The 14th Welsh Open Entertainment Contest is taking place at the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl.

Additional comments at: http://twitter.com/4barsrest

The adjudicator is Derek Broadbent.
Comments by Iwan Fox.

What do we think?

An enjoyable day made the better by a packed hall of listeners and some eclectic programmes. Nothing too inventive it must be said but plenty of confident playing from all the bands.

Tredegar's class should see them home, although they have been pushed very close today by the sheer verve of BTM.

Tongwynlais may be pushed to just claim third ahead of Bournemouth, Staines and Burry Port.

4BR Prediction:

1. Tredegar
2. BTM
3. Tongwynlais Temperance
4. Bournemouth
5. Staines
6. Burry Port

6.34

Lydbrook (Ian Holmes), 11

A Norwegian inspired bit of funk to open with Idar Torskangerpoll's back tickler 'Degroove', which has drive and purpose.

This followed by an old classic — 'Deep Inside the Sacred Temple' with two feamle leads in Alison Millin and Jo Hanley on euph doing the Jussi Bjorling and John McCormack duet. Neatly delivered too.

Everyone seems to be opting for a bit of Eastern gypsy music today — and Lybrook head to Armenia with Goff Richard's pastiche 'Fire Dance', which although not quite scorchio is hot enough.

The David Fanshaw 'Lord's Prayer' from his 'African Sanctus' with eyecatching images is different is a little scruffy around the edges.

'Glorifico Aeternum' rounds off the day with an upbeat feel of evangelical zeal in time Sunday morning chapel services in the valleys.

Overall: A decent showing this — not quite the sum of its prescriptive parts, but well directed and deliivered.

6.00

BTM (Tom Davoren), 10

It's a very effective opener with Axel Foley and Beverly Hills Cop of 1984 — a real upbeat and bop driven 'The Heat is On' — all with the added extra of a touch of 'Carmina Burana'.

Dai Cornelius is a superb horn soloist in the MDs 'Variations of Gwahoddiad', which is so tastefully played. Odd blips in loud ensemble just tarnish in places.

The SA march 'Jubilee' is pacy if a touch ragged in odd motifs, but there is a real evenagelical zeal in the playing, whilst Jonathan Pippen is as suave as they come with a pyrotechnical 'Autum Leaves'. Some playing this. The accomp is loud again though.

The MDs 'I Bob Un' is a BTM mini history of 40 years of existence, played with verve and passion — a bit red raw in places, but very exciting and colurful to close a 100% committed performance.

Overall: Big, bold and just a tad brash at times in the dynamics, but very impressive in the sheer verve and the ultra confident delivery.

5.27
Abergavenny Borough (David Griffiths), 9

'Brasilia' is given an appropriate close shave to open with an upbeat feel minus the MD until the very end, whilst the second outing for the PLC 'Enter the Galaxies' is purposeful and colourful even if the musical shuttle craft is dented by one or two asteroids.

Glen Philip is a bravura cornet soloist in the Mendez take on 'Hungarian Dance Numero 5', before the band opts for a Russian twist with the famous '18th Variation on a Theme by Paganini' — played with warmth and lushness.

Snell's masterful arrangement of three movements from Gershwin's 'An American in Paris'- a reminder of just how good he was at turning these classics out. Not badly played but more than a little tired by its end.

Overall: A bit uneven, but more plus than minus marks from an ambitious programme that had some unexpected musical twists.

4.56
Tredegar (Ian Porthouse), 8

Wizz bang opener with 'Blackbird Special' is full of pump and grind and plenty of drive, and the segue to an old favourite 'Folk Festival' is given a neat twist with three 'revs' of the engine before they hit the accelerator to fizz to the close.

Danny Winder is on sublime form with the flugel lead in 'Ave Maria'. Just the odd blip in the ensemble, but it was solo playing that had the audience on the edge of its seat.

A dip back into their Brass in Concert programme for the local flavour of 'Legends of Cyfarthfa' complete with bucolic images of Merthyr Tydfil is slickly done.

Something new to close with the Salvation Army finisher 'Credo', played with precision and purpose, which ends a high class programme, not without the odd moment or two though.

Overall: Classy, polished and professional. Nothing too left field, but inventive enough with high quality basics as the foundation.

4.22
Staines (Melvin White), 7

Melvin heads off the M25 to Norway to start with a slick version of Grieg's 'Hall of the Mountain King' which does have the odd elf gremlin or two.

Sue White is a lovley lyrical lead in the old Carpenter's hit, 'We've Only Just Begun', whilst its back to the fjords via New Orleans and Jelly Roll Morton and his 'Black Bottom Stomp' — played with a neat sop impression of a clarinet lead. Not sure about the hats though!

'Scarlet Ribbons' features a smooth flugel lead from Richard Pemberton and inventive keyboard opening, but it gets untuneful in the ensemble to take the gloss off.

Staines opt for the Welsh chapel vote with Downie's 'King of Heaven' which doesn't quite get the congregation on its feet but closes a well worked and delivered programme.

Overall: A well worked set this — nothing too spectacular, but neat changes of style and musical invention led by Melvin himself.

Mid point break:

There is now an hour's break and the action restarts at 4.20pm.

It's Tongwynlais for us so far with Bournemouth in second and the rest battling it out for the minor slots.

2.58
Bournemouth Concert Brass (Cpt David Barringer), 6

Military images accompany the PLC fizzer 'Walking with Heroes' — and not all are gung-ho ones either. A thoughtful bit of work has gone into this. Very effective stuff.

The music from the 1979 ice skating weepie 'Ice Castles' is certainly not anything like 'Blades of Glory', but is well handled by trumpet soloist Dan Shave. Like the film though, its not one to stick in the memory banks despite the fine solo playing.

'Be a Clown' is short and sweet, with thankfully just the comedy red noses on show and some neat projected images. 'Chelsea Bridge' to follow is suavely played too.

Playing to the audience's chapel and rugby sentiments with 'Diversions on a Welsh Theme' to close is all 'immortal inivisible' stuff and rounds off a well executed programme.

Overall: A well thought out programme — built on the band's obvious strengths. Nothing really sparkling, but plenty of good solid brass band playing.

2.20
Tongwynlais Temperance (Philip Harper), 5

Tong opt for a three pronged attack starting with the old swagger march 'Imperial Echoes' — which does swagger but at a tempo that borders on the speed of old comrades marching past the cenotaph at times.

Martyn Patterson then delivers a tour de force 'Carmen Fantasy' — all that was missing was a rolled Havana cigar. Superb technique in the bold if idiosyncratic Luc Vertommenn arangement.

A 12 minute Harper original to end (a bit like his wonderful Salmon pink shirt, which Gok Wan would love) — 'Constellations' — full of funk, lyricism and big band wallop. Lots of drive, rhythm and pulse, but the style wanders at times. Vibe man is one heck of a cool dude — and knows it too!

Great choreography and entertainment value.

Overall: A brave selection with a real emphasis on the entertainment factor. A question mark or two over some of the musical styles perhaps, but it was a crowd pleaser for sure.

1.55

City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) (Gareth Ritter), 4

It's a trip from the docks at Tiger Bay to Tokyo as the band opt for the full 'Windows of the World' for their programme.

It's a bit package holiday in places but there is also lots to enjoy too with lyrical flugel and horn features.

It gets as colurful as Cardiff City centre at throwing out time with the African interlude, which is a ripper. Real bomping along as they say in Roath..

A lovely Celtic euph is followed by a rough and ready sleazy trumpet and neat Louis Prima kit work before the final bus ticket home to Cardiff City Centre is full of pump up the volume.

Overall: A brave choice this — most of which came off very well (super euph) with added projected images. Some of it did come a little from the 'Rough Guide' musical book though.

1.17
Burry Port (Michael Thorne), 3

The march 'Death or Glory' is an apt starter for a brass band contest — and is played with just hint of both elements but a fine old swagger underpinning it.

We've gone all things Channel 4 documentary again — it's all 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' without the amazing dresses in the slick 'Gypsy Deam' from 'Call of the Cossacks'. Lucky heather anyone?

'Trumpet Blues' takes time to be set up — Harry James could have done things quicker on his one lung. It takes time to find its right pace too, but then sizzles.

Burry Port go all Scottish to close, with a tasteful rendition of the effective Himes 'Amazing Grace' before it all goes Welsh tartan with a rousing 'Dundonnell' (with the odd misplaced bagpipe sound) from 'Hymn of the Highlands', that just tires to end.

Overall: A bit of a prescriptive programme that was carefully chosen to highlight strengths and not too many weaknesses. Solidly delivered mind you.

12.40
Tylorstown (Gary Davies), 2

It's a PLC starter — all thrills and familiar semi quaver filigree work with 'Enter the Galaxies' — complete with 'Sky at Night' projected images.

More images tap into a mining seam of nostalgia as thick as a collier's chewing baccy with a neat contrast in the quartet led 'Deep Harmony'. 'Pell Mell' though is a bit too harum scarum in places — age hasn't wearied its challenges.

A pity a fine idea with a lovely singer and euph solo didn't quite work out better, with 'On My Own'. A mike was needed for the voice but Angela Westacott was very lyrical.

'Riverdance' shows its age too, but despite a few fluffed lines the Michael Flattley impression goes down a storm to round things off with a touch of the O'irish.

Overall: A bit of a mixed bag, with plenty of good playing and nice entertainment ideas that just didn't quite all come off.

12.00
Pontardulais (Burns Pet Nutrition) (Paul Jenkins), 1

A ring, bing starter with a Paul Robeson inspired 'Ol Man River' with two kit players featured. Don't think he sang it quite like this though....

Matthew Jenkins does a great gypsy king impression with the old Monti pot boiler 'Czardas' — played without music and faster than Brad Pitt's accent in 'Snatch'.

'O Magnum Misterium' is a well balanced contrast and play with a warmth and lyrical style and they close they programme with a bit more Latin inspired filigree work with the PLC 'Vitae Aeternum' — played a bouncy pace despite the odd stamina problems.

Overall: A good marker today to start things off. A well chosen programme by the MD that made sure their strenghths were always shown.