Adjudicators: Set Work: Chris King, Margie Antrobus, Mathias Wehr Own Choice: Magnus Brandseth, Frode Rydland, Andrew Duncan Set Work: Genetic Code (Thomas Doss)
Set Work/Own Choice = Total
1. Valaisia Brass Band (Arsene Duc): 1/1 = 2 2. Brass Band Treize Etoiles (Frederoc Theodoloz): 2/2 = 4 3. Brassband Burgermusik Luzern (Michael Bach): 3/3 = 6 4. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan (Jean-Francois Bobillier): 4/5 = 9 5. Oberaargauer Brass Band (Roland Froscher): 8/4 = 12 6. Brass Band Berner Oberland (Veronique Gyger): 5/10 = 15* 7. Liberty Brass Band (Stefan Roth): 6/9 = 15 8. Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia (Vincent Baroni): 7/8 = 15 9. Brass Band Fribourg (Adrian Schneider): 9/6 = 15 10. Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien (Thomas Wyss): 10/8 = 18
*Position on set work takes precedent
Best Flugel Horn: Brass Band Treize Etoiles Best Soloist on Own-Choice: Brass Band Treize Etoiles
First Section:
Adjudicators: Chris King; Margie Antrobus; Mathias Wehr Set Work: La Geometria (Bert Appermont)
1. Brass Band Kirchenmusik Fluhli (Simon Gertschen): 94 2. Brass Band Thurgau (Daniel Gubler): 93 3. Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg A (Philipp Werlen): 92 4. Brass Band Fribourg B (Aurelien Darbellay): 91 5. Brass Band MG Reiden (Armin Renggli): 90 6. Ensemble de Cuivres Ambitus (Damien Lagger): 89 7. Brass Band Schotz (Ueli Wigger): 88 8. Universal Brass Band Wil (Gian Stecher): 86 9. Constellation Brass Band B (Olivier Vergeres): 85 10. Brass Band Treize Etoiles Formation B (Lionel Fumeaux): 84 11. Brass Band Lotschental (Yvan Lagger): 83 12. Brass Band Fricktal (Florentin Setz): 82 13. Brass Band RosAlp (David Bonvin): 81 14. Brass Band Konkordia Busserach (Christoph Bangerter): 80
Best Percussion: Brass Band Kirchenmusik Fluhli
Sunday 30, 17:12:24
Round up before the results
You are reminded of a quote said by the great Arnold Palmer about Jack Nicklaus when he revolutionised the game of golf in the early 1960s — that "he is playing the same game, but one I'm not familiar with."
That applies somewhat to what we hear here, with the own-choice selections which are displays of showmanship that are ostensibly the same as what goes on around the world, but are in fact on a different planet entirely — although not always one that is a great place to be.
For the best here though it was in a different realm — Valaisia stunning on a work that may well have been the only one today grounded in the musical earth and not in the fantastical heavens.
Lucerne will surely come close and may well have done just enough to regain the title over the two days, whilst Treize Etoiles must have run over a dozen black cats and broken several mirrors when it comes to the draws. They were still brilliant though.
Both editors are in agreement though today with our top three of:
All three could win it all overall — there is nothing between them over the two days.
Iwan Fox
Sunday 30, 16:14:29
Excellence Championship Section:
10. Oberaargauer Brass Band (Roland Froscher)
4BR Ranking: 117
Swiss National Record: 2024: 8th (5th set work/ 10th own choice) 2023: 10th (10th/9th) 2022: DNC 2021: DNC
Own Choice Selection: 2024: Fraternity (Thierry Deleruyelle) 2023: Da Vinci (Ludovic Neurohr) 2022: DNC 2021: DNC
Jesus in Tibet (Simon Dobson)
Simon's Dobson's work references the supposition that Jesus Christ may have spent most of his adolescent and adult life not in Judea, but much further afield.
There is no direct Biblical reference of him from the ages of 12 to 30 — an omission that could be explained by travels in search of the purity of eastern philosophy.
Mention is made in the Gospel of St. Issa found in a monastery in the Himalayas. It tells of a prophet devoting himself to Buddhist teachings in Tibet.
The composer explores this in five linked movements — the first, 'Three Kings from The East' witnesses his birth but also prophesise his calling towards the orient.
'Songs of the Second Temple' heralds the destruction of Herod's temple and the sounds of the Shofar horns that were said to accompany it. 'The Silk Road' describes Jesus' travels east along the historic trading route, whilst 'St. Issa' marks his arrival and devotion to serene meditation.
'Nirvana or Retribution' sees a return and his Biblical destiny — although the music leaves an open question to whether it actually occurs with a twist of Led Zeppelinesque 'Kashmir' flavouring.
It also leaves the possibility of what that might have actually entailed in the mind of the listener amid a triumphant close.
Iwan Fox
On a day of own-choice works of biblical proportions we ended in appropriate fashion with the final rendition of the day.
It was played with a real evangelical zeal too — right from the start and maintained so well by the MD. The players responded in kind — from the sop who seemed perfectly at home in the heavens, to the sinuous trom, lyrical flugel and perc team who played their exotica with the ear for colour and texture as well as effect.
Just lost a little bit of cohesion in places when they really tried to touch the extremes of the dynamic range, but this was playing that was drawn from true believers in the band's cause.
A fantastic tub thumping close of fire and brimstone rounded things off.
Iwan Fox
10. Oberaargauer Brass Band
The Oberaargau Brass Band (OBB) launches into the piece with regal grandeur, immediately making a powerful statement. The imitation of the shofar horns in the various positioned groups is successful and ominously foreshadows the subsequent destruction.
The meditation allows us to revel in our thoughts and find peace. But the composer doesn't give us too much time for that, instead continuing the story with cinematic music. The Oberaargauer Brass Band skillfully conveys the drama.
The trombone trio plays as if there were no tomorrow, and the band is swept away by their energy. A little more restraint at times wouldn't have detracted from the drama; certain percussion effects were too loud.
The Oberaargau Brass Band's compelling performance under the direction of Roland Froscher thus concludes an exciting day of competition with great enthusiasm.
Swiss National Record: 2024: 3rd (4th set work/ 3rd own choice) 2023: 2nd (1st/5th) 2022: 2nd (5th/1st) 2021: 2nd (1st/6th)
Own Choice Selection: 2024: Jesus in Tibet (Simon Dobson) 2023: Sunrise with Sea Monsters (Oliver Waespi) 2022: Cataclysms (Roland Szentpali) 2021: Two Worlds (Philip Harper)
Enginery of Genesis (Theo Schmitt)
Theo Schmitt's four movement composition is inspired by the nuclear research work undertaken at CERN in Switzerland — both as a scientific and poetic metaphor on the power and potential it probes and releases.
The opening 'Fragmenting Stars' draws the listener into an ambient textural soundscape — drifting, haze-like in wider mystery and miniscule particle.
'Gathering Minds' reflects on human cooperation expressed through intricate polyphony and dialogue — from sections to soloists, as they reach a unified "harmony of collaboration".
It is followed by 'Computing Crashes' — the music shifting to the man-made complexities of a machine exploring the unpredictability of nature — virtuosic and wild in rebellion as circuitry fuses into its groove — mayhem controlled, but only just.
It closes with 'Colliding Lights' — the ultimate expression of force and purpose as atoms collide at blinding intensity.
Iwan Fox
Luzerne literally went nuclear to wrest the title back from their Valais valley rivals after coming so close in recent years — with an engrossing composition based on the work of CERN.
Written with a balance of the filmatic to the contemporary, it also utilised spatial techniques in the opening with players placed at the back of the band and at the flanks of the hall.
That allowed the complex layers of fragmentary individual parts to be heard — and so effectively — the soundscape growing organically in joyous intent.
Polyphony and ensemble united for the next section that drew themes with a nod to the traditional energy sources of band playing, before the trom took the audience on a journey of exponential wizardry.
My word he did just that backed by a thumping ensemble of fusion sounds, styles and perc peculiarities.
Immense detailing was heard in the final section — treading a fine line between control and chaos, but one expertly maintained by the MD.
It simply thumped its way to the end — hugely precise and brilliant in its technical execution but backed by an overarching theme out of the best sci-fi play lists.
The final throbbing of intensity lit up the hall with Lucern's own nuclear fusion to round off a stunning performance.
They couldn't have done anything more in their attempt to regain the title.
Iwan Fox
9. Burgermusik The Lucerne musicians are positioned in various groups, scattered across the stage and even among the audience. They build a finely nuanced cloud of sound, creating an ethereal atmosphere.
The solo euphonium player performs a very long solo at the edge of the stage with incredible volume. Gradually, the musicians return to their usual positions, but the atmosphere persists.
The piece then transitions into a cool groove, punctuated by trombone solos. The percussionists generate numerous unusual, machine-like effects, which are then carried forward with rhythmic precision by the muted cornets.
With purpose and sharp phrasing, they fire off sixteenth notes at lightning speed through the hall, driving our pulses up and relentlessly propelling the innovative piece toward its conclusion.
The rhythm is only briefly interrupted for a brief sunrise from the soprano cornet before the thunderous applause erupts at the final note.
Swiss National Record: 2024: 7th (9th set work/ 5th own choice) 2023: 4th (7th/1st) 2022: 4th (4th/6th) 2021: 4th (5th/4th)
Own Choice Selection: 2024: Magnetism (Gilles Rocha) 2023: Midnight's Butterflies (Maurice Donnet-Moray) 2022: Other Lives (Lover Waespi) 2021: Explorers on the Moon (Philip Harper)
The Divine Right (Philip Harper)
At the time Philip Harper was composing this work, the Arab Spring was sweeping through the Middle East. Regimes, many despotic, were falling. Hope came with uncertainty.
It is therefore a reflection of these revolutionary times, as well as the context linked to the revolution that took place in 17th century Britain following the execution of King Charles I in 1649.
His belief was that of the divine right of kings — its end leading to the Commonwealth interregnum of Oliver Cromwell.
The music examines different aspects of what this meant and now means — not programmatic but still reflecting on questions of religion, military force and even reasoned debate.
The music quotes from royalist composer Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656), who was often in tune with the feeling of the times.
The Cromwellian hiatus came to an end with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the return of King Charles II marked by John Evelyn writing: "Never was so joyful a day seen in this nation. I stood in the Strand and beheld it, and blessed God" — another era of turbulence replaced another of supposed divine certainty.
Iwan Fox
One heck of a red blooded argument for the return of absolute monarchy this — rather hammered home when perhaps a little more restraint in the dialogue may have given more satisfying results at times.
When they did put the visceral stuff to one side, the playing had a fine stamp of quality about it — broad, warm and persuasive. The filmatic music with its cleverly realised scoring and nods of appreciation were displayed at their best during these sections of playing.
The MD paced the work expertly — heading to 'El Cid' country before the return to UK shores, all regal splendour, tights and banners at full tilt (reminiscent of those great Errol Flynn scores by Korngold) and just a hint of Sparke's 'Harmony Music' to put old Charles back on the throne.
A wonderfully vibrant performance ends with ringing bells and baubles to finish it off — splendidly triumphant and very 'British' in its joyful return to monarchy.
Iwan Fox
8. Liberty Brass Band The very first note sends shivers down your spine. The musicians from Eastern Switzerland perform with swagger, almost bravado.
After beautiful horn solos, they build a massive army, whose menacing approach can be heard from afar, before they overwhelm the audience with tremendous force.
They then showcase their talents in the quieter passages. With great feeling, they convey the hope of the faithful, and we allow ourselves to be carried away by the beautiful sounds. But this hope is soon consumed by the next revolution.
For a long time, the drama builds toward a tragic end, but they find the right way and gallop full throttle with impressive technique into a positive future.
Swiss National Record: 2024: 10th (10th set work/ 7th own choice) 2023: 8th (6th/8th) 2022: 5th (6th/4th) 2021: 7th (4th/8th)
Own Choice Selection: 2024: Sand and Stars (Thierry Deleruyelle) 2023: Synthetic Species (Theo Schmitt) 2022: BLOCH-Party (Jonathan Bates) 2021: A Tale As Yet Untold (Philip Sparke)
Adjuration (Theo Rossier)
An adjuration is an urgent prayer or supplication to be heard by God — in this case so that the penitent can be released from the confines of a cult.
The work is structured into five linked movements — the first ('adjuration') features a simple octave leap that evokes the initial call for release, but which then builds in intensity with others to create the melodic line of communal prayer.
'Echoes' takes the form of recurring thematic material, evoking fervent prayer not from one, but a multitude seeking forgiveness.
These eventually fade into a series of 'Heretical Dances' that come together, coexist, play against and finally reject each other with the arrival of a 'Vision'.
This calmer, serene section arrives as relief, but remains tantalisingly incomplete, its resolution unsatisfactory as the echoes of prayer return ever stronger, more compact and rapid.
This insistence brings a return of the visionary elements and the final 'manifestation' that ultimately offers salvation.
Iwan Fox
What an interesting piece — different in intention and language right from an opening bar that sounded like someone opening a rusty old 'lift and tilt' garage door.
That refreshing oddness remained throughout the first section as the single plea for salvation finally gave way to ever increasing supplication — pointed east rather than to any ancient Swiss deities on the prayer mat compass.
The 'Heretical Dances' had a devilish swagger and blasphemic virtuosity — like a dark ride in a Beelzebub worshipping night club — great fun at the expense of your soul.
There was some great show playing here — soloists in particular, whilst the ensemble wasn't far behind all the way to a free for all terminus.
The return to repose and reflection in muted colour was the most subtle foundation on which the single voices pleading for salvation were heard a final time.
That perhaps should have been it, but an additional codex bit of wackiness led to the supplicants being driven to salvation on a roller coaster drive to their final destination.
Iwan Fox
7. melodia Theo Rossier's new work requires extensive preparation. The musicians bring various mutes, and the cornets position themselves around the band.
They begin with mysterious percussion sounds and showcase stunning, vanishing effects on the cornets and horns. The unsettling chords are sustained in a suspenseful arc over a long period.
The "Heretical Dances" are wild, driven by biting tubas and aggressive percussion. The octave leap of the "Incantation" returns, finally breaking the spell and leading into the "Vision."
The flugelhorn (what other instrument could be more fitting?) sensitively delivers the calming vision, bringing the agitated minds back to their senses.
The soprano cornet brings back the octave leap and heralds the final section, which ends in an epochal finale with the not-to-be-missed snare and bass drum crack.
Swiss National Record: 2024: 9th (7th set work/ 9th own choice) 2023: 9th (9th/10th) 2022: 9th (9th/8th) 2021: 9th (9th/9th)
Own Choice Selection: 2024: The Untold Story (Louis Kroni) 2023: The Fallen Bride (Ludovic Neurohr) 2022: Music of the Spheres (Philip Sparke) 2021: Realms of Asgard (Daniel Price)
***** Concerto No 10 for Brass Band and Ondes Martenot (Ludovic Neurohr)
The stars of Neurohr's composition signify the five linked movements that set out his free-thinking emotions — aided by the ethereal sound of the Ondes Martenot. The work is subtitled, 'No word to give emotion' for a singular reason.
There is no mathematical structuring of the music, no traditionally balanced harmonies or specific orchestration — just an alchemy of freedom projected onto a blank 18-minute canvas.
Each star represents a defined section of his liberal approach; the first a prelude, followed by the second, much colder, 'Immersion', which sets out to provide a 'bewitching nectar'.
'Sharing' connects the preceding sections led by a lyrical soprano of 'bright and sparkling' intensity, whilst the fourth evokes a sense of heavenly reflection led by the sound of the ondes martenot.
It leads to the finale and the culmination of ideas and ideals; exciting, tingling and intense — the last play of shared moments of a kaleidoscope of emotions, real, perceived, raw, tender or simply imagined.
Iwan Fox
Ludovic Neurohr's remarkable combination of human heart linked to electronic brain creates an ethereal soundscape, especially when the ondes martenot is heard floating in the air.
It was a pity then it was played by the third cornet player on a modern synthesizer rather than the genuine article, as it did then detract in implication to the intentions sought by the composer.
That said the playing was first rate all around the stand as the MD drew a wonderfully spacious canvas on which the music unfolded and rose into the air — the dramatic elements especially.
All the main solo lines played with a warm tenderness that spoke of the essential humane element underpinning the music, whilst the binary pulse beauty of the machine also had a red blood warmth too — even in its spectral otherworldy range.
The splendid tubas (at the start and end) drove the music forward with the final section played with such precise energy and formidable purpose — drawing to a magnificent final few bars of glory not even the most modern AI machine could replicate.
Iwan Fox
6. Jurassien We're back in blockbuster style, and the Jurassians are firing on all cylinders. The massive sound is overshadowed by the radiant euphoniums.
In the middle section, the Ondes Martenot sound from the electric piano doesn't blend perfectly with the band's overall sound, causing a slight intonation issue. However, the horns harmonize beautifully, creating a lovely sound from the center of the band.
They deliver the finale, just as the composer intended, with incredible excitement and drive. It's an invitation to headbang.
Swiss National Record: 2024: Winner (2nd set work/ 2nd own choice) 2023: 3rd (4th/2nd) 2022: 3rd (2nd/5th) 2021: Winner (2nd/1st)
Own Choice Selection: 2024: This World (Thomas Doss) 2023: Antiphones on a Theme of William Byrd (Oliver Waespi) 2022: Are We Dark Inside? (Ludovic Neurohr) 2021: A Gabrieli Fantasy (Bert Appermont)
Mnemosyne Phrases (Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen)
Mnemosyne was the Greek goddess of memory who gave birth to the nine daughters of Zeus — the muses of the arts: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Polyhymnia (hymns), Euterpe (music and lyric poetry), Terpsichore (dance), Erato (love poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy).
This however is not the direct inspiration behind the Norwegian composer's work — but rather a memory of how they interact with each other to create original art.
As the composer writes: "Without remembering, you can't create at all. You cannot be innovative. According to Mnemosyne I write my music because I remember 'something'."
It is that interaction of how these memories are transformed into music that forms the creative structure to the four-movement work.
As well as a central emotive core there is an ephemeral acknowledgement to the composer Wilfred Heaton and his composition, 'Partita', which the composer feels embraces the concept as successfully as any written for the medium.
The work opens with 'Prologue' (Lento) followed by a 'Scherzo' (Presto) (Hommage a W.H.), an 'Idyllic Illusion' (Grave) and closing 'Capriccioso' (Allegro ma non troppo).
Iwan Fox
How refreshing to hear a work such as this — crafted from vastly different core material from its counterparts today and moulded with such a poetic evocation of its muses — and all without dynamic or tempo excess.
A times epic and angry, at others subdued and melancholic, then furtive and questioning in leading to a homage that was like a ghostly imprint of Heaton's spirit — heralded by the most subtle nod to the famous opening 'Contest Music' intervals.
Earlier the prologue set the texture of the darkened canvas, before an acidic scherzo ran wickedly around the band. The playing had virtuosic meaning though, not needlessly jumping through hoops.
An 'idyllic illusion' added further to the mystery and questioning of lost memory — extended in its flow, dynamically subdued and textured too. This was sparse, stark and rather beautiful.
It led to a 'Capriccioso' finale that had such a salty taste — crisp and telling, the runs all going somewhere, not needlessly into the air for effect that saw the whole band come together with yet more telling questioning.
The final few bars squeezed everything into huge slabs of meaningful power.
The audience was left a little perplexed after the sugar rush diet that has gone before — but this was musically so much more in its substance.
Iwan Fox
5. Valaisia We just witnessed a truly masterful tone poem. It was incredibly exciting to follow the score, but what does the audience make of it without any prior knowledge?
The composer's thoughts are presented at the beginning in numerous start-stop sequences, one after the other, and conveyed with remarkable precision by the Valaisia ​​Brass Band. The soloists played seemingly impossible runs with fantastic ease. The euphoniums even reached top G two or three times.
The performance was a unique experience. Finding another band capable of playing the work will be a challenge in itself, and the precision and control were simply unbelievable.
The audience was left speechless by this captivating piece and a top-class performance.
4. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan (Jean-Francois Bobillier)
4BR Ranking: 24
Swiss National Record: 2024: 2nd (3rd set work/ 4th own choice) 2023: 7th (8th/4th) 2022: 6th (8th/3rd) 2021: 8th (6th/7th)
Own Choice Selection: 2024: Eclipse (Maurice Donnet-Moray) 2023: Magnetism (Gilles Rocha) 2022: Other Lives (Oliver Waespi) 2021: Fraternity (Thierry Deleruyelle)
The Forest for the Trees (Wim Bex)
The use of propaganda in times of conflict is both a manipulative and effective tool of political communication.
The title is linked to the argument made by Sir Thomas More in 1533 against the English cleric Robert Barnes, who he thought was a heretic. More stated that although Barnes could actually touch the bricks that built St Paul's Church of Rome, he was still blind to the importance of the building itself.
Belgium composer Wim Bex explores these issues framed within a symphonic tone poem structure.
It is made up of 9 subtitled, interlinked sections that asks the listener to search for the unbiased 'middle ground' to distinguish between what is real and what is fabricated.
The music is based on five different themes — one of which acts as the false 'propaganda' that weaves its way throughout the work.
The truth finally emerges as more and more players see the forest from the trees and the bigger picture is revealed — although the composer still asks, if even by then does the actual truth exist at all?
Iwan Fox
A piece with an interesting inspiration and structure has already made a major championship impression before this performance — and this may well do the same here.
Such a demanding work in terms of technique, but all extended backwards to reflect on the core material — with a Mcguffin red-herring to negotiate without giving the game away.
Lots of outstanding solo and ensemble work on show — sometimes on the edge of things and just losing intonation and execution cohesion, but it was playing of sheer bravura intensity.
The stridency of the tonal quality started to wear the polish off the overall veneer at times, but the boldness drew things through and the more subdued moments were delivered with a feel of flowing tenderness.
The build to a series of increasing climaxes — one false — drew you in further to the music, before its released it true identity of filmatic splendour and climatic purpose.
That was driven ferociously like Casey Jones on a runaway train, the xylophone tracks catching fire with the friction of the playing from the perc team and bass drum cannonball thumps to herald the final stop.
Iwan Fox
4. Valaisan The piece opens with fairytale-like sounds and a beautiful flugelhorn solo. Various fake news motifs soon disrupt the harmony. A few intonation issues also contribute to this.
This work was the key to victory for the Belgian Brass Band Willebroek at this year's European Championships and is therefore of the highest difficulty level. The soloists are pushed to their limits and sound superb. The middle sections, including horns, baritones, and euphoniums, do a fantastic job.
At some point, the piece becomes a bit too dense with ideas, and the ending is delayed. However, the musicians from Valais exploit every variation to showcase their technical skill, power, or stamina.
The dazzling final note is brought to a close by percussionists with powerful biceps.
Swiss National Record: 2024: 6th (8th set work/ 6th own choice) 2023: 5th (3rd/6th) 2022: 8th (7th/7th) 2021: 6th (8th/3rd)
Own Choice Selection: 2024: Other Lives (Oliver Waespi) 2023: Eclipse (Maurice Donnet-Moray) 2022: Journey of the Lone Wolf (Simon Dobson) 2021: Audivi Media Nocte (Oliver Waespi)
This World (Thomas Doss)
Thomas Doss is well known for seeking inspiration for many of his works from classical music sources, yet for this composition he draws on his own feelings to reflect on 'This World' on which we live.
It is one he says where we, "love, laugh, mourn, cry and fear. On which we beget, give birth, kill and destroy."
As a singular viewpoint it seems that individual actions can do little to alter yet seen from the infinite vastness of space it gives a very different perspective.
And it is from that focus point that he encourages the listener "just to see this world from outside..."
The work reflects on current events — from the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East to the destruction of the environment and the politics of populism.
This provides the composition's emotive core — earthly troubles caught in heavenly serenity, technical advancement and daring set again lyrical reflections and contentment.
The music, written in one continuous arc, asks these demanding questions of the players in their efforts to offer performance resolutions — the listener simply asked to keep an open mind to the outcome they wish for themselves.
Iwan Fox
We heard a great deal of the latest Doss yesterday — and like 'Genetic Code' this is a much more personal evocation of his beliefs and opinions rather than an exploration of others.
The wonderfully subdued start gave way to hallmark Doss imprints, leitmotif signatures and effects, but overall there was a core of reflection about this that appealed in its own surreal way.
Hints of Bach and Celine Dion even in places with the lyrical lines — but they are so well played and given we have already so much in the top end of the dynamic range it was good to hear mid-range dynamics.
That said, he does go all 'The Sopranos' Alabama 3 when 'the blues walked into town' and detours to a world of Arabic funk too.
So much to enjoy with the playing as it hints back to its core 'safely grazing' nod of appreciation, with fab perc and acrobatic spotlight euph leading the way. The ensemble then drew deep into the stamina well to give every ounce of adrenaline inspired inspiration to the cause.
Well worth it too for a finish of glorious, uplifting certainty of purpose.
Iwan Fox
3 Fribourg The piece begins so delicately, and the Fribourg musicians risk everything. It takes a few bars for the precision to be perfect, but they create a magical atmosphere. The beauty of the earth becomes palpableand then, so do its problems.
With incredible power, they denounce man-made destruction. As in yesterday's test piece, Doss manages to write the most tender melodies, only to then abruptly extinguish them with a demonic passion.
The solo line, strongly reminiscent of 'My Heart Will Go On', is beautifully prepared and performed. Here, too, danger always lurks in the background (with the tubas). We race with the Fribourg musicians through various styles, from blues and hard rock to swing, back to the first theme, and the percussionists make it audible how time is running out.
Countless endings are prepared, then abandoned, until finally the final fermata sounds, and the hall erupts in cheers.
March 11 • Our COMMUNITY BAND is meeting again on Monday(16th) at 11am. We welcome players of all abilities to join us for a friendly relaxed rehearsal.. Its all free including the coffee and cake.
March 11 • Our friendly second section band are looking for a BB bass player to join us for contests, concerts and exciting new projects. Glossop Old Band is situated between Manchester and Sheffield and rich in history.
