1st place:
Brass Band Treize Etoiles (Frederic Theodoloz)
Draw: 15
The Lost Circle (Jan Van der Roost)
An atmospheric opening. 17 – well played and an authentic development towards 38 – impressive.
52 – admirable detail right through to 74. Delicate cornets into 78. Band is at all times secure and nothing is overdone – right to 140 – Exemplary playing.
141 – excellent trombones. 156 – really well executed! Liked the move at 15/166.
167 – eally difficult to achieve together – but you are!
190 – Really still and restful- beautiful. Really elegant flugel playing – gorgeous sound Baritone too. 201 – fabulous cornet/euph and subsequently full band – really ‘present’ sop at 218 – beautiful. Throughout the music flows so musically
231 – beautiful band sound – not overdone
249 – Animando well-crafted and contrast at piu lento. 260 – well played all – bass trombone excellent. Minor glitch at 265. Managing accel/stringendo classily.
290 - fantastic work here. 302 – impressively balanced. 311- exciting! Each section is creating more energy.
What a performance! Congratulations to MD and band.
Thank You!
Stephen Cobb
Super opening – great colours on show.
17: basses begin the journey in solemn fashion
38: builds so well to 48 – excellent!
Bravo troms. Terrific technical skill on show
74: great clarity and super soloists
99: superb! Great precision and detail throughout.
141: is excellent and the tempo transitions well sculpted
167: The chorale is clear in the main – super bass work!
190: has a magical quality
194: Beautiful and the duet is sublime.
206: This is just glorious! You take such care with this music – the chorale has great heart and warmth!
260: The procession is suitably solemn and solo lines are excellent! There is drive and purpose!
290: Has delicacy but builds beautifully
309: Excellent!
Superb finale!
What a performance! Stunning storytelling throughout – a privileged to listen to!
Thank you
Anne Crookston
Perfect start – very effective in the muted cornets and trombones
Very good balance and ‘in tune’ tuba quartet – good link into euphoniums and horns. 38 – monumental
52 – so clean in basses and trombones – so rich bass register – technically perfect. 78 – finally we can hear all the detailed writing.
108 – detailed work in tubas and powerful trombones
119 – perfect style
141 – excellent trombones. 152 – bravo euphs/horns
Solemn trombones – 167 – rich and sonorous
188 – horns superb sound
190 – perfect tranquillo atmosphere
194 – this has great musicianship – flows so naturally – a most cultured way of brass playing.
206 – pure beauty – sound and phrasing are a masterclass!
222 – perfect quartet (soloists) – great be bass sound – so well handled, nothing overdone
Oh my God 231 – how heaven will hopefully sound – such a cultured sound, bold and extremely rich band sound.
260 – perfect style in basses – perfect trombones
267 – tempi are perfectly handled
Sorry that I ran out of superlatives – my utmost respect for this monumental, memorable contest performance. Bravo band and MD!
Luc Vertommen
2nd place:
Flowers (Paul Holland)
Draw: 4
The Lost Circle (Jan Van der Roost)
Opening works – clarity throughout – convincing start.
16 – this is really demanding! A couple of minor blemishes – blending/balancing entry of euphs now heard changing – fabulous soprano.
38 – good – excellent clarity!
Appropriate tempo – this is outstanding. Good timps again at 24 allowing for true joyous playing. 111 – balance fabulous. 141 – entirely convincing. 157 – horns good 167 – Celebratory!
Really commendable balance and control at the same time. Beautiful transitions into 190. So musical! Outstanding cornet! Poised, musical – ditto sop and euph and flugel too! Really enjoying the interpretation - bravo MD!
218 – Beautiful. Stringendo – well handled.
231 – Chorale – controlled, not overdone. 260 – measured and detailed
267 – time retained 280 – Appropriate balance between troms and percussion (xylo excellent!) 301 – worked 311 – exciting!! 338 – Glorioso style! Characteristics at 354 terrific and an entirely convincing conclusion.
A really wonderful performance – all soloists outstanding and a reading that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you MD and band
Stephen Cobb
Evocative opening with super details on show
17: is well handled, and builds well to 38
44: rhythms and clarity – excellent. This has purpose and drive. Bravo troms – excellent!
74: Bravo – the balance really works and the whole is characterful. Dynamically so well sculpted.
119: is excellent – super ensemble work!
Super work from 141! You are finding some thrilling tempo nuances.
167: The chorale is beautifully handled – sop really sings! So much poise in the transitions – bravo all.
190: is just beautiful. You handle this with so much care – thank you!
201: Excellent! Musically and dynamically so well sculpted and the music flows…
231: has warmth and reverence.
260: The footsteps has real weight – and the nuances of style and tempo change are noted.
302 – superb! You are really finding the character – wonderful.
329: great balance – this is thrilling! What a finale!
What a thrill – bravo MD and band – so much colour and character throughout – superb!
Anne Crookston
Very solid opening – detailed percussion playing – good sounds at 11 – good tuba quartet – nearly perfect intonation
30 – quality sound in the middle of the band
38 – good technique – excellent trombones!
52 – good style – like the powerful and clean playing in trombones – very transparent playing in the entire band.
74 – good tempo MD! 119 – very controlled
Bravo trombones 149 – all so controlled, noting overdone in tempo. Good link into 182 – massive sounds at 182
190 – very musical – nice sounds 194 – gorgeous flugel sounds. 200 – so beautiful
201 – world class soloists – bravo to you all – euphonium is a class apart!
The music breathes very well – a very clever and musical MD! With a world class band.
Perfect link into 231 and this is a masterclass – you play an organ like forte – thank you – excellent timp player
Good links in finale – 284 – perfection
290 – Breathtaking technical precision – world class performance no weak links. Very, very special – so emotional in the slow music. Only total admiration for this cultured colourful performance.
Luc Vertommen
3rd place:
Black Dyke Band (Pro Nicholas Childs)
Draw: 15
The Lost Circle (Jan Van der Roost)
An evocative opening 17 – worked so well through to 48 – impressive. Detail and atmosphere – thank you!
Again, commendable detail revealed to 73. Nice change of style into 74. Balance excellent. Subtle rit at 118. Appreciating the level of detail yet monitoring equal levels of musicianship.
141 – outstanding euphs – then basses at 148. 157 – horns excellent. 167 – masterful move into arriving in Wiltshire! Beautiful mood caught into 190 – rest, tranquil, calm.
Class, great flugel and baritone. Absolutely outstanding cornet/euph. The music is flowing, but not hurried. High quality here.
231 – impressive sound in ensemble – nothing overdone. Piu lento – just a little out with an entry.
260 – good tempo MD, and band delivering – accel/stringendo challenges being met. Troms 279/280 excellent.
29 - great quality. 302 – not overdone – good.
309 – exciting – basses 313/314 – excellent. 329 – driven, exciting playing but again not overplayed.
254 – fab!! – great ending.
An outstanding performance! Congratulations MD and band
Stephen Cobb
Evocative opening – good detail and colour.
17: Super basses… great start to the journey.
38: builds so well – thrilling. Great detail through 52
74: is so colourful – bravo soloists. Band and percussion as one!
119: is very effective – super colours through 128 (not quite as one on 139) Troms are super from 141, and the transition in managed well to 167.
167: is well balanced. Super work from 185
190: glorious richness – so tranquil..
194: beautiful!
210: the lines float effortlessly and dynamics sculpted so effectively
249: is effective (not quite together on 259) but processional opens with gravitas.
267: has great transparency
290: drives with great effect and the chorale is well sculpted to 309.
309 is thrilling and builds to a fantastic conclusion.
Bravo all – a fantastic reading and super soloists.
Anne Crookston
Good start with lots of colour in the percussion – good style in the tuba quartet: nice middle of the band sound.
Solid trombones/tuba – great technique in basses
78 – perfect style – very controlled – excllent ensemble
101 – not all clean in mallets – great trombone 110
119 – very stylish 139 – not completely together on the chord
141 – perfect style – technically a perfect rendition – like the solid trombone section
167 – perfect style and balance 182 – nice colour
190 – beautifully layered between percussion and muted cornets
Some world class solo playing – bravo cornet/flugel horn/euphonium is a masterclass in lyrical playing!!
214 – rich, sonorous and clear
222- best be bass sound heard for a while
This is warm and organ like – perfectly balanced band with a most intelligent and musical leader.
259 – not together on the first pause and out of tune on the second pause – don’t overdo.
A perfect procession – great trombones/horns – all well paced by the conductor.
Finale: just like it should be – exciting – technically brilliant and full of passion. World class – a delight to listen to.
A monumental performance!
Luc Vertommen
