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2014 4BR Awards — Conductor of the Year

Which conductor made the biggest impression on the collective consciousness in 2014?

There were hundreds of them plying their trade — although some more successfully than others.

The nominations from the 4BR team for consideration are...

Michael Bach

Michael Bach

The man behind Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern’s remarkable rise to European glory  - and a musician so bursting with talent that you wonder if we are only seeing the first of many more major contesting baubles of success that he is capable of grabbing by the musical throat.

His style, verve and sheer joy in taking musical risks marks him out - be it with Luzern, Leyland, Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia or Saanen Band, whilst he also revealed himself to be a very perceptive man in the box too.


Prof Nicholas Childs

Prof Nicholas Childs

No conductor so revels under the pressure of being in the contesting spotlight than the man who has moulded Black Dyke into a band that now responds intuitively to his every command.

The concert and CD recordings remains the slick and professional face of the Queensbury juggernaut, but it has been on the contest platform that he has finally been able to fire up the heart throbbing boosters of his Saturn V rocket on full power.  

At London in particular, he simply blasted rivals into oblivion.


HollAND

Paul Holland

A conductor who has used his musical intelligence to the full to plant the solid foundations on which he has built his band’s success.

2014 was a special year for Flowers, but it wasn’t just the his star players that caught the imagination. The impressive early season victories saw a band flexing its muscles without ever being in danger of losing control, whilst the Open podium finish was very much due to his finely shaped reading.

The National and Brass in Concert results simply confirmed the excellence of the job he has done.


Chris Jeans

Chris Jeans

For over a decade now, Chris Jeans has combined his outstanding trombone playing with Virtuosi GUS with his equally outstanding leadership of Youth Brass 2000.

2014 saw him lead his young band to yet another Butlins Youth Championship title, victory at the British Open Brass at the Guild Hall contest and first prize in the Championship Section of the National Youth Championships.  Just the Action Research title eluded them - but what a year - and what an inspiring MD.


James Gouraly

James Gourlay

Say it quietly, but ‘Jim Boy’ is back.

To be fair he’s never really been away (despite his American zip code), but on his annual return to Swiss shores he continued to show what the rest of the banding world has been missing for far too long.

Bold, charismatic, risk taking - the man bubbles with spontaneous musical combustion - and at the Swiss Open and Nationals in 2014 he almost sent the contest venues up in fire. 



Petworth Town Band - Dorset House School Fete

Saturday 26 July • Dorset House School RH20 1PB


Dobcross Silver Band - Marsden Silver Prize Band

Sunday 27 July • c/o Dobcross Band Club. Platt Lane. Dobcross Saddleworth OL3 5AD


Haverhill Silver Band - A Nightingale Sang... (an evening concert)

Saturday 2 August • Foakes Hall, Dunmow CM6 1DG


Haverhill Silver Band - East Anglian Beer & Cider Festival

Sunday 24 August • St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1QX


Haverhill Silver Band - Concert in Saffron Hall

Wednesday 27 August • Saffron Hall, Audley End Road, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4UH


Dodworth Colliery MW Brass Band

July 25 • Ready for a NEW Music Challenge?. . Dodworth Brass Band, is looking for a new principal cornet as our current player prepares for retirement. Just 5mins from J37 M1. . friendly welcoming band with a packed calendar of exciting concerts & events. . . S75 3RF


Enderby Band

July 24 • Enderby Band (Leicestershire) are a Championship section band looking for: Bb BASS & PERCUSSION (expressions of interest from any perc disciplines are welcome). We are an ambitious, friendly, band with a sensibly full calendar of contests and concerts.


The Marple Band

July 24 • Cornet( back row), Baritone, Horn, Bb Bass and Kit percussionist vacancies to join our fabulous band. We are a friendly ambitious 2nd Section band, starting an exciting new musical journey with our MD Nick Birch.


Dr Brett Baker

BSc (Hons), ARCM, PG Dip
Marketing Lead, Denis Wick & Alliance Products; Artist at Michael Rath Instruments


               

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