It's all over for the night here in Bergen as the pretty people come out to play.

It's been a very fine contest, full of quality playing with the best bands on what was a great test piece.

Eikanger were a class apart today and should be very pleased by the way it went. Stavanger too were on tip top form and the best we have heard from them for some time. They should tuck in nicely in second place with high hopes of catching their rivals if they put a foot or two wrong tomorrow.

Manger were certainly excitable and may get the nod just ahead of Oslo's more refined approach. Then its a toss up between the rest, with little to choose between a batch of pretty good accounts.

Our top three:

1. Eikanger
2. Stavanger
3. Manger

Additional comments on our Twitter site: www.twitter.com/4barsrest

Elite Division:

Friday 5th February
Test piece: Sketches from Nowhere, Thomas Doss
Adjudicators: Maurice Hamers, John Wallace, Torodd Wigum

Due to start at 4.30 Norwegian time

Draw

16:30: Oslo Brass Band (Frode Amundsen)

The opening has a real sense of atmosphere and the Middle East, but the nomadic musical line soon veers towards new horizons. There is a superb pulse and drive from the ensemble.

Some neat solo touches bring motifs to the fore, but these sketches have a distinct Arabic feel. The forceful nature of the music is brought to life without losing its warm impact, and the excitement is palpable.

Some great bass sounds lead us to a high octane close.

Overall: What a cracking marker – so well delivered and directed with a sense of stylish verve.

17:00: Sola Brass Band (Selmer Simonsen)

More hazy images are deliberately created by the atmospheric opening and that sense of Middle Eastern ‘nowhere’ is conjured up. It’s a little hit and miss in places but there is a real rhythmic pulse and that swish – like the tassels on a belly dancers bra.

The forceful playing is splendidly handled, but the more delicate sketches lack the same ensemble security.

It’s certainly exciting stuff though – all the way through the high octane ride to the close.

Overall: Certainly high on the excitement factor, if a little scrappy in places that just took off some of the polished shine.

17:30: Oslofjord Brass (Simon Dobson)

Another start that conjures up the heat haze of the desert and there is a wonderful sense of the unexpected about to happen – a neat touch of the surreal and the Rite of Spring?

Not all the individual lines are secure and it lacks a little ensemble clarity but the confidence to bring the music to life is excellent.

Understated direction allows the music to flow with a persuasive pulse and solid base line anchor that has quality.

A quick slip up the gears allows for an excited cut throat ending.

Overall: Another well managed account that had verve and colour, but just a few too many little slips.

18:00: Molde Brass Band (Russell Gray)

Richly coloured opening just lacks a touch of that hazy deliciousness but it is certainly painting the picture of mystery and potential mad Mullahs.

Russell Gray really gets this – great splashes of colour and excitement. We hear scrappy playing and errors but the sense of excitement is palpable and its got that sway of the belly dancer in full swing.

Not all the ensemble parts balance, but by heck, its motoring and the pulse is enough to part the Red Sea.

They even have enough in the tank for a full throttle ending too.

Overall: The broadest of broadly painted pictures this – somewhere that had the full spectrum of colour and excitement even if it was splashed like a Jackson Pollack at times.

18:30: Stavanger Brass Band (Allan Withington)

Superb opening has that sense of Eastern mystery and heat haze shimmer. Not everything is totally secure but what feeling for the atmosphere. It’s like seeing Omar Sharif on his camel at the beginning of Lawrence of Arabia.

Full blooded, exotically coloured vistas are rampantly brought to life, even if there are a few little clips along the way. The MD has really captured the essence of the Arabian here – the band is like a spitting cobra swaying out of his basket at their master’s command.

So much depth to the balance and sound, and the rev counter goes ballistic in the finale. So much pulsating, engrossing playing. No wonder the MD bashes the stand with his baton in delight to close. Great stuff.

Overall: What a musical picture created here – not without fault, but with so much purpose and sense of musical adventure. An absolute corker.

18:50: Pause

19:20: Krohnengen Brass Band (Gary Peterson)

A nervous sounding opening loses that feel of exotic mystery and it takes time to find its true focus. There is plenty to admire in the controlled approach by the MD but it yearns for a bit more colour and excitement.

The measured feeling seems a little academic when some red blooded Arabian nights are called for – it just lacks that touch of colourful spice others have had in abundance today.

The delicate episodes are neatly captured and the perc do a grand job, but it needs a someone to put a 20 dollar bill in the bra of the belly dancer – it needs a more sinuos feel. It takes its time to rack up through the gears to end – more a leisurely camel ride rather than a race to get to Bagdad before the bars close. Just underwhelmed this.

Overall: Never quite caught alight this one. Lots to admire but needed a touch for carefree devilment.

19:50: Ila Brass Band (Thomas Rimul)

Another slightly nervous opening that means we don’t quite get that feel of hazy mystery and out of focus feel. It gains clarity but the moment has been somewhat lost.

There is plenty of solid playing, but this music needs more than just that – its lacks that sense of drama and vibrant depth of colour the best have had today.

It has moments and the troms are on cracking form, but its all a little lightweight and needing a touch more belly punch if our dancing girl is to get her reward. It’s lacking in that sensuous danger those naughty girls portray.

Neat build and the excitement finally comes to close, but a little too late for us.

Overall: A nearly one that could have done with just taking a few more risks.

20:20: Tertnes Brass (Philip Hannevik)

An atmospheric opening has that hazy feel but it is just marred by moments of unease in some of the lead lines. The musical compass points in the right direction but every now and again something doesn’t quite feel right.

There is energy and drive but the scruffy edges are noticeable too.

Nice Arabian sway and sensuous feel but it doesn’t quite have you drooling in anticipation of more to come. Worthy if a little dull in places.

There is brio and verve in the final sections, but has it come a little too late to make that impression of all things sultry and exotic. Just a little over excitable to close.

Overall: A bit of an uneven one this. When it was good it captured the imagination – but not often enough.

20:50: Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag (Dr. Nicholas J. Childs)

A wonderful opening has that shimmer and sense of expectancy that something may appear from the distance. It is Omar Sharif indeed.

The sense of drama, colour and vibrancy of the depth of the tonal palette is stunning at times, whilst the technical playing is the best by far today.

This is like a veritable bagful of vipers transfixed by their master’s direction. There is such a sensuous feel about the playing here – a belly dance in a Bagdad Harem to transfix as well as excite.

The shift up the gears is something else, helped by wonderful percussion and a thumping base foundation. What a feel for the Arabic this is, and then they play it at the speed of a Ferrari Testarossa down Bagdad high street. Awesome stuff to close.

Overall: The leader by a margin. Superb playing from start to finish.

21:20: Manger Musikklag (Peter Sebastian Szilvay)

The atmosphere is a bit muggy to start, but the deliberate loss of focus is effective if a little blunt in execution.

The pulse is set high but with a thumping back beat provided by the basses and percussion throughout it grabs you by the throat.

That sultry sense of the exotic is replaced by a bit of down market Ann Summers in the Harem department but it certainly gets the blood boiling as the ensemble playing is slick and effective.

The MD has got the bit between his teeth and is asking for more and more. This is where it gets raucous though and that Arabic pulse is replaced by a touch of heavy metal head banging.

A pity as it is 100 miles an hour stuff that has you on the edge of your seat right to the end, despite the MDs best belly dancer impression. Breathless is the word for this one.

Overall: Went a bit Bagdad shock and awe in places but it got all a bit frenetic to close even if it was very exciting.