Christchurch Town Hall
Friday 10 July
Adjudicator: Simone Rebello
Test: Ballet for Band by Joseph Horovitz

1. The "Trusts" Waitakere Brass (Steven Booth) 17.30

Sacred Piece: I Know Thou Art Mine, Leonard Ballantine

Occasional intonation issues sometimes spoil what is basically a lovely band sound — especially in the middle of the band.

Nice shape but maybe a little OTT in the last verse.

The cornets don't always match the warmth of the rest of the band.

Test

A safe but not very inspiring opening. Some balance issues and lacking the lightness needed to make this work. A little stiff for ballet maybe? Nice sounds from the middle of the band.
Lovely sop solo.

Middle section has tuning problems and doesn't really flow. We think the MD is working hard to give this shape but just doesn't have the horsepower to pull it off.
Final section gets off to a good start but soon becomes too heavy and inaccurate.

Some of the solos work but a few have real issues. Starting to tire as the fanfare reappears.

Not a marker that will stand up as the evening rolls along we think.

2. Woolston Brass (Graham Hickman) 17:57

Sacred Piece — Eventide — Kenneth Young

This is more like it! Lovely sound, tuning and balance — we just wish there was a little more flow. Great bass sounds sitting beneath the second verse. Good build up to final verse and the band keeps it shape in the loud dynamics. Superb sop. Great playing — just a little 'static' at times.

Test

This ballet music is telling quite an heroic story! Fine band sounds and good accuracy. What a bass section!! Bass / euph section is full of comedy worthy of a Strauss tone poem.

Solos are mostly high quality. Exposed, lightly scored passages don't always stack up to the majesty of the tutti sounds.

Wee intonation issues in the solo lines of the slow section but still lovevly playing (especially sop). We're starting to lose the story line a little towards the end of the slow stuff — maybe a bit of tiredness?

Classy start to final section — we're back on track now. Nice detail throughout. Possibly OTT at times — maybe just where we're sitting? Gaining momentum towards the finish — all good stuff! Very exciting end. It'll be right up there.

3. Moreland City Brass (Wally Pope) 18:21

(We're having a slight delay as a committee of players, conductors and supervisors gather around one of the tympani.)

Sacred Piece — Melita — Colin Clarke

Not a very warm sound at the beginnng and definitely some tuning and balance issues — especialy with the cornet 'choir'. We're not quite sure what to make of this — it doesn't especially have a sense of flow or direction. The last chord was certainly big!

Test

Intonation and balance problems are marring what we think is a good effort by the MD to give this a story line. Some good individual efforts but the ensemble isn't convincing us. Soloists deliver sound but not accuracy and there are a few intonation train wrecks along the way.

Overall the band isn't delivering a high end A Grade sound. Lovely sop and cornet solos in the middle section but the tutti cornet playing is thin and out of tune.

The MD is trying hard to squeeze what he can out of this but he's up against it! Nice individual efforts at the start of the last section but it inevitably loses its shape again. Sadly not really one to right home write home about. None of the cheekiness that we think Horovitz intended.

4. Canterbury Brass (Shane Foster)- 18:48

Sacred Piece — Reflections In Nature — Robert Redhead

(Hmmmmm ..... the compere just told us that Redhead is Australian. Canadian / English actually!)

Nice band sound with good shape. The trombone syncopation is a little OTT for us and there isn't always rhythmic unanimity. Nice low end sounds but a little tiredness(?) creeps in toward the end and it starts to lose its way. Final chord loses shape. A mixed bag performance but definitely some nice features.

Test

Opening is more interesting than some of the previous bands but tuning and balance get in the way. Again some good work in the low end and also from the sop, principal cornet and flugel.

We think the music needs a little more humour perhaps.The band just needs a little more depth to its sound we think. Dodgy intonation spoils the end of the section.Detail work at the beginning of the last section is possibly too aggressive to dance to?

Tenor trombones are tapping their feet out of time with each other (and the MD). This band has promise but they're not there just yet. A little less harshness in the loud dynamics will really improve the sound. A decent effort, but not quite.

5. Marlborough District Brass (Kevin Moseley) 19:14

Sacred Piece — Reflections in Nature — Robert Redhead

An 'oops' start in the cornets but not a bad recovery. Nice sounds but We're not sure about the shape of the music. Loud dynamics sound good and the MD is providing plenty of contrast. Overall, maybe they're doing a little too much with it? In any event, a welcome improvement over the last couple of bands. Great final chord!

Test

Exciting start. Plenty of drive and accuracy. Possibly a little OTT but that's pretty subjective. Nice work from the basses and euph but less clarity from cornets. Lovely cornet solo from 2nd man. Better humour than most have given us.

Nice transition to the slow section. Most flugels have struggled with tuning in the low range of the solo — no exception here. Principal cornet deps for sop. Mostly nice playing happening but a little thin in the upper cornet sounds. Towards the end of the middle section some intonation and balance issues (a couple quite major ones we think) creep in.

Accuracy issues at the beginning of the final section. Maybe a slightly overbearing sound in the middle of the band as well. Starting to run out of steam we think. Still some good things happening (euph solo) along the way. Finish is exciting but messy. Overall one of the better efforts so far but we're still waiting for more!

6. Brisbane Excelsior (Howard Taylor) 19:41

Sacred Piece — Peace — Kenneth Downie

This is playing on a different level from the last three bands. Warmth, depth, balance, tuning and alignment are all there. Gorgeous euph sounds! Nicely understated sop playing adds to the effect. Great bass section. Not perfect — and probably not the best we've heard from this great band — but good enough to head tonight's pack we think.

Test

Exciting and detail filled opening. A slightly 'darker' story line than we've heard so far. This is more 'in your face' stuff. We'd actually like to hear a little more lightness and humour in the playing. Tasty bass trombone sounds!

This is defintely a more tragic ballet than we've heard so far — is that the MD's intent? The slow tutti playing is good but not great by any means. The door is definitely being left ajar. A little dodgy intonation towards the end of the slow stuff but still quality sounds.

If there's any comedy in the final section it's dark comedy. Wonderful FF sounds — the band keeps it's shape and balance very well. Now it's picking up momentum! A very fine performance but not this band's best effort and maybe not enough to head the class?

Uh oh......a tam tam has gone missing so we're going to have a little break. How do you lose a tam tam? Does someone just stick it in their pocket and wander away with it? The 4BRDU team — especially the pregnant one — will take the opportunity to have a KitKat break and perhaps reflect on proceedings thus far. At this point, we think it's the home town boys and girls of Woolston in front of XLCR by a second valve tuning slide with Marlborough a fairly distant third. The KitKat is now gone and they're going to go on without the tam tam.

7. Brisbane Brass (Greg Aitken) 20:22

Sacred Piece — I'll Walk With God — Goff Richards

Not a totally secure start. Tuning is not good — especially in the horns — and that tends to make it difficult for us to fully enjoy the good things that are going on (euph sound for instance). Overall the sound is thinner than the best bands we've heard tonight. Not a winner and we don't think the tam tam would have salvaged it. Possibly the extended wait to go on stage affected this usually very good band.

Test

This is slightly better stuff but it's not particularly exciting (well under 120 at the start we think).Everything is very deliberate and not always accurate — not too easy to dance to we'd expect.

The tuning ranges from average to downright bad. The cornet ensemble playing in the slow section is not always A Grade standard. We're searching for positives in this performance but they're not staring us in the face. The image of very fat men in tutus comes to mind.

It's entirely possible that this usually very fine band underestimated Horovitz's score. To add insult to injury, one of the principal euph's tuning slides fell out in the middle of a solo. We look forward to better tomorrow night.

8. North Shore Brass (Brent Large) 20:49

Sacred Piece — I Know Thou Art Mine — Leonard Ballantine

Not a classically warm brass band sound (may have something to do with all the orchestral players in the ensemble) but good clarity, balance and intonation. The MD is giving it nice shape throughout and this band can play forte without going OTT. Lovely sop playing from the Desford lad! We're thoroughly enjoying this — even the cymbal clash from the band's usual sop player! Nice controlled return to earth at the finish. Hmmmmmm......

Test

Another sub 120 fanfare — makes it a little ponderous. Not sure if the bass drum is going to survive the onslaught :). Not all accurate and a little conservative for us — where's the humour?

Nice transition to the middle section. Very nice playing is marred by tuning issues but the sop quickly restores order (and good pitch). This is a real mixed bag of lovely sounds and musical effects and tuning and balance misfortunes. A shame.

Some nice detail work all around at the beginning of the last section. Now it's starting to take some shape — a little too late we fear. Fine snare drum work!

The reprise of the fanfare has all the excitement and drive that was missing at the beginning — this is taking on real quality now.Great finish — was it enough to overcome the earlier issues?

9. Ascot Park Hotel Brass (David Gallagher) 21:18

Sacred Piece — I Know Thou Art Mine — Leonard Ballantine

Lovely band sound and good shaping from the MD — some tuning issues in the horns but overall very nice.This is quality playing being architected by a very good conductor. We're enjoying this very much. Maybe a little quick in the last verse with a large amount of rubato. The ending was less satisfying for us than the beginning but overall a very good performance.

Test

Opening has depth of sound and character but not total accuracy. Some good detail that's been missing from many performances. Nice light approach from the basses and euph — we've been waiting a while for that. More Strauss-like than most bands.

There's actually a story going on here — mischief and humour! Does any instrument manufacturer make a flugel that plays low C and Bb in tune? This is by no means perfect playing but it's compelling and full of romance.

The MD continues to work some magic through the slow section. If there was more depth in the cornet section this would be a very competitive performance. Very tasteful opening to the final section — brilliant euph!

Tuning in the cornet sections lets the side down at times. Even when it gets loud, the MD maintains a lightness and cheekiness. This is one of the best shaped performances of the night — just a little short on horsepower in some chairs. Fun finish! Bravo.

10. St. Kilda Brass (Steve Miles)

Sacred Piece — Agnus Dei — Gabriel Faure / Leigh Baker

Interesting set up and one of our favourite tunes — we're just not sure how well it works? The tutti playing is more satisfying than than the transparent stuff. Tuning isn't always spot on and that's pretty deadly in French romantic music. Maybe some music is best left untranscribed for band — or maybe it requires a band like Brighouse to pull it off? Very very OTT towards the end — more Wagner than Faure. The audience liked it, so what do we know?

Test

Not totally together in the fanfare and not as much clarity as we'd like. Very pesante approach. Another ballet with a touch of menace (well they are wearing black)? Class cornet playing from the principal. Towards the end of the section the playing becomes much more engaging for us.

Some of the most in tune flugel playing of the night — well done! This is better stuff — some real romance. Cornets show fragility when the leader takes a rest. Band sounds tired at the end of the slow section. Why do so many players insist on rushing the demi-semis at the beginning of the final section.

The MD is working hard to give this some shape but we're not sure that it's happening very successfully. There is some nice playing from individuals but, on the whole, it's disjointed and a little rough. Not this time i'm afraid.

How we see things at the end of day 1

Well, it's been a largely disappointing session for us. We don't think many bands came to grips with music that, while it holds limited technical challenges, is full of musical questions.

There weren't enough performances that sold convincing story lines to us. Maybe everyone has underestimated the test and spent all their time on the O/Cs. Let's hope so. At this point 4BRDU think its:

Woolston by a slim margin over XLCR with a group of bands including Marlborough, Ascot Park and North Shore fighting it out for 3rd.