European Gala Concert 2009

Cosy Brass Quartet
Belgian Brass
Cory Band
Conductor: Dr Robert Childs
Kursaal Concert Hall
Saturday 2nd May

The European Gala Concert at the end of two extensive days of competition has one ulterior motive - to entertain the packed audience. And that’s exactly what those in attendance got.

Bonkers

Cosmopolitan European audiences tend to be an excitable bunch and can get easily bored it seems. However, from the slow hand-clapping whilst waiting for the event to get underway, to energetic applause for the stage hands moving music stands, and finally greeting the defending champions, Cory, this lot went bonkers.

When you’ve paid around 35 euros for the privilege, why not let your hair down?

It made for a cracking atmosphere and it kept anybody who was a touch weary, wide awake.  On this particular night the Belgian’s came out in their droves to listen to some home country fayre and with the added bonus of hearing Cory in slick tip top form too. .

Champion Quartet to start

The Cosy Brass Quartet are no strangers to 4BR having visited the UK to compete (and win) the British Open and Solo Quartet Championships.  These gents are the ‘real-deal’ and serious professionals (despite dressing up in 19th century outfits )

Playing on instruments from the 1800s they also produced a totally different sound from what we’re all used to nowadays, in Edmund Juvin’s ‘Premier Grand Quatuor Opus Number 2’. 

The performance was a display of precision, musicality and a degree of remarkable tuning on such instruments. 

Belgian Brass

Meanwhile, Belgian Brass also entertained with a fabulous programme.

Renaissance mood to open

To begin with, they walked on stage playing a renaissance dance with a delightful melodic line entitled, ‘La Mourisque from Dasseyre’ by Susato.  Next a composition from Jan Van der Roost entitled ‘Canzona Omagio a Giovanni Gabriell’, which was beautifully played with stage choreography to enhance the dynamic effects.

Familiar ground

The group then moved to the music of Tchaikovsky, and three movements from his Nutcracker Suite: 'Miniature Overture', 'Trepak' and the sensuous 'Arab Dance'.  Once again, the group maintained the standard it had set previously with some excellent well-co-ordinated playing.

Finally, two numbers that were in total contrast to anything that had gone before as the group let their hair down.

‘Piazzalatino’ was slick and impressively delivered whilst  ‘Granada’ displayed all their talents to the full with a lovely touch of showboating bravado too.

Cory close in style

Cory meanwhile had to wait until after the concert to find out it had retained its title but regardless of the outcome they were determined to put on a show that demonstrated just why they were still at the time, officially the best band in Europe.

They knew they’d played well over the previous two days and their programme (including the encore) contained a sizeable chunk of their winning Brass in Concert programme last November.  The hosts wanted them to entertain and that's exactly what they did.

No holding back

There was no holding back on the accelerator pedal in Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s exciting opener, ‘Enter the Galaxies’ and whilst the audience may well have wanted to hear the world’s finest euphonium player, David Childs, it was Bert van Thiernen on home soil, who stepped forward to play Cai Isfyn’s ‘Bramwyn’ to which Dr Childs explained meant goddess of love. 

With such lyrical playing, Bert certainly seduced a fair few ladies in the audience in a display of commanding musicianship, whilst Dan Price’s ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’, was a hoot with the percussion team thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Far from best

Whilst Bert van Thiernen was immensely impressive, Stef Pillaert wasn’t and the Willebroek euphonium stalwart was far from at his best in Bram Gay’s arrangement of Max Bruch’s 'Kol Nidrel'. 

Stephen Ponsford’s ‘Torris Fortissima’ was written for Enfield Citadel’s tour of America.  The title translates to Strong Tower and it contains musical references to Ein Feste Burg and Blessed be the Saviour along with the acknowledgement to Goffin’s My Strength, My Tower.

Virtuosi

It’s a virtuoso work and Cory rose to the challenge.  Not surprisingly, it’s an upbeat piece, featuring some great percussion work and lots of lyrical playing, and it all came to a grand conclusion with cornets going at full tilt, bells arched towards audience.

The standing ovation meant they could have gone on for longer than they did, but the MD and the soon to be 2009 European Championships went through JJ Richards’ ‘The Waltonian’ at lightening speed to bring to an end an excellent night, memorable for some varied styles of playing and an audience that was totally crackers.

Malcolm Wood

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