European Brass Band Championships Gala Concert

Brass Band Willebroek, European Youth Band, Royal Marines Corps of Drums
Conductors: Frans Violet, Ian Porthouse, Major Peter Parkes
Guest Soloist: David Morris
Saturday 5th May,
Symphony Hall

The showpiece concert of the weekend in all honesty turned out to be a bit of a disappointment.  This should have been an opportunity to showcase the finest banding talents from within the UK to the rest of Europe, and there should have been a full house to enjoy it all. 

Unfortunately neither happened on the night and you can't help thinking that the opportunity to showcase the ‘Best of British' had been missed.

It's perfectly acceptable to ask the defending champion band to appear on the Gala Concert and Willebroek did a cracking job as did the European Youth Band, but unfortunately it failed to capture the public's imagination – the attendance was more than a bit disappointing.  It was a bit like celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares television programme where he walks into a Michelin star restaurant to discover empty seats and a alà carte menu poorly served, leaving him to ask the question; ‘And you wonder why no-one is here?' 

From a commercial perspective surely it would have been better to entice the public with bands such as Black Dyke, Grimethorpe, Cory or Fodens?  Neither the British Open or National Champion was in attendance for the weekend competitively (and bringing them down the M6 would have incurred more costs) but both would have put bums on seats – and that was what was needed. If the public is enticed with familiar musicians in the knowledge they know what's on offer, they'll pay and turn up in droves. 

The Irish got it right on the night last year whilst Brass in Concert has incorporated a Gala Concert into its weekend that has the best bands: so too the Brass on Sundays Gala Concert on the British Open weekend. It is a formula that works and there is nothing in repeating it.   

Brass Band Willebroek took to the stage in a happy frame of mind knowing they'd given their title defence its best shot over the two days.  Their programme understandably wasn't overly strenuous with the real heavyweight stuff coming from the soloists and one of those big finishing numbers.

They opened up in fine style with Paul Lovatt-Cooper's 'Horizons' – written for the Ratby Band. Raf Van Looveren the band's principal cornet then provided their finest moment with a virtuoso performance of Mark Freeh's arrangement of Arban's ‘Variations on a Tyrollean Song'.  Here the audience were treated to some top class playing with the winner of EBBA's 2004 Solo Competition demonstrating a lovely smooth cornet sound matched with lyrical playing of the highest quality.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein anthem that had its popularity enhanced by Gerry Marsden (and is sung passionately by the fans of Celtic and Livepool Football Clubs) ‘You'll Never Walk Alone' was polished off without any problems as was the march, ‘Helios' by Jan Van der Roost.

Stef Pillaert, the band's euphonium player took Philip Sparke's ‘Harlequin' written for David Childs in his stride before the band completed its contribution to the evening with the finale from Saint-Säens' ‘Organ Symphony' complete with Paul Walton on hand to play the magnificent Symphony Hall organ. It was good quality playing, but not as brilliant as you may have hoped to hear from such a wonderful band.

The European Youth Band led by Ian Porthouse was a real credit to themselves.  Together they'd worked intensely on an extensive programme for a number of public performances during the weekend including this one.

‘Malageuna' was performed with bucketloads of enthusiasm with the MD ensuring the ensemble was compact and tight.  The popular ‘Irish Blessing' featured a quartet of players in the opening melodic lines.  Wendy van Veen (flugel), Vicky Reynolds (tenor horn) Mads Nielson (baritone) and Jan Muller (euphonium) showed nerves of steel as they stepped forward centre stage to perform together in a very accomplished manner.

David Morris is no stranger to brass bands having played with and conducted a number of bands over the years.  In recent times he has added the skill of professional whistling to his portfolio of talents and is currently the World Whistling Champion.  Having performed with bands in the past, David was invited to perform two pieces (‘Czardas' and ‘Bring Him Home') with the EYBB, and as good as his talent is, another British brass soloist within the band movement would surely have greater impact on the night.

The President of the British Federation of Brass Bands, Major Peter Parkes was invited to conduct the EYBB in Elegy from a Downland Suite and Folk Festival before the audience was treated to the very best of British – the Royal Marines Corps of Drums who gave one of their meticulous drumming displays for which they're renowned the world over.

To close the concert before the results, Ian Porthouse returned to conduct the European Youth Brass Band through a controlled performance of Entry of the Gods into Valhalla.

Frank Renton was on hand linking everything together in his usual professional manner but on a night when the UK banding scene had another chance to demonstrate some of its finest musicians, it missed the opportunity and as a result this was a night that won't live too long in the memory.

Malcolm Wood

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