UK NATIONAL STEELBAND PANORAMA 2022 ROUNDUP - PAN NATION STEEL ORCHESTRA
Pan Nation Steel Band was founded in 2009 and celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2019 when they last appeared at the Notting Hill Panorama competition. Pan Nation is a North London steel band that provides a safe space for people to learn and grow together via steel pan music. They pride ourselves on their musical family, and at just 11 years old the Pan Nation community has grown to over 70 players and counting.
Pan Nation encourages anyone to join in and learn something new – as long as you have a passion for music then steel pan could be the instrument for you!
PNSO practicing in the school yard
The band has grown into a force of technically skilled young musicians. They perform regularly at events ranging from Tottenham Hotspurs matches, to Leeds Carnival, to the London Lord Mayor's Show. In their repertoire, they explore a wide variety of genres (as well as their roots in Soca), which just goes to show the amazing diversity of the steelpan instrument.
Pan nation practices at the Holy Trinity C of E Primary School, Somerset Road, London N17 9EJ. You will find them there on Sundays 2-4:30pm
and Thursdays 6-10pm.
They have also participated in the British Association of Steelbands’ (BAS) Pan Explosion and Junior Steelband Panorama competitions.
Chris Storey, their founder, manager and arranger won the 2006, 2007 and 2009 BAS Pan Explosion Under 25s category with Pantasia Steel Orchestra.
Chris then went on with Pan Nation to win the Over 26s category in 2015 and they also came 3rd in the under 25s category. They captured second place in the 2017 Pan Explosion competition. Pan Nation also attained 2nd place in the BAS/CAPCA 2017 Junior Steelband Panorama. They attained attained 2nd place in the Best Playing Band on the Road in the 2019 Notting Hill Carnival. Pan Nation was also the People’s Choice at the 2019 UK National Panorama competition.
Kimarné Henry, one of their cello players once stated, “Pan Nation is a family, and that makes playing pan even more of a special experience.”
This year, Pan Nation will be competing at the UK National Steelband Panorama competition for the second time. In 2019, they were the newcomer to the UK Steelband Panorama competition and captured fourth place in its maiden voyage with one hundred players as they battled with their peers.
Sisters in Pan!
Their Panorama band will be made up of one hundred players.
Manager: Chris Storey
Arranger: Chris Storey
Captain: Ziggy Grier
Tuner: Grafton Yearwood
Tune of Choice: Out and Bad by Voice.
Chris Storey has instilled a true sense of togetherness coupled with his musicality and is never afraid to push the musical boundaries to achieve the best from his players and the band as a whole.
Chris jamming the Iron at Panorama.
He is greatly respected and well loved by all members of his band including their avid Fan Nation followers and for those who have heard his musical compositions/renditions played at BAS Pan Explosion and Junior Steelband Panorama competitions and elsewhere will know that Pan Nation is definitely a band to watch in this year’s competition. They could prove to be the dark horse in this musical race.
Pan Nation can be contacted on the following email address: PAN.NATIONUK@GMAIL.COM. Visit their website – Pan-Nation.co.uk
There are five steelbands vying for the title this year, Mangrove – the reigning champions, Ebony, Metronomes, CSO and Pan Nation.
The event is hosted by NHC/BAS, and will be held on the 27th August 2022 at the Emslie Horiman’s Pleasance Park, Kensal Road, London W10.
The gates open at 4:00p.m. and the competition starts at 8:00p.m.
Tickets are available online @ nhcarnival.org/panorama.
Tickets: £20
Children - £7
Children under five accompanied with an adult - Free
