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Last updated: 21-Aug-2005

Victorian Brass Band Championships

Retrospective

Last weekend Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat was alive with the sound of brass as the Royal South Street Society hosted the brass solo, ensemble and band championships in conjunction with the Victorian Bands’ League.

The adjudicators for the event were Ken MacDonald, Eric Anderson and Chris Earl, who adjudicated the solo, ensemble and junior band events on Saturday 13th in Her Majesty's Theatre and the Diocesan Centre, and the band events on Sunday 14th.

A highlight of this competition is always the fabulous venue. For many years the tradition of playing in the historic building, Her Majesty's Theatre, has continued and it is indeed a prominent feature of this event.

Congratulations to the organisers, both the VBL and the Royal South Street Society, for running this event so smoothly. A personal thanks to Doug McGregor, the sound technician, who generously allowed me to share his desk and lighting, and made listening to a whole day of bands far more comfortable.

B Grade

With no A Grade present, the B Grade section attracted spectators eager for entertainment and inspiration – and they weren't disappointed. The three bands performing were certainly of a high standard and the Test, "Evocations" (Ellerby), kept both band and audience members alike on the edge of their seats.

Boroondara Brass, B Grade Champions

The winners of B Grade were Boroondara Brass, conducted by Wally Pope. They attained 131 points for their Concert Selection and 92 for the Championship (Test). It was awesome to see and hear their cornet section, with Geoff and Julie Payne, Jennifer Magoulas, Jeff Steele, Josh Rogan, and Jared Moore on Flugel.

Their Hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy" (arr Curnow) demonstrated lovely intonation, sound and style from the band, and the cornet opening was quite tasty. Jared Moore's sound on Flugel was a treat.

The Test opened with great energy and excitement and some terrific percussion work. Of course the cornet work was splendid, but the band did lack some depth to the sound, probably resulting from the fact that there were only three tubas. The second and third movements were handled with delicacy and musicality, and the fourth movement was a real crowd pleaser, with excellent dynamic contrast, tight playing across the band and impressive percussion again.

Boroondara chose Ray Farr's arrangement of "Toccata in D minor" for their popular piece, which was performed at a cracking tempo! A section was left out at the beginning of the piece – wisely perhaps? Great work from the xylophone player, particularly at that pace. An entertaining and effective performance indeed.

"Campberley" (Goff Richards) was Boroondara's selected March and they performed this in a jovial style at a steady tempo. Jennifer Magoulis impressed with some lovely solo cornet work throughout this finale.

City of Greater Dandenong was placed Second with 127 points for their Concert Selection and 88 points for the Championship (Test). Under the baton of Colin Lord, the band presented a musical and entertaining performance.

Their Hymn, "Ascalon Fanfare of Praise" (Robert Redhead), was refreshing with its up-beat section. The trombones stood out as being the section to play well together and achieve impressive balance and intonation.

The Test was played with great energy and effective dynamic contrast. The percussionists helped fuel the excitement and the style was certainly vibrant. The middle sections were well controlled and balanced – the tuba section was impressive in this slow and sustained playing and the Flugel produced a lovely sound. The final movement was as exciting as the first and the band obviously enjoyed the chanting. Aside from some intonation problems throughout, the band did a great job with this piece.

The opening to "Mission Impossible" (arr Fernie) was played by a lone bass trombonist which was certainly effective. This was a well played popular selection and fun for the audience.

Dandenong concluded their performance with Wilcox's March, "The Champions". At times it was a bit difficult to hear detail from the cornets, but the tempo was steady and the band played with energy, achieving a suitable pageantry style.

Wonthaggi Citizens Band, conducted by the young Benjamin Stein, was placed Third in this section with 115 points for their Concert Selection and 86 points for the Championship (Test). This was quite a big band and had a lot young players.

The band played Ballantine's "I Know Thou Art Mine" for their hymn and produced quite a nice sound, although the balance was a little top heavy. Unfortunately, the tempo was quite slow and laboured, producing a feeling of lethargy.

Wonthaggi handled the Test quite well indeed. There was great vigor and the players obviously enjoyed playing it, although some general untidiness and intonation problems marred the overall performance. The middle movements were played with good control and were generally quite lyrical. An area for the band to work on with this type of playing is the beginning and ending of phrases. The percussion was a little tentative throughout and could have been braver with such an exciting percussion feature. The band made a pleasing attempt with the dynamics and certainly captured the style intended. A tip for the conductor – try to get your head out of the score more.

Peter Graham's "Earth Walk" was great fun. The players and conductor really relaxed and captured the jazz style. This was an excellent choice and certainly suited the band. "Simoraine" (Barraclough) was Wonthaggi's March and once again, the band was certainly in their comfort zone: it was quite tight with good dynamic contrast.

C Grade

The Test selected for C Grade was Simon Dobson's "Lydian Pictures". This section was hotly contested, with seven bands competing.

Advent Brass, C Grade Champions

Advent Brass were the stars of this grade, winning the Concert Selection with 133 points and the Championship (Test) with 90 points. The band was lead by an emergency conductor, Mark Ford, who only had them for one rehearsal. The regular conductor, Reynold Gilson filled the position of Principal Euphonium, and the band was trained for the competition by Sigmund Sokolowski, who due to last-minute circumstances was unable to conduct on the day.

The Hymn played by the band was arranged by band member, Jarred Gilson: "The Day Thou Gavest". A full and well-balanced sound was immediately evident, and the exposed sections of the arrangement were well controlled. The muted cornet section was extremely effective. This hymn was played with much musicality and style, and the ending was particularly enchanting.

The Test opened brilliantly, with superb balance and sound intonation. Advent Brass found effects in the music that no one else did. The middle movement was phrased and shaped beautifully, and the final movement had energy and spark, and certainly captured the spirit of the dance section.

"Toccata in D minor" (Farr) was a tricky selection for a C Grade band, but they handled it well and the fast section was exciting and tight. What a great percussion section! Their March, "Aces High" (arr Bryce), was played at a controlled tempo, and again the band was well balanced and played with style. Their dynamic contrast was particularly pleasing.

Greater Bendigo Concert Brass, conducted by Colin Wellard, played for adjudication only and received 87 points for the Test and 118 points for their Concert Selection.

Their Hymn, "Dear Lord and Father Mankind" (arr Bolton & Banks), was very nicely shaped and the band had a pleasing sound, although some slips and intonation problems detracted.

The Test was approached with energy and a great sense of style for this work. Some general untidiness and intonation problems were evident throughout, and audible foot-tapping from a euphonium player was a little off-putting! The conductor did a lovely job at shaping the music in the middle section, and throughout there was some great work from a very young Principal Cornet player and the Flugelhorn.

Greater Bendigo created a fabulous atmosphere with the opening of Vangelis' "Conquest of Paradise". This was a good choice of work for the band: they demonstrated effective control of the softer dynamics and better intonation, although I felt as though I was waiting for ‘something' to happen, and it never did. The March was well controlled with some fine cornet playing, but the bass drum occasionally dominated.

Brian McMennemin led Marist Brothers to Second placing in the Championship (Test) with 85 points, and in the Concert Selection with 120 points.

The band produced a lovely warm sound from the outset with their Hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy" (arr Curnow), but the tempo was a little rushed for my liking, which possibly detracted from the musicality.

The Test at times lacked energy and drive, and the snare drum sounded almost behind the beat sometimes which most likely contributed to this. The middle to lower instruments could have had more volume to better balance the sound. Otherwise, the band used great dynamic contrast, and there was some very tasty solo work in the middle movement.

"When I'm Sixty Four" (Fernie) highlighted a great trombone section, and Broadbent's arrangement of the March, "Shield of Liberty", really set a cracking pace, high-lighting some first-rate cornet work and impressive dynamic contrast.

Hahndorf Town Band from South Australia revealed a lovely warm sound under the direction of Kevin Cameron. They were placed Third with 113 points in their Concert Program and 84 points in the Championship (Test).

The band demonstrated good control and style in the Hymn, "I Know Thou Art Mine" (Ballantyne), and then set a bright tempo in the Test. Some highlights in the Test were the trombones in the first movement, soprano playing in the second movement, and a gutsy ending to the final movement.

Hahndorf's popular piece, Khachaturian's "Spartacus", was well controlled and again the trombone section stood out with their warm blend. The March, "The Thin Red Line" (Alford) was most enjoyable, with a well selected tempo and good dynamic contrast.

Wodonga Brass was placed Fourth with 106 points for their Concert Program and 82 points for the Championship (Test). Led by Gregory Lewis, the band tentatively opened their program with the Hymn "A Little Prayer" (Robert Childs). Whilst this hymn revealed quite good intonation, it seemed to lack some musicality and general shaping of phrases.

Again, the band was a little tentative in the opening of the Test, and unfortunately did not always play together – in particular the cornet and trombone sections. There were some lovely sounds in the middle movement, particularly from soloists. Unfortunately, many times throughout this movement the tuba section seemed to be ‘lost'. There was lovely Flugel playing in the last movement and the ending had a great sense of style and energy.

"Strike up the Band" (arr Goff Richards) had the cornet section really firing; it's a shame the rest of the band didn't follow suit. The percussion was a little confusing in places too. Wodonga Brass was obviously much more comfortable with their March, "Army of the Nile" (Alford). They had good dynamic contrast and set a solid tempo.

City of Ballarat, conducted by Brian Milkins, gained 105 points in their Concert Program and 81 points in the Championship (Test), to be placed Fifth overall.

The band opened their program with Hines' arrangement of the Hymn, "Nicaea". Their performance was quite musical with a good sense of style, although intonation and balance problems deterred from the effect. The remainder of their program followed a similar issue: the band presented good energy and dynamic contrast in the Test and popular piece, but balance and intonation, particularly in sustained passages, tended to be a problem. The March, "Rocky Mountain Centennial" (Bosanko) was an entertaining and rather difficult choice, but the band managed it quite well. Generally, the First Trombone was often too prominent. It was particularly pleasing to hear some lovely cornet solo work throughout.

City of Frankston Band, conducted by Kevin Morgan was placed Sixth with 98 points for their Concert Program and 80 points for the Championship (Test).

Their Hymn, "Lloyd" (arr Fernie) had some intonation problems, but was generally quite tidy and measured. The general volume of the band was quite soft and lacked strength. Their performance of the Test had intonation and balance problems, as well as quite a few sections of untidy playing. It was pleasing to hear the band obviously enjoying their popular piece and March – the energy and enthusiasm was evident.

D Grade

Only two bands competed in D Grade this year. The Test was Goff Richard's "Bel-Air"; quite a challenge for this grade. One of the conductors made mention to the audience during the presentation that this work was probably more difficult than the C Grade Test.

Maryborough Brass, D Grade Champions

Maryborough City Brass Band, conducted by Jenny Wagstaff, was placed in First Position with 113 points in the Concert Program and 80 points in the Championship (Test).

The band opened their program with the Hymn, "Serenity" (Ball), producing quite a nice sound and generally good intonation. The band played very well together as an ensemble and the Soprano was quite a treat. The hymn could have been improved with a bit more balance from the lower instruments and by using more dynamic contrast: it would have been great to hear a big full sound.

It was great to hear more volume and better balance in the Test. The dynamics were excellent and the cornet and trombone sections were enjoyable. The middle section had some unsteadiness, but there was also some very sweet and musical playing throughout.

Maryborough really seemed to enjoy their popular piece, "Everybody Needs Somebody" (arr Oud), the percussion section in particular. Their March, Hutching's "The Round Tower" was energetic and tight. This band has sound intonation and play well together. I would encourage them to not be afraid to BLOW – the depth of sound is missing and more of the middle and bottom instruments are needed in the balance: give it a go!

Moonee Valley Brass was the other D Grade band to compete this year. Under the direction of John Breen, the band gained 110 points for their Concert Program and 76 points in the Championship (Test).

The band was a little shaky at times in their Hymn, "There's a Green Hill Faw Away" (arr Newsome), but produced quite a nice sound as a full ensemble. The Test had a rousing opening with heaps of energy and dynamic contrast. Unfortunately, the slow movement had intonation problems and quite a few slips with the softer dynamic. The ending promised to be as gutsy as the opening, but they didn't quite make it and seemed to run out of steam.

Moonee Valley really seemed to enjoy their popular piece, "And All That Jazz" (arr Bernaerts) and the March, "Imperial Echoes" (arr Ord Hume). Their energy, style and dynamic contrast was much more evident.

Junior Bands

It was pleasing to see three junior bands competing this year. The test was Philip Harper's "A Celebration of Youth".

Danny van Bergen, conductor of Boroondara Youth Brass, Junior Champions

Boroondara Youth Brass, conducted by Danny van Bergen, was placed First with 82 points for their Concert Program and 82 points for the Championship (Test). This band was well balanced and played tightly as an ensemble. Their energy, style and use of dynamics was impressive. Some highlights of their performance: Jennifer Magoulis on cornet and the terrific percussion work in "Spirit, Stallion of the Simarron" (arr Bernaerts). This band is a very classy unit indeed.

Whitehorse Brass Band, conducted by the enthusiastic Alwaynne Strenz, was placed Second with 75 points in their Concert Program and 78 points in the Championship (Test).

This huge band was quite tight and really fun to watch and listen to. There was some general untidiness and intonation problems throughout, but they put a great effort into dynamic contrast and the overall enthusiasm certainly came through in the music.

The third junior band in this section was Hyde Street Youth Band, conducted by Lindsay Paterson. They gained 72 points for their Concert Program and 75 points for the Championship (Test). This group really put on a great show for such a small band. Balance problems were evident, but to be expected with only one tuba! Unfortunately, despite their valiant effort, the Test really seemed beyond them. They really seemed to enjoy their March, "Band Parade" (Nijs) and popular piece, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (Mercury). No doubt we will see more of this band as they move into the next phase with their new conductor.

Solo and Ensemble

It was great to see so many competitors in the solo and ensemble sections. The standard was really first-class and the day was truly entertaining.

Steven Ford, Open Champion

Steven Ford from Kew Band played in the Open Euphonium, Open Eb Tuba and Percy Code sections. He won the Eb Tuba section and went on to win the Champion of Champions playing Kneale's "Variations on a Welsh Theme".

Fenella Sutherland, Junior Champion

Fenella Sutherland from Whitehorse Brass was the winner of the Junior Champion of Champions, playing "Beelzebub" on Eb Tuba. She was certainly a busy girl for the weekend: playing in two solo sections and Whitehorse Brass.

Joshua Rogan, Juvenile Champion

Joshua Rogan from Hawthorn City Band had a busy weekend of performance, not only playing in three solo events and permitting with Boroondara Brass, but also taking out the Juvenile Champion of Champion event. Josh played Barry Gott's "Concertino for Cornet".

There were many fine soloists also worthy of mention: Jessica Crabbe from Darebin, Jennifer Magoulis from Boroondara, Jared Moore from Hawthorn, Marianna Barker from Hawthorn and many more.

Ossie Jellyman, Open Euphonium and Trombone Champion

The highlights for me were Ossie Jellyman from Shepparton, who won both the Open Euphonium and Open Trombone, and the tenor horn duet by Janice Ballinger and Eileen Turner from Darebin.

Janice Ballinger and Eileen Turner
Eileen Turner and Janice Ballinger, Open Duet Champions