The 'long list' of 2019 nominations for the various categories of the annual 4BR Awards have been released.
The panel of judges will now cast their eyes over them to make their various personal choices, with the winners and podium finishers revealed on Christmas morning.
2019 Band of the Year:
Black Dyke
Brass Band Willebroek
Brass Band Wipptal
Cory
Desford Colliery
Eikanger Musikklag
Fountain City Brass
Flowers Band
Shepherd Group Band
Wellington Brass
The bands have been chosen not just for their contest achievements, but also for their artistic ones - from concert performances and tours to recordings, projects and long term sustainable planning.
The contesting excellence both domestic and international of Brass Band Willebroek, Cory, Eikanger, Fountain City and Wellington Brass has been obvious, although not exclusively their sole raison d’etre, whilst the same goes for the renaissance enjoyed by Black Dyke, Desford and Flowers.
Wipptal could well be the next emerging star band from the fertile grounds of northern Italy and Austria whilst Shepherd Group is a shining example of a Championship band taking long term decisions to invest in its future.
2019 Conductor of the Year:
Michael Bach (Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern/Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia)
Nicholas Childs (Black Dyke/NASUWT Riverside/Whitburn/Krohnengen/National Childrens Band)
Michael Fowles (Desford/the co-operation band/Foden’s)
Reid Gilje (Eikanger Bjorsvik)
Martin Hall (Tewit Silver/Tewit Silver Youth Band)
Philip Harper (Cory/National Youth Band of Wales)
Paul Holland (Flowers/Wantage Silver/Brass Band Schoonhoven)
Lee Rigg (Wardle Academy Youth/Wardle Junior Blast)
David Thornton (Brighouse&Rastrick/Aldbourne/Redbridge/Hepworth/Grimethorpe/Rainford/Carlton Main)
Jan Werkman (Gereformeerde Brassband Groningen/Immanuel Eessmond)
The 10 conductors have been chosen not just for their impressive contest records during the past year, but also for their inspirational leadership qualities and progressive artistic outlooks.
Some familiar faces here of course, but musical class isn’t easily lost. Each of these conductors impressed in their own unique way in 2019 - and not just with the baton in their hand.
2019 Player of the Year:
Henning Anundsen (cornet - Krohnengen)
Isobel Daws (trombone - Friary Band)
Scott Forrest (soprano - Whitburn)
Tom Hutchinson (cornet - Cory)
Damien Lagger (trombone - Valaisia Brass Band)
Katrina Marzella (baritone - Black Dyke)
Mathilde Roh (cornet - Treize Etoiles)
Jon-Vega Sole Sundal (soprano - Eikanger-Bjorsvik)
Chris Thomas (trombone - Cory)
Daniel Thomas (euphonium - Black Dyke)
These are 10 players who made the most significant impact on us with their performances, both on and off the contest stages during the past year (and we could have easily picked another ten or more). It’s been an absolute pleasure to hear these performers in action.
2019 Test Piece of the Year:
Concerto Grosso (Derek Bourgeois): Norwegian National Championship
Dear Cassandra (Ludovic Neurohr): European Championship
Dynasty (Peter Graham): British Open/Belgian National Championship
First Suite in Eb (Gustav Holst): Third Section Regional Championships of Great Britain
Partita (Wilfred Heaton): North American Championship
Titan’s Progress (Hermann Pallhuber): National Championship of Great Britain
Sanctuary! (Daniel Hall): Premier Section - European Youth Championship
Terezin (Mario Burki): Challenge Section - European Championship
Viking Age (Thierry Deleruyelle): National Championship of Great Britain Third Section Final
Vienna Nights (Philip Wilby): Netherlands National Championship
The 10 test pieces (not own-choice selections) that made the greatest musical impact on 4BR this year - some old, some new, some contemporary and some a bit more traditional.
2019 Lower Section Band of the Year:
Amersham Band (England)
Birkwood Academy (England)
BML Talents (Switzerland)
Brass Band Regensburg (Germany)
Catch Basin Brass Band (Austria)
Fountain City Youth Brass Academy Band (USA)
Krohnengen Brass Band (Norway)
Tewit Silver (England)
Unison Kinneil (Scotland)
Wardle Academy Youth (England)
Having been fortunate to travel the world this year, we got to hear bands at all levels in very many different countries - and the standard at times was remarkable.
All these bands in their very different ways made a huge impression with their playing and outlook – from the phoenix rising Unison Kinneil to the incredible grass roots investment and sheer enjoyment inspired at Birkwood Academy.
Amersham and Tewit are organisations are building musical foundations in the very best sense of the word, whilst the sheer youthful excellence of Wardle, BML Talents, Catch Basin and Fountain is a joy to hear in action.
Krohnengen was on inspired form in 2019 in Norway whilst Regensburg’s European Challenge title victory will have given the German brass band movement a huge boost.
2019 Contest Performance of the Year:
BML Talents (Swiss National Championship First Division - ‘Tallis Variations’)
Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern (Swiss National Championship Own-Choice - ‘Cataclysms’)
Cory (European Championship Own-Choice - ‘Explorers on the Moon’)
Cory (National Championship - 'Titan’s Progress’)
Cory (Brass in Concert Championship)
Eikanger Bjorsvik (European Championship Set-Work - ‘Dear Cassandra’)
Eikanger Bjorsvik (Norwegian Championship - ‘Concerto Grosso’)
Krohnengen (Norwegian National Championship First Division - ‘Fraternity’)
Valaisia (Swiss National Championship Own-Choice - ‘Other Lives’)
Wardle Academy Youth (Youth Brass in Concert)
The 10 'stand out' contest performances of the year heard by 4BR - and the ones that left a lasting impression on the musical mind.
2019 Newcomer of the Year:
Brass Bands England - Bandsafe initiative
BrassPass.tv Band of the Year Contest
Daniel Hall (European Composer winner)
Hounslow Junior Brass
ptrumpet hyTech
Malaga Brass Band (Challenge Section debutants at European Championships)
National Youth Championships of Great Britain Debut Section
Sky Arts television series (‘Battle of the Brass Bands’)
Sydney City Brass (Winners of Australian National Championship)
Adam Warburton (trombonist of Wardle Academy/National Youth Brass Band)
Always a difficult one to select, but these 10 people, bands, contests, innovations etc all made a significant impact during the past year.
BBE’s Bandsafe has been a stand out success for the organisation, as was the introduction of the Debut Section at the National Youth Championships.
The hybrid ptrumpet won accolades in the USA on its debut appearance at the huge NAMM event in California - and could now help revolutionize the way ‘brass’ teaching in schools is undertaken.
The BrassPass contest was an engaging addition to the contest calendar, whilst the Sky Arts four part ‘Battle of the Bands’ series provided an invaluable and sympathetic media profile for the movement as a whole.
It was wonderful to see the commitment and will to succeed with the organisation behind Hounslow Junior Brass in making their National Youth Championship debuts and a joy in the same vein to hear Malaga Brass Band at the European Championships.
Sydney City Brass has totally shock up the Australian banding movement with its National victory, composer Daniel Hall has quickly become one of the most exciting compositional talents around and Adam Warburton was the stand out youth solo performer of the year.
2019 CD of the Year:
The 10 CDs which have made the most impact not just on the brass band world with their overall quality, musical outlook and artistic importance but with a much wider audience.
Black Dyke Gold Vol VIII
Conductor: Prof Nicholas J. Childs
Featuring: Richard Marshall, Siobhan Bates, Brett Baker, Zoe Lovatt-Cooper, Alison Childs, Sammy Latus, Katrina Marzella
Doyen Recordings: DOY CD395
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd647.asp
Highlights from the European Brass Band Championships 2019
Featuring: Various bands and artists
CD: DOY CD394
DVD: WOB 203 DVD
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd642.asp
Pulse
International Staff Band of the Salvation Army
Bandmaster : Dr Stephen Cobb
https://www.worldofbrass.com/cds/new-releases/100482-group.html
Spero Per Musica
Red Shield Brass Band
Conductor: Dr Jonathan Corry
Soloists: Amy Nelson, Brett Tolcher, Jonathan Corry, Jonathon Weller
RSBB Recordings: 101
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd640.asp
Summon the Heroes
Cory Band
Conductor: Philip Harper
Doyen Recordings: CD390
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd634.asp
The Music of Bliss & Howells
Brighouse & Rastrick Band
Conductor: Dr David Thornton
Doyen Recordings: CD389
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd632.asp
The Music of Philip Wilby: The Pilgrim's Progress
Black Dyke Band
Conductor: Prof Nicholas Childs
Organists: Philip Wilby; Darius Battiwalla
Soloists: Zoe Lovatt-Cooper; Marcus Groundwater
Narrator: Matthew Routley
Doyen Recordings: CD392
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd641.asp
The Music of Simon Kerwin
Rothwell Temperance Band
Conductor: David Roberts
Soloists: Philip Tait, Joe Heartfield, James McCabe, Matt Spriggs
KMJ Recordings: Mode for...
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd657.asp
The Nationals 2019
Highlights from the National Brass Band Championships
Featuring: Cory, Unison Kinneil, South Yorkshire Police, Uppermill, Tewit Silver, Black Dyke
Soloist: Richard Marshall
Doyen Recordings: CD398
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd654.asp
Trials & Triumphs
Foden's Band
Conductors: Michael Fowles & Russell Gray
Soloists: Mark Wilkinson, Gary Curtin
Featuring: Richard Evans (vocalist); Robin Dewhurst (piano)
Doyen Recordings: CD 391
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd635.asp
2019 Solo CD of the Year:
The 10 CDs which have made the most impact not just on the brass band world with their overall quality, musical outlook and artistic importance but with a much wider audience.
Music for the Tenor Horn: Recital
Chris Davies
Tredegar Town Band
Conductor: Ian Porthouse
CD: 12018
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd648.asp
My Journey
Soloist: Derick Kane
The International Staff Band
Conductors: Dr. Stephen Cobb, Ray Bowes, Robert Redhead
Featuring: Stephen Kane
SKU: SPS423
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd631.asp
Open Mind
Anthony Galinier
WOS Recordings: WOS 143
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd644.asp
Poemes
Lilian Meurin
Accompanist: Victor Métral
CD: INDE121
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd649.asp
Pulse
Steven Mead
The Royal Band of the Belgian Airforce
Conductor: Matty Cilissen
BOCC Recordings: BOCC128
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd638.asp
Radiance
Bastien Baumet
Portugal Air Force Band
Conductors: CAP Antonio Rosado, CAP Rui Silva, ALF Artur Rouquina
Vocation Recordings: BE001/1
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd645.asp
Rise
Lode Violet & Kevin Van Giel
Brass Band Willebroek
Conductor: Frans Violet
MIRA Recordings: 89150-2
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd637.asp
Spotlight
Katrina Marzella
Black Dyke Band
Conductor: Prof Nicholas Childs; Edward Gregson
Doyen Recordings: CD393
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd639.asp
Spot on! The Next Generation of Euphonium Music
Fabian Bloch
Featuring: Francoise Killian (piano); Michael Meinen (percussion)
GENUIN Recordings: CD GEN19679
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd655.asp
The Symphonic Euphonium II
David Childs
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Ben Gernon
Leader: Yuri Torchinsky
Chandos Recordings: CHAN: 10997
https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd651.asp
