Saturday 23, 22:11:28
Round up and opinion
Like many we suspect that came here to the KKL Hall thinking they were going to be wowed, and thrilled by the standard of the playing on ‘The Lost Circle’ from the fancied runners in particular, it certainly didn’t turn out that way.
Despite the high quality of Treize Etoiles, Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern and Valaisia, you have to say their performances didn’t quite live up to those expectations. There is no clear favourite going into tomorrow’s own-choice.
Each made a case for topping the set-work category, but they also displayed noticeable fragilities and unforced errors that could well cost them dear, depending on just how the judges think they tarnished their accounts. And they were noticeable. None of them were at their very best.
In fact one or even two of them may find themselves being beaten today by the likes of Brass Band Valaisian who delivered such a vibrant account packed with character and confidence.
We shall have to wait and see after their own-choice pyrotechnics tomorrow.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 22:10:46
Excellence Division:
10. Oberaargauer Brass Band (Herve Grelat)
The percussionists created a little bit of prehistory magic to open — the best thunder sheet in particular that rumbled with evil intent like a slightly off curry in the depths of your belly.
It also built effectively too from that 'Waun Mawn' opening and burial site link through to the tubas leading with a strongly defined tread on their journey.
Plenty of solid artisan ensemble work on display over the uneven ground to follow all the way to a delicate Ronald Binge 'lagoon' and the central section that flowed like a meandering river through the Wiltshire plains.
Some struggles in places, but there was an understated musicality about the approach that fitted so well — all the way to the final climax and screech chord led by super sop.
Troms geared the music with a touch of edgy vigour that was also built on effectively once more by a confident ensemble. Lots to enjoy as the music was drawn along what has been a well worn path by 9 others today all seeking a place to build a monument to their success in overcoming what has been a difficult set work to master.
The band certainly did that to close, the MD creating the optimism through the lines of the score like an architect drawing up his blueprints for his new circle of stone.
A finely attuned ending rounded off a performance of note.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 21:40:48
Excellence Division:
9. Brass Band Berner Oberland (Veronique Gyger)
Hints of mystery and inventiveness in the effective opening (looked like the use of a fasces bundle of sticks being hit) that just had a few uncomfortable moments as it was built with a bold tuba drive.
The movement over uneven ground was nicely done though — solid and honest in its labour, everything played as it should have been. Perhaps it needed a little more contrast in colour and balance with its textures, but it was all there.
More good delivery followed in the extended central section — flowing but not without its shifts, pulls and eddies of tension that created a great deal of musical interest.
Super lead lines spoke eloquently and the final climax was not overdone — happy but not ecstatic, as there was more hard graft to come.
Not quite as secure in the trom led processional, although it portrayed the last leg from hopelessness to optimism as the new venue for the circle appeared on the horizon with growing expectancy.
Great fizz and energised drive to close things with the bells ringing in celebration of a hard job well done by band and MD.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 21:08:50
Excellence Division:
8. Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien A (Thomas Wyss)
Another opening that was effective in its simplicity of its approach and which gave a solid stanchion point for the emerging colourings to find their way though before the tubas took hold.
They led a firmly treaded march, leaving musical tracks in their wake over the uneven ground in accomplished style. Grafted well that with a rugged honesty that brought character to the music.
The central section also flowed without artifice or unnecessary inclinations thanks to the MD just drawing and fading lines and textures with subtle shifts of emphasis. It gave what can sound like a somewhat overlong 'disneyfied' feel to the music a sense of serious substance — with an absolute bullseye sop on the last note.
Just lost precision in the trom led procession, but it recovered as it moved from minor keyed feelings of hopelessness to major keyed optimism the green fields of prehistoric urban building plots ahead.
A great sense of triumphalism permeated the last section driven to its conclusion with the bluestones chuck joyfully into the ground like gateposts by farmers wanting to keep ramblers off their land.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 20:38:26
Excellence Division:
7. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan (Jean-Francois Bobillier)
An opening of real atmosphere and sinister colourings worked so well, and was built on by the stentorian tubas, euphs and horns before the quartet of troms took the lead with a whip lash precision of edgy clarity.
Huge dynamic sounds drove the music over its uneven ground like a prehistoric tank — nothing blocking its inexorable progress. It was impressive in its clarity, balance and texture too — and so confidently delivered.
The central section had a juicy dynamic spread but still saw the exemplary cornet shine. It rolled along after that with a few moments of unease but this was unashamedly filmatic — a little OTT in places, but it worked in its technicolour approach.
Troms again showed a cut throat razor edge to their playing in the processional before the optimistic sounds returned, a little frenetically it must be said, but with the passion laid on with a stone age trowel.
Great sounds of joy rang out as they gave it the full beanz to get the boulders chucked into the ground — chucked into the right place like Luke Littler throwing a 180 at darts.
Bravo — that could surprise quite a few.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 19:57:26
Excellence Division:
6. Valaisia Brass Band (Arsene Duc)
Forget pre-history this was a primordial opening — fantastically atmospheric and built on by tubas who left tread marks like a yeti in the snow — huge and frightening.
Just the odd moment of unease and untidiness, but the journey from burial site to the drag of boulders across uneven ground was carried out with a malleable strength of purpose and certainty. Inner balances were heard and also so much detail.
A shimmering 'lagoon' led into the wonderfully flowing central section played with subtle musicality. Cornet delivered with rare artistry and was backed throughout — from sweet sop to hot water bottle snuggle tuba. This had such a glorious sense of control, the interwoven lines creating a wonderful texture of sound.
It was carried on by the processional troms in sounding so malevolent, but soon overtaken by a phalanx of sectional lines that oozed with purposeful optimism.
Fantastic organ sounds with an extra atomic button to be pressed by the MD to blast his rocks off (if you know what we mean) sent the music into orbit and then right back into the soil with the precision of an Elon Musk rocket booster.
My word that was some playing — inspired by an MD on the very top of his game and a band that gave him their all.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 19:27:20
Excellence Division:
5. Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia A (Vincent Baroni)
The effective rather than mysterious opening laid the foundations from which the stones of Waun Mawn were hewn with muscular endeavour by the artisan tubas.
Thereafter a great deal of effective graft and grind was shown as the boulders were drawn over the uneven musical ground with the perc adding dollops of filmatic effect (best lion roar since the MGM film credits). The transparency and layers of balance got blocked at times, but it still had a rugged honesty of toil.
Fab little 'Sleepy Lagoon' detour led to a somewhat strained central section that despite the malleable pulls and shifts had a few too many little bits of grit in the sugary mix. Nearly but not quite.
Troms led the processional with an inky edge of darkness that built effectively before the first sight of green pastures and optimism. Then it flowed with an uplifting spirit and freedom — all shoulders to the stones as the bell tolled.
The reserves were drilled here as the band gave everything for the type of finish that rang out in triumph, the stones planted deep like Easter Island Moa into the soil.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 18:51:40
Excellence Division:
4. Brass Band Fribourg A (Florent Didier)
A great opening section full of mystery and marshy effects, subtle shifts in tonal emphasis and dynamic nuance set the atmospheric scene here — added to by the lyrical tuba quartet.
The build from burial site to first marathon steps to Wiltshire was also so well projected. Occasionally the tread became a little laboured and one dimensional, but its focus was never lost even on the most uneven rhythmic ground.
It got a little 'Disney' with its sugary inflections in places after the neat Ronald Binge detour, but it was delivered with a rich 'Broadwayesque' confidence and always retained its honest endeavour.
Troms had a spiky malevolence to open the processional that was built layer by layer by the ensemble to great effect. Perc made telling interventions too — adding yet more colour and texture, before we headed for the final pathway to the new homeland.
Just lost a little of its majesty in the strain to become triumphant but a secondary wind drew the music and the blocks of bluestone home — with a thumping stanchion drive into the earth in the final few bards.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 18:21:43
Excellence Division:
3. Brass Band Treize Etoiles (Frederic Theodoloz)
Sounds of prehistory, nebulous and mysterious soon gave way to the dark balances of the tubas, euphs and horns. Just a tiny moment of unease as they captured the stony essence of purpose to the music.
The uneven slog is geared with such precision and balance though that it sounds so elegant and majestic; rhythmically hewn from the rocks they carry, with seams of balances that are so defined layer upon layer.
The flow in the central section was also maintained gloriously — just the tiniest little bit of grit chipped off in places in a couple of lines. It mattered not — the tenderness never feeling artificial or unnecessary. The warmth of the climax was extended, but again with so much transparency and refinement of tonality.
Troms opened the processional route with the razor bite of dead eyed sharks — the precision could have cut sheet steel. It was followed by such purposefulness and seamless increases in drive and dynamic spectrum. It was like hearing a human organ open its bellows.
The final processional to the new home was magnificent — joyful and triumphant without ever losing sight of the purpose of it all. The stones were lifted to the Gods (and what was to be a feral audience) in acclaim before being catapulted into the ground for eternity.
Iwan Fox
Saturday 23, 17:41:27
Excellence Division:
2. Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern (Michael Bach)
There was an inky darkness to the opening that quickly replaced the exotic perc sounds with a pit-deep resonance in the low brass to add a mean streak of muscularity to the portraiture.
That carried on with a dramatic impulse — a majestic slog over uneven ground made to sound full of focused intent and precision. Huge dynamic contrasts still revealed the inner detail through the visceral playing.
No sugar overload either in the central section — just a free flow of tender phrasing and shaping. Standing soloists projected to the furthest reaches of the hall before the climax was reached with bell canto loveliness.
A processional with a malevolent edge opened with troms and carried through before the first glimpse of the promised land where the stonework could be planted into fertile soil.
It was given the full majestic treatment too — building and building, adding level upon level of expectancy before the stones were simply thumped into the ground with a hammer of Thor.
Iwan Fox
