| 2003 4BR
Awards:
Band of the Year
Read our nominations below for the
above category. To vote, follow the links at the bottom of this
page.
Last
years winners were the Fodens Richardson Band who capped
a fine 2002 by taking the top award for the very first
time. However, this year they haven’t made it to our short
list (although you can of course still vote for them) as even though
it hasn’t been a year of domination by any one individual
band, there have still been a handful who have once more led the
field. The major contests perhaps proved that the difference between
the very best bands in the business is now miniscule, although
it was refreshing to see the likes of Leyland, Whitburn and Tredegar
both win and come very close to claiming the biggest prizes – their
efforts were outstanding and showed that on the day the top 10
or so bands in the 4BR ranking are more than capable of winning
the big prizes. Still, we had to make our choice, and these were
our top five from the past 12 months.
 Fairey FP (Music) Band
The
beginning of 2003 was a time of great stress and uncertainty
for the then 2002 National Champions. The loss of their long-term
sponsorship meant that they took the somewhat unpopular decision
not to compete at the European Championships in Bergen, whilst
they failed to dislodge their perennial rivals Fodens at the
North West Regional Championships.
Come the Masters though things
were picking up, as Allan Withington had been signed as their
new MD, and although they could only manage 9th place there,
further good news meant that solid long term sponsorship had
been secured from FP Music.
The Open saw them approach their
very best form (only a few haywire bars possibly cost them the
title) and they came 4th, before they headed to London and for
the first time in their history they retained the National Championship
title.
It wasn’t their greatest ever winning performance,
but given what they faced at the beginning of the year, you
couldn’t
begrudge them their victory in any way shape or form. The Flying
Fox is back.
 BAYV Cory
When a band’s contest record for the year reads Won 1, Lost
3, you may think it a bit odd that they should be nominated for
the title of “Band of the Year”, but BAYV Cory came
as close as any band could to adding to their Welsh Regional title
in 2003 with a series of performances on the contest stage that
were quite outstanding.
In addition they also produced perhaps
the best major concert performances of 2003 and produced a couple
of the best CD releases. Their Welsh win was awesomely efficient,
whilst their two performances in Bergen when their fought toe to
toe with YBS over the European title will live long in the memory
banks for those fortunate enough to have been there.
It was like
watching a musical version of the Ali/Frasier boxing epics – two
great heavyweights giving their all, with just the narrowest of
points difference in the end to separate them.
The Open saw them
rather harshly placed 6th after a performance of real quality and
cleanliness on a day when the error count from their rivals was
high to say the least, whilst at the Nationals they once again
gave their all only to come3rd.
The professionalism of the band
though was something else, and their concert performances at the
Open and the Nationals were outstanding, whilst they also had the
time to produce a couple of CD’s of the very highest
quality. Some band.
 Yorkshire Building Society
Winners
of the European Championship for the fifth time in a row, and
the seventh time in eight years, plus British Open Champions
for the fourth time in seven. Given that they just missed out
on making it a third victory at the All England Masters by a
point, 2003 was a tremendous year of achievement for David King’s
band.The disappointment of course will have been the failure
to even qualify for the National Finals after coming 6th at the
Yorkshire Area, but any band who can be upset with two major
championships in a year and a very near miss in a third, must
be very special indeed.
The European was perhaps an even greater victory than that later
in the year at Birmingham. YBS were challenged not just by a
truly inspired BAYV Cory but also by Willebroek who also pushed
them to the limit. It was an epic victory. The Open was perhaps
a touch more predictable (especially after Shoena White filled
the hall in the opening few bars), but it was still stunning
playing nevertheless and perhaps made up for missing out in Cambridge
by the narrowest of margins.In addition they also took time to
produce a stunning CD of perhaps the most difficult music ever
with their “Bourgeois in Brass” release
and gave a corking European Gala Concert performance to boot.
If only they could have made it to London.
 Willebroek
This is
the second year in succession that we have put forward the name
of Willebroek in this category – and
for the second year in a row, it is thoroughly well deserved.
Just a couple of weeks ago they once again showed that they are
the best band in Belgium by winning their National Championships
for the third year in a row, but just like 2002 they could have
well been deserved winners of the European Championships.
In 2002
they were beaten by an inspired YBS, and in 2003 in Bergen it
was only BAYV Cory and YBS again playing to a standard that couldn’t
have been bettered did they miss out to come third.
Their performance
of “Aubade” was excellent, whilst their scintillating
performance of “...Dove Descending” when the playing
of the middle “Nativity” section, was magical.
They
may not be a “rehearse week in week out” band
in the traditional British mould, but when they do come together
nowadays they are as good as any – and in 2003 they showed
just that.
 International Staff Band of the Salvation Army
Not
a single contest performance we know, but throughout 2003 the
ISB once more showed the general brass band world what a tremendous
band they are.
Superbly directed by Stephen Cobb, they produced
performances at over 20 full weekend visits to Salvation Army
Corps, as well as major general banding concerts and CD’s
that were always of the very, very highest class.
We managed to
hear them on a number of occasions – most notably
at the Eric Ball Centenary Celebration Concert in Nottingham where
they produced playing of exceptional quality in a most demanding
programme, whilst their CD releases included the excellent “Kingdom
Triumphant”.
This is a band with a beautiful tonal quality,
a tightness of ensemble playing that even the best contesting
bands would die for and soloists who could walk into any band
in the country.
However, it is the way in which they approach
their music making that fills you with joy – there is a belief and understanding about the repertoire
they play, transmitted from the tip of the MD’s baton right
down to the bottom Bb bass player. It marks them out as a very
special indeed, and during 2003 they performed to a level they
themselves have rarely bettered.
Previous winners:
2002: Fodens Richardson
2001: Yorkshire Building
Society
That’s
our five nominations for you to chew over then, although we know
there could be quite a few more both from the UK and abroad who
could have made it to our own short list. If you think your band
should be the winners then send us your votes and we will see how
much support they get.© 4BarsRest
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