Highlights of the European Brass Band Championships 2005

Various bands and soloists
Doyen Recordings: CD196
Total playing time: 2hrs 23.04

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As Kenneth Crookston so clearly points out in his sleeve notes to the release of these highlights of the European Brass Band Championships, the 2005 event was one that took place against a huge backdrop of change.

As a result, all the shenanigans that accompanied the build up to the contest resembled the ghost of Jacob Marley in a Christmas Carol, for any possible redemption for the protagonist (in this case the European Brass Band Association) had to be sought through a severe examination of its actions past and present and possibly, future.

That it did come out of a rather haphazard festival week at the monstrous Martiniplaza, not quite festooned with presents for Tiny Tim, but still with its head held high, reputation just about intact, and with the promise of future riches and better times ahead, must though, go to the performers rather than the organizers on this occasion. There was a real danger if Groningen hadn't worked that the future for an EBBA European Championship would have been as unappealing as ‘Bleak House'. 

Groningen could have been a disaster for EBBA; it was badly planned, poorly organized and held at an inappropriate venue, but it was saved in no small part by a series of top class performances from the competing bands, some wonderfully artistic solo contributions and a Gala Concert that although overblown, contained enough kitsch absurdness to have kept Graham Norton happy for a lifetime. 

All this and more is captured to a tee on this excellent release from Doyen, who must have worked their pawn broker signs off in post production to make it as accessible to the listener as this.

The main concert hall (really a huge exhibition hall) had an acoustic not dissimilar to an aircraft hanger – with the doors open. If you sat more than ten rows back from the stage the sound bounced off the walls like a squash ball and as a result nearly all detail and balance was lost in a miasma of errant noise. The production team from Trevor Caffull and Keith Farrington down deserve a medal from EBBA for a piece of editing that is a minor miracle.

As with any release of highlights from an event such as this, the best bits are superb, nearly all of the other bits are well worth listening to, whilst a couple have the stamp of having to be put on for historical accuracy. 

There is little doubt that Black Dyke's contribution to the contest made it a success, both by their participation, and by their eventual winning performances.

‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth' was rapturously received on its World Premiere, and it deserved every bit of praise heaped upon it. This was the brass band test piece taken in a new and exciting direction – the direction of film and the broad and technicolour canvas of musical imagination from the composer Peter Graham.

Dyke simply blew away the opposition both with their endeavour to create something new and exciting, and by the sheer bravura nature of their playing. It is a staggering performance of brilliance and sheer naked ambition and it thrillingly comes to life as if you were reading Jules Verne's tale from the book itself.

The same can also be said of their reading of  ‘Extreme Make–over', Johan de Meij's clever and intriguing set work that not only required bands to master the traditional aspects of contest test piece performance but also to add new ones as well to their repertoire with the introduction of tuned bottles of water that had to be blown by the cornet section.

Once the novelty of it wore off the music flowed (and it was a very articulate composition) and it is a piece that deserves to be performed on a larger stage -  the Areas perhaps?

The other 24 carat gold gem of a performance comes from Hans Gansch, the former lead trumpet of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, who was utterly, bewilderingly brilliant on Philip Sparke's ‘Song and Dance' in a manner of such relaxed insouciance that it simply takes the breath away. You will not hear cornet playing of this class very often in your lifetime, and it is worth the price of the CD itself.

Not to be outdone David Daws performs with a stoical brilliance on ‘Swedish Hymn' that makes you forget the horrors he had to endure at the hands of an inept compere at the final of the conductors competition. He also deserved a medal that night and his performance is a timely reminder of a supreme talent.

The winner of that competition was Christian Radner and we hear his reading of Piet Swert's ‘Chain', which it must be said is not helped by some fairly lack lustre playing from Amsterdam Brass, who nevertheless pick themselves up for their other contributions on the first disc of this double disc set.

The second disc is made up from highlights of the Gala Concert, Farewell Concert and from the runners up in the own choice selection of the Championship contest, Stavanger Brass Band. They in fact offer a very purposeful and at times outstanding account of ‘Music of the Spheres' that held the attention and the imagination from start to finish of the listener and you can hear why in this performance conducted by Allan Withington.

Elsewhere Black Dyke enjoy themselves with a selection of their 2005 concert repertoire, including a forceful ‘An Age of Kings' that was well received by the huge audience at the Gala Concert, whilst the other performers (notably Brian Lynch on trumpet on ‘Eloise' and the Majestic Percussion Ensemble on ‘Majestic Portraits') are excellent. It is a pity though that this release cannot recapture the amazing spectacle of the Dutch bicycle band riding around the arena in full national costume. That really was something else!

Meanwhile the Willebroek Band put behind them their disappointment of not winning the contest in a professional manner in the Farewell Concert and provide an excellent and authentic reminder of Belgian pride in a Welsh guise with ‘Sospan Fach'.

It all adds up to a very enjoyable release and a reminder that for all that was wrong in Groningen, the music was almost always right, and at times quite brilliantly so. And that is how it should always be.

Iwan Fox.

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