The fourth annual Ohio Brass Arts Festival (OBAF) will take place this Friday and Saturday (April 2nd and 3rd) at Weigel Hall on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.

Opening Event
Friday’s Opening Event begins at 7:00pm and will feature brief performances by two ensembles: Seymour Tower Brass and the Chapel Brass Tuba Quartet. Additionally, euphonium Grant Jameson (from the tuba quartet), will perform his solo for upcoming NABBA championships.

The opening session will be followed by a horn clinic given by Bruce Henniss of The Ohio State University. Mr. Henniss was with the Houston Symphony for twelve years (and on the staff of Rice University and University of Houston) before coming to Columbus. His experience also includes performances, recordings or tours with Chicago Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Detroit Symphony and many others.

Composition Contest
Friday will conclude with the reading of the seven finalists for the Ohio Brass Arts Festival Composition Contest by the Repertoire Band. All are welcome to come on stage and help read through the new works as the band is lead by many of the MDs that will be participating over the weekend. At the end of the reading session band and audience members will vote on the winning piece for the 2010 OBAF Composition Contest.

Quality entries came from all over the world, and the seven finalists are listed in alphabetical order:
-Airpower by Edwin de Neijs
-Celebration Flourish by Terry Treherne
-Iguazu by Christian W. Overhead
-El Matador by Keith Terrett
-Promoted to Glory by William Ellsom
-Vengeance (Tonnau’r Cawr) by Cai Isfryn
-When Annie Met Lydia by Ian McElligott

Saturday’s Line-Up
Due to the Easter holiday, Saturday features a slightly shorter session than normal; However, the quality of the groups has not diminished. OBAF will open at 12:30pm with the group that arguably started it all, the TBDBITL Alumni Band. This group has been the source of many of the players that went on to form all the bras bands in Central Ohio.

"their (St. Helen's) performance at OBAF will most assuredly be the performance highlight for both the band and the audience."

Keith Wilkinson will lead his first of three bands on the day Chapel Brass. Although not an official Salvation Army band, this group has quickly established the reputation as the best Salvation Army affiliated group in the state of Ohio representing the Chapel at Worthington Woods.

For the first time since it’s foyer performances at the Royal Northern College of Music, BBC2 will entertain the audience next. Additionally, the group will be welcoming Foden’s euphonium Mark Bousie as a guest soloist. Following BBC2, Wilkinson will be back on the podium to feature the official corps band from the Chapel at Worthington Woods.

International Guests
OBAF is thrilled to (for the first time) welcome international guests in the form of the St. Helen’s Youth Band under the direction of Mark Bousie. The band has quite a tour planned for the weekend, including several performances and sight-seeing activities in Ohio. However, their performance at OBAF will most assuredly be the performance highlight for both the band and the audience.

Brass Band of the Western Reserve (Wilkinson) will be making their annual trip to the festival from Akron, Ohio. They will once again perform a challenging program, closing with Variations on Maccabeus (Norbury).

Strong Finish
Once again OBAF, will finish with two of the top bands in the region: the Brass Band of Columbus and Central Ohio Brass Band

The Brass Band of Columbus will have a slightly new look as they will be lead by guest conductor James Curnow. Of several Curnow pieces being performed (including solo cornet Dan King on Concertpiece for Cornet), the band will reprise the Ellacombe Chronicles which was commissioned for Columbus’s 25th anniversary last year.

The host Central Ohio Brass Band will close out the festival with a few barn-burners, including Vinter’s triumphant Rhapsody (This year’s 1st section test piece at the upcoming NABBA Championships). To close the concert Mark Bousie will once again be featured on euphonium, this time with Central Ohio.

A large number of highlights upcoming for brass banders in the Midwest United States. Full details can be found at www.ohiobrassbands.com