2005 Western Australian State Band Championships - Contest retrospective

9-Jun-2005

Music Auditorium, Churchlands Senior High School, Churchlands (Perth) WA, Saturday 4th June to Monday 6th June 2005.

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President: Brian Dodds
Vice President (Contest): Paul de Cinque

Adjudicator – Bands: Dr Kevin Cameron
Adjudicator – Soloists & Ensembles: Mr Geoffrey Lowe

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As reported earlier on 4barsrest downunder [4BRDU], the WA Youth Brass under Musical Director, Paul De Cinque, presented a delightful, varied program with a particular tribute to Edward Gregson to celebrate his 60th birthday.  This band demonstrated the depth of emerging brass talent in Western Australia, and indicates that the movement is both strong and vibrant. 

This band performed at an A Grade level, with tone, technical facility, ensemble and style that was equal to a large number of A Grade bands around Australia.

Sunday 5th June was brass band day, with a full program of events.

A Grade Brass

A Grade was won by Midland Brick Brass, under the direction of Paul De Cinque. 

Their hymn was "I Know Thou Art Mine" (L Ballantine).  This performance had a lovely opening, with excellent tuning and intonation, particularly in the horn section.  The cornets could have been a bit more lyrical and the tone was sometimes cold, however the section was balanced throughout and the hymn built well to an effective finish.

Midland Brick Brass Band

Midland Brick then presented the test, "Chivalry" (Ellerby), with a performance that – if it were the test at the Australian National Championships in Adelaide this year – would have placed the band easily within the top half of A Grade. 

The opening was appropriate for the style of the music, although possibly a little on the loud side.  The faster sections were played at a comfortable tempi and the band always appeared comfortable.  The romance sections were lyrical, free-flowing and very artistic.  The conductor worked effectively with the soloists in these sections to produce some beautiful musical moments.  The band was balanced throughout.  A particular highlight was the soprano playing by Tim Jewell – absolutely nailing the high C#'s and playing with lyricism and a beautiful, silky tone in the melodic passages.  The tuned percussion also was accurate and added an effective colour.  This performance grew in stature as it progressed and was very strong in every section of the band.  The ending was majestic, full and well-controlled with only minor lapses in intonation.  The big end of the band ensured a strong, well-balanced close to the piece.

Later in the day, Midland Brick presented the march "O.R.B." (Anderson) and own choice "Between the Moon and Mexico" (Sparke).

The opening to the march was tight, followed by a terrific cornet solo by Ben Noonan – a real highlight of the band's program.  Again, Tim Jewell on soprano was terrific and the trombone section was tight.  Excellent attention to dynamic contrast was observed, and the tuning and intonation were secure in all respects.

"Between the Moon and Mexico" started with some moments of poor intonation in the muted sections, however the cornets were tight, as were the trombones.  There was lovely euphonium work and the band produced a big, full tone. 

At times the articulation was harder than necessary.  The percussion was effective.  The soprano/euphonium soli section was not quite together and there was some rushing and over-blowing evident in the cornet section.  The solo cadenza section was extremely well handled, and the playing of Martin Bowker was beautiful, with a lovely example of rich baritone tone. 

The solos continued well, with the cornet and euphonium handling their cadenzas with ease and style.  John Kent on euphonium was superb in the upper register.  The interplay between the flugel and solo tenor horn was a little insecure at times.  Some intonation problems were evident in horns during the cornet solo.

The piece developed well to the end with tension building.  The percussion was effective and sympathetic to brass in rhythm and dynamics, and the soprano playing from Tim Jewell leading to the close was again a highlight.  There were some tuning and intonation problems emerging on the brief recapitulation, possibly through over-blowing or fatigue.  The coda was excellent in style and the tempo seemed perfect for the band.

Canning City Band, under recently-appointed MD Peter Younghusband at his first contest outing with the band, took to the stage presenting first the test, "Chivalry" (Ellerby), followed by the sacred item, "A Little Prayer" (Glenie).

The test commenced with a good opening section that was balanced, and clean articulation was evident throughout.  The piece developed well, with good attention to dynamics, although at times the trombone section was a little light.  There was some good work from flugel and tenor horns. 

The running semiquaver sections were not always convincing, and some intonation and tuning problems were present across the euphonium/baritone line, and ocassionally in the flugel.  Animated leadership from the conductor generated some exciting playing from his charges. 

The tuba quartet was excellent, followed by an terrific xylophone solo.  Again, percussion was sympathetic to the band and at no stage overpowered.

There were times when the soprano was not quite balanced up to the band, however when required was well done.  The euphonium seemed to lose the way slightly in the second last romance section, but this recovered well. 

The fugue section was very well handled and all statements were balanced in dynamic and consistent in style and good attention to articulation.  The piece built well to the end, with lovely euphonium solo in the final romance section, although the horns really needed to soar.  This was a great read of this work and congratulations to the conductor and band for a fine performance.

The hymn was next.  This commenced with a beautiful entry that was together and intonation and tuning was secure.  The tone was sometimes a little cold from tenor horns, baritones, euphoniums, and the cornets needed a little more air support. 

The arrangement built well, however the tone was fragile at times.  Again, the intonation was secure and the band played this simple, but effective arrangement, with a lovely sense of phrasing and empathy with the style of the piece.

Later, Canning City presented its march, "Death or Glory" (Hall), followed by the own choice selection, "Oceans" (Richards).

The march was taken at about 108, which seemed to give this 6/8 meter the swagger it needed.  There was very good dynamic contrast, however at times the articulation was a little on the heavy side.  The pianissimo section was well handled, but the cornets again could have used a little more air support.

"Oceans" was a good choice for Canning City.  The band got into the style from the outset, and settled well as the tempo quickened.  Solo sections, in particular were excellent and the band painted an effective musical picture. 

Good percussion and tuned percussion, adding lovely tone colours to the performance.  There were moments of sectional imbalance, particularly in cornets, highlighted by some hard articulation.  The bass end had a rich tone, with only minor intonation and tuning lapses. 

Facing the trombones to front added an effective extra dimension to the fortissimo passage.  The band really found the groove in the calypso section, however sounded a little tired towards the end.  All in all, this was a competent rendition of "Oceans", with many positives.

B Grade:

There was one only band in B Grade – Victoria Park Brass – again conducted by Paul De Cinque.

The band presented "The ANZAC Hymn, Melita" (arr. Lourens), followed by the test piece, "Coventry Variations" (Tovey).

Victoria Park Brass

The hymn opened well.  The cornet soloist was a little insecure at times, but the balance and tone across the band produced a lovely performance.

The test was a little hesitant to open, but moved into some excellent, stirring playing in the first variation.  Again, very good balance across the band, with some great soprano work from Greg Coleman.  There was sensitive, melodic playing in the slower sections. 

The band had a good ensemble feel with strong trombone and cornet sections, although intonation problems crept in from time to time.  The band played at a strong B Grade level.

Later in the day, Victoria Park Brass presented its march, "Cross of Honour" (W Rimmer) and the own choice, "Variations on Laudate Dominum" (Gregson).

The march was stirring and dynamics were effective.  The bass solo could have been bigger, but the band played with good balance throughout.  There was particularly good work in the trio from cornets and euphoniums.

"Variations on Laudate Dominum" started well.  A few minor intonation problems were evident in cornets and trombones.  There was lovely euphonium playing in Variation 1, and likewise in Variation 2 from the solo cornet and euphonium.  Some small problems between cornet and soprano recovered well. 

The rhythmic ostinato was handled well and the percussion was effective and sympathetic.  There were some beautiful euphonium/baritone lines.  The fugue section was handled very well, with balance in dynamics and articulation in each statement. 

The piece built well to the finish.  Generally a fuller sound from the tubas would have given the band extra depth, however the dynamics were very well balanced and the piece suited the band.  An appropriate tribute to the composer.

C Grade:

The C Grade section had one entrant – Busselton Shire Brass Band, under their MD, Mrs Nicky Hair.

The band presented its sacred item, "Prelude to a Solemn Occasion" (Holst/Fernie), followed by the test piece, "Seven Wonders" (Bloomfield).

Busselton Shire Brass Band

The hymn was played with good balance, although there were some minor intonation problems evident – possibly the result of over-blowing in the cornets.  There was some commanding soprano playing from Ashleigh Richards.  This was a very large band – 13 cornets!

"Seven Wonders" opened with the cornets a little on the heavy side.  The 5/4 section worked very well and the band appeared comfortable.  Again, some over-blowing by the cornets produced some moments when intonation was not quite spot on. 

The solo cornet made an excellent attempt at the ornamented solo – this is not an easy section!  The tenor horn solo was very well handled, although a little more air support would have assisted here.  The soprano followed well and the tubas gave a great effort in their solo section. 

The close was effective and the band managed this deceptively difficult piece with a good sense of style.  The articulation was appropriate throughout.  The band performed at a strong C Grade level, and this performance would have rated highly in the C Grade contest at the recent Australian National Championships in Adelaide.

In the afternoon, Busselton Shire Brass Band played its march, "Florentiner" (Fucik/Barsotti) and own choice selection, "Hollywood" (Richards).

The march opened in a stirring style.  The First and Second tenor horns obviously enjoyed this one as they were happily "schunkling" along with the beat.  At times the tempo felt a little quick, which produced some unsteady moments.  Dynamic contrast was good, but possibly could have been a little quieter in the piano sections.  The band really got the style of this march and presented it with conviction.

A great opening to "Hollywood" – the band got into the groove from the outset, although there were several times when the cornets (lead line) were much too heavy for the rest of the band.  The flugel solo was very tasty, but was drowned out again by the cornets (in fact, sometimes the cornet playing could have been interpreted as 'blasting'). 

At times the cornet soloists were a little insecure in the softer, more isolated sections.  Percussion was well contained and balanced with the band.  A bigger tuba sound would have assisted the band to gain a more consistent overall balance.  The style of this piece was grasped well and produced a bright feel that depicted the Hollywood music as the composer intended.  Articulation and dynamics were well observed.

It was terrific to see Nicky Hair conducting the band.  There are far few woman conductors in our movement, and Nicky did a wonderful job with the band!

D Grade:

There were two bands in D Grade this year – City of Belmont Brass Band and Goldfields Brass Band, who traveled all the way from Kalgoorlie (get out a map and have a look – it's 600km from Perth!)

City of Belmont took to the stage first, presenting their hymn, "Love Divine" (Mozart/Jakeway), followed by the test piece, "Partita" (Gregson).

The hymn was very well balanced, with a lovely section sound in the trombones.  Tuning at times was not accurate in euphoniums/baritones.  The overall style was fluid and the band captured the flowing nature of this hymn with excellent phrasing and attention to dynamics.

The test piece opened well.  The big end could have been a bit bigger in the first movement, however the tone across the band was full and articulation was well observed.  The second movement had some lovely cornet playing - at times a little under pitch, but a beautiful tone emerged. 

The third movement was handled well, with the rhythmic figures effective around the band.  There were only a few rocky moments in the horns, then the band settled as the piece concluded effectively.  This was a good interpretation of the style of this classic Gregson work.

Goldfields Brass Band

The Goldfields Brass Band came to the stage next, performing their hymn, "Deep Harmony" (Parker), and then the test.

The hymn was played with a lovely overall band sound and the flugel was particularly nice.  The muted section was very effective, although in general phrases could possibly have been a little longer.

In the test, the Goldfields Brass Band opened with good effect.  There was excellent attention to dynamics and articulation.  In the second movement, the balance between flugel, tenor horns, euphoniums and baritones was particularly good.  The cornet solo was solid and confident.  The band handled this movement well, with appropriate stylistic variation and contrasts, and many different tonal colours evident. 

The final movement opened well, however the tempo unsettled the band early.  This steadied eventually and the piece was brought to an effective close.

City of Belmont returned to the stage for their march, "Star Lake" (Ball), followed the own choice, "American Sketches" (Ball).

"Star Lake" was presented with good attention to dynamics and clear articulation.  The tuning was secure, with only a few minor intonation problems in the euphonium/baritone line.  There was no percussion in this performance – an interesting effect in a march!

"American Sketches" began with a good ensemble sound in the first movement, and again, there was no percussion.  The cornets were tending to overpower the band at times.  The second movement had the trombones a little on the reserved side, and more contrast in dynamics would have given a bit more colour to this section.  The piece continued with consistency and concluded well.

Goldfields Brass Band then came to the stage for their afternoon session.  First, the band played the march, "Aces High" (Goodwin).  The march was characterized by some imbalance between cornets and the rest of the band – cornets were outnumbered considerably. 

Unfortunately, the cornets tried to over-compensate and some hard articulation and over-blowing.  There was some very nice playing from euphonium/baritone sections.  The march was effective and captured the spirit well.

A piece by Goff Richards, "Calling Cornwall", was the own choice selection by Goldfields Brass Band.  It had a lovely opening from euphonium and cornet.  The band captured the imagery well, and with excellent style. 

Percussion was sensitive and well balanced with the brass.  Again, some over-blowing by the cornets detracted at times, however the piece was presented in a stylish manner and brought to an effective close.

Junior Grade:

In the Junior Grade, one entry from Morawa DHS Senior Brass Band presented their full program.  This band is full of very young players, with an average age of no more than about 12 years old!

Morawa DHS Senior Brass Band

The band's hymn, "Warrington" (Harrison), showed a nice balance throughout, with good ensemble playing, although it was maybe a little short – a couple of verses could have given the band an opportunity to expand on the good playing.

"The Territorians" (McAllister) was the test in this section.  The band captured the style well and there was very good playing from the cornet soloist.  The snare drums were too loud at times.  Good improvisation was demonstrated for the lack of trombones by using a baritone horn and valve trombone.  Balance across the band was very good, despite having only one tuba.

The band's march was "Our Director" (Bigelow).  The use of an orchestral bass drum was a little overbearing for this piece.  The band grasped the swaggering 6/8 well, but the dynamic variation could have been greater, particularly from percussion. The low brass played very well, particularly the euphonium.

In the own choice part of the band's program, we heard "Evening Song" (Scholefield).  This performance demonstrated a very good understanding of the piece, which built well with very good balance throughout.  The cornet obligato part was very effective.

And also...

In addition to the contesting band, City of Perth Brass Band presented a concert program. What a band! There was a total of thirty players on stage, with no fewer than six tubas and eleven cornets!  The band had a quite top heavy sound, with some over-blowing from the front row cornets.

The program included "Pastorale" (Richards), which had some delightful moments, including a lovely cornet solo and excellent intonation. This was a very lyrical performance with some beautiful euphoium playing also.

"A London Celebration" (Graham) was also performed by this band and their interpretation was pleasing.

The program also included a male voice party, singing "Aura Lee" and "Pop Goes the Weasel".  This interlude provided a welcome and entertaining break from the intensity of the brass performances.

"In the Sweet By and By", arranged by the conductor (Underwood), was nicely played with good balance around the band.

City of Perth Brass Band concluded their program with the last movement from "Haslemere Suite" (Graham).

Summing up...

All in all, the Western Australian State Band Championships was a fantastic event.  There is much that the band community around Australia can learn from this event, in particular, the friendly, cooperative way bands interacted and supported one another.  Virtually everyone at the contest joined at a local hotel afterwards for dinner and socialisation. 

I would like to convey my sincere congratulations to Brian Dodds, President of WABA, and particularly to Paul De Cinque, Vice President – Contests, for an outstanding contest.  Everything ran to time, the venue was superb and the backstage facilities were top class.

The food was kept flowing by Sarah Ross and Midland Brick Brass, raising money for their up-coming trip to Singapore. It seems that everyone really enjoyed ‘Willett's Weaners' courtesy of Mike Willett.

A special mention must go to the bands that traveled incredible distances to participate: Goldfields Brass Band from Kalgoorlie, Busselton Shire Brass Band (at least three hours) and a particular mention of the Morawa DHS Senior Brass Band – the only brass band in the WA education system. 

Congratulations to one and all involved in the 2005 Western Australian Brass Band Championships. Thanks to all for the fantastic hospitality shown to 4barsrest Downunder.

Chris Bowman