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Just above are links to (Wind) (Guard) (Percussion) pages and these need to be filled with your contributions. So please start getting your submissions ready and email them to webmaster@marxmen-group.org or pass them to me at practice. All members contributions will be published. Some editing may be necessary but the degree of editing will be given.
Just a few photos of the (2007) and (2006) Finals and the preparation.
Nearly 2 years in the life of the Marxmen in 'photos and text
Please keep the photos coming in.
100's of photos here thanks to Steve
Quiz night at Panfield. Thanks to all that turned up for the evening
The calm of Maldon about to be disturbed (Now the start was delayed for allowing some late competitors to get to the starting point. The PA man decided that a 'Mexican' wave was required from the audience. So like all good time fillers he tried to start the 'Mexican' wave with a 3, 2,1, go. So like all good competitors the mud race started.... opps' a false start. Mr PA man must have fallen though the floor. Has anyone seen him since?)
The sealing of the "marigolds" given the final touch by Mr 'B'
The things some people will do for a shower
That's the 3rd one done and thinking about doing 2 next year
Alan Kidd says that this is not one his boats
George Yard
Presentation Evening (Tracy's photos) Just Click on Photo below.
Presentation Evening
(Sorry about poor lighting and resolution)
xmen's Program “Back to the 60’s” Score 72.6Mar
This was the last unit in this division, but still not to be missed. The guard suitably dressed, from “Carnaby Street”, in their dresses and caps look like they just stepped out of the past, and they worked this effect to the utmost. Big yellow flags took us through “Run around Sue” The musicians played like they were from the sixties too! With drills that were full of fun, and full of impact. The second number “Pretty Woman” slowed down but was no less effective, full on emotion with efforts towards character and emotion from the guard, music wailing out from start to finish. By now they decided to slow down and give the audience a slightly slower number of “When a Man loves a Woman”, musically it was fun, the guard had psychedelic flags with a star motif, with the front line and percussion pushing it along. Their drills continued to work the audience for every ounce of energy to the end.
If this class is how BYBA starts it’s Championships, the day will be jumping!! (Exert from British Youth Band Association's Finals Report)
Midland Impact Competition
Marxmen
Thanks to Kate
Colchester Competition
Presentation Night Awards 2006
O what a night! For a small band, you certainly know how to enjoy yourselves. The awards given out are as follows:
Musician of the year – Katie Turner
Percussionist of the year – Harry Muscutt
Colour Guard of the year – Jodie Baxter
Most Improved – Michaela Sharman & Charlotte Ardley
Bands Person of the year – Kayleigh Farrow
Bands Choice – Katie Barker
100% Attendance – Katie Barker and Aimee Livings
Poster Competition – Winner – Charlotte Boutell
Runner up – Katie Turner
Alternative Awards
Sexiest Male – Jamie Edwards and Paul Sanders
Sexiest Female – Kayleigh Farrow
Best Supporter (not a committee member) Mrs Turner
Best Committee – Mr B
Personality of the year – Katie Barker
Best Newcomer (1st competitive season) Jodie Baxter
Coach Clown – Danny Livings
Rear of the year – Paul Sanders
Old Timers – Paul Sanders and Tracy Livings
Special Presentations given to Aimee for 21st and Mr B for 70th.
Thanks to Kate Livings for the information.
Deal Carnival
MD on Holiday???
Thanks to Paradise - a rock'n'roll fable
Bocking Deanery
Ouse Valley Sounds Competition
Thanks to Mr 'B'
Valantine Disco
Thanks Mr 'B'
Maldon Mud Race
Pub Crawl
2 photos by Mr 'B'
Presentation Evening
2 new photos by Mr 'B'
George Yard and Sponsored Walk Photos by Mr B.
Halloween Photos (Thanks again to Pam)
Photo's of National Finals from Pam.
Scroll down for Tracy's account of Finals Day
Thanks to both
9th October 2005- BYBA National Finals
After a busy night, I wake up at 5:15am to the sound of mum moving around downstairs. My eyes didn’t really want to open …… or at least they didn’t until I realised what was happening today. It was the British Youth Band Association National Finals. The biggest date on any marching/show bands calendar. The day when all the hard work, the tears and the occasional disagreement are rewarded with a sense of pride and passion in the form of trophies.
All the uniforms had been checked several times the night before and everything was in the car ready to go. It wasn’t enough; I had just enough time for one last check. With everything accounted for, we leave the house and head for Springwood Car Park.
A weary eyed band was waiting to meet us. Well, 6:15am is very early in some cultures. Most of the band are in Pyjamas, a tradition I’m very proud to say I started, although a few have made the effort to get dressed! With our uniforms in a neat pile and our hatboxes and instrument cases in a cluster next to them, we wait patiently for the coach to arrive.
After a mad rush to get a ‘decent’ seat, the band settles down for the journey to Coventry. Whilst the committee load the coach, the register is being taken on the bus and we discover that we are missing a Drummer and to make things worse, it’s her first Finals!!!!!
With the first and only disaster of the day aborted and a complete band on board, we leave Braintree and prepare to listen to various tapes of similar songs including Don’t Stop Me Now, Rockin’ All Over The World and We Are The Champions, to name a few favourites. The coach is unusually quiet, this doesn’t last for long as the tape we have on at the moment includes a selection of Nursery Rhymes, courtesy of yours truly! Any cars passing would have seen a well-decorated coach with the people on it doing the movements to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and Greased Lightning. What they wouldn’t have noticed was that slowly but surely the very nervous marching band aboard was becoming very excited and the adrenaline was flowing nicely!
After what seemed like days, we arrived at Butts Park Football and Rugby Club in Coventry. The nerve centre of BYBA as it soon became known!
As soon as the band was signed in, it was a stampede in the toilet direction. It seemed like we only had time for a quick wonder, before we had to get changed but it was really two hours! Back at the coach the uniforms and instruments had been unloaded and were being collected by their owners. The coach had gone from being a form of transport to a dressing room for some 15 people. The drums being the boys they are, braved the cold and changed outside, leaving the girls to discuss the finer points of changing in public.
No sooner had myself and Marie called the band and drums together, a familiar face came over, wearing the mandatory high-visibility jacket to collect us and take us over to the arena. It was Sheila! We had met her at a few competitions during the season. She’s one of the many people who voluntarily give up their weekends over the summer months to make sure that contests all over the country run smoothly.
Once the Guard had finished frantically unravelling flags and fallen in at ease, a very broad northern accent sounded. It source? Sheila! “Good Morning Marxmen! Firstly congratulations and welcome to the National Finals” The previously quiet band, erupted into cheers and whistles and were taken to the side of the arena.
The band before us had just got onto the arena so we stood at ease waiting for our turn. We had been told to keep moving and noise to an absolute minimum. We had been there for a few minutes and we asked Janice to stay with us to police the drum section and because we needed a first aider on hand. No sooner had we asked her to stay, the nokia ring tone goes off. A very embarrassed band looks around in the attempt to find out who was so careless. It was Janice’s phone but, I hear you cry “who would phone her now, at such a crucial time” the answer.. Aimee! Phoning to wish us good luck and remind us that she loves us all………. And very nearly getting us disqualified!
The other band has finished, so we march over to the back of the arena. A man in a high-visibility jacket walks round to meet us “Be careful, the field is a little slippery, you should be ok though” He wasn’t joking either. We nearly had the whole band on the floor before we had even got to the arena.
With the warm-up a bit rusty but out of the way, we take a very slow and cautious march on to the arena. The crowd were unbelievable; I have never felt so proud. Marie took her salute and brought us to ready and I’m sure the band shared my thoughts. “Can’t march too fast, cant fall over on the first note” With the first phrase out of the way, I knew I was going to be ok and stay on my feet! We got to the end of the first tune and the visual felt so natural, where before it had been a bit awkward. The crowd erupted; it was the most amazing feeling! The second tune was moving and so soft and loving and the arena was working in our favour, it sounded so warm, from the sound you wouldn’t have believed there were only five musicians playing. Then the cringe factor kicked in. We were kneeling down, either side of the fifty yard marker on a field that felt worse than the Essex Show Ground (anyone who had marched there will understand) My original thought was “GREAT, one muddy knee, turnout will love that” Then I thought about the poor Colour Guard who sit down for most of that song! The final pose of the second tune got a stirring response from the audience. This was it, the finale of our 2005 show, Suddenly Seymour and my solo!!!! I have never felt so nervous. The week before I was having problems hitting the run ups and spent the whole week stressing about it. This was the point where the judges were going to tell me what they thought. Thankfully it went fine, well except for a bit of dribble somewhere in my instrument, but you couldn’t hear it. I couldn’t believe the sound I was hearing was coming from my instrument. It sounded great! We hit the new and improved pauses and oh my god the crowd made more noise than you could imagine. It wasn’t even the end of the show and they kept going until Marie had taken her final salute.
That was it, 2005 over and what a way to finish it. I left the field with the most overwhelming sense of passion, pride and, well, just emotion. My eyes welled up and as we got back to the coach Marie stood them at ease, all I had to say was “well” and the whole band, committee and supporters cheered and broke into tears. It was the most amazing feeling and an extraordinary sight. Paul, Simon and myself had spent all season telling them about this feeling and it was there, it was staring me in the face, they had found it!
We all got changed and made a dash to get the tapes and have a look at our video. It echoed what I had felt all along. It didn’t look like us…… we looked so sharp and really really good. I called Simon to let him know how we went and I couldn’t even put it into words.
Tracy Livings
Duck Race. 18th September 2005
Saturday 17th September
Photos taken at the Southern Youth Band Championships on 4th September 2005.
The Marxmen finished in 2nd place with a score of 620, their best performance this season.
Sunday 28th August 2005
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