2004 European Brass Band Championships

Various bands and conductors
The Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

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Featuring: Yorkshire Building Society, BAYV Cory, BB Willebroek, Stavanger, Fairey FP (Music), Whitburn, Torshavn Brass Band, Scottish Co-op, Roger Webster, Katrina Marzella, Peter Roberts, Raf van Looveren, Margrethe Tønnesen

The 27^th European Brass Band Championships were a vibrant, enjoyable and at times controversial affair – just the right ingredients in fact that anyone can possibly hope for in  a great weekend in Glasgow or anywhere else for that matter: And this now traditional double CD release from Doyen captures all the highs that those fortunate enough to have been at the Royal Concert Hall experienced first hand at the beginning of May this year. It is a great reminder of what was a great contesting festival.

The vibrancy and enjoyment came about because the Scots had put a great deal of time, effort and thought into the whole week long event – from the preliminary rounds of the European Solo Competition right through to the closing Farewell Concert.  In between though we had a huge haggis sized dollop of controversy courtesy of the of the main European contest itself – won with breathtaking style and panache by the Yorkshire Building Society Band under David King.

It was like an "Old Firm" cup final, with Rangers scoring the winning goal from a disputed penalty two minutes into extra time – the bars of the Concert Hall and nearby hotels just hummed to the kaleidoscopically different accents of the elated, disgruntled, joyous and puzzled, as players and supporters chewed over the fat of a quite brilliant competition that featured some of the finest brass band playing in the entire history of the event – and not just from the deserving history making winners.

The CD unfortunately doesn't quite manage to recapture that aftermath of the results ceremony when Buy As You View Cory were announced in sixth place, but it does recapture two quite outstanding performances from the winners that nigh on take the breath away. The Welshmen can quite justifiably be disappointed not to have come higher up the prize list than they did, but they can reflect that they were beaten by two performances from the reigning champions that were as good as anything they are ever to likely come up against on a contest stage anywhere in the world. 

And they are two amazing performances. "St. Magnus" was a superb test of the bands (and will be again at the British Open), full of character, wit and invention and with wonderful moments of true artistry from the composer who challenged the Musical Directors abilities to find the simple answers in a very, very complex score. Those who did – and for us at 4BR, YBS and BAYV Cory were a good length and a half ahead of the rest of a high class field, the result was glorious music enhanced by the technical demands that so stretched even the two magnificent outfits and defeated most of the rest.

Interestingly, both performances were only three seconds apart in time, but almost entirely of a different hue in terms of musical approach. BAYV Cory have just released their live recording of their performance on their Doyen CD entitled, "Day of the Dragon" and if and when you get the chance to listen to their rendition, the difference between the two is much more pronounced than the memory first recalls. YBS are the epitome of self control, measured dynamics and most essentially of pace (the end movement is bang on the tempo mark of 152) and they deliver an almost perfect rendition that ends with a last chord that sounds never ending. BAYV on the other hand are also near perfect, but approach the work from a completely different musical angle. The result is two brilliant performances (although you will have to buy two separate CD's to hear them both), both of which are hard to separate. However, the judges thought the YBS rendition to be the most complete (and possibly faithful to the composers score markings) and they won the set work section in some comfort. Others though, (including 4BR ) thought otherwise.

That said, the performance of Philip Sparke's "Music of the Spheres" leaves nothing to debate, other than whether or not you have ever heard a brass band play to this level of sheer brilliance. It simply left the audience gasping.

The easiest way to describe the piece is that it is perhaps the nearest composition for brass band that sounds like blockbuster film music – it is the soundtrack of a sci-fi film from Ridley Scott or Steven Spielberg; music that someone like John Williams or Danny Elfman would write – all fantastically atmospheric, brilliantly scored with colours, textures, effects and timbres mixed with flowing musical lines that capture the essence of the subject matter to a tee. The concept from the composer is captured completely; the end result is a piece that takes the brass band to a different plane of achievement, both technically and musically. It may have been written especially for YBS, and possibly with this contest in mind, but it is so, so much more than just a vehicle to showcase the individual and ensemble brilliance of the band. It is music that shows us just what a great brass band can achieve and its premiere performance sealed YBS's victory in a manner that few have ever heard before. 

These two performances are the undoubted highlights of the release, but they are also supported by other contributions that are beacons of excellence.

BAYV Cory put behind them their failure to topple YBS with a Gala Concert performance that was a testimony to their professionalism as well as dented Welsh pride. Rodney Newton's "Echoes of the Past" is a masterly concert work full of energy and atmosphere that is delivered in corking bravura style, whilst "Triumph" from their newly commissioned "Day of the Dragon" suite by Peter Graham may be another snippet from the long (and now tired sounding) line of alliterative nation punned titles, but it is still pretty good stuff nonetheless.

Brass Band Willebroek show their class in a slightly academic reading of "Montage" that just lacked for warmth in the solo lines in the middle movement to have really pushed YBS closer, whilst the bands Principal Cornet, Raf van Looveren also confirms his academic excellence with his winning performance from the European Soloist Competition – a deliberate and restrained account of the Denis Wright "Cornet Concerto". Willebroek are some band though – technically as good as anything in the UK, but possibly just lacking that intuitive feel for the musical lines in test pieces that the best bands (and we are talking the best) seem to have throughout their ranks.

Roger Webster certainly has the feel for any musical form, and he enjoys himself greatly with a authentic "sleazy" whip through the Harry James rendition of "Carnival of Venice", whilst that other "great", Peter Roberts spanks "Flowerdale" into submission with awe inspiring playing – late into the Gala Concert night after two days of playing of pieces that would have killed off lesser mortals.

There is also some fine playing of Alan Fernie's clever highland pastiche, "Airs and Dances" from the European Section B winners, Torshavn Brass Band and a somewhat end of era feeling "Revelation" from Fairey FP (Music) which is a lasting memorial of sorts to the double National winners – hours later they were literally no more. Other contributions come from YBS at the Gala Concert with a enjoyable run through a couple of movements of  "Hymn of the Highlands" and a bit of fancy trumpet work by Neil Yates on "Celtic Fusion" that is different to say the least. Stavanger also showcase their concert talents (they will appear again at this years British Open) with the lovely pure flugel work of Margrethe Tonnesen. Add a couple items from Whitburn, a classy touch of baritone playing from Katrina Marzella, a full throttle Scottish Co-op in "I'm Spartacus" mood and the National Youth Band of Scotland enhancing their reputation, it makes for 2 hours plus of quality brass playing from start to finish.   

The 27^th European Championships were an event to savour – the Scots were generous and gregarious hosts, the venue was a treat to visit (and we suspect to play in) and the playing of some great music was as good as we have heard for a long, long time. Doyen have done their bit to recapture it all with a top notch release that benefits from excellent production values and classic bit of programme note writing from the master himself, Alan Jenkins. Well done Scotland and roll on 2005. 

Iwan Fox

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