According to composer Cyril Jenkins, the divine life consists of four elements.
Perhaps due his non-conformist Welshness (born near Swansea in 1885), he extolled that it consisted of 'seriousness and dignity', 'vigorous opportunism and happiness', 'stress and trouble', and 'helping and the enobling power of true love'.
It's a load of old tripe.
The piece was in fact originally called 'A Comedy of Errors', which would have perhaps been more appropriate for some ardent supporters of bands following the announcement of the results at the Senior Trophy on the weekend.
Formidable
However, whatever their opinions on the findings of Messers Smith and Gresswell, one thing remain certain: 101 years after he wrote it, 'Life Divine' remains a formidable, if rather archaic test.
Written in the melodramatic idiom that was soon to become brass banding's norm, it is floridly ornate; music not of the opera house or concert hall, but of the emerging 1920s film industry.
As such, Jenkins' foreword to the score reads rather like the synopsis to a Rider Haggard film script starring Errol Flynn rather than a nod to any Shakespearian inspiration; although the triumphant 'nobilemente' ending is still achieved heroically against vivace trials and bombastic tribulations.
Appropriate then that the contest took place in the equally filmatic surrounds of the Spanish Hall, under a blazing sun and a backdrop of Hollywoodesque make-believe Andalucia. It's not often you get players sporting Ray-Ban sunglasses.
The stardom of A-list banding to found at the British Open is still a little while away for the qualifiers here. There is however little doubt that the likes of East London Brass, Fishburn, Boarshurst and eventual winner Unite the Union will be looking with confidence to take further steps towards a stage appearance at Symphony Hall over the next couple of years.
Blunt assessment
The judges certainly thought so, although Simon Gresswell did give a rather blunt assessment of what they were looking for, and had been presented with, in the box in his pre-results summary.
"There were some cracking performances, and some just better than others", he said. "But loud, raucous playing doesn't impress. Try playing quietly, it works. Me and Sandy are of the same (musical) DNA. That was missing today too often."
For bands giving the opening dramatic salvos a sense of majestic 'seriousness', no problems to start, but thereafter the duo felt a lack of dynamic contrast cost dearly, as did some rather frenetic tempo choices.
What was lost for them was character; the 'happiness' forced, the 'stresses' eye-popping, the salvation of 'triumphant' love all a touch harsh and lacking noble refinement.
It certainly made for a difficult contest to evaluate; the judge's choices sacrosanct, but other viewpoints of those who listened to all the 22 competitors, sometimes differing widely (4BR included).
Joy and celebration
Joy and celebrations then (although the presentation of the trophy went to a somewhat bemused band representative) to Unite the Union.
Jonathan Beatty led the top section Yorkshire band to their second title in three outings with a performance replete with drama and pathos, rubato, bombast and richly defined musicality.
It was heart on sleeve stuff, especially the excellent trombone section who delivered their clarion calls with supreme confidence — led by the outstanding 'Best Soloist' winner Sarah Curtis.
Unite is a band that has endured more than its fair share of ups and downs at the Spring Festival over the years (they were in the Grand Shield in 2017) but have made significant progress elsewhere as well as returning to the top section in Yorkshire.
Now they are step closer to the British Open. They are a band very much on the up.
Emotional core
Runner-up Boarshurst also delivered on the emotional core of the music with an eminently practical approach. Inspired by MD Jamie Prophet it was cast with an authoritative stamp of clarity and purpose (although perhaps including a few of script additions?).
The central andante nobilemente had an operatic lyricism in an interpretation that had more than a few echoes of the halcyon contest days of Crystal Palace.
Rejuvenated
Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Fishburn (after a poor result at the Area) gained their deserved place on the podium led by the experienced Duncan Beckley. As with Boarshurst, it was bold and clear in its messaging, the small blips and clips taking nothing of note away from its qualification credentials.
So too East London Brass, although Jayne Murrill drew a much more relaxed and elegant tone poem narrative from the score. The lightness of touch contrasted with many on the day who tried to bludgeon their way to triumph.
This quartet can now look forward to the Senior Cup in 2023, each confident of more than holding their own.
Confidence
It meant that the impressive adjudicator's marker from Tylorstown drawn 1, just missed out, as the Welsh band delivered with bravura confidence to end fifth, whilst the top-six was completed by Enderby's account, which just on occasions lost ensemble balance through its passionate enthusiasm.
A steadily controlled Pontardulais, Union Kinneil (who for many produced the a potential title marker performance), an informed Hatfield & Askern Colliery (with Stan Lippeatt making his final appearance with them) and a spaciousness Yorkshire Imperial made up the top-ten with solidly delivered accounts that may have left them to ponder the vagaries of contesting 'Life'.
Each caught the ear in their different ways, but not as they would have hoped in the box.
Persuasive refinement
Eccles meanwhile may wonder just what they did so wrong in a performance of tempered dynamic contrasts and subtle rubato flow under Mareika Gray. Perhaps it lacked the visceral drama of other rivals, but musically for many it had a persuasive refinement.
Behind them, Easington Colliery and the London & SC midfield finishers of Thundersley and Amersham each provided engaging accounts for an audience that filled the majority of the seats in the hall throughout the contest, but not unfortunately for the two men in the box.
Requalification (confirmed by the organisers) though for Marsden, SPAL Sovereign Brass, Bo'ness & Carriden, Lydbrook, Crofton Silver, Roberts Bakery, Staffordshire and Jackfield.
They will now have to look to secure their place back at Blackpool though the series of tributary qualification events at the Welsh Open, Fife Charities Contest, Bolsover Festival of Brass and Wychavon Festival of Brass.
Contesting is not always about the divine, and on occasions it can be cruel. Subjective serendipity plays its part as much as the more obvious listings of errors and dynamic misappreciations.
Each will have had their own opinions on how they felt they played (and some have aired their grievances about their evaluations through social media), but in the end it is and will always remain, the opinion of the judges that holds sway.
Iwan Fox & Steve Jack
What was lost for them was character; the 'happiness' forced, the 'stresses' eye-popping, the salvation of 'triumphant' love all a touch harsh and lacking noble refinement4BR
Result:
Senior Cup:
Test Piece: Life Divine (Cryril Jenkins)
Adjudicators: Sandy Smith & Simon Gresswell
1. Unite the Union (Jonathan Beatty)*
2. Boarshurst Silver (Jamie Prophet)*
3. Fishburn (Duncan Beckley)*
4. East London Brass (Jayne Murrill)*
5. Tylorstown (Gary Davies)
6. Enderby (Stephen Phillips)
7. Pontardulais (Paul Jenkins)
8. Unison Kinneil (Raymond Tennant)
9. Hatfield & Askern Colliery (Stan Lippeatt)
10. Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel (Garry Hallas)
11. Eccles Borough (Mareika Gray)
12. Easington Colliery (Stephen Malcolm)
13. Thundersley Brass (Melvin White)
14. Amersham (Paul Fisher)
15. Marsden Silver (Andrew Lofthouse)
16. Sovereign Brass (Stephen Roberts)
17. Bo'ness & Carriden (Andrew Duncan)
18. Lydbrook (Stephen Sykes)
19. Crofton Silver (Dean Jones)
20. Roberts Bakery (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
21. Staffordshire (Craig Williams)
22. Jackfield (Ryan Richards)
Best Instrumentalist: Sarah Curtis (trombone) Unite the Union
*Qualify for Senior Cup
