Since the turn of the Millennium, Second Section bands at the Regional Championships have been given some pretty stern challenges to try and overcome.

And whilst it's still early days to suggest that 'Rhapsody in Brass' has been too hard a choice this year, as was shown during this contest, it can certainly be added to the 'exceptionally demanding' list that has included the likes of 'Variations for Brass Band', 'Carnival', 'Resurgam' and 'The Plantagenets' of recent vintage.

It must also have presented the experienced duo of Stephen Roberts and Kevin Wadsworth with one heck of a difficult task as they compared the performances from 21 hard working bands in the Pavilion Theatre.

Montgomery approach

Written at the height of conflict in the cauldron of the Middle East campaign in 1942, it remains as relevant now as it was then, so when it came down to the raising of battle honours Stephen and Kevin eventually opted for the solid, no nonsense 'Montgomery' approach of Ian Brownbill and Flixton as their winner — one which gave them both the cohesive approach to style and execution they stated they were looking for.

Joining them to troop the North West colours in Cheltenham will be Cheshire Constabulary and Delph, whilst the top-six finishers in a contest that offered many varied approaches to Dean Goffin's seminal work were claimed by Boarshurst Silver, Crewe Brass and Horwich RMI.

Stylistic key

As Kevin Wadsworth later stated, it was the stylistic approach to each of the three beautifully structured movements that held the key; from elegant poise of the spirited giocoso opening to the melancholy of the nostalgic central section and the brio of the finale.

And although not everything came off — and no band emerged unscathed on the day, the winning MD was therefore delighted that his approach, and the hard work of what he called his 'honest' band, had won through.

"It's wonderful music and one that requires so much hard work to command the appreciation of style,"Ian Brownbill told 4BR. "In those musical facets it's still very modern — although the transparency of the writing isn't something I think the current generation of young players in particular come across too often."

Not too often

Ian also revealed that the 'not too often' approach certainly applied to him as he returned to the Area contest to conduct for the first time since 2003.

"I didn't realise it was that long, until it was pointed out to me. My professional career has taken in me in many different musical directions since then, but I've always remained involved in banding in different ways — from judging to creating artistic events.

I was asked to take the band in January, and after an honest discussion about what was needed to succeed things have taken off. That 'honest approach' from the players has been great — so the credit for the hard work and commitment goes to them. They are a great organisation that has a refreshing outlook — one that appealed to me."

Conundrum

For the bands that didn't find appeal in the box, 'Rhapsody in Brass' will perhaps remain something of a musical conundrum — although the judges themselves were very clear about what they were looking for from them on the day.

Cheltenham qualifiers Cheshire Constabulary and Delph certainly did just that, whilst to a lesser extent so did the likes of Boarshurst, Crewe and Horwich — all of who combined the elements Stephen and Kevin were looking for with varying degrees of success.

It perhaps also explains then why there were a few raised eyebrows when the results were announced, as some favoured bands such Pemberton Old Wigan DW 'B', Blackpool Brass, Haydock and Besses Boys failed to make a mark with their stylistic approaches.

Behind them came a host of hard working performances of varying quality, as Goffin's cultured scoring presented problems galore — not helped by some odd choices of tempo, robust dynamics and the usual litany of nervousness, unforced errors and lack of concentration.

The fallen

The list of the brave fallen on 'Rhapsody in Brass' would have made for sombre reading on some bands buses on the way back home from Blackpool, although for Flixton, with a return to the National Finals for the first time since 2006, alongside two equally well led bands in Cheshire Constabulary and Delph, the North West still sends a trio of high quality musical regiments into battle for an even bigger prize in Cheltenham.

I was asked to take the band in January, and after an honest discussion about what was needed to succeed things have taken off. That 'honest approach' from the players has been great Winning MD, Ian Brownbill

Result:

Second Section:

Test Piece: Rhapsody in Brass (Dean Goffin)
Adjudicators: Stephen Roberts and Kevin Wadsworth

1. Flixton (Ian Brownbill)*
2. Cheshire Constabulary (David Woolam)*
3. Delph (Philip Goodwin)*
4. Boarshurst Silver (James Garlick)
5. Crewe Brass (Jamie Meredith)
6. Horwich RMI (Matt Ryan)
7. Marple (Stephen Curtis)
8. Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
9. Pemberton Old Wigan DW 'B' (Michael Golding)
10. Old Hall Brass (John North)
11. Besses Boys (James Holt)
12. Middleton (Kevin Gibbs)
13. Blackpool Brass (John Pearson)
14. Haydock (Mark Quinn)
15. Whitworth Vale & Healey (Christopher Binns)
16. Besses o'th' Barn (Mark Wildie)
17. Valley Brass (Haydock) (David Chadwick)
18. Hoover Bolton (Craig Mann)
19. Golborne (Mark Harrison)
20. Uppermill (Dean Redfern)
21. Darwen Brass (Steve Hartley)

*Top three bands qualify bands for National Final in Cheltenham