Editorial ~ 2007: May

This month we give our opinion on the Europeans in Birmingham; the lead on youth developement and in praise of Brass Band Willebroek.

Limited ambition and the European Championships

If the 30th European Brass Band Championships told us one thing then it was certainly that it is now the most important brass band competition the world. Only a properly organised and run World Championship could now surpass it. Because of that it was therefore a huge disappointment that the event run by the BFBB in Birmingham so lacked ambition. 

There were some wonderful highlights throughout the week: the opening European Concert and Soloist Final was a pleasure; the European Youth Band a credit and delight; the standard of music making from the bands perhaps the highest it has ever been in the Championship Section, and the Farewell Gala Concert featuring the amazing talents of Brass Band Oberoesterreich from Austria was simply thrilling.

Why then was the event so poorly advertised and promoted and so lacked any sense of it being of any true international importance to either the City of Birmingham or the British Brass band movement as a whole?

The sense of such a limited scope of initiative, of an organisation such as the BFBB working hard but failing to see outside very narrow parameters, and of an event that could and should have been so much more of a success was palpable. For all the BFBB's hard work (and there was plenty of it from so many people) it just highlighted how unsuited the organisation is in its present format and structure to deal with major events of this nature.

The lack of basic signage (the banners outside the hall were for a dental conference), the lack of any sort of national or local press coverage and the make up for what should have been the climax of the whole weekend at the Gala Concert told you everything – the BFBB were hoping rather than expecting the whole European Festival to be a success.

As a result we were left with thoughts of what might have been. A significant monetary loss and the real possibility that the contest will not return here for many years to come, unless it is organised privately is the legacy. All this could have been avoided with just a little bit more ambition.

What do you think?
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Youth Development

One of the most interesting side events of the European Championships was the presentation organised to discuss how to promote youth within the brass band movement.  

The main speakers included Alan Edmond, Development Officer for the Scottish Brass Band Association, James Gourlay and Nicholas Childs as well as a representative from the Netherlands to give a European aspect to the discussion.

Two things were most notable. Firstly that Scotland once again seems to have used initiative, expertise and sheer hard graft to address what they see as an issue of vital importance not only to the brass band movement but also to music making in general north of the border. Secondly, there was no one from the BFBB interested enough to even make it to the conference to give an inkling of an idea to what is going on in the supposed heartland of brass band music making in the whole of Europe.

You get what you pay for in this business and Scotland has used its money wisely and with a real emphasis on long term aims and objectives. It will take time, but with the likes of Alan Edmond and James Gourlay at the forefront, they will surely succeed. They are a credit to Scotland, and in years to come the benefits will plentiful.

Others too it seems are doing the same thing – the Netherlands, as was shown, also have broadly the same aims and objectives if in a slightly different context, whilst Wales and some regional parts of England are working towards longer term goals, even if they tend to be linked towards the broader objectives of local authorities. 

Given that just a week before we had sampled the delights of the National Youth Brass Band Championships in Manchester, it was sad, but predictable that the BFBB who ran that event could not bother to turn up either to contribute or to inform a large and interested audience of what they themselves are doing in this vital area.    The Development Officer we were told was putting up the BFBB trade stand and couldn't attend.

As one delegate said: "The future lies with our young players, we must do everything to encourage them." Scotland is doing just that, the BFBB it seems isn't. Guess which organisation will reap the benefits in the future?

What do you think?
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In praise of Brass Band Willebroek

You have to hand it to Brass Band Willebroek. To win the European Championships is one thing, to win it twice something else. To win it three times and in the process retain your title sets you apart.

For many years they have been there or thereabouts at the contest. The 1993 win may have been seen as a bit of a ‘one off', a victory based on other people's failings rather than their own personal success, but last year in Belfast and now again in Birmingham they have shown themselves to be rightly regarded as one of the very best brass bands in the world.

They are of course a band of wonderful musicians and players of the very highest class, whilst in Frans Violet they have a conductor and driving force who deserves to be counted with the very best in the business. He is an inspirational leader.  They are however a band that promotes and develops its youth (the youngest player in the band was just 12 years of age on the weekend) and they have an insatiable appetite to learn and improve (the vast majority of the players came back to listen to bands in the hall on both days of the contest). Now they are the European masters and the band to beat.

It has taken them a very long time to reach this level (something other bands may well consider given that there were rumours that some may not wish to compete at the contest in future). It has cost the players time off work, loss of earnings, money and time away from the family, but as Bert Van Theinen their soprano player told 4BR, it has given them so much pleasure that it has been all worthwhile.

Now the gauntlet has well and truly been thrown down, is there a band in the UK that can pick it up and regain the European for Britain? If they do, they will have to beat a pretty exceptional band in the process.

What do you think?
Send an email to: comments@4barsrest.com

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