Live: 2011 British Open Championships

The 2011 British Open Championships is taking place at Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

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Saturday 3rd September
Test Piece: 'Red Priest' — Professor Philip Wilby
Draw: 9.00am
Commence: 10.30am

Adjudicators: David Read MBE, Michael Ball, Stephen Roberts

4BR Prediction:

What a contest. The standard of the top bands today was about as high as we have ever heard here. There can be a good arguement for any of five or six bands winning today.

That said, Cory produced a memorable performance and the type that should resonate in the box to take the title by a short head from a gaggle of contenders.

Foden's were thrilling and could well win if the judges opt for their high octane mix of power and delicacy. Black Dyke just made the odd error as did Tredegar, but they are close on their tails.

Grimethorpe and Carlton Main should make us the top six with dark horses of Leyland and Brighouse.

4BR Prediction
1. Cory
2. Foden's
3. Black Dyke
4. Tredegar
5. Grimethorpe
6. Carlton Main

Dark Horses: Leyland and Brighouse & Rastrick

Live

16.30hrs — Band 17: Fairey (Geneva) (Russell Gray)

Opening — G: Finely structured start has drive and detail – and dynamic control. Real nasty moment in cornets but it recovers. MD takes a few risks here and there.

G — N: Stylish winter really chatter in the cold but its not always together in ensemble. Bravo solo cornet. Something is awry in the barcarolle – sounds odd as well as insecure.

Fugue: Doesn’t always knit. Plenty of individual excellence but not the overall ensemble. Fine presto leads to formidable climax.

Overall: A performance that held rich promise faded badly in too many places today.

16.06hrs — Band 16: Grimethorpe Colliery (Garry Cutt)

Opening — G: A very deliberate opening that gains a subtle momentum. Wonderful ensemble playing this – a real sense of brilliance. Great glide into next phase too.

G — N: Lovely simplicity in opening. Winter section but things go awry in quicker sections at times. Superb trom lead to barcarolle – played beautifully. Fine close too.

Fugue: a very traditional treatment this – full of balanced purpose. Just loses focus in some lines but presto brings a huge climax to end.

Overall: Very confident stuff this. Solid no nonsense playing of very high class indeed. Up there too.

15.45hrs — Band 15: Fodens (Allan Withington)

Opening — G: Detailed opening is very forceful but so much power is allied to so much detail. What a statement to open and great transition too.

G — N: Simple and cultured in opening winter’s scene – then the power. It’s on the edge of being OTT but holds its compactness and balance. Barcarolle has lilting beauty – helped by great solo lines. Superb close.

Fugue: More drive and purpose. Such detail and style. Turbo boost at Presto leads to huge climax and close.

Overall: A power laden juggernaut of a performance but with such delicacy of style. Superb – No question.

15.20hrs — Band 14: Tredegar (Ian Porthouse)

Opening — G: Clear opening is full of drive and detail. It’s powerful stuff this – high energy. So full of purpose. Fine transition.

G — N: lovely winter chill pervades this. Simple beauty to open followed by sharp articulated detail. Little blips but this is so well delivered. Barcarolle is so well shaped – with soloists. Eerie end is superb.

Fugue: great stuff. Stylish and clear. We get everything here and in spades! Great presto and hugee thrilling climax.

Overall: A superb defence of their title by Tredegar. Right up there today.

15.05hrs — Band 13: Co-operative Funeralcare (Michael Fowles)

Opening — G: Solid opening has pace and detail with a sense of drive. Nice transition into the next phase too – despite the odd issue in execution.

G — N: simple style is effective to start but the quicker wintery elements are scratchy and not together. Sounds strained in places despite a finely judged flow to barcarolle.

Fugue: rather scrappy this. At times it rocks. Doesn’t really have the poise and control required despite bold ending statement.

Overall: A solid if unspectacular account his. Just lost its focus in the central section. Never quite found required momentum

14.40hrs — Band 12: Black Dyke (Dr Nicholas Childs)

Opening — G: Such a deliberate statement made to start – so clear and precise. Great ensemble detail and control. We hear clarity in all lines. Risks with closing tempo?

G — N: Simple beauty is portrayed so effectively. Wintery chill is not without little clips though and there is unease in ensemble at times. Didn’t quite gel on occasions. Magical barcarolle – simply stunning atmosphere created and held to close.

Fugue: Brilliantly stylish fugue is so elegantly controlled. Great presto gear and a huge finish.

Overall: A magnificent performance – not error free – but so stylish in the musical portrait it painted.

14.18hrs — Band 11: Leyland (Jason Katsikaris)

Opening — G: A very deliberate opening that gathers impressive momentum. Great drive and purpose to this, despite oddly constructed close.

G — N: Winter scenes are effect laden – just losing the simplicity perhaps? There is plenty of impressive technique on show though. It’s a slow flowing bacarolle although played with security and a little camouflage. Not quite faultless this.

Fugue: Well played again the effects lead the way. Bold and pacey in presto and super lead to a fine close.

Overall: A slightly different take on Vivaldi this just lsot the simple beauty at times despite the good execution.

13.55hrs — Band 10: Brighouse & Rastrick (Professor David King)

Opening — G: Cracking opening – full of drive, balance and detail. Great ensemble playing this, right the way to the close.

G — N: A real atmosphere of wintery chill is created helped by exotic cymbal work. Great clarity and style. Bravo solo cornet. Barcarolle lilts with flowing musicality – esp. soloists and close has remarkable stillness.

Fugue: What a persuasive style – controlled sharpness. Presto drive is great and close is delivered with commitment.

Overall: Such a stylish interpretation. Beautifully crafted and delivered with authority and confidence.

Interval Prediction:

Enjoyable stuff so far, but Cory lead by a mile after delivering one of the great contest performances heard here for many a year.

Carlton Main did themselves proud with a very fine show under Philip McCann, whilst it's a bit of a toss up after them with Rothwell and Kirky delivering quality accounts and Hepworth catching the ear with their musicality.

No doubting the halfway leader though — and it will take something very special to beat this today from the big boys to come in the second half.

Halfway point prediction:

1. Cory
2. Carlton Main
3. Rothwell Temperance
4. Kirkintilloch
5. Hepworth

13.15hrs — Band 9: Cory (Dr Robert Childs)

Opening — G: Such a driven opening – full of trademark detail and effect. Great ensemble sounds played with balanced clarity.

G — N: Little tricks in Winter’s scene (cornet trio at front) but it’s the detail that so impresses and that crystal clear clarity. Barcarolle flows with sleepy lilt helped by superb solo quartet. Eerie ending.

Fugue: This is such high class ensemble playing. It motors with so much clarity. Presto changes gear to awesome ending.

Overall: A truly outstanding performance in anyone’s language– so detailed and controlled. Hard to find fault in the execution.

12.53hrs — Band 8: Hepworth (Michael Bach)

Opening — G: Untidy to open and the balance takes time to settle but then we get real excitement. It’s edgy though.

G — N: Lovely little musical touches are turned elegantly. Time and space in a crisp winter scene but then it gets over excitable. Flowing barcarolle just tarnished by little clips. Very musical though.

Fugue: Stylish nicely done this – just those annoying clips mar. Losses poise in drive for home but a fine end.

Overall: An enjoyable one from Hepworth. Nice musical ideas throughout but just marred by high minor error count.

12.35hrs — Band 7: Rothwell Temperance (David Roberts)

Opening — G: A neatly disguised opening? Great ensemble sounds follow – full of detail and clarity. No nonsense quality playing this.

G — N: Slightly heavy handed in the winter scenes. Just needs a touch of lightness and elegance but the technical elements are all secure. Solid soloists but barcarolle needs flow.

Fugue: More quality ensemble playing driven with a neatness of style. Great presto and top notch ending.

Overall: A performance of quality from Rothwell – just sagged in the middle but the outer sections were classy.

12.15hrs — Band 6: Desford Colliery (Nigel Seaman)

Opening — G: Purposeful opening has pacey security if not always accurate balance. We do hear the Wilby and Vivaldi contrasts though.

G — N: A bit heavy handed in style and there are some real insecure individual moments. This hasn’t gelled. Troms goes AWOL for a moment. Soloists play well but this didn’t quite come off.

Fugue: Stylish playing helped by great kit work. Real bounce. Big if rather slow ending.

Overall: have to say it – the proverbial Curate’s egg! Too inconsistent in execution despite the good musical intentions.

11.55hrs — Band 5: Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Phillip McCann)

Opening — G: Solid purposeful opening has clarity, balance and detail. Bold but stylish. Just the odd clip but this makes musical sense.

G — N: Good stuff. Detail and style brings the winter’s scene to life. Crisp solo cornet leads the way. The barcarolle flows with musicality — again led by superb cornet.

Fugue: More good playing. Bounce and poise and then a gear change in the Presto. Great close despite odd clips.

Overall: A high class performance this helped by a very musical interpretation of Vivaldi’s intentions.

11.38hrs — Band 4: Reg Vardy (Ray Farr)

Opening — G: Messy opening rather stutters into life. It’s bold stuff and lacks that sense of stylish poise.

G — N: Crisp but not crystal clear in the winter’s scene and to follow. Not all lines as good as solo cornet. Confident quartet of soloists are nearly perfect and fine close.

Fugue: More bold playing (but timp is obliterating the detail). Gets messy and scratchy. Big ending but it has lost balance and poise.

Overall: A confident performance full of boldness. Brashness may cost though.

11.14hrs — Band 3: Kirkintilloch (Luc Verterommen)

Opening — G: Another pointed opening which is big and bold. It’s very excitable but the contrast to close is well handled.

G — N: A nice sharp edge to the winters scene. High energy stuff just lacks poise. A flowing barcarolle is confidently played, especially soloists.

Fugue: More upbeat bold playing. Energetic and exciting if a little raw in places. Just loses poise to end.

Overall: A very bold, exciting portrait of Vivaldi this. Left an impression for certain , if a little brash.

10.53hrs — Band 2: Tongwynlais Temperance (Philip Harper)

Opening — G: Oddly percussive opening. Pointed pacey style is solid and confident though. Not everything quite gels in places.

G — N: Exciting but the ensemble is very messy. Lacks a sense of poise in too many lines. Fine effort from the soloists in the quartet – and a lovely close.

Fugue: Real bounce but not all the lines gel. Moves along at presto to exciting close but the shape of the music is lost.

Overall: To many minor faults will hurt this. A brave effort but may struggle today.

10.33hrs — Band 1: Virtuosi GUS (John Berryman)

Opening — G: Deliberate and composed opening. Gathers momentum with odd clip heard. Solid and secure ensemble shows confidence.

G — N: Not quite a crystal clear winter's morn. Plenty of energy but it’s messy at times in the ensemble. Sleepy barcarolle certainly flows but the lovely picture is etched by occasional mistakes. Quartet of soloists play well but again those nasty little errors. Lovely eerie sop to close.

Fugue: Pacey fugue has bounce but just lacks a little poise. Bravo troms and presto really motors to the final take-off. Nice solid close.

Overall: A decent marker this, but the error count could see this one fall away today.

Draw

Black Dyke (Dr Nicholas Childs),12
Brighouse & Rastrick (Professor David King),10
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Phillip McCann),5
Co-operative Funeralcare (Michael Fowles),13
Cory (Dr Robert Childs),9
Desford Colliery (Nigel Seaman),6
Fairey (Geneva) (Russell Gray),17
Fodens (Allan Withington),15
Grimethorpe Colliery (Garry Cutt),16
Hepworth (Michael Bach),8
Kirkintilloch (Luc Verterommen),3
Leyland (Jason Katsikaris),11
Reg Vardy (Ray Farr),4
Rothwell Temperance (David Roberts),7
Tongwynlais Temperance (Philip Harper),2
Tredegar (Ian Porthouse),14
Virtuosi GUS (John Berryman),1