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Friday 30th April 2010
Test piece: 'Spirti' (Thomas Doss)
Adjudicators: Maurice Hamers, Torstein Aagaard-Nilson and John Wallace
Draw: c1300hrs
Commence: c1700hrs (BST +1)

What do we think?

A highly enjoyable and impressive day of contesting on what was a fantastic piece of music from Thomas Doss.

Three performances stuck out though — but three with totally differing musical interpretations.

Cory set the marker with a performance of such detail and excitement, whilst Dyke raised the bar even higher with a sense of Bach inspired majesty that was at times awesome. Oberosterriech then gave us a rendition that produced goosebumps such was its musicality.

These three head the field for us, with Dyke just a nose ahead of Oberosterreich with Cory a short head behind in third. It's exceptionally close though.

Eikanger perhaps took a few too many risks in their thrilling performance, whilst the dark horse could well be Buizingen, who produced a very fine account of controlled precision. Then it's Valaisia for us to make up our top six.

It's all to play for tomorrow though.

4BR Top Six

1. Black Dyke
2. Brass Band Oberosterreich
3. Cory
4. Eikanger
5. Brass Band Buizingen
6. Valaisia

Time: 20.12hrs
Concord Brass Band [Denmark], 10
Conductor: Michael Howley

A nervous start takes time to find the miasma of fragments that make up the Bach Chorale, but it soons weaves in nicely.

It's fully committed stuff but lacks the essential balance of filigree detail to compliment the broad sweep of the Chorale.

No real sense of the 'afterlife' in the surreal religioso but it is solidly portrayed. Sop does a fine job as Derek Ancora, but elsewhere the connection to the 'Choir Invisible' is tenuous.

Fine blues interlude and Arabic dance but religious reprise lacks security.

Ride for home sees the band get a second wind to bring a stylish finale to the Bach/Bruckner organ recital of power to close.

Overall: A brave and committed account that was well directed by the MD. Stretched the band to the full but never quite beyond — it just needed a touch more surreal spirit.

Time: 19.44hrs
Brass Band Oberosterreich [Austria], 9
Conductor: Hans Buchegger

A mystical opening is so surreal and evocative as the tiny fragments fall precisely into place to create a warm Chorale.

The unfolding layers are peeled away with a precision of the best brass ensemble but with the breadth of tone of a huge organ — even if it does get a little blippy in places. Great clarity of detail is heard.

A surreal mist provides the backdrop for an artist on the soprano. Oh you dirty, sleazy lads and lasses in the blues — magic stuff. A superb reprise ends with a touch of heart on the sleeve.

Reprise is breathtaking at times — if a little fruity in tone. The detail and excitement that is generated dislocates the vertebrae.

This is riveting to close with a huge Bach/Bruckner climax that is fruity but brings the locals out in cheering not heard since Hans Krankl put one in the net against the Germans at the 1978 World Cup Finals. Wowee!

Overall: A wonderful interpretataion was given a wonderful performance — although not without the clips and a fruity overload to close. It was still some rendition though.

Time: 19.19hrs
Brass Band Buizingen [Belgium], 8
Conductor: Luc Vertommen

A rather matter of fact opening brings together the fragments to form a coherent Bach Chorale.

This is solid unpretentious stuff — all played with a neat sense of style and delivery and a lovely understated musical approach by MD.

Not quite the viscous underbelly that is needed in the religioso but the soprano is a delicate and impressive leading choir boy voice. Blues interlude is nice and sleazy and the sop retains his purity — just.

The run for home sounds like a track to the 'A Team' in places but it is so effective. Real poise and driven pulse to build to the Bach/Bruckner organ close, which is delivered with real aplomb.

Overall: An impressive performance this — solid and delivered with real understanding by the band and the MD. A quiet contender?

Time: 18.51hrs
Black Dyke [England], 7
Conductor: Dr Nicholas Childs

The mysterious miasma is so evocative to open as the fragments fall into their prescribed places to form a lovely Bach Chorale.

A controlled sense of drive retains the majesty of the Chorale but the detail of the filigree work is stunning.

There's a Methodist sense of the austere about this religioso — with a sublime soprano in the pulpit enchanting the audience with his voice. All the detail is heard — and even the humming sounds hymnal!

Sweet little baby Moses — this was so damn good!

Great bluesy interlude gives way to the rock and roll ride for home, as Bach and Bruckner get their huge organs out. This is played with such pomp and majesty with detail so clear. The audience stand in acclaim at the final climax — it was that good.

Overall: A performance of the rarest class — so richly endowed in musical hue. This will take some beating.

Time: 18.25hrs
Cory Band [Wales], 6
Conductor: Dr Robert Childs

Evocative opening reveals all the fragmentary ciphers that interweave into the Bach Chorale. So much detail is heard and so well delivered with ensemble clarity.

Wicked stuff this — it sets the pulse racing.

The oily gloop effects provide a surreal religious backdrop for the plaintive sop — so well done.

Neat gypsy interlude is followed by an Arabic Blues — the rocking Ayatollahs before it then returns to the surreal realms of the semi religious experience.

Ride for home is delivered with such a growing rhythmic pulse — right through to Bach and Bruckner perched on a steroid enhanced organ. The climax to close thrills the pants off the audience.

Overall: Quite a defence this — a superbly structured and delivered account.

Time: 18.04hrs
Brass Band Nord Pas-de-Calais [France], 5
Conductor: Russell Gray

Solid enough opening has a broad old sense of the illusory, but the fragments soon come together. It gets a little harsh in places with the Bach Chorale, and the detail does get lost in the volume.

It needs more clarity to make the music really come to life — the essential detail seems obscured.

Religiously inspired sop takes the Rev Ian Paisley approach to being heard — a forceful statement of self belief to say the least isn't a peaen of sadness.

Blues has it moments but its hard stuff. Big and bold but a touch brash too. Bach and Bruckner seem a touch knackered by the time they mount the organ for the big finish. They give it a good go though.

Overall: A fine reading this but it was painted in the broadest of musical strokes. Not one to feature today we think.

Time: 17.30hrs
Valaisia Brass Band [Switzerland], 4
Conductor: Arsene Dec

Lumpy opening lacks the evocation of the illusory that is needed for the fragments to start making sense, but it soon finds its Bach Chorale underpinning.

It's pacy stuff, but at times we lose the detail — exciting though.

Bold and colourful playing but the hard edge just robs the Chorale of the majesty at times.

Beautiful soprano is a quite sublime plaintaive voice in the religious interlude — as pure as Julie Andrews in her best wimple.

Then its honked out like a Liverpool Docker at closing time! — Brilliant stuff.

Great bluesy moments have a touch of panache and the run for home is pacy and thrill a minute. It's a bit messy and scrappy in places, but the final Bach/Bruckner organ climax is pumped out to bring the hall to its feet.

Overall: A highly enjoyable one this — with a great sop lead. Not everything was as it should have been by any means but it grew in stature and was always interesting on the ear.

Time: 17.00hrs
Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklaag [Norway], 3
Conductor: Professor David King

Evocative opening has that surreal sense of the unexpected and obscure focus points, but it then pinpoints its accuracy with the Chorale underpinning everything.

It's as big as Arnold Schwarzenegger's bicep in places and so detailed, but why the big break before we enter the religioso La-La Land?

The MD is taking risks here — a muted sop is a deliciously sad lead, but that's not in the score. It's open in the quasi cadenza and then back to the muted lead in the prayer box to close.

Sublime stuff with honking blues and the run for home is played with such panache — it rocks.

Great stuff this — immense detail too. Thrills the pants off with Bach and Bruckner pumping it out at the organ to close.

Overall: A thriller without question that brought the audience to its feet, but the MD did take a few calculated risks. A wow one though.

Time: 16.30hrs
Bon Accord [Scotland], 2
Conductor: John Maines

Slightly nervous opening to start, but it soon finds those fragments of the Chorale, led by a fine euph.

Edge taken off the tempi, but the lack of clarity is still apparent in the horrendously difficult filigree work. The Bach comes through but at the expense of the essential detail at times.

Great gloppy effects in sad religious episode, but at times it becomes something of a Spanish Inquisition with some tortuous moments in some lines.

Classy euph again and great bluesy moment whilst the run for home is again sensibly paced. The problem is the lack of detail though.

A tired old pair of Bach and Bruckner sit boldly at the final organ climax, but they have much to be proud of.

Overall: A performance that understandably struggled at times, but the Scots were never beaten. They won't be the only band to find this exceptionally difficult today.

Time: 16.00hrs
Brass Band De Waldsang [Netherlands], 1
Conductor: Rieks van der Velde

Fragmentary opening seeks the right evocative mood and that essential focus, but it takes time to find its feet at the higher pace.

These lack a bit of clarity but they are certainly exciting to the ear and the Bach Chorale is now heard in its glory.

Religiously inspired sop does well but them like a vicar in a sex shop — he gets a bit flustered when faced with the blues. Not everything comes off here — not at all. Too many errors.

The gypsy turn is well handled as is the return to the heavy metal blues, but it becomes a little heavy handed in too many places to be really clear and effective.

Big, bold and bells uo to end as the two giants of Bruckner and Bach head for the organ like finish. Exciting close brings a big round of applause.

Overall: Exciting but messy this one. A brave old effort but one that perhaps had too many problems to really make a huge mark