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National Championships 2003
Second Section
Adjudicators Remarks
These are the official adjudications from the men in the box - not
4BR and certainly not David Blaine. These are the thoughts of Alan
Morrison and Duncan Beckley..............
1st Place
Hatfield Coal Power
Duncan Beckley
Good opening and balance. [1] good cornets [2] good band. All parts
fit well 6 before [3] to [3] everything well handled. [3] Good sounds
Good soloists [4] Good [7] tromb intonation [8] OK [9] didn’t
come across as well as it should sop flat [11] Horn a little untuneful
[12] good [14] good [15] you have the right feel. 4 before [17]
good [17] everything flows well. 1 before [18] intonation in long
notes. 2 before [19] a bit loud but OK [19] loud but all parts fit
well [20] [21] well handled – good approach [21] good playing
here [23] intonation creeping in a little. Good last note a bit
loud.
A pleasing performance with many good points. Thank you.
Alan Morrison
A good start that has shape and expression. Sop/cornet were not
well tuned but the rubato was effective. [3] flowed well and sounds
blended to produce an overall expressive hymn. The agitato worked
well but basses were not together. Odd entries were insecure in
tuning and balance but [8] was effective. The giocoso moved well
but sop was rather flat and didn’t match the solo cornet.
The ensemble rocks in places and the security starts to become fragile
however the allargando was effective and the upper levels were well
controlled. [19] had a warm sound but arpeggios could have had more
prominence. The Lento was well thought out but cornet tuning wandering
(low D’s) Horn line was expressive and musical [23] was not
well tuned but the cornets were distant and effective. A lunga last
note tat just soured slightly.
A musical directed this performance that just had the occasional
rocky moments in ensemble and some fragile moments in tuning –
but a very controlled effort.
2nd Place
Bollington Brass
Duncan Beckley
Good opening [1] cornets a little scratchy – 4 before [2]
good euph. [2] OK Fanfares neat [3] [4] OK. 2 of [5] I need more
clarity here [7] trombone balance needs attention well done sop,
solo horn & basses. [9] cornet OK sop a little sticky today
[11] OK horn [12] OK [13] good [14] well handles [15] 16] OK 2 before
[17] sop still a little sticky [17] cornet balance needs attention
[19] a little loud glock too loud lento quasi recit – I need
to hear all the parts so balance needs addressing [21] OK [23] to
end – a little untuneful fanfare OK Last note too loud.
Some good moments spoilt by soloists not being quite there today.
Alan Morrison
A well conceived opening that moved smoothly with detail and shape.
The odd slip occurred but this didn’t detract. The hymn was
expressive and fluid but the agitato was a little loose in ensemble.
Trombone entries were a little insecure in tuning. [9] cornet does
well but sop was a little insecure. [11] didn’t quite have
balance for the horn but the light style was appreciated. [14] was
well handled and sop was good until the final bar. Tuning suffered
a little before [18] but the lower end was sonorous at [18] Glock
was too metallic after [19] but the overall sound was controlled.
Balance through the ‘afterglow’ was not always even.
Horn was a little untuneful and [23] suffered similarly in the lower
end. Muted cornets were effective but the final chord was somewhat
scrappy.
Some fine work early on that didn’t quite sustain to the
very difficult ending.
3rd Place
Lanner & District Silver
Duncan Beckley
Good start but horns are far too loud (bar 3) [1] balance needs
attention. 6 before [2] need to grade dynamics better [2] OK fanfares
a little pecked [3] balance needs attention [4] more time please.
5 before [5] I do lose the musical line here. Agitato well handled
[7] [8] well handled [9] cornet flat Good sop [10] accompaniments
a little loud for horn [11] good horn [12] uncertain solo cornet
[13] sorry solo cornet a little flat [14] very good [15] played
with good purpose here. 5 before [17] good [17] cornets untuneful
and balance [18] good trombs. 5 of [18] good [19] well handled if
a little loud Lento well handled [21] needs to live. 9 of [22] well
done solo horn Last 7 bars – a good ending
Alan Morrison
Horns were rather safe in dynamic and not smooth in the line but
basses did well early on. Cornets become uneven and insecure with
rather ‘pecked’ fanfares [3] moved well through and
the sounds blended well although balance was not always controlled
[8] was effective if not quite rhythmically secure. The giocoso
settled well and allowed soloists freedom but cornet was a little
flat. Sop does well consistently [14] The agitato worked well but
[15] was a shade aggressive Good sop again but tuning was poor at
[17] cornets. Basses were not consistently smooth but [19] was well
handles and effective. The lento was well thought out and [21] had
expression if not totally tuned. Phrase ends were carefully rounded
but [23] had some untunefulness Cornets were effective but untuneful
but a good last note.
Some excellent moments particularly towards the end but the beginning
didn’t quite sit securely with melodic shape and expression.
4th Place
Langbaurgh Brass
Duncan Beckley
Excellent opening Good shape [1] a bit sticky [2] good phrasing.
6 before [3] good fanfares [3] some good moments [4] all the parts
fit well – a little loud but you make some good music agitato
well handled [6] Good [7] balance [7] solo tromb a bit sticky [8]
OK [9] Good solo cornet sop a little wayward [10] why do you pick
up speed? 2 before [11] a bit over the top [11] OK [12] good cornets,
but a little safe [13] solo cornet – good attempt [14] OK
[15] too quick and overdone 5 before [17] long notes sop [17] good
[18] untidy start 2/1 before [19] good [19] a little loud but I
like your approach [20] untidy entry 1 before [21] sop a little
over zealous [21] you try to make music but I feel you are stopping
the music! [22] OK 9 of [22] nice solo horn [23] a nice approach
to the end however generally untidy.
Alan Morrison
A carefully crafted opening but cornets not quite secure. The rubato
was musically applied but some tuning discrepancies did occur. [3]
was expressive led well by soprano. The agitato nearly went OTT
but recovered well. Basses rough into [6] [8] was successful if
a little aggressive Soloists were a little insecure and the ensemble
fluctuated in places losing the ensemble. Careful to control the
dynamics Very aggressive at times [15] particularly. Sop plays a
wrong note but the shape returned to the phrasing and the rubato
was again successful. [19] had a full sound and was mostly well
balanced although quavers could be more prominent. Lento was well
crafted but sop was rather bold [21] lost flow and the horn line
became hard. Some ‘dodgy’ tuning moments through [23]
and effective cornets but last note not together.
A very musical approach which crafted the lines together well but
not quite consistent in the control and tuning careful not to go
over the top with the ff sound.
5th Place
Arbroath Instrumental
Duncan Beckley
Opening Ok 3rd bar too loud [1] uneven cornets [2] OK well done
flugel at bar 4 [3] untuneful sop but music flows well [4] well
handled [5] good [6] good [7] tromb balance needs attention [9]
well done solo cornet sop very sharp [11] well done solo horn [12]
all parts fit well 5 of [12] untuneful euph [13] good [14] [15]
some good moments 5 before [17] good solo horn [17] [18] generally
needs to be a little warmer in sound 5 of [18] take more time [19]
good but a little too loud Lento ionce again more time some good
sounds at [21] 7 of [22] horns and flugel very untuneful. 2 before
[23] to end some nice moments but tuning and intonation is a problem
last note (ppp)
Alan Morrison
Well shaped with expressive use of rubato. The basses were not totally
as one and odd tuning ‘spots’ occurred. Lead into [3]
was very untuneful but the flow was found if not always blended
well. The agitato was successful and cascades worked although some
entries were untuneful. Troms had poor balance at [7] Good solo
lines but sop was very sharp. The character was found though and
the jollity came over well. Not always matched and balanced in the
solo lines though. A little aggressive after [14] but the allargando
was well handled. Good sop but [17] was rather hurried and not together
[19] could be more discreet in the entries The Lento was generally
well handled but intonation was not always secure [23] was a little
heavy and the tuning was always fragile. Good cornets and a controlled
if not ‘lunga’ last note.
Some good ideas that found merit in the direction but the tuning
was always fragile and the dynamics somewhat safe.
6th Place
Houghton Brass
Duncan Beckley
Good opening but intonation creeps in on long notes [1] cornet balance
[2] OK 2/1 before [3] sop tuning [3] has purpose this works well
[4] [5] Good Agitato well handled [6] well handled [7] wrong notes
in trombs [8] good [9] good cornet sop OK [11] good horn 4 before
[12] good playing here [13] good cornets just the odd little blip.
[14] not all of the parts fit well here. [16] tempo a bit quick
4 before [17] good sop [18] poor balance [19] all too loud and I
didn’t hear many of the quavers [20] needs to be smoother.
Lento – more time [21] needs to have warmer sounds [22] baritone
a little sticky 2 before [23] nice solo horn intonation from lower
band is beginning to show last note a little too loud.
A lot of promising things but it didn’t quite come off today.
Alan Morrison
Flows well to begin if not tuned accurately consistently. Horns
not fully balanced and troms had a weak entry but [3] was expressivewith
blended sounds. [5] didn’t quite sit together but the agitato
was successful and always under control. [6] had some slips and
troms were very untuneful and insecure at [7]. [8] worked well and
the tempo was just right to allow the soloists freedom. The ff was
very hard and unbalanced but the style and character were found.
[14] became aggressive and didn’t blend well. Soloists do
well but tuning was a little insecure at times. [19] was mostly
successful although the arpeggios could have more prominence. [20]
didn’t grow together and the lento was not well tuned and
balanced. Bass tuning was insecure through [22] but the line had
flow and expression. [23] was not well balanced and bass tuning
was very insecure. Good fanfares but a strong last note for ppp
and rather abrupt.
A safety first approach which didn’t quite come off but some
good musical lines were established if not quite secure in tuning
and balance.
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