Arsene Duc, Prof Rob Wiffin OBE and Dr Stephen Cobb were in the box on 'Harrison's Dream'.
1st Place:
Flowers (Paul Holland)
Draw: 17
Electric opening – good use of accents
C – minor slip and bass. Cornet effective.
E – new tempo works and accents are clear and not overdone
G – trom and timp working well together
J – an adrenaline charged euph end at K – horn – exciting!
M – percussion? N – well played cornet
O - beautiful first bar – very tasteful playing, and (indecipherable) is just sublime – you are playing this section so well.
R – nice blend cornets. 244 works for you
Nice move at S – soprano that was special.
T - effective
U – accomplished playing again
Y – canon (bass drum) good and real sense of atmosphere evident in the band – fabulous euphs!
AA – expansive musical playing and at 342-344 what you did worked for you. 347 – fabulous.
CC – very atmospheric and convincing
A wonderful performance with great playing and a masterful interpretation – the band really ‘tell the story’.
Thank you
Dr Stephen Cobb
Great clarity and detail- good
A (tick) and B – excellent detail and space
C – Bass solo is goo until wobble on Bb. 52 – good
Eb Bass – just a little anxious. Commendable clarity at D – then E (tick), F (tick). G - odd balance here but fine H – finely draw – and so clean
J – almost too much
M – Perc effects a bar early
N – excellent contrast – but then intonation is not good with sop.
O – lovely dynamic but not fully together on the first note. Really neat into P – although this feels a little brighter – but then (indecipherable) – interesting. Bar before Q – euph off a little early.
Q – good – Bari strong for mp
R – lovely playing and 244.
S – good sop – very thoughtful approach to T
U- clarity as before
V – strong
W – excellent again
Y – big brightening of energy and sound now at Z
AA – big, big tone
343 – lucid and beautiful
348 – shapes so well formed. And to the emend.
Maybe not perfect – but the errors are so minor they should not detract from what was an awesome performance in so many ways. Exceptional clarity in the external sections and then so much beauty in the middle section. Brilliant!”
Rob Wiffin OBE
Great start, Wow
12 -13: intonation
37-40: great
48: pity
51: not quite together
55: bravo!
E: yes bravo. Good timps and dynamic
H: well controlled
I: good energy
136-146: Echo?
Great soloists J and K
181??? Perc (1 bar before) pity
180: Yes! In correct style
185: Intonation soprano
O: right on the bar line
O: that’s a ‘p’ bravo
214 – 218: so musical
P: Fantastic soloists
234: mp?
R: so tender
R: Music flows so well
T: right into bar line
W: well balanced with bass line
Y: Fantastic building
AA: lovely balance and big sound
343-346: Well done
CC: Wow so peaceful
What an ending! So controlled! What a band!
Thank you so much for this performance of pure brilliance and wonderful soloists. So much detail so secure. So sensitive and musical. Bravo to the band, soloists and MD!!!
Bonne chance pour la suite
Arsene Duc
2nd Place:
Foden’s (Russell Gray)
Draw: 18
Bold and effective opening – good basses, troms at 24/25.
C – excellent bass (basses) – real piano revealed for solo corent (52)
E – tempo shift good – accents beautifully delineated. Layering at 98 convincing – all well balanced.
H – good
J/K – excitement and verve euph and horn
N – not quite a non vib… however 199 well played
O – utterly convincing
P – beautiful style, a couple of minor slips and at Q but nevertheless really gorgeous playing
244 – made for you cornets. A lovely section
T – effective
U – Big (good!)
Opening at least as good as the beginning!
Y – an authentic build-up of intensity and its working so well!
AA – Broad expansive playing – well played.
BB – 349 – a good move
CC – appreciate the way the crescendo grew as it did.
This for me was an outstanding performance – the interpretation was excellent and the level of playing and musicianship of great merit. Thank you
Dr Stephen Cobb
Waiting for the cornet detail to emerge – but good A (tick), B (tick)
37 – good
c – bass solo – fine
52 – well shaped
Eb bass not quite comfortable (before) D
E – great accents and all well linked
G – troms V good
H – very clear
I (tick)
J – Good euph
148 – minor slip in solo horn.
L - again – well shaped and accurate
M – brilliant effects
N – cornet tone could be colder – but sop and rep are very well judged
O – held – lovely solo horn
211 – Well done and this time is very fine
215 – a slip on the bari
P – beautiful tone from euph
222- Bass also fine then euph – just one or two slight lapses
Q – unlucky sop
R – lucid exceptional touches
242 – (tick)
244 – risking all! Entry into S – and then a very minor disagreement (in) flug/trom
T - (tick)
V – as before – great technical resource
V – (tick)
X – (tick)
Y – building – sense the power to come
AA – nice moment in 3rd bar! And well into BB
343 – great!
CC – beautifully done. Good blend to the final note!
So, a great band. Some exceptional passages and a very low error count. There is so much to admire here and you are to be congratulated on a performance of transcendental beauty and magisterial power.
Rob Wiffin OBE
What a start!
A: all in place
37-40: Great cornet section
C: intonation (A)
55: pity
E: correct in repeat tempo!
G: compact trombones
H and I: secure
155-156: ensemble
187-188: Intonation
N to O: so well controlled
211: real piano
P: so cantabile horns, euph and bari
to R: music flows so good
R: right in ambience
244: little fragile
254: great link
W: well balanced
X: very precise
y: well in building
AA: broad and controlled
BB: all is musical and phrased
CC: mp?
Fantastic ending, bravissimo!
Thank you very much. The transparency of the band and all the solo lines are so musical. Great character, some blemishes.
A terrific performance due to outstanding soloists and musician. Great bravo to MD, so convincing. I really enjoy it.
Bonne chance pour la suite
Arsene Duc
3rd Place:
Black Dyke (Prof Nicholas Childs)
Draw: 6
Effective and convincing opening.
B – euphs excellent – clarity cornets at 17 good
C – effective – minor split on bass
51 – cornet delightful
E – tempo worked and accents effective
H – Tidy cornets
J – lots of personality on euph and subsequently horn – like what you are doing!
N – really well executed – excellent cornet.
O – beautiful! And with P – really compelling and musical playing (lovely reading MD)
R – this is so good – a little slip at 242 – 244 worked well for you. Such a good section of the work.
T – effective.
U – change of mood registered convincingly
W – detail and expression appreciated.
Y – horn ditto – the loud canon like shots are registered.
Z – euphs riding the band so well!
AA – big moment at 335.
BB – 347 – gorgeous.
CC – Resurgam acknowledged.
Stunning development of the final bar and detailed entries.
A really outstanding performance – congratulations MD and band. Playing of a very high order.
Dr Stephen Cobb
Start is slightly under – but cornet detail is very good. Shaped well.
B – basses should be mf above others.
37 – very good.
Bass fine into 3rd of C
52 - (tick)
54 – bass again I’m afraid.
64 – good
E – bright tempo but really good work.
G – troms fine
H – sensibly holds back a little – a couple of minor slips.
J – euph could be a little more forward in the mix – Neat accompaniment here.
L – (tick)
M – (tick)
N – very controlled non vib cornet – sop just a bit too strong – and a little inaccurate. Not quite
O – very nicely started without being overdone. Solo horn good at 211 – lovely shaping cornets/bari
P – too much 2nd euph stops making musical shapes.
227 – not quite – well done euph
Q – Nicely done troms and sop. Very nice into R – lovely cornet work – don’t give the dynamics away too soon.
242 – (indecipherable) 244 – S so good – all the way to T (tick)
V - steady but clean. Very neat good quality.
W- more bass please. Good to Y. Good inner energy and control
Z – opening and building well
AA- nice burnish – very musical
Before BB – watch triplets against (indecipherable)
343 – very good. 347 – well shaped – slight smudge into CC.
I really enjoyed this – very musical and well shaped – controlled but this impressed when it needed to be. Not without its accidents – which you will know about – but so much to commend – especially the translucent pp tenderness. Well done.
Rob Wiffin OBE
Great start!
24 and next: powerful
37: with style, bravo
C: with ambience
48: pity and 54 pity
55: good detail
E: great tempo and style
120 & 121: intonation
126: ensemble
140: ensemble
140-151: a little unstable
165 and next: its better
M to N: good link
N: correct atmosphere
186: Pity
205: Lovely
O: All is musical
229: Yes!
R: Marvellous and well controlled
S: right on the bar line
Y: Lines are detailed
AA: Controlled ff and powerful: bravo
BB: Calm and sensitive
CC: Well detailed and fine
Great ending: all is well built
Thank you very much for this superb performance!!!
The slow section was just magical. Wonderful soloists. Just minor clips. Bravo to MD!! – all is transparent and flows naturally. Bravo to the band and Bonne chance pour la suite.
Arsene Duc
