of rounds one and two, judges at the final event were not of the same sympathy, as was the case with Witco Desperadoes, who followed with an arrangement of De Fosto's "Tribute to Bradley" by Eddie Quarless. On Saturday night, it was Phase II's "This One's For You, Bradley" that would take top honours and in majestic fashion.
FINAL STANDINGS
Large Conventional Orchestras
1. Digicel Phase II - 470.5
2. Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars - 469
3. PCS Starlift - 457
4. Sagicor Exodus - 452
5. Witco Desperadoes - 449
6. bpTT Renegades - 447
7. TCL Group Skiffle Bunch - 438
8. NLCB Fonclaire - 438
Medium Conventional Orchestras
1. Sforzata - 469.5
2. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille - 466
3. HCLValleyHarps - 462
4. Excellent Stores Silver Stars - 450
5. Arima Angel Harps - 450
6. Parry's Pan School - 444
7. Sangre Grande Cordettes - 436
8. Harmonites - 432
Small Conventional Orchestras
1. Merrytones - 440.5
2. Pan Elders - 436
3. Siparia Deltones - 427.5
4. Crescendoes Musical - 425.5
5. Tamana Pioneers - 416.5
6. Point Fortin Starland - 414
7. Southern Marines - 408.5
8. Fascinators Pan Symphony - 393.5
Single Pan Bands
1. La Horquetta Pan Groove - 279.5
2. Arima All Stars - 272.5
3. Defence Force - 268.5
4. St James Tripolians - 257
5. TrinidadNostalgic - 255
6. Shades in Steel - 252.5
7. Laventille Serenaders - 252.5
8. Peake's Scrunters Pan Groove - 252
