Brass Band Treize Etoiles

Conductors: Géo-Pierre Moren and Carole Rudaz
Soloist: Bert van Thienen
Valais, Switzerland
Wednesday 31st October

The last autumn concert of Brass Band Treize Etoiles featured Belgian soprano cornet star Bert van Thienen. The event was a success in every respect. 

The first of Brass Band Treize Etoiles’ two traditional annual concerts took place on 31st October in the band’s own region, Valais, Southern Switzerland. The B-Band were first to take the stage, led in turn by their two conductors Géo-Pierre Moren and Carole Rudaz. 

Pieces played included a new original work by British composer Graham Cole, 'Pentacle', which also happens to be the 1st section test piece at the next Swiss Championships held in Montreux at the end of November.

The A-Band’s program was divided between classics such as Géo-Pierre Moren’s arrangement of 'The Thievish Magpie' Overture and more contemporary music, of which Kenneth Downie’s most recent composition, 'Concerto for Brass Band', is an example of perfection. 

Just before the break appeared Bert van Thienen, featured guest soloist on soprano cornet. He began by playing 'Concerto for Soprano Cornet' by Bertrand Moren, the band’s solo trombone and composer-in-residence. Bert’s performance of this extremely impressive and very difficult piece was absolutely breath-taking.

The second half of the concert kicked off on a very ' halloweenesque' touch, given by Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s highly entertaining 'Haunting Halls'. Then Bert van Thienen treated the audience to an outstanding rendering of 'On with the Motley', before playing as an encore a duet called 'The Tit Larks', in collaboration with local soprano cornet Manuel Carthoblaz. 

The concert ended in a very powerful manner with the massed bands, which featured all musicians of the evening in two successive pieces: 'New World Fantasy' by Gordon Langford, and Leon Boellman’s 'Toccata' from 'Suite Gothique'. As the crowd of 800 eager listeners then enthusiastically asked for an encore, their request was met by the performance of 'Beetlejuice', an arrangement of Danny Elfman’s music for Tim Burton’s self-titled film. 

This performance was the last concert for Brass Band Treize Etoiles before their participation in the next Swiss National Championships, at the end of the month. On this occasion, the B-Band is competing in 1st section and the A-Band in Championship section, where they hope to be able, once more, to reach for the stars…

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