Pan Elders claim seventh Medium Band title

Shane Su­perville

Pan El­ders Steel Or­ches­tra se­cured a sev­enth Medi­um Band Fi­nals ti­tle ear­ly Tues­day morn­ing, edg­ing past Courts Sound Spe­cial­ists of Laven­tille in a tight­ly con­test­ed show­down.

The San Fer­nan­do-based band topped the field with 289 points, five ahead of Sound Spe­cial­ists on 284. Both bands trad­ed leads through the com­pe­ti­tion, with Sound Spe­cial­ists ahead af­ter pre­lim­i­nar­ies be­fore Pan El­ders moved in front at the se­mi-fi­nal stage.

Pan El­ders de­liv­ered a win­ning per­for­mance of Ma­gi­cian (I com­mand you), the 1999 Road March hit by An­tiguan so­ca group Burn­ing Flames. The pre­sen­ta­tion fea­tured Kess the Il­lu­sion­ist, who thrilled the au­di­ence by pro­duc­ing a white dove from a paint­ing and lat­er mak­ing the band’s con­duc­tor dis­ap­pear.

Arranger Ojay Richards said the vic­to­ry re­flect­ed months of sac­ri­fice and care­ful prepa­ra­tion, adding that song choice played a de­ci­sive role as the arrange­ment aligned close­ly with the orig­i­nal com­po­si­tion and tem­po.

Medi­um Con­ven­tion Band Fi­nal Re­sults

- The Pan El­ders Steel Or­ches­tra -289 points

- The Courts Sound Spe­cial­ists of Laven­tille - 284 points

- Pam­beri Steel Or­ches­tra - 278 points

- Cou­va Joy­lan­ders and Ari­ma An­gel Harps - 275 points

- Dix­ieland Stee Or­ches­tra - 272 points

- San­gre Grande Cordettes - 269 points

- Sforza­ta Steel Or­ches­tra - 268 points

- Steel Ex­plo­sion Steel Or­ches­tra - 267 points

- Curepe Scherzan­do Steel Or­ches­tra - 265 points