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Spennymoor Brass in Concert 2003
Retrospective
Spennymoor Leisure Centre
Sunday 16th November, 2003
Our man Malcolm Wood was there all day and gives his retrospective
views on the entertainment fare that was on offer at this years
Spennymoor Extravaganza.
Sir Alex Ferguson knows a thing or too about winning trophies.
Not long after the Scot had won the Champions League trophy with
Manchester United in 1999, Sir Alex gave an insight for a professional
training organisation on Team Building. Targeted at Middle and Senior
Managers, ‘Knowing The Score’ (and on its release date,
Manchester United got thumped 5-0 at Chelsea, so someone had a sense
of humour) Sir Alex delved into a number of aspects that make up
that winning team. These areas included, ‘What Makes a Good
Leader’, ‘Making (the right) Decision’, ‘Observing
and Learning (team members)’, ‘Motivation’, and
‘The Vision Thing’ – visualising where you want
to be a how you are going to get there.
A Brass Band is of course a team, and to make them tick and do the
business on the competition stage, some (if not all) of the above
components plays a huge part in the ability to be winners. Garry
Cutt certainly knows how to create that winning performance, and
has knowledge about the strengths (and hardly any weaknesses) of
his band that enables him to devise a programme which makes the
most of the his entrusted ensemble, whereby the programme chosen,
is delivered on contest day itself, at its peak.
For the third year in succession, Grimethorpe took the title back
to South Yorkshire, with a programme, which was innovative, entertaining,
and most of all, made music.
Grimethorpe have become exemplary in recent years in entertainment,
and their winning programme was an example of why they play to sell-out
audiences, week in, week out.
Brass in Concert has numerous awards on offer throughout the day.
The neatest package of scores and notes, youngest player, various
solo prizes (including for the first time, the best percussion section),
and without doubt, one of the most intriguing awards of the whole
day based on new composition and arrangements. Five of Grimethorpe’s
pieces were new arrangements by horn player, Sandy Smith, and although
Sandy did not pick up the overall award, his pieces played a huge
part in the bands’ success.
Grimey opened with the lively "Comedy Tonight", before
flugel player, Ian Shires stepped forward to give his own interpretation
of ‘Body & soul’ before an extremely lively
performance of Khachaturian’s, "Dance of the Pirates".
One of the most sublime pieces of music making of the day was Grimethorpe’s
new interpretation of "The Humming Chorus", by Puccini.
Commencing with Richard Marshall and Michael Dodd centre stage,
the famous piece from the classical repertoire evolved in front
of everybody with players moving around in different positions to
create a beautiful musical sound that was very classical in delivery,
and effective.
The classic Richard Rodgers hit, "The Lady is a Tramp",
was followed by Bass Trombone player, Mark Frost, having fun with
‘If I Were a Rich Man’. Going back to Sir Alex’s
‘Vision Thing’ (and visualising what you want to achieve),
whoever came up with the choreography for this piece deserves a
big thank you. Whilst Mark was displaying his skills, various players
(and audience) were throwing loose change into a hat. Comical, but
effective. Winning this competition is more than playing the scores,
it is about entertainment and presentation, and Grimethorpe have
the knack of getting the mix right. Their programme concluded with
"Bock" followed by ‘Galaxies’ – an expedition
for band by Carl Davis, transcribed by Ray Farr.
At the conclusion of the contest, judge Rob Wiffin, said that the
bands that had done well on the day did so because of the sounds
that had developed from within the middle sections of the band,
as opposed to the peripheral with the sound being emphasised greatly
by cornets and trombones. Grimethorpe’s sound was extremely
solid, well balanced, never over-blown, and more than anything else,
they just let the music speak for itself.
After the performance Garry Cutt was optimistic that in his swan-song
with a band very close to his heart, he would make it three on the
trot, but they were pushed very close by Sellers International.
Conducted by Philip McCann the Huddersfielld-based band chose an
American themed programme, and has to be said that the band really
did play out of its skin.
They commenced with Stephen Bulla’s ‘Marching to Glory’
which was followed by some beautiful flugel playing of Natalie Beer,
accompanied on piano by Tim Smith in an arrangement by Andrew Duncan
of "Scarlet Ribbons". Sellers took home the March prize
for a blistering rendition of "The Waltonian". As a circus
march, this can sometimes lose clarity from within the band, as
tempo is preferred to detail. Not on this occasion however, as this
was bang on the button, and one of the best performances heard in
a long of time of JJ Richards’ march. "American Trilogy"
is music that comprises of tunes that are associated with America.
Arranged for choirs, orchestras and brass bands, Goff Richards’
arrangement hit the spot for Sellers with a stirring performance
of which all Americans would be proud. Percussionists Carol Stevens
and Helen Giddins took centre stage infront of Xylophone and Marimba
to perform "Ole South" – a performance of real quality
and top-notch percussion playing.
Sellers closed their programme with "Approach by Sea and Chorale
Prayer", two movements from Stephen Bulla’s ‘Images
for Brass’ which features on the bands latest CD, (available
in the shopping area of 4BR!) ‘American Landscapes’
– beautiful music, especially the Chorale Prayer, and it brought
to an end a first rate performance by Sellers, and whilst they were
pipped at the post by their Yorkshire rivals, they will be very
happy with their showing, coming second in the entertainment category
and only missing out by a point on the title.
Ever Ready richly deserved their third place, for
a programme devised by arguably by the best in the business when
thinking of entertainment, Ray Farr. For as long as anyone can remember,
Ray has continued to engineer programmes for entertainment contests
that just leaves you breathless. Taking the stage straight after
Grimethorpe, and if anything it did not phase the North Easterners,
it probably inspired them.
The band hit the ground running with an absorbing performance of
"Saber’s Dance" – music that demands quality
playing from within the band and this version by Ever Ready had
players in various parts of the stage, putting their instruments
to good effect.
You can’t get a bigger contrast from "Saber’s Dance"
to the lyrical "Over The Rainbow", performed on flugel
by Joanne Winspear – beautiful stuff, and this was followed
by roller-coaster piece of music entitled "Short Ride In a
Fast Machine" composed by American, John Adams. Next up was
‘Jeg Elske Deg’ which means ‘I love Thee’
from the pen of Edward Grieg, and arranged in chamber orchestra
style, and it featured the lovely lyrical euphonium playing of Paul
Robinson. Ever Ready were declared entertainment winners with 58
points out of a possible 60, and it was without doubt influenced
by a hilarious rendition of the "Post Horn Gallop".
Pandemonium was the key word as two players, one each side of the
stage performed on post horns, with the player stage right, moving
slowly forward on knee-pads, and bringing their own humour to the
piece. As was mentioned previously, when Ray Farr is involved, anything
is possible. The local competitors finished off their programme
with the finale from Elgar’s "Enigma Variations"
by Eric Ball. Without doubt, Ever Ready will be thrilled to have
gained third place, and would perhaps settle for anything that was
fifth and above. They are the only band to have competed on all
twenty-seven occasions, and rightly deserve their invitation to
compete at the event, year in, year out.
JAG Mount Charles and Russell Gray presented the
most unusual programme of the day. The Cornish band travelled north
over two days, before returning home on the Monday, and they were
thrilled to be awarded fourth place. The music chosen had a Balkan
feel to it, and the programme was in Russell Gray’s mind some
six months before the contest. The band opened the whole day’s
music-making with ‘Alev Zornjaea’ which means ‘Red
Morning Star’ by Frode Rydland. This was followed by a Bulgarian
Folk Dance entitled ‘Bucimis’.
Continuing without a break, the band then performed two pieces by
Jan Mange Forde – "Domen", which featured flugel
player, Tim Whitehead, followed by "Ejala". Sometimes
though you will attend musical events and hear/see something that
will have you scratching your head wondering why it was included.
This was definitely the case in Mount Charles’ next offering
– "Scherzo without Instruments". The band does not
play a note, but what happens, is a handful of the band sat at the
front of the stage, rolled up their trousers, to entertain (?) the
audience with clapping and slapping of knees in a rhythmical fashion.
In terms of instrumentation, its sort of thing you'’ hear
on percussion, but whether or not it was a suitable choice for an
entertainment contest, is debatable. If knowing else, it raised
a few eyebrows, and gave the musicians a break.
"Unisons" by Mikhail Alperin was another contender in
the new music or arrangement category before the band returned to
the Bulgarian folk dance, "Bucimis", by performing the
ending. The band got more marks for their playing than for entertainment,
but as a complete programme, it lacked those moments that made you
sit on the edge of your seat, and it conjured up the thoughts of
eating a sandwich that lacked that appetising filling.
Leyland (Steve Sykes) will have returned to their
NorthWest base, disappointed to have come fifth. Without doubt,
this is a band that always entertained to a high standard, and they
lacked their usual sparkle on this showing. Coming sixth in both
the music and entertainment category’s they produced a programme
that certainly would go down well in the traditional concert hall,
but perhaps lacked that bit of innovation which the other prize
winners had.
Leyland has always performed marches well, and Louis Ganne’s
"Marche Lorraine" was no different, confident and controlled,
and steady tempo, and a good start. Lucy Murphy gave an enchanting
performance of "My Ain Folk", before the band performed
a piece by Duke Ellington & Juan Tizol called ‘Caravan’.
With entertainment an important ingredient of the competition, Leyland
displayed an awful lot of humour in Hornpipe Humoresque. It is music
that adapts a number of conductors removing the authority of MD
Steve Sykes. The biggest cheer of the day was when the percussion
section held aloft the England-France rugby score in the patriotic
finale. The music of Edrich Siebert was included with "Bees-a-Buzzin",
before Leyland performed the finale from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony
2 – "The Little Russian". Of all their items, this
was certainly the most impressive, and the band will certainly want
to do better next time, and aim to retain the title they last won
in 1997.
One of the reasons this competition works so well year in, year
out, is it formula. Each band plays a programme of around 25 minutes,
which is always followed by a comfort break of about ten minutes,
which helps everyone. The draw is done in advanced, the judges sit
in the open, and Frank Renton brilliantly comperes the whole thing.
This well respected man in the banding world brings his own whit
and humour to the event, and it is a valuable ingredient to the
success of the day. Nothing phases him, and he trusted by the bands
to do voice-overs where needed as a band begins to play a certain
piece. No rehearsal time, the bands and audience appreciate its
straight in and Frank contribution. Thank you maestro.
A band that has certainly made an impression recently is Flowers,
under Philip Harper. Philip took home the award for new music or
arrangement with his interpretation of "Queen Isabel’s
Prayer". To be honest, Flowers were the first band (drawn third)
that made many sit up from the opening bars of "The Contester"
by TJ Powell. The rest of Flowers’ programme was arrangements
by Philip, and he produced a corker for Principal cornet player,
Kevin Robbins, the ex-Sun Life player. Kevin’s rendition of
"Hungarian Melodies" would have impressed solo judge,
Morgan Griffiths, but alas on this occasion, not enough for the
solo prize.
The one thing for sure that can be said about Mr Harper, is that
he has the drive and passion that Peter Reid would have loved his
players at Leeds United to have shown in recent weeks. Flowers are
a fine band, with a fine MD, who has definitely got a big future
in years to come. Add a lively rendition of some Salsa music, a
purposeful performance of "Gladiator", and an entertaining
return to the 70s with "The Muppet Show", this was a solid
performance with fifth place in entertainment, seventh in music,
and sixth overall. Without doubt plenty of potential from this ensemble
in the future.
The Scottish Co-op band followed Flowers on stage,
and produced a performance that was very high and innovative in
entertainment, but was let down a bit in the music area of the contest,
and they had to settle for seventh overall.
Opening with a bold performance of "Olympic Fanfare",
Soprano player, Alexandra Kerwin blew the opposition away with a
breathtaking performance of music from the pen of Lloyd Webber,
in the form of "Gethsemane". November has been a great
month for Alexandra already. Two weeks previously, she became the
British Open Solo Champion, took the solo award at this competition,
and will hope to be make it a hat trick (on alternate Sundays no
less) by being part of Scottish Co-ops challenge at the Scottish
Open.
The band demonstrated their vocal skills, by singing the words from
the Salvation Army march, "Goldcrest", before making use
of music from the pen of Barry Forgie that Nicholas Childs knows
so well, in "Chicago". Music from the stage, and Berstein’s
‘Gee Officer Kruppe’ made for enjoyable listening, before
the band finished with one of the famous tunes to come out of Scotland
– "Highland Cathedral", complete with lone piper.
The Scottish Champions showed they are a band that can adapt to
numerous styles, and a band to keep an eye on in competitions in
months to come, especially the Europeans in Glasgow next May.
Kirkintilloch Band under Craig Anderson made a
big impression with their programme. All items were arranged by
Stephen Rockey and they fully deserved to come fourth in the music
category.
The overture to the rock opera "Tommy" got things going,
before another rendition of "Officer Krupke". Two pieces
were next that featured duets. The Euphonium team of Andy Mclean
and Colin Leggett performed "Quendale Bay", before the
Tenor Horn team of Allan Wardrope and Chris Ball had a bit of fun
with "Me and My Shadow". Whilst Alexandra Kerwin took
the overall solo prize, Kirky’s sop player, Stephen Stewart
took the soprano prize with a great performance of "One Day
I’ll Fly Away". Brass in Concert always has big finales
and Kirkintilloch finished with music from the film, "Independence
Day". All round, a real solid musical performance, which suffered
in the placings for entertainment (10th), but something for first
timer at Spennymoor, (in terms of conducting) Craig Anderson to
build on.
Carlton Main had the task of bringing the competition
to a close, and finished ninth in both music and entertainment.
They commenced their programme with the traditional, "Pokarekare
Ana", which has been sung numerous times by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
In this arrangement by P. Maunder, the audience were treated to
some lovely cornet playing by Kirsty Abbotts, and she was worthy
of the award come prize time of best principal cornet of the competition.
Euphonium player, Ian Wright, giving a reprise of the solo that
gained him third place at the British Open Solo Championships, "Pantomine",
followed "Mephistopheles" by Philip Sparke. Some Irving
Berlin was on offer before Carlton Main finished their programme
with the "Great Gate of Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition.
Overall, disappointing to be honest, it was a programme that had
some nice moments, but had very little entertainment, and they could
have performed better musically.
Yorkshire Imperial is a band of great tradition,
but you sensed a feel of resignation as they walked on stage. They
perhaps knew that they would not win, and were another band to go
for the safety first, comfortable concert repertoire approach, instead
of being a touch more inventive and creative. As a result, they
came next to last in the music category, but in percussionist, Andrea
Crossley, have a talent they will want to keep. Look out for Andrea
in the BBC Young Musician of the Year, in the percussion competition.
Ransome’s will have gone back to the Midlands
really disappointed to be placed last overall. They opened with
one of the better performances of a march on the day, "Simoraine",
before some opera from "La Traviata", and then bursting
into Mark Freeh’s "Ol’ Man River". Tenor Horn
stalwart, George Thackerey showed that what you have, you never
lose, in his interpretation of "Elegy", by contemporary
composer, Martin Ellerby. "Hello Dolly", was a bit of
a throw away item, before they finished with Frank Renton’s
arrangement of "Symphony Number 3" by Saint-Saens.
So that was that. It is understandable why this event is sold out
every year. Everybody knows that they will be royally entertained,
they can get a breather after each band in the knowledge that they
won’t miss anything, and its in a relaxed atmosphere where
people can (and do) clap during a performance if a soloist does
something outstanding. It really is like the Granada Band of the
Year used to be. The downside (apart from the heavy-duty curtains,
which deaden the sound on stage,) is that you don’t get some
of the bigger name bands present. No BAYV Cory, Black Dyke, Brighouse,
Fairey’s or YBS which is a shame, because each one would definitely
embrace the contest.
BBC Radio 2 will broadcast highlights in January 2004 and for the
first time, World of Brass/SP & S are to produce a highlights
CD, which will no doubt be available from 4BR on its release.
Congratulations go Paul & Jacqueline Beere and their team for
continually making this one of the contests everybody wants to attend.
The last thought though is given to Garry Cutt, Grimethorpe and
to Sir Alex Ferguson. The job that Garry has done at Grimey is second
to none, and he is one of the few people in banding that have been
able to call time on his relationship with this fine band. Whoever
takes over the mantle at Grimethorpe will have a really hard job
to follow as Garry has helped Grimey become one of the best musical
ensembles anywhere in the world. That said, when Sir Alex decides
he wants to stand down at Manchester United, whoever takes over
will have a tough job to follow the standards set, because Garry
Cutt and Sir Alex, both know how to build that winning team, and
to go out and entertain.
Malcolm Wood
Copyright. 4BarsRest
Adjudicators:
John Berryman, Morgan Griffiths, Ted Griffiths, David Horsfield and Wing Cmmdr
Rob Wiffin
Compere: Frank Renton
Brass in Concert Programmes of Music
Grimethorpe Colliery UK Coal Band – Garry Cutt
Comedy Tonight - arr S Smith
Body & Soul - arr Joe Cook, Flugel:Ian Shires
Dance of the Pirates - Khachaturian - arr S Smith
The Humming Chorus - Puccini arr S Smith
The Lady is a Tramp Rodgers arr S Smith
If I Were a Rich Man - Bass Trombone, Mark Frost
Bock arr S Smith
An Expedition for Band:Galaxies - Carl Davis transcribed by Ray
Farr
Sellers International Band – Philip McCann
Marching to Glory - Stephen Bulla
Scarlet Ribbons - Evelyn Danzog & Jack Segal, arr Andrew Duncan
Flugel:Natalie Beer
The Waltonian - JJ Richards
American Trilogy - arr Goff Richards
Ole South (a pantation patrol)- JS Zamecnik & George Hamilton
arr Stephen Bradman
Images for Brass (mvts 3 & 4) - Stephen Bulla
Ever Ready Band– Ray Farr
Saber Dance - Khatchaturian
Over The Rainbow Flugel: - Joanne Winspear
Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Jeg Elske Deg Euphonium: - Paul Robinson
Post Horn Pandemonium - arr Ray Farr
Finale from Enigma Variations - Elgar, arr Ball
JAG Mount Charles Band – Russell Gray
Alev Zornjaea (Red Morning Star) - Frode Rydland
Bucimis (Bulgarian Folk Dance) - Frode Rydland
Domen - Jan Mange Forde, Flugel:Tim Whitehead
Ejala - Jan Mange Forde
Scherzo Without Instruments
Unisons - Mikhail Alperin
Bucimis Ending - Frode Rydland
Leyland Band – Steve Sykes
Marche Lorraine - Louis Ganne
My Ain Folk - Peter Graham, Flugel:Lucy Murphy
Caravan - Juan Tizol & Duke Ellington arr Steve Sykes
Hornpipe Humoresque - Noel Rawsthorne arr Andrew Duncan
Bees-a-Buzzin - Edrich Siebert
Finale Symphony No 2 Little Russian - Tchaikovsky arr William Gordon
Flowers Band – Philip Harper
The Contester - T J Powell
Hungarian Melodies - V Bach arr Philip Harper, Cornet:Kevin Robbins
Queen Isabel’s Prayer - Philip Harper
Salsa No.2 - David Shire arr Philip Harper
Gladiator - Hans Zimmer/Lisa Gerard arr Philip Harper
The Muppet Show - arr Philip Harper
Scottish Co-op – Dr Nicholas Childs
Olympic Fanfare - John Williams arr Peter Graham
Gethsemane - Lloyd Webber arr Ray Farr, Soprano:Alexandra Kerwin
Goldcrest -James Anderson
Chicago - Billy May/Barry Forgie
Gee Officer Krupke - Bernstein arr Simon Kerwin
Highland Cathedral - Roever and Korb arr Simon Kerwin
Kirkintilloch Band – Craig Anderson
Overture to Tommy- Pete Townsend arr Stephen Rockey
Officer Krupke - Bernstein & Sondeim, arr Stephen Rockey
Quendale Bay - Phil Cunningham arr Stephen Rockey
Euphonium feature:- Andy Mclean & Colin Leggett
Me and My Shadow - D Dryer, A Jolson, arr Stephen Rockey
Tenor Horn feature: - Allan Wardrope & Chris Ball
One Day I’ll Fly Away - JL Sample & W Jennings arr Stephen
Rockey
Soprano: Stephen Stewart
Independence Day - D Arnold arr Stephen Rockey
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band – William Rushworth
Pokarekare Ana - Traditional, Tomoana arr P Maunder
Mephistopheles - Shipley Douglas
Pantomine - Philip Sparke, Euphonium:Ian Wright
It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow - Irving Berlin, arr Howard Snell
Great Gate of Kiev - Mussorgsky
Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel Band – David Evans
Blaze Away
Dick Turpins Ride to York- Rodney Newton, Trombone:Nick Hudson
Sweet and Low - arr Howard Snell
Opus 1
Spinning Song - Mendelshon, Xylophone:Andrea Crossley
Baba Yaga & Great Gate of Kiev - Mussorgsky
Ransome Band – Steve Bastable
Simoraine - Clive Barrowclough
Brindisi (La Traviata) - arr Roy Newsome
Ol’ Man River - arr Mark Freeh
Elegy - Martin Ellerby, Tenor Horn:George Thackray
Hello Dolly - arr Bob Wyatt
Finane Symphony No 3 Saint-Saens - arr Frank Renton © 4BarsRest
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