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2016 4BR Awards: The Nominations

The long lists of 4BR annual award nominations that will be considered by a panel of 11 judges have been released.

4br aWARDS
  The long list of nominations for the annual 4BR Awards have been revealed — with the decisions now in the hands of 11 experts...

The 'long list' of 2016 nominations for the various categories of the annual 4BR Awards have been released.

11 expert judges will now cast their eyes over them to come up with their various personal choices, with the winners revealed on Christmas morning.

Band of the Year:

Black Dyke
Brighouse & Rastrick
Cory
Eikanger Bjorsvik
Fairey
Fountain City
Paris Brass Band
Stavanger
Valaisia
Wellington Brass Band

The 10 bands have been chosen not just for their contest achievements during the past year, but also for their artistic ones — from concert performances and tours to recordings and projects.


Conductor of the Year:

David Bremner
Nicholas Childs
Garry Cutt
Arsene Duc
James Gourlay
Philip Harper
Erik Janssen
Chris Jeans
David King
Joe Parisi

The 10 conductors have been chosen not just for their impressive contest records during the past year, but also for their inspirational leadership qualities and progressive artistic outlooks.


Player of the Year:

David Childs (freelance euphonium)
Tom Hutchinson (Cornet — Cory)
Dominic Longhurst (Cornet — Brighouse & Rastrick)
Peter Moore (freelance trombone)
Marielle Rey (Soprano cornet — Valaisia Brass Band)
Daniel Thomas (Euphonium — Black Dyke)
Philip Johnstone (Tuba — Woolston Brass)
Robbert Voss (Euphonium — Brass Band Schoonhoven)
Helen Williams (Flugel — Cory)
Glyn Williams (Euphonium — Cory)

These are 10 players who made the most significant impact on audiences with their performances, both on and off the contest stages during the past year.


Test Piece of the Year:

As a glow… (Ludovic Neurohr): (Second Section: Swiss National Championship)
Ballet for Band (Joseph Horovitz): (First Section: National Championship of Great Britain)
Essay (Edward Gregson): (First Section: Regional Championships of Great Britain)
Fraternity (Thierry Deleruyelle): (European Championship)
Journey of the Lone Wolf (Simon Dobson): (National Championship of Great Britain)
Raveling Unraveling (Philip Sparke): (European/Belgian Championship)
Searching for Light (Stig Nordhagen): (Norwegian National Championship)
The Graces of Love (Oliver Waespi): (Third Section: Swiss National Championship)
The Mansions of Glory (Jonathan Bates): (National Youth Championships of Great Britain)
The Triumph of Time (Peter Graham): (British Open/Dutch National Championship)

The 10 test pieces that made the greatest musical impact on critics, players, conductors and audiences alike.


Lower Section Band of the Year:

Brass Band Sachsen (Germany)
De Spijkerpakkenband (Netherlands)
European Youth Band
Fountain City Youth Band (USA)
Morawa District High School Brass Band (Australia)
St Dennis (England)
Tertnes Skoles Musikkorps (Norway)
Wardle Junior Blast (England)
Youth Brass 2000 (England)
Young Brass Band Willebroek (Belgium)

As with the Band of the Year category, these are the 10 bands have been chosen not just for their contest achievements during the past year, but also for their artistic ones — from concert performances and tours to recordings, projects, and even simply being an inspiration to others.


Contest Performance of the Year:

Brass Band Buizingen (Belgian National Championship — 'Raveling, Unraveling')
Brass Band Schoonhoven (Dutch National Championship — 'The Triumph of Time')
Cory (European Championship — 'Fraternity')
Cory (British Open — 'The Triumph of Time')
Cory (Brass in Concert)
Eikanger Bjorsvik (Norwegian National Championship — 'Searching for Light')
St Dennis (West of England Regional Championship — 'Essay')
Tredegar (Welsh Regional Championship — 'Cambridge Variations')
Valaisia (Swiss National Championship — 'Goldberg 2012')
Valaisia (European Championship Own Choice — 'Trance')

The 10 'stand out' contest performances of the year — the ones that set the bench mark.


Newcomer of the Year:

A4 Brass Quartet
Black Dyke Heritage Project
Brass Band Podcast
Childs Play Project
David Childs (Editor of Brass Band World magazine)
Italian National Championships
Shri Sriram and Hammonds Saltaire: 'Just a Vibration' Project
Super Slow Way: A Rhapsody to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Project
Thierry Deleruyelle
Tubular Brass Project

10 people, bands, innovations or projects that made the most impact in terms of popularity, as well as critically and artistically during the past year.


CD of the Year:

Arabian Nights (Black Dyke)
Black Dyke Gold: Volume 5 (Black Dyke)
Celebration — An 80th Birthday Tribute to Howard Snell (Desford & Foden's)
Elemental (Cory)
European Brass Band Championships 2016 (Various)
Of Gods and Kings (Foden's)
Music for Brass Septet: Volume 4 (Septura Brass Septet)
Quintessence (Fairey)
Raveling, Unraveling (Cory)
War Memorials (Cory & Tredegar)

The 10 CDs which have made the most impact not just on the brass band world with its overall quality, musical outlook and artistic importance.


Solo CD of the Year:

Affinity (Les Neish)
Colours: The French Tenor Horn (Anthony Galinier)
Dreamtimes (Steven Mead)
Fantasy (Philip Cobb)
Forte (Derick Kane)
Homeland (Matthew Van Emmerick)
Lyrical Virtuoso (Steven Mead)
Myths & Legends (Brett Baker)
Now & Then (Brett Baker)
Romance (Bastien Baumet)

The 10 solo CDs which have made the most impact not just on the brass band world with its overall quality, musical outlook and artistic importance.

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National Youth Band

Norwegian Youth Brass Band set for national debut

July 20 • A new national youth brass band in Norway aims to provide a platform for excellence, inspiration and community as it prepares for its inaugural country-wide tour under the baton of Allan Withington.


Kapitol

Brassed Off trophy returns to National home

July 18 • The film prop National Trophy used in 'Brassed Off!' has been presented to Kapitol Promotions for safekeeping and display.


Lewis Bettles

Grimethorpe adds to player strength with new solo trombone signing

July 18 • Lewis Bettles has been appointed solo trombone.


Friary

New signings at Friary

July 18 • Max Johnson and Ed Neeve join Friary Brass on euphonium and cornet.


Regent Brass - Brass on the Grass

Wednesday 22 July • The College Garden, Westminster Abbey, Deans Yard, London SW1P 3PA


Sherborne Town Band - Free Music in the park

Sunday 26 July • Sherborne, Dorset-Pageant Gardens DT9 3NP


Sherborne Town Band - Free Summer Concert- Trowbridge Park

Sunday 9 August • Summer Concert- Trowbridge Park BA14 8AH


Regent Hall Concerts - Cross Bones Trombone Quintet

Friday 21 August • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Sherborne Town Band - Free-Music in the park

Sunday 23 August • Sherborne, Dorset-Pageant Gardens DT9 3NP


Chinnor Silver

July 21 • We are looking for PERCUSSIONISTS to join our ambitious,friendly and hard working 1st section band.Rehearsals are on Wednesdays in our own bandroom (no setting up and down). Good but realistic diary of concerts and contests including tour abroad in 2027.


Tintwistle Band

July 16 • We have a vacancy for soprano cornet, and with lots of exciting engagements coming up would love to get this seat filled! As a second section band,we rehearse every Monday and Thursday 8-10pm at our bandroom in Tintwistle under the baton of MD Jim Henson.


City of Norwich Brass

July 16 • City of Norwich Brass seeks Front & Back Row Cornets, Solo Euphonium and EEb/BBb Basses. Join a friendly, ambitious band with a varied programme of concerts, contests and community performances. Rehearsals in Hethersett, Norwich.


Jason M Smith


Band Trainer (Contest Preparation), Conductor


               

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