The ConsTest Birmingham Open title may have been claimed by an impressive SPAL Sovereign Brass, but even they would acknowledge that it was Contest Director Mikey Foley-Hall who deserved the plaudits following the successful hosting of the inaugural event.

The applause that greeted the acknowledgement from adjudicators Alan Morrison and Ian Porthouse of its organisational excellence and inclusive ethos was an accurate reflection of the response the day generated from performers and audience listeners alike who made the trip to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Champion

The contest 'project' formed part of the Flowers Band cornet player's final year student studies, the results of which deserve to receive as favourable a set of assessment remarks as those of the newly crowned champion, as Sovereign Brass added more silverware and a prize package of £275 to go with that claimed by winning the recent Midlands Area First Section title.

"Wow, what a performance," wrote Alan in summing up his written observations of their rendition of George Lloyd's 'Diversions on a Bass Theme'. "So much detail, so much control and excitement as and when required. Really well directed too, bringing the best out of the band and the music."

Ian was equally impressed. "We sit back and enjoy the final moments," he wrote, before summing up by saying: "Great performance, not perfect but so much potential and showing a great future ahead of this band."

Cheltenham next

That now sees the Black Country band focus contest aspirations on the First Section National Finals in Cheltenham, where on this form they could be one of the short-priced favourites to make it a hat-trick of 2023 contest wins under MD, Alan Gifford.

"We're delighted to be the first winners at such a great new contest," Band Chairperson, Phil Green told 4BR. "The Area win was a huge boost, but this has shown that we are taking significant steps in the right direction under Alan's excellent leadership."

He added: "'Diversions' is a superb piece and a real joy to play again. There was so much in it to work on in rehearsals that it was the ideal choice for this event. We know we have plenty of work to do, but this showed that we brought everything we did in the rehearsal room to the stage under Alan's cool direction."

Class above

"There were two or three performances out of the top drawer today, and some excellent playing,"
Alan Morrison said in his pre-results summing up. "The winners were a class above everyone else though."

He also highlighted, on what he called "a hugely enjoyable and relaxed day in a wonderful hall",
the consideration taken by bands on their own-choice selections. "Whoever chose them meant that even bands lower down the results should all be satisfied at how they played."

Meanwhile, Ian also expressed his hope that the contest could be held again, despite it being a 'one off' student project.

"I'm lucky to be able to work here each week," the RBC Head of Brass Band Studies said. "But I'm sure bands who don't usually get the opportunity to play in such a fine hall have enjoyed the experience today.

It was fantastic to hear the playing from everyone — and especially the quality of the soloists. There is so much the Conservatoire has to offer and this event showed that."

Sovereign gave a performance that had an undeniable stamp of musical authority under RBC Masters Conducting student Alan Gifford, with the diversionary intricacies of the George Lloyd score played with a bold precision that spoke of a band brimming with confidence.

Purposeful Jackfield

It also saw them claim some significant top section scalps, with Jackfield Band coming closest to them on the day with a purposeful rendition of James Curnow's 'Trittico'. They claimed a prize package also worth £275 (including being the 'Highest Placed Championship Section Band') as they continue their solid development led by former RBC alumnus, Ryan Richards.

The final podium spot was also taken by a Midlands top section outfit as Enderby, led by Stephen Phillips gave an exciting rendition of Philip Wilby's 'Paganini Variations'. It just couldn't quite fully meld together the sum of its individual parts though, despite the excellence of 'Best Euphonium' player Ben Smith and the 'Best Back Row Cornet Section'.

Tewit excellence

One performance that certainly did that came from Cheltenham Second Section National Finalist, Tewit Silver.

MD Martin Hall cleverly utilised the innovative player number/registration rules (20 registered players and no upper number limit) to bring in a host of youngsters from his prize winning Tewit Youth Band to enjoy the contest day experience.

It was a great bit of inclusive thinking that matched the ethos of the day (as did all bands in not 'abusing' the relaxed rules) — playing like stalwarts on 'Purcell Variations', led by 'Best Cornet Player' Archie Hall on principal cornet (the proud MD's son), and all making valuable contributions in each section of the band. Fourth place was thoroughly deserved.

It meant that First Section Cheltenham National finalist Thoresby Colliery was fifth, after a carefully defined reading of 'Festival Music' by MD Mike Howley just lost cohesion in the final 'Impromptu', despite the excellence of their outstanding 'Best Instrumentalist' award winning soprano David Bird.

The final top-six spot was claimed by Oddfellows Brass who opened the contest day with an engaging performance of Paul Lovatt-Cooper's 'Vitae Aeternum'.

Intelligent choices

As both Alan and Ian remarked, thanks to the intelligent test-piece choices made by the bands, ambition did not out-stretch realistic expectations, with each delivering performances of note — including a trio of recent Area set-works.

Cleobury Mortimer's vibrant 'Dark Side of the Moon' saw them come seventh (and gain the 'Highest Placed Third Section Band' award) ahead of a finely structured 'Chorale & Toccata' by Nailsworth.

Imagined Dances

If there had been a prize though for the most intriguing performance of the day, it would surely have gone to Regent Brass and 'Imagined Dances' written by their flugel horn player Freddie Meyers.

The six-movement work melded renaissance dance music with modernistic notational interpretive effects — quartertones and microtones, overlaid meters and aleatoric sections that infused the music with opaque mystery. Despite the result, it would be great to hear it again.

Behind them came an enjoyable early outing for Christopher Bond's 'The Lost Village of Imber' (to be used at the Third Section National Finals) from Amington, as well as polished Area reprises of 'The Pilgrim's Progress' and 'Chorale & Toccata' from Wakefield Metropolitan and Shipston Town respectively.

Proud Red Admiral

Unfortunately, an unforeseen major accident on the M6 motorway stopped Greenalls Band from making it to Birmingham, whilst Red Admiral Brass and MD Stuart Barton finally got to the venue only after enduring a horrendous 3 hour wait snarled in traffic.

Thanks to the excellent response from Mike Foley-Hall and his organisation team, which juggled the performance schedule time table, they were able to play — and did themselves proud with a cracking rendition of 'Hungerford Town' to end 10th overall and claim the 'Highest placed Fourth Section Band' award.

Inclusive event

The last words of congratulations though were reserved for the inspirational Contest Director, as he took time to thank everyone who helped put on what was truly an 'inclusive' event — from his fellow RBC students to the judges, traders and sponsors, the bands, players, photographer, bar staff and not forgetting his proud as punch mother and father who joined him on stage.

"I'm looking forward to a couple of pints now," Mikey understandably told 4BR. "I thought this contest was a good idea, but I never believed it would turn out like this today.

I can't thank everyone enough. Banding is in my blood, so it was great to put on an event that brought people together and showed off just how good it can be."

No one at the inaugural ConsTest Birmingham Open would disagree. The brass band movement desperately needs more people like him.

Iwan Fox

I thought this contest was a good idea, but I never believed it would turn out like this todayContest Director Mikey Foley-Hall

Result:

Adjudicators: Ian Porthouse and Alan Morrison

1. Sovereign Brass (Alan Gifford)
2. Jackfield Band (Ryan Richards)
3. Enderby Band (Stephen Phillips)
4. Tewit Silver Band (Martin Hall)
5. Thoresby Colliery Band (Michael Howley)
6. Oddfellows Band (Ben Smith)
7. Cleobury Mortimer Concert Brass (Matthew Ludford-King)
8. Nailsworth Silver Band (Anri Adachi)
9. Regent Brass (Alan Duguid)
10. Red Admiral Brass (Stuart Barton)
11. Amington Band (Alan Gifford)
12. Wakefield Metropolitan Band (Lee Dunkley)
13. Shipston Town Band (Howard Gibbs)

Withdrawn: Greenalls Band (Russell Prescott)

Highest Championship Section Band: Jackfield Band
Highest First Section Band: Sovereign Brass
Highest Second Section Band: Tewit Silver
Highest Third Section Band: Cleobury Mortimer
Highest Fourth Section Band: Red Admiral

Most Promising Lower Section Band: Tewit Silver
Best Euphonium: Ben Smith (Enderby Band)
Best Instrumentalist: David Bird (soprano) — Thoresby Colliery
Best Cornet: Archie Hall (Tewit Silver)
Best Band Row Cornets: Enderby Band