There was a time, years ago, there was no formal limit as to how many musicians took the stage for Panorama in a steel orchestra. 

That changed, and now - there is a limit of 120. Why?  And who benefits? 

And are there any large bands/music franchises who wish to see this current limit for Panorama done away with - meaning - gone?

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  • For the ever effervescent Claude whom (and not only), most amusedly on this Forum, appears to support supposition over research, although admittedly he did get the right number (ent!); here is an authentic update note on steelband sizes for the 2020 TT Panorama season. :-)

    From:
    PANORAMA RULES AND REGULATIONS 2020
    4th October 2019, PAN TRINBAGO INC. T.C.

    Section:
    5. PARTICIPATION

    5.2 Category of participants in the National Steelband Panorama:

      1. There shall be four (4) categories of steelbands for the purposes of the National Steelband Panorama.
      2. The categories of steelbands shall be as follows:
        1. Large Conventional Steelbands,
        2. Medium Conventional Steelbands,
        3. Small Conventional Steelbands,
        4. Single Pan Steelbands.
      3. Conventional steelbands shall be permitted to play with the minimum of players as registered in the various categories for 2020.
      4. The number of players permitted to perform in each conventional category shall be as follows:

    CATEGORY

    PRELIMS

    SEMI-FINAL

    FINAL

    Large

    100 - 125

    100 - 125

    100 - 125

    Medium

    70 - 90

    70 - 90

    70 - 90

    Small

    40 - 60

    40 - 60

    40 - 60

      1. Single Pan Steelbands - Single pan bands shall be permitted to perform in respective categories and such with such numbers of players as follows:

    CATEGORY

    PRELIMS

    SEMI-FINAL

    FINAL

    SPB's

    25 – 35

    25 – 35

    25 – 35

  • The LIMIT is 125 -- according to KEITH DIAZ!!!

    And the man is SO HISTORICALLY INFORMED IN PAN -- AH WANT TO BAWL!!!

    • I wonder what the statue of limitation is on past ganstas?  Where did the $62,000,000 go?  hmm? Just asking for a friend?

      bugs

  • The new 2004 panorama format is flawed. Many medium bands can easily compete and out perform Birdsong, Nightingales and Silver Stars. We have noticed this for the past few years. When making changes, one need to investigate which takes some time, not haphazardly implementing something because ‘I am in charge and let’s do this’. Nonsense. This should be added, the winner of the Medium band move up and last place in large band demoted to Medium category. Why this was not in place Jeremy?

    • patrick..while promotion and relegation is fair and logical, it could only work in the real world...Not in Trinidad Panorama where arrangers are allowed to prepare a band in each category of the competition (some have been known to beat the system) and players as well are allowed to represent "one band in each category" (we know how that has turned out too)...PanTrinbago will never be party to "taking bread out of the arrangers mouths"...You know that too...So stop trying to give poor Mr. de Barry a concussion on this good Carnival Saturday evening please...

      • Get rid of medium and allow arrangers to work with multiple bands again. Simple.

  • From a rather neglected :) - The Steelbands of Trinidad & Tobago - TT Home Page

    Section: CONVENTIONAL STEELBAND INSTRUMENTS

       The conventional steelbands of Trinidad and Tobago can range in size from anything around 3 players, middling to about 15-20, to just over about 40. These ensembles are called the “Stage Sides” of the respective steelbands; the general every day performance groups. The bands size may vary according to the event, as a Pan in the 21st Century or a Steelband Music Festival competition may stipulate up to 50-60 players. The evolution of the TT National Steelband Panorama competition, over the years, saw a growth in numbers. The largest Panorama steelband ever to perform, was the record made in 1975, when the Maritime Life Hatters hit the Savannah's Grand Stand finals stage, to overhang it with “bass racks” (about these later), sporting 167 players (Under dispute; cf. Cavaliers); not surprisingly, they won. This precipitated a rule change, that for a time, set the upper limit to 100 members (New data 2016, Pan Trinbago SC [provisional];where the previously indicated number was 140 from an unconfirmed though not yet discredited source). One must note that these numbers account for all the members of the performing steelbands, regardless to which type of instrument they may be playing. In the late 1990's the figure was again adjusted to around 100-120 players; it now stands at a maximum of 120 (2016)[+2020], for the Large conventional category steelbands.

     ----------

    Section: The new 2004 Panorama format

        A change arose to Panorama when Pan Trinbago introduced the new 2004 Panorama format.

       The change affected the Conventional steelbands only, by dividing the competition stable of some 65 steelbands, into 3 new categories. Small, Medium and Large. Ostensibly it brought a long overdue equity in distribution of prize resources and better matched the band sizes in competition. As inevitable, some disagreed with the change, but their argument was weak, and as expected from a culture under stress and from the old-school who resisted any change, was nothing more than the mantra ‘Oh, it masshin' up de culture!’.

       The three main things this new 2004 Panorama format change actually brought about were to do with; first, the amount of prize money attached to Panorama, which increased; second, the number of bands that would actually appear in a finals, which increased; and thirdly, specifying the size, in members, of each of the three new conventional steelband Categories.

      The size in membership of the bands entering the seasonal TT National Steelband Panorama competition, Conventional Category, is stipulated as follows. Small [35 to 55*]; Medium [60 to 90*] and Large [95 to 120*]. For completeness of data (here); The Single Pan Steelbands (SPB's) Category (i.e. Traditional steelbands) size range is [25 to 45*]. The * just indicates that the maximum includes the count of ALL instrument players; not just pan-players alone. [Not checked for 2020 season - See Pan Trinbago Rules 2020]

    PS. A further note on Size: Sizing allows communities to enter the competition in a Category that matches the number of players the community can reasonably muster.

    • See attached file.

      Mona Goddard's Power of Attorney Letter and Copyright Disclaimer (...

    • THIRD CEASE AND DESIST NOTICE (THIS SHOULD BE YOUR ONLY CONCERN):

      TO JEREMY DE BARRY: Mr. de Barry, this is a THIRD notice, that you remove all content of the book,"Forty Years In The Steelbands, 1939-1979" by George "Sonny" Goddard, (ISBN 9781854650344). You continue to violate my mother's rights as the copyright owner. I verified with her that she never gave anyone, you included, permission to reproduce the book. This is what she wrote and is in the process of notarizing:

      Tuesday January 21, 2020

      DISCLAIMER NOTICE

      This is to state that I, Mona Goddard of 87, Opal Gardens, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin,

      Trinidad, W.I., owner of the copyright of my husband’s book entitled “Forty Years In The

      Steelbands”, ISBN # 1 85465 034 3 Pb, have never given anyone verbally or in writing, the

      permission to reproduce, in its entirety or any part thereof of the said book, albeit in hard

      copy, soft copy or via the Internet.

      Anyone making such proclamation, specifically those whom may have already infringed on

      my copyright, is a total fabricator of the truth, clearly in violation of both local and

      international copyright laws, and would have to provide documented and/or recorded

      proof/evidence of such a claim.

      …………………………………………..

      Mona Goddard

      END OF TEXT

      She is currently working on retaining an attorney, and this has bothered her extensively. Your email reply suggested that "On Saturday 3rd January 1998 Mrs Mona Goddard gave this site, www.seetobago.com (now www.seetobago.org), her kind permission to publish on the internet her late husbands book...". Of course, you failed to provide any tangible proof of your claim, I can assure you that my mother is of sound mind, and as her Power of Attorney, I will pursue you to the fullest extent that the law will allow me to. I understand that your email reply aimed at soliciting an emotional response, however, your actions will be remedied by the appropriate, intellectual course of action. You have brought great damage to our family, and we will be seeking retribution. That, you can count on. I hope that you show your respect for our culture and its pioneers and their wives, by ending your stealing of others' works and claiming that they gave you the rights. But, let it be known; you are in violation of my mom's copyright to her deceased husband's work, and your are receiving this second notice to cease and desist this infringement, even if you choose to continue lying on my mother. That is your karma, not hers, nor my dad's, nor mine. Neither of us steal other people's works and then lie about it. Again, be governed accordingly. You may not know us, but we are very resourceful. You will be held to account for your actions.

      Below is a copy of the original text I sent you:

      Dear Mr. Jeremy G. de Barry,

       

      It has come to our attention that you have made an unauthorized reproduction of the copyrighted work entitled, Forty Years In The Steelbands 1939-1979 (the "Work"), by George “Sonny” Goddard (ISBN 9781854650344). My mother, Mona Goddard (the “Owner”) owns the copyright to the Work, and has assigned me the“Power of Attorney”. We have reserved all rights in the Work, which was first published in 1991. (Karia Press.) 

       

      Your website, seetobago.org reproduced the Work in its identical entirety. This is found on your page and related pages, beginning with, http://www.seetobago.org/trinidad/pan/goddard/ggbkfram.htm

      You neither asked for, nor received permission to use the Work as the basis for your online reproduction, nor to make and/or distribute copies of it. Therefore, I believe you have willfully infringed upon the rights of the Owner, as protected under Chapter 82:80 of the Copyright Act of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

       

      We demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of all infringing works derived from the Work, and all copies, including electronic copies, of same, that you deliver to me, if applicable, all unused, undistributed copies of same, or destroy such copies immediately and that you desist from this or any other infringement of our rights in the future.

       

      This correspondence serves as legal notice. If we have not received an affirmative response from you by March 16, 2020, indicating that you have fully complied with these requirements, we shall consider taking any and all legal remedies available to rectify this situation. Be governed accordingly.

       

      Respectfully Submitted,

       

       

       

      George D. Goddard, B.A.

      Dated: 02/23/2020

This reply was deleted.