The 35th Swiss National Brass Band Championships was held last weekend in Montreux.

Surprise

There was something of a surprise result in Switzerland at the weekend, where the Championship title was won for the first time by Valaisia Brass Band, conducted by Arsene Duc.

High class

Two high class performances of the commissioned set work, ‘Sketches from Nowhere’ by Thomas Doss and their own choice selection of ‘Vienna Nights’ by Philip Wilby, claimed the title in Montreux ahead of the powerful challenge of former champions, Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern under the direction of Michael Bach and with Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern in third.

Turned on its head

The contest however was turned on its head after the morning session on the set work, where adjudicators Armin Bachmann, David Le Clair and Oliver Waespi placed former champion Brass Band Treize Etoiles in pole position under James Gourlay’s direction.

They entered the own choice selection with a two point cushion over Valaisia, with Brass Band Berner Oberland in third and Kluzern in fourth.

Two high class performances of the commissioned set work, ‘Sketches from Nowhere’ by Thomas Doss and their own choice selection of ‘Vienna Nights’ by Philip Wilby, claimed the title in Montreux4BR

Not much to enjoy

However, the afternoon adjudication team of Richard Evans, Johan de Meij and Jean-Francois Michel, found little if anything to enjoy in Treize Etoiles performance of ‘Revelation’, placing them last in the ten band field, 11 points behind the eventual own choice winners, Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan, who themselves had come 9th in the set work discipline.

Favour

Their performance of ‘Dove Descending’ certainly found favour, but with the vast difference between points for both bands over the two sections, they had to be content with third and fourth place overall.

Luzern meanwhile, held their form with ‘From Ancient Times’ to come second in the own choice section (to go with 4th place on the set work) and to claim the overall runner up spot, whilst Valaisia held onto the claim the title by coming third on their ‘Vienna Nights’ (2nd on the set work) to book their place in Linz in 2010.

Vinter

With the Swiss celebrating the life and music of Gilbert Vinter this year, there was plenty to enjoy in the lower sections, where Brass Band MG Rickenbach conducted Corsin Tuor took the First Section honours with their performance of ‘Spectrum’.

Second Section

In the Second Section, a high class performance of ‘Entertainments’ by Brass Band Harmonie Rickenbach conducted by Marco Schneider saw them celebrate long into the Montreux night, whilst in the Third Section a rousing performance of ‘Vizcaya’ saw the title head to a delighted Oberwalliser Brass Band Junior conducted by David Lochmatter.

Encouraging

There were encouraging performances in the Fourth Section too, where Bertand Moren’s ‘Anniversary Music’ saw six bands take to the stage. In the end the title was won in convincing fashion by Entlebucher Jugend Brass Band, directed by Albert Benz.

Results:
Championship Section:
Test piece: Sketches from Nowhere (Thomas Doss) + own choice

1. Valaisia Brass Band (Arsène Duc) (96/94) — 190
2. Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern (Michael Bach) (94/95) – 189
3. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan (Jean-Francois Bobillier) (89/97) – 186
4. Brass Band Treize Etoiles (James Gourlay) (98/86) – 184
5. Brass Band Berner Oberland (Phillip McCann) (95/89) – 184
6. Brass Band Fribourg A (Dr. Nicholas Childs) (92/92) – 184
7. Ensemble de Cuivres Mélodia (Yvan Lagger) (93/90) – 183
8. Oberaargauer Brass Band (Armin Renggli) (91/91) – 182
9. Musikgesellschaft Risch-Rotkreuz (Rino Chiappori) (90/87) – 177
10. Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien A (Blaise Héritier) (88/88) — 176

Best Soloist: (Own Choice): Euphonium from Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan
Best Set work Prize: Brass Band Treize Etoiles

First Section:
Test piece: Spectrum (Gilbert Vinter)

1. Brass Band MG Rickenbach (Corsin Tuor) — 94
2. Liberty Brass Band Ostschweiz (Andreas Koller) — 93
3. Brass Band MG Reiden (Reto Näf) — 91
4. AEW Brass Band Fricktal (Roland Fröscher) — 90
5. Brass Band Sursilvana (Roman Caprez) — 89
6. Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg (Christian Siegmann) — 88
7. Brass Band Emmental (Heinz Heiniger) — 87
8. Brass Band Harmonie Neuenkirch (Christoph Bangerter) — 86
9. Regional Brass Band Bern (Daniel Bichsel) — 85
10. Brass Band Breitenbach (Enrico Calzaferri) — 84
11. Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia (Michael Bach) — 83
12. Oberwalliser Brass Band A-Band (David Lochmatter) — 82
13. MG Brass Band Eglisau (Andreas Buri) — 81
14. Brass Band Treize Etoiles B (Géo-Pierre Moren) — 80
15 Brass Band Kirchenmusik Flühli (Hervé Grélat) — 79
16= Alp & Brass (Christophe Jeanbourquin) — 78
16= Brass Band Schötz (Armin Renggli) — 78

Best Solo Euphonium: Brass Band MG Rickenbach

Second Section:
Test piece: Entertainments (Gilbert Vinter)

1. Brass Band Harmonie Rickenbach (Marco Schneider) — 97
2. Ensemble de Cuivres AMBITUS (François Roh) — 96
3. BML Talents (Patrick Ottiger) — 95
4. Brass Band Feldmusik Escholzmatt (Jon Kowszun) — 94
5. Brass Band Rapperswil-Wierezwil (Roland Fröscher) — 93
6. Liberty Brass Band Junior (Christoph Luchsinger) — 92
7. Brass Band Fribourg B (Pascal Schafer) — 91
8. Brass Band Berner Oberland Junior (Gian Stecher) — 90
9= Brass Band Posaunenchor Flaach (Christian Bachmann) — 89
9= Sté de Musique l'Avenir Lignières A (Vincent Baroni) — 89
11= Brass Band Solothurn (Hans Burkhalter) — 88
11= Oberaargauer Brass Band B (Pascal Eicher) — 88
13. Brass Band Rhodan A (Christian Pfammatter) — 87
14. Brass Band Konkordia Büsserach (Rainer Ackermann) — 86
15= Brass Band Cazis (Michael Zoppas) — 85
15= Brass Band Junior Valaisan (Julien Roh) — 85

Best Solo Euphonium: BML Talents

Third Section:
Test piece: Vizcaya (Gilbert Vinter)

1. Oberwalliser Brass Band Junior (David Lochmatter) — 94
2. Jugend Brass Band Michelsamt (Corsin Tuor) — 93
3. Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien B (Florian Lab) — 92
4. Musikverein Buckten (Roland Schaub) — 91
5. Brass Band Abinchova (Gian Walker) — 90
6. Musikgesellschaft Jenaz (Patrick Rothenberger) — 89
7. Juband Thierstein Laufental (Martin Schaad) — 88
8. Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg B (Christoph Bolliger) — 87
9. Ensemble de Cuivres Mélodia Junior (Yvan Lagger) — 86
10= Musikgesellschaft Schongau (Erwin Schnider) — 85
10= Brass Band Gürbetal (Urs Stähli) — 85
1. Musikgesellschaft Flühli (Rafael Camartin) — 84

Best Principal Cornet: Jugend Brass Band Michelsamt

Fourth Section:
Test piece: Anniversary Music (Bertrand Moren)

1. Entlebucher Jugend Brass Band (Albert Benz) — 94
2. Sté de Musique l'Avenir Lignières B (Vincent Baroni) — 91
3. Brass Band Zürich (Werner Kubli) — 90
4. Brass Band Rhodan B (Christian Pfammatter) — 89
5. Hinterländer Jugend Brass Band (Christoph Bangerter) — 88
6. Vereinigte Brass Band MGN + BBSM (Ruedi von Arx) — 87

Best Trombone Section: Entlebucher Jugend Brass Band