New South Wales Battle of the Bands - Retrospective

St Mary's Band Club
Sunday 25 November 2008
Adjudicator: Matthew Van Emerik

6 Bands battled it out in front of an audience of approx. 400 and adjudicator Matthew van Emmerik in what proved to be a great afternoon's entertainment.

Matt said in his comments, "I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than this", such was the standard of the Bands performances.

Each band brought something different to the stage, with Waratah No.2 bringing a well played programme including Pass time with Good Company, Gaudete, a lovely duet from Mitchell Clack and Richelle Myers and a nicely played Jazz Flugel Horn Solo by Paul Stephenson. All in all, this was a well played and enjoyable programme.

Yagoona Band were next on stage and presented a very well rehearsed and fun programme with some good and tight playing balanced with a varied choice of music, including some traditional Brass Band numbers, some swing numbers and finishing with the Golden Lady, a bit of a sentimental favourite for the Band.

Anticipation then filled the hall as Warringah Concert Brass took to the floor and the stage, presenting a well rehearsed and well thought out programme including Coconut Champaign arranged by Simon Sweeney (a member of the Band) featuring a Jazz Bass Trom solo (Colin Burrows), Stardust played by their conductor Darren Cole, a mexican shootout, a song and dance skit and then finishing with an Excerpt from Swan Lake. This was another memorable BOB performance from a well polished unit.

Warringah Concert Brass

Parramatta band presented us with a very mixed programme, coming on to the stage to The Empire Strikes Back, and then including a cornet duet, some Greek dancing, some Rock & Roll dancing and finishing with some Fun in the Sun (arr. Dennis Williams). Another well played performance and some real fun stuff included.

Next up was Blue Mountains, conducted by Volka Schuller who composed or arranged all the music played in their programme, taking us on a train Journey, there was some great stuff here including an improvised Tenor Horn Jazz Solo.  In the opinion of the writer, this was possibly the most satisfying moment of the whole afternoon. It was great to see so many kids on stage in the band and them being so involved in the show.

The last band of the afternoon was City of Lake Macquarie with a somewhat more traditional band programme with a few quirks along the way including an interrupted clarinet Solo, and a flute section rag feature. Some overall well played stuff. Again, a well thought out and presented programme  - the band really looked like they enjoyed presenting this.

Overall, it was a great afternoon with some very fine programmes. The four newbies to the Grand Final certainly proved they deserved to be there but experience  won out in the end with Warringah taking out what proved to be a very popular and convincing win.

Congratulations to each band for making it thru to the Grand Final and congratulations to Warringah on their 4 title in a row.

Jeff Markham