2014 has already proven to have been a highly successful year for the young players of Youth Brass Band North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in Germany, under their Musical Director Martin Schädlich.

Grown

Formed in 2008, the band provides a unique musical opportunity for talented youth players of the region to perform in a traditional brass band set up, and since its formation the band has grown in popularity and standard, as Martin told 4BR.

"The band is getting better and better each year, and we wish to compete against other bands from throughout Europe as well as bring brass band music to a new audience here in Germany."

Success

The band tasted competitive success earlier this year when under Martin’s baton they won the B Section at the Flemish Open — at their first ever brass band contest.

Not only did they beat bands from Belgium and the Netherlands, but also claimed the scalp of compatriots Cologne Concert Brass, who were runner-up at the First Division German National Championship this year.

Impressed judges

The adjudicators at the Flemish event in Mechelen were Frank Renton, Rob Goorhuis and Blaise Heritier, who were certainly impressed by the band’s technical and musical quality displayed on their own choice selection of, ‘Harmony Music’ by Philip Sparke, the test piece ‘Phoenix’ by Peter Graham and Bellowheads, ‘A Begging I Will Go’, arranged for them by trombonist Johannes Meures.

Renton revealed

Martin was delighted to reveal that Frank Renton had written in his remarks: ‘The whole programme was impressively delivered by a very well organised and committed ensemble. Congratulations too to the MD, who let everyone play!’

Following the victory the band went on to show off their skills at the Cologne Philharmonie Hall in front of a family audience of over 800 children and parents, performing the overture to ‘The Barber of Seville’, ‘Brass Machine’ and the rousing ‘Florentiner March’.

The band is getting better and better each year, and we wish to compete against other bands from throughout Europe as well as bring brass band music to a new audience here in GermanyMD, Martin Schadlich

Exciting autumn

Martin told 4BR that the band now has an exciting programme of events to look forward to: "In the autumn we will present a new programme of music at the big German Brass Festival ‘Sauerlandherbst’, where we will be joined by the brilliant trumpeter Frits Damrow, solo trumpet of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam."

He added: "Then in 2015 we will perform in a gala concert at the famous Essener Grugahalle, before we play at the German National Championships in Posaunenchortag as well as represent Germany at the European Brass Band Championship in Freiburg as the ensemble to perform the pieces of in the final of the 6th European Composers Competition."

If you want to know more about the YBB NRW, visit www.ybb-nrw.de