LH Pan Groove tops single-pan semi-final

Posted By: News
Date: Monday, 16 February 2004, at 3:42 p.m.

By Terry Joseph

INTRODUCING its selection "Look the Band Coming" with the blast of a horn so common to early "pan-round-the-neck" steelbands, La Horquetta (LH) Pan Groove trounced all comers to top Saturday night's semi-final round of Panorama's single-pan category.

Playing in position 29 of the 30 contesting bands and cleanly executing an arrangement by Duvonne Stewart that included an opening chorale by band members, LH Pan Groove scored 286 to surge ahead of second-placed Worldwide Steel Orchestra by a formidable 11 points.

Downtown Port of Spain was the venue for the single-pan semis, which began well after the scheduled 6 p.m. start, due to late closing of the route and conceptual conflict with another event being staged on the Brian Lara Promenade, Port of Spain normally the site of final rehearsal by competing bands.

A religious concert on the Promenade forced bands to find new areas for their critical final practice sessions, some choosing adjoining streets and forcing Pan Trinbago officials to hunt for them and consequently reconfigure the process by which they came to the City Hall venue for adjudication.

The bands were vying for 15 positions at the final of this category of Panorama, which takes place Wednesday from 7 p.m. at the Arima Velodrome.

Defending champions Angostura Woodbrook Playboyz, who performed Saturday night, were not judged at this stage of the contest, enjoying the option of automatic ascendancy to the final.

Even with LH Pan Gorrve's 11-point lead over Worldwide, several ties in the final 15, including a three-way split at position eight between The Original Woodbrook Modernaires, La Creole Pan Groove and Arima All Stars and two-way equality at positions six and 12, the distance between the topscorer and last placed TT Defence Force still only amounted to 22 points.

Although just slimly making it to the final, of major interest to pan historians was the return to the Panorama arena after a seven years hiatus by Tobago's Metro Stars, who scored 265 to reach position 14 in the smi final, which got done shortly after 1 a.m. yesterday.

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LH Pan Groove tops single-pan semi-final
News -- Monday, 16 February 2004, at 3:42 p.m.