Euro Blog
Saturday 1st May:

At the end of a truly remarkable European Championships here in Linz on Saturday night, it was rather like being back at home: late celebrations in full flow, plenty of terrible four part harmony singing in the bar and Cory winning again.

Midas touch

After all those occasions under Bob Childs when they came to this contest and missed out, now they lord it over Europe with a musical Midas touch which has seen them win seven of the last ten individual sections of the competition (set work and own choice) in the last five years.

If only the organization of Welsh banding could be as successful, then perhaps the Principality could realistically consider hosting the European event once again too (the last time was the debacle of Cardiff in 1992) – saving Bob and his team having to pay out a fortune in air fares each year to various Euro Zone venues.

Dreams come true

The Welsh EBBA representative Alexandria James is working her socks off to get things moving in the right direction, but given that this contest is now booked up until 2014, she may need Cory to keep winning for a few more years yet for the dream to come true.

Mind you, Cory wouldn’t mind that too much if it meant coming to play at such wonderful halls as the Brucknerhaus in Linz, perched on the banks of the Danube and with the Tyrol mountains providing a chocolate box backdrop.

Preston Guild Hall perched on the banks of the local bus station above the 24 pack lager box for a fiver backdrop of Cash Converters and Poundland4BR

Poundland

Neither would Black Dyke for that matter — but the Queensbury band will be faced with the slightly different panoramic vista of Preston Guild Hall in a few weeks time if they wish to make it to picturesque Montreux next year.

And just to remind you — that’s Preston Guild Hall perched on the banks of the local bus station above the 24 pack lager box for a fiver backdrop of Cash Converters and Poundland.

Contesting can be very cruel at times.

That’s for another day, but the memories of this particular one was the way in which the people of Linz provided their brass band visitors with a wonderful festival – from the beginning of the solo competition right through to the final farewell concert that will take place on Sunday.

Many highlights

There were many highlights – and not just from the bands themselves, but also from the likes of Hans Gansch playing like an angel on the piccolo trumpet in the Gala Concert, to the fireworks display and even the surreal art installation created outside the hall where players and supporters were asked forgo any potential health and safety considerations by using an electric drill to screw a piece of 4 by 2 onto a potential fire hazard under the supervision of a bonkers bloke called Rupert. Still, you got to out your name on it for posterity.

Minor quibbles

There were though a few things we could have done without though – from the interminable speeches at the overlong Gala Concert to EBBA’s predilection for trophies for the bands to keep that look like the ones presented to teams in a local darts league.

After the overlong splendor of the opening ceremony and draw on Friday, Saturdays’ own choice draw was done and dusted within ten minutes – although having it at 8.00am in the morning, some five hours before the contest started did seem a touch on the cautious side.

These were minor quibbles though, as Linz did the European Brass Band Championships, the cause of Austrian brass banding, and its own image as a most welcoming city that appreciated fine music making, proud indeed.

It will be a tough act for Montreux, let alone Preston, or potentially, even Cardiff, to follow.