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Home <> Lifestory Library <> Explore By Location <> <> <> Canadian World Band Competition




  Contributor: Stacey WilliamsView/Add comments



Young Stacey Williams was born in 1986 at Stafford, and went to King Edward VI High School and Sir Graham Balfour High School, both in Stafford.

I was in the army cadets 'The Grenadier Guard Cadets' to be correct, and we were going to a world band competition in Calgary, Canada. I could not wait. It was my first time abroad without my mother, and I was going to be in a band competition with different bands from all other the world.

I was so excited. But first I had to get to Canada on a massive jumbo jet from London to Calgary. While on the plane we met another band, from Northampton, who were also playing in the band competition.

When we got into Canada we had a very busy start by getting all the band instruments, clothing and are own luggage off the train. We couldn't leave till we had EVERYTHING.

We were staying in a Canadian school, 'West Calgary High', on camper beds in the French classrooms. There were bands from Japan that took up the whole of the massive sports gym; an American band with cheer leaders was there, as well as the scout band from Northampton and some other bands from around the world.

We practiced our routines every day, but we did have fun as well. We went to the massive malls: one had a water world and theme park in it; it was brilliant.

We went to the Calgary stampede. Oh my god that was sooooooo good. We went swimming and I got to jump off an Olympic diving board, the top one. I was so scared but I still jumped off it.

Then the couple of days finally came when we had to march through down-town Calgary. There were LOADS of people. I was so scared in case I went wrong. Then we had to perform in front of 5 judges in a temple kinda thing. I cannot remember the name of the building.

And then we had to perform in front of the public. A lot of people came to us and said how happy they were to see a proper English band. I was so proud to be in my Army Cadet Band, and then I felt so happy and good.

We didn't win or came 2nd, 3rd or 4th, but to be honest, I didn't care. We went to Calgary to show them a good band, we performed to our best and I was happy. We didn't go to win. We went to perform and we did. I would never have been happy if I hadn't felt that experience.

Stacey Williams, 2002
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