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Sunday 25 October
Entertainment programme
Adjudicators: David King and Peter Graham
Commences: 1230hrs (GMT+10)

What do we think?

An enjoyable with a real mix of repertoire. One band stood out today like yesterday for us and that was Gunnedah.

Live comments:

Footscray Yarraville City Band, Phillipa Edwards, 7

Festival Overture, Shostakovich arr Antrobus
Shepherd's Song, Cantaloube arr Richards
Dance: Zeibekikos (2nd Movement), Wilby, Soloist Matthew van Emmerik
Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, Verdi ed. Rutter arr Burley
Theme from Sesame Street, Raposo, Stone and Hart arr Diblasio
United States of Eurasia, Muse arr Batterham

A traditional overture to start that's a little brittle in ensemble. From Russia to France now and the contrsting Shepherd's Song complete with some lyrical solo playing and broad lower end band sounds. Off to Greece next and some virtuosity from van Emmerik on Euphonium complete with plate-smashing end. Italian opera next... this time it's the whole band execising their vocal chords... it's not bad either! Same goes for the keyboard players. Across the pond now to the States, destination Sesame Street complete with some tasty interludes from trumpet and trombone. Our journey ends in... Eurasia. Intonation problems are evident now though as the band tires.

More traditional this one. Well prepared and well drilled by the MD.

Kew Band Melbourne, Mark Ford, 6

The Big Bang (Music of the Spheres), Sparke
The Lonely Planet, Sparke
Flight, Wilby, Soloist David Barker
Excerpt from Also Sprach Zarathustra, Strauss arr Graham
Enter the Galaxies, Lovatt-Cooper
Harmonia and the Unknown (Music of the Spheres), Sparke

A strange old wind gets us underway with Sparke's Spheres but not without the odd mid-air collision. It's enjoyable music but the execution is far from out of this world. Wilby's Flight brings more 'serious' music making for solist David Barker who does well on a difficult piece. The wind's back... and following the opening section of Also Sprach we get David Bowie's astronaut Major Tom complete with Rock Band on stage... We're skyward again now with PLC's flight of fancy that's played with plenty of verve. Back to Sparkes's Spheres to finish but it's the same story in terms of execution.

Ecletic this. Catered for all tastes. Not sure it worked though. The wind definitely didn't.

Brisbane Brass, Jon Christodoulides, 5

Nightmare from Cry of the Celts, Graham
Suil a Ruin, Cry of the Celts, Graham
Irish Washerwoman/O Carolan's Concerto, arr Cameron Kennedy
Fields of Athenry, arr Thomas
Danny Boy, arr Matsuoko-Young reans Christodoulides
Riverance, Whelan arr Farr
An Irish Blessing, Bacak

Irish dancing gets us underway with some nifty footwork from the dancers and all played without music from the band. Out comes the irish whistle now... A nervy tenor horn solo follows. Fields of Athenry is well sung with the band still in formation playing without MD. More from the whisler now as the band get their dancing shoes on. A Danny Boy quintet leads us to Riverdance and the return of the dancers. A few forgotton bars here and there but who cares. It all finishes with the band singing Bacak Blessing. Good effort band.

Another themed programme that was obvously well rehearsed. The execution though was not always top drawer but full marks for the effort put into putting this programme together.

Warringah Concert Brass, John Saunders, 4

Also Sprach Zarathustra, Strauss arr Brahe
Stardust, Carmichael, Soloist Liam O'Malley
Stars of America, arr Brahe
Southern Cross, Soloist: Vaughan Price
Sci Fi TV, arr Brahe
Dancing From The Stars, arr Brahe
Star Movie Melody, arr Brahe
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, arr Brahe Soloist Anthony Brahe
Jupiter, Planet Suite, Holst
The Forest Battle (Return of the Jedi), arr. Brahe

A Space Odyssey of a start but I'm not sure where we went with this one. More video presentations to set the scene. Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust is well delivered but we go walkabout a little with the The Stars and Stripes and Star Spangled Banner. Flugel soloist in Southern Cross does well and this is followed by the Sci Fi TV Stars. I'm all bit confused to be honest... This is all very wierd — slide show of US Sci-Fi stars. It's Jacko's Thriller now with dancing Darth Vadar and Stormtrooper... Now it's a Jazzy Twinkle Twinkle — smooth vibes... Jolly old Jupiter brings some contrast to the programme and then it's more Star Wars to bring thing to a close... And their playing? Came from all ends of the spectrum...

A supernatural experience this one... A programme that at times seemed at opposite ends of the Universe.

K&N Spring Gully Brass, Bruce Raymond, 3

Vitae Lux, Alnaes arr. Aargaard-Nilsen
La Virgen de la Macerena, arr Hendricks, Soloist Kevin Joughlin
French Military March, Saint-Saens arr Hargreaves
Go Tell it on the Mountain, arr Goss
Norwegian Dance, Aargaard-Nilsen
The Children of Sanchez, Mangione arr Gilge, Soloist Mark Smith
Cossack Wedding Dance, Graham

A vocal opening from K&N with three lovely ladies belting out the Alnaes number. Classy cornet playing in the Macarena — just a few careless moments in the ensemble. And now a good old romp through the French Military March but this highlights the band's ensemble weaknesses rather than strengths. More from the ladies now in the Gospal carol... easy on the eye this. Don't as me about the band — wasn't listening. Funky Jazz in the Norwegian Dance. A touch non-descript this. Neither funky or jazzy enough for us. The Mangione number is competently by the soloist with some effective perc work keeping things moving. Cossack Dance gets the audience participating but the execution from the band is sometimes a bit slack.

A well rehearsed programme, enthusiastically compered by the MD. A few too many lapses of concentration in the ensmeble work at times should prove costly though.

Gunnedah Shire Band, Nigel Weeks, 2

Enter the Galaxies, Lovatt Cooper
Moondance, Morrison arr Ralphson Soloist Nathan Kibble
Sing, Sing, Sing, Prima arr. Freeh
Sunrise Over Blue Ridge, Dan Price
An American Tale, Dan Price

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Lift off... There's stars and stripes everywhere as the band gets us going with PLC's space music. Out of this world video projection sets the scene for us. An exciting opening and a few smiles too. Trombone solo brings us back to Earth with some stylish playing. Supporting band accompaniment isn't always accurate though. Plenty of smiles (and tears) with the Sing Sing Sing. Plenty of slick choreography work all played with the MD at the side of the stage — can't you swing Nigel? Ear piercing trumpet work to finish — enjoyable stuff. Blue Ridge brings good contrast. More projection work to set the scene as the band give us an sensitive rendition of Dan Price's composition. More of Dan's work to close this programme off with those foot-tapping (and hand-clapping) American tunes. A touch under-rehearsed perhaps in contrast to the ealier playing but enjoyable nevertheless.

A well put together programme of contrast that went down well with the audience. Well delivered and what you'd expect from the current National Champions on Australia.

St Marys Band Club, Paul Terracini, 1

Charade, Mancini, arr. Lloyd
Blue John, Kneale soloist Neill Ryan
I Wanna Be Like You, Sherman & Sherman arr Terracini
Let's Face the Music and Dance, Berlin arr Richards
Concierto de Aranjuez, Rodrigo arr Fernie
McArthur Park, Webb arr Fernie

A rhythmic opening with the Mancini highlighting some good band sounds. The Blue John solo is well delivered by the sololist but the style seems a touch staid in approach. Trombones are again featured heavily in the Sherman work. A touch sluggish to start but they soon start to swing. Clever arrangement this — perhaps needs a bit more showmanship with the choreography. We move into the Berlin's Music — all a bit samey this — and lifeless. Smile band — at least look as if you are enjoying it! MD picks up the Flugel for the Rodrigo. Go on — give us a smile... Taleneted MD this with the pen and the flugel. McArthur Park — again it's all the same in style. All a bit unexciting for us...

Plenty of old pot boilers in this programme. Confidently delivered but the Earth didn't move for us... I think the band may have forgotton to take their Berocca's this morning.