Also watched on-line which didn't get the early bit - just caught the last two Dartry tunes. The stream also failed after the Fermanagh band played and only came on again for the last couple of Triogue tunes. Having missed so much I may not be in the best position to judge the outcome but I was very impressed with what I heard of Triogue. Anyway I think the adjudicators aren't too far out as any of the top three could have won.
I think the overall standard is very high and you don't hear weak bands anymore - the American bands were very impressive and I've been told that Glasgow's St Roch's put in a strong performance. And what about the filler act at the end? The Paddy O'Brien memorial band were mighty!
I thought Fermanagh were robbed of a spot, I also felt that the two American bands played it too safe. Overall a very high standard. The best craic was reading the input on USTREAM, nothing if not parochial.
"at the end of the day, who really cares about competitions? its a pointless exercise really" - if it weren't for competitions we wouldn't have been treated to nearly three hours of top class (much better than you get on the Late Late and various other TV shows) entertainment at very little cost. Long live the Fleadh!!
It's been a long time since I was at a band competitiuon...but, last year at the Ennis trad fest saw it all unfold before my eyes.What drama! Someone should do a "big brother "on a band comp!
I was at the competition last night, great nights entertainment. Standard of bands really went up this year with a lot of young new bands. I think Shannon Vale were robbed of first place, there was such a difference in volume, power and life having them follow the Dartry. Apparently there was only 1 point in the difference.
Thanks for the Johnny Canning clip- wonderful playing that came second in 2008.
I take fiddleruari's point- in the long run, 'winning' in music is a nonsense. Expert judges or not, there's too great an element of subjectivism involved, and sometimes, one suspects, a hidden cultural agenda. Trouble is, it's not like rugby, where everyone can see the tries being scored.
My worry is for the younger kids who might be put off if they feel an injustice has been done to them. There was a case in point at the All Britain this summer- a little girl, with a distictly non-Irish name, who was told there was nothing between her and the winner, and who was given second, when she seemed clearly the better candidate. I hope she will come back again just to prove her point, but I wouldn't blame her for calling it a day.
All results are given over on the Comhaltas site at:- http://media.comhaltas.ie/docs/results/AllIrelandResults2009.pdf. Have to agree with P-K that adjudicators are not infallible and ocasionally one may question a particular result. But then all competitors are equally subject to the vagaries of the system so one can't say that it's unfair. It's particularly important that teachers and mentors brief their students on sensible attitudes to competition so that they don't become adversely affected by not winning and emphasise that it's the music that really matters at the end of the day.
Interestingly, when you look in detail at results, there is often what seems to be a 'swings and roundabouts' effect over a couple of years, with the best few youngsters entering, say, the slow air, duo, fiddle competitions, and the top prizes being in effect shared around.
One suspects some attempt at overall fairness on the part of the judges here, faced, as they often are, by a nigh on impossible task. What you say about mentors inculcating the right attitude is spot on, Bannerman. There are important, sometimes painful, life lessons for children to be learnt here.
With the younger competitors (step dancers, for instance) I feel in some cases there must be an unhealthy element of parental "pushing", not just ordinary encouragement. You see this happening in other areas - swimming, gymnastics, tennis for example.
I think the only rationale for serious competition in music (and even this is debatable) is at the professional classical level where it is effectively used to decide who can sign lucrative deals the very next day for major recording contracts, continental tours, and TV and radio broadcasting. Perhaps it is the only real way in these modern times to distinguish the best players who are now ready to step onto the top rungs and do the business immediately from those who clearly have potential but aren't quite ready yet.
P-K points out that judges in music competitions have an unenviable task; no matter what they do someone is going to be upset. But I once saw a judge take a tough and unexpected decision in a high-level music competition, and no-one dared argue with him.
The judge was the cellist Paul Tortelier, adjudicating an international cello competition in Bristol - the sort of competition for young professionals where a gold medal is VERY useful on a CV.
I was seated not far from Tortelier and could see that he was getting more and more fretful as finals of the competition progressed. The reason became clear when he announced the results. He said that because he was most dissatisfied with the overall standard of the finalists no-one was worth a first place gold medal, so instead he would only award joint second place silver medals to the two best players. There was a stunned silence in the hall as that news sunk in. As I said, no-one argued with the result, and the general opinion afterwards was that it was the best possible decision.
The French have a deserved reputation for high standards and rigour in marking almost anything, but the mind boggles at someone as seemingly cerebral as Tortelier adjudicating an Irish music competition- not that lazyhound is suggesting that. In fact, I wonder if it isn't a prerequisite that adjudicators be Irish, at least in some degree. This sounds atavistic and vaguely fatuous, but how else could they fathom those mystic gradations betwen good/better/best- without having grown with it?
I'm sure medals and titles are equally as important to youngsters trying to make a name in Irish trad, as they are to classical players, so adjudicators bear quite a weight, given the incredibly high overall standard, and the levels of expectation of parents and children alike. A very difficult tightrope to tread.
All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
The 2009 Céilí Band competition results from Tullamore were:
1st - Dartry (Sligo)
2nd - Shannon Vale (Kerry)
3rd - Triogue - Laois
# Posted on August 23rd 2009 by Bannerman
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
fair play to you bannerman! watched online, could not really hear results, i had my money on shannon vale, they were great, how about you?
# Posted on August 23rd 2009 by lotlotlot
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
And congratulations to Johnny Canning from Glasgow who won the senior fiddle competition. Here is a video of him from last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Pb-ZAWoZk
# Posted on August 23rd 2009 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Also watched on-line which didn't get the early bit - just caught the last two Dartry tunes. The stream also failed after the Fermanagh band played and only came on again for the last couple of Triogue tunes. Having missed so much I may not be in the best position to judge the outcome but I was very impressed with what I heard of Triogue. Anyway I think the adjudicators aren't too far out as any of the top three could have won.
I think the overall standard is very high and you don't hear weak bands anymore - the American bands were very impressive and I've been told that Glasgow's St Roch's put in a strong performance. And what about the filler act at the end? The Paddy O'Brien memorial band were mighty!
# Posted on August 23rd 2009 by Bannerman
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
I should have thanked Clareman and Feargal French for their links post as otherwise I would have missed the competition.
# Posted on August 23rd 2009 by Bannerman
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
at the end of the day, who really cares about competitions? its a pointless exercise really.
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by fiddleruairi
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
'at the end of the day, who really cares about competitions? its a pointless exercise really.'
Isn't that what they said about Usain Bolt?
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Joel McDermott
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
I thought Fermanagh were robbed of a spot, I also felt that the two American bands played it too safe. Overall a very high standard. The best craic was reading the input on USTREAM, nothing if not parochial.
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Patkiwi
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Terrible coverage on USTREAM I thought.
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Patkiwi
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
"at the end of the day, who really cares about competitions? its a pointless exercise really" - if it weren't for competitions we wouldn't have been treated to nearly three hours of top class (much better than you get on the Late Late and various other TV shows) entertainment at very little cost. Long live the Fleadh!!
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Bannerman
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Congratulations to all, any idea when the full list of results will be posted?
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Button Box
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
It's been a long time since I was at a band competitiuon...but, last year at the Ennis trad fest saw it all unfold before my eyes.What drama! Someone should do a "big brother "on a band comp!
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by downey
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
The fulll results:
http://www.fleadh2009.com/results-torthai
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Thanks!
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Button Box
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
The Dartry Band playing in the competition last year . 2nd Place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ApBaN8Fzc
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Free Reed
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
I was at the competition last night, great nights entertainment. Standard of bands really went up this year with a lot of young new bands. I think Shannon Vale were robbed of first place, there was such a difference in volume, power and life having them follow the Dartry. Apparently there was only 1 point in the difference.
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by fiddler08
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Fair play to Johnny Canning - it's about time he got the top spot. Lovely player.
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Robert Ryan
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Thanks for the Johnny Canning clip- wonderful playing that came second in 2008.
I take fiddleruari's point- in the long run, 'winning' in music is a nonsense. Expert judges or not, there's too great an element of subjectivism involved, and sometimes, one suspects, a hidden cultural agenda. Trouble is, it's not like rugby, where everyone can see the tries being scored.
My worry is for the younger kids who might be put off if they feel an injustice has been done to them. There was a case in point at the All Britain this summer- a little girl, with a distictly non-Irish name, who was told there was nothing between her and the winner, and who was given second, when she seemed clearly the better candidate. I hope she will come back again just to prove her point, but I wouldn't blame her for calling it a day.
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by P-K
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
All results are given over on the Comhaltas site at:- http://media.comhaltas.ie/docs/results/AllIrelandResults2009.pdf. Have to agree with P-K that adjudicators are not infallible and ocasionally one may question a particular result. But then all competitors are equally subject to the vagaries of the system so one can't say that it's unfair. It's particularly important that teachers and mentors brief their students on sensible attitudes to competition so that they don't become adversely affected by not winning and emphasise that it's the music that really matters at the end of the day.
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Bannerman
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Here are some selections from the winning Dartry céilí band played at the 2008 Fleadh, also in Tullamore, where they came second.
Barn Dance:-
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_281_4_dartry_ceili_band/
Reels:-
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_276_1_dartry_ceili_band/
Jigs:-
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_274_1_dartry_ceili_band/
Interesting to see the comment on 1 October 2008 “Next year’s winners?” from Maria Murphy – did she have a crystal ball?
# Posted on August 24th 2009 by Bannerman
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Interestingly, when you look in detail at results, there is often what seems to be a 'swings and roundabouts' effect over a couple of years, with the best few youngsters entering, say, the slow air, duo, fiddle competitions, and the top prizes being in effect shared around.
One suspects some attempt at overall fairness on the part of the judges here, faced, as they often are, by a nigh on impossible task. What you say about mentors inculcating the right attitude is spot on, Bannerman. There are important, sometimes painful, life lessons for children to be learnt here.
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by P-K
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
Who were the adjudicators for the senior band competition?
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by london lass
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
With the younger competitors (step dancers, for instance) I feel in some cases there must be an unhealthy element of parental "pushing", not just ordinary encouragement. You see this happening in other areas - swimming, gymnastics, tennis for example.
I think the only rationale for serious competition in music (and even this is debatable) is at the professional classical level where it is effectively used to decide who can sign lucrative deals the very next day for major recording contracts, continental tours, and TV and radio broadcasting. Perhaps it is the only real way in these modern times to distinguish the best players who are now ready to step onto the top rungs and do the business immediately from those who clearly have potential but aren't quite ready yet.
# Posted on August 25th 2009 by lazyhound
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
P-K points out that judges in music competitions have an unenviable task; no matter what they do someone is going to be upset. But I once saw a judge take a tough and unexpected decision in a high-level music competition, and no-one dared argue with him.
The judge was the cellist Paul Tortelier, adjudicating an international cello competition in Bristol - the sort of competition for young professionals where a gold medal is VERY useful on a CV.
I was seated not far from Tortelier and could see that he was getting more and more fretful as finals of the competition progressed. The reason became clear when he announced the results. He said that because he was most dissatisfied with the overall standard of the finalists no-one was worth a first place gold medal, so instead he would only award joint second place silver medals to the two best players. There was a stunned silence in the hall as that news sunk in. As I said, no-one argued with the result, and the general opinion afterwards was that it was the best possible decision.
# Posted on August 26th 2009 by lazyhound
Re: All-Ireland Céilí Band Results
The French have a deserved reputation for high standards and rigour in marking almost anything, but the mind boggles at someone as seemingly cerebral as Tortelier adjudicating an Irish music competition- not that lazyhound is suggesting that. In fact, I wonder if it isn't a prerequisite that adjudicators be Irish, at least in some degree. This sounds atavistic and vaguely fatuous, but how else could they fathom those mystic gradations betwen good/better/best- without having grown with it?
I'm sure medals and titles are equally as important to youngsters trying to make a name in Irish trad, as they are to classical players, so adjudicators bear quite a weight, given the incredibly high overall standard, and the levels of expectation of parents and children alike. A very difficult tightrope to tread.
# Posted on August 26th 2009 by P-K