New South Wales State Band Championships

Retrospective

The New South Wales State Band Championships goes down as one of the highlights of the banding year for 4BRDU.

The two days at Macquarie University were jam-packed with bands from Junior C through to A Grade, and the event was superbly organised and ran like clockwork. The Macquarie Theatre provided an excellent acoustic and the changeover of bands and announcement of results was lightning fast. The only criticism of the event is the lack of food available at the venue.

Eric Anderson adjudicated the event over the two days and was positive and encouraging with his comments. It was great to see the camaraderie between the bands; and it was particularly pleasing that a group of Brisbane Excelsior players came to listen and show support of the event.

The highlight overall was the success of Gunnedah Shire who took out A Grade in their first ever attempt at the grade. The audience and other band members were all swept up in the excitement of the occasion, including Kew Band from Victoria who gave a standing ovation when the result was announced.

A Grade
Test "Contest Music" (Wilfred Heaton)

Gunnedah Shire, conducted by the young and energetic Jason Katsikaris, gave a stunning performance to take out the A Grade Championship with a total of 236 points overall. For their Sacred Item Gunnedah played Goff Richard's arrangement of "I'll Walk with God" and immediately revealed a rich tone and great balance. Their soft dynamic was awesome with spot-on intonation. It was great to watch their ‘band ballet' as the players moved their bells (even the tubas) in, out and up to suit the dynamic: the players not only played together with such precision, but moved as one too.

The Test opened brilliantly with tight playing from all. The first movement was excellent with only the odd slip – not to deter from the overall performance at all! The soloists in the Second Movement were terrific with great control from the band as they moved and placed well together. The Third Movement had a superb sense of balance and was great fun to watch and listen to; the band worked together like a machine.

Gunnedah chose Peter Graham's "Essence of Time" for their Own Choice. The unison cornet opening was very precise, although there was perhaps a little untidiness and rushed moments from the low end. There was lovely horn work in the slow section, an excellent tuba duet, great percussion, a slight unfortunate slip in the cornet solo; yet a lovely tone (sorry Smurf) and gorgeous euphonium playing. Jason conducted from memory and was constantly animated – watching him was rather like seeing a drama production; he painted the expression (or story) of the music.

Well done Gunnedah, Jason Katsikaris and Laurence Rowe. You are truly inspirational.

It was great to see Kew Band make the trip from Victoria to take part in the competition. Lead by Mark Ford, Kew was placed Second overall with 231 points. Their Sacred Item, "Grant Us Thy Peace" (Kenneth Downie) revealed a rich, warm and full sound. Particularly pleasing was the lovely long phrasing and continuity of sound.

The Test had a great opening with some great cornet work, marred only by the occasional untidiness and the odd split note. Dynamic contrast was terrific and the band certainly produced a big sound when required. Intonation in the Second Movement was not always sound and the solo cornets were not quite together at times. The soloists put in a great effort, particularly young Phillip O'Neil on cornet. The band often seemed a little tentative and unsettled in this movement. The final movement was energetic with great dynamic contrast. The tuba section is worthy of mention here for some superb playing. Apart from some minor untidiness in places and occasional harshness, the band gave an exciting performance and built to an awesome ending.

Kew chose "Pagininni Variations" (Philip Wilby) for their own choice. The band performed this only a few weeks prior at the Melbourne International Festival of Brass and did a stunning performance. Unfortunately, this performance wasn't quite up there- but certainly was still a class act. There was general untidiness and slips throughout, but  congratulations must go to the young flugelhorn player who put in a stirling effort. The performance was energetic and exciting.

St Marys Band Club Band, conducted by Ken Bradley, was placed Third with 231 points overall. Their Sacred Item, "The Day Thou Gavest" (Philip Wilby), was played with a lovely full sound, although intonation slips throughout marred the performance. Particularly pleasing was the lovely euphonium work, the terrific big sound from the tubas, and the effective dynamic contrast.

The Test was played with great energy and excitement. Some untidiness and what seemed to be panic at times was unsettling. There was some great solo work in the Second Movement, although the accompaniment often suffered from poor tuning. The band was quite tentative in the exposed sections. Overall, the band had a great sound and sense of style and shape for the music – building to an exciting end.

For their Own Choice St Marys played "Odyssey" (Kevin Norbury). The band again played with terrific energy and a big full sound. Some great playing was heard from the euphonium and there was a lovely cornet solo, but the highlight of this performance was the excellent percussion work throughout.

City of Holroyd, conducted by Mark Strykowski, was placed Fourth with 230 points. The band won the Sacred Item, Wilfred Heaton's "Just As I Am", but the sound seemed a little bright for my liking - my preference is for a warmer sound in a hymn. The intonation was not always secure, but nevertheless, a tasty performance.

The Test was played with great energy and exciting dynamics, although splits, mispitches and general untidiness detracted from the overall effect. There was some fine playing from the soloists in the Second Movement.

Phillip Sparke's "Tallis Variations" had a great opening and the tubas were impressive. Well done to the flugel soloist, the soloists in the cadenzas, and to the cornet soloist who played very sweetly indeed.

Waratah Brass, conducted by Ron Prussing, was placed Fifth with 228 points. The opening of their Sacred Item, "The Old Rugged Cross" (arr Wood), was effective with the muted cornets, but the euphonium intonation was insecure. The balance of the band required more volume from the tubas, which could have also helped to give the band a warmer sound overall. The attack from the players seemed to be a little strident at times - a more sustained sound was needed. The dynamic contrast was excellent.

The opening to the Test was solid and quite tidy, but later sections did not always have the same clarity. The Second Movement was generally well controlled, with just the odd slip from soloists and some suspect intonation. Well done to the cornet soloist. The Third Movement was exciting, with great dynamics, but not always quite together.

B Grade
Test "Three Miniatures for Brass Band" (Philip Sparke)

B Grade Winners: Warringah Concert Brass

The winner of B Grade was Warringah Concert Brass, conducted by John Saunders. They gained 218 points overall for their performances. Their Sacred Item, "Nicaea" (Bacchus Dykes), revealed a rich sound with great intonation and balance. The flugelhorn was lovely.

The opening to the Test was exciting and very tidy. The horns were very tight in the first movement and the cornet soloist was excellent, although at times the accompaniment was a bit too strong. There was impressive mute work in the Second Movement and the band moved well together; it was particularly impressive to hear the flugelhorn fitting in with the intonation of the muted instruments so well. The euphonium and cornet soloists were terrific. The Third Movement was exciting, although at times detail was lost in the faster passages. The horns were great and the soprano cornet was impressive – exhilarating ending.

Warringah chose "Dances and Arias' (Edward Gregson) for their Own Choice. The opening was awesome – there was great timpani work, a big full sound, very tight playing and excellent horns.  This was a great performance – great tuba solo, beefy bass trombone, superb percussion throughout, lovely euphonium and flugelhorn soloists in the slow section – all capped off with a  rousing ending.

City of Wollongong, conducted by Andy Jule, was placed Second with 215 points. The band demonstrated good balance and a warm sound in their Sacred Item, "Crimond" (arr Goff Richards).

The Test opened strongly and the band set a lively and energetic tempo. The cornet and euphonium duet was handled well and the horns were pleasing. The muted cornets in the Second Movement were excellent and the flugelhorn played nicely and demonstrated a sweet tone, although the intonation was not always secure. Well done to the cornet and euphonium soloists. The Third Movement was a little frantic and messy at times, but the dynamics were great and the band certainly captured the fun style.

For their Own Choice, Wollongong played Goff Richard's "The Aeronauts". Some detail was lost in the opening and at times the playing was a little harsh. The horns were a terrific section and played well together throughout. The cornet soloist's vibrato was a bit too broad and the soprano cornet's intonation was insecure. The horn work in the slow section was again excellent, and generally the band had terrific colour with superb dynamic contrast.

C Grade
Test "The Shipbuilders" (Peter Yorke)

Winners of C Grade: Gosford City

Gosford City, conducted by Tom Hill, was the winner of C Grade with 214 points. The band produced a lovely sound in their Sacred Item, "Lloyd" (arr. Bramwell/Coles). There were some intonation slips, mostly in the cornet section, but generally the sound was warm.

The Test opened with great energy and style. The Second Movement again revealed intonation problems in the cornet section and with the flugelhorn. The sense of rhythm and dynamics were excellent in the Third Movement. The horn playing was lovely in the last movement.

The band's Own Choice was rather ambitious: "Triumphant Rhapsody" (Vinter). The opening was a little shaky and tentative, but led into a great sound and excellent energetic playing. Some feature players included the flugelhorn, solo cornet and euphonium. There was some very tasty controlled playing and the band did a great job of a challenging work.

Paramatta City, conducted by Jonathan Gatt, was placed Second with 213 points. The opening from the soloists in their Sacred Item, Goff Richard's "Crimond" was excellent. The band had a very nice sound and the intonation was generally quite good, although the high register in the euphoniums was at times suspect.

The playing in the Test was generally tight and the tubas were impressive, considering there was only three of them. The band played with energy and the dynamic contrast was pleasing. Some players to note: the flugelhorn and the horn section. The Principal Euphonium has a lovely tone, but needs to be careful with intonation in the high register.

For their Own Choice, Paramatta played Philip Sparke's "Music for a Festival". The opening was tidy and the band set a sound tempo. There were some slips in general, but not to detract from the overall musicality. The euphonium work in the Second Movement was lovely, and the cornets were the stars of the Third Movement.

Toronto Brass, conducted by Tim O'Hearn, was placed Third with 212 points. The band demonstrated great balance in their Sacred Item, "Crimond" (Goff Richards). Unfortunately the tenor horn was terribly out of tune throughout.

The Test was generally played with good energy and style, although some untidiness marred the performance in general. The tuba section was the most impressive section of the band in this piece. Again, intonation was a problem for the solo horn.

Toronto also played "Music for a Festival" (Sparke) and generally produced some nice sounds indeed. At times perhaps the tempo was a little fast, and the players seemed frantic. Well done soloists, and well done for quite a tidy job.

Blacktown City, conducted by Bill Belcher OAM, was placed Fourth with 207 points. There were intonation problems in the opening of their Sacred Item, "On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss" (arr. Gott), and sections were not always moving together. The band was very musical in their approach though, and produced a lovely rich sound in the louder dynamics.

In both the Test and Own Choice (Goff Richard's "Three Saints") the conductor was effective in stylish shaping of the music, although at times he could be heard singing. The band had excellent dynamic contrast and played with good energy, but the performances were marred by insecure intonation and sections not playing together.

The band in Fifth position with 206 points was Bankstown City, conducted by Andre Newman. Andre certainly created a ‘titter' amongst the audience with his entertaining hair (or lack of) – his head was shaved except for a large treble clef left on the back of his head! The band played with quite a warm sound and good balance in their Sacred Item, Himes' "Nicaea". The Test and Own Choice (Vaughan Williams' "Henry the Fifth") were both performed with excellent dynamic contrast and terrific style; the conductor really captured the intended mood. Intonation problems, untidiness in places and occasional balance instability are areas for this band to focus on.

CNL Brass, conducted by Ron Boaden, was placed Sixth overall with 205 points. This band produced a lovely sound and had great balance – their low end was strong and really balanced the sound. In their Own Choice, "Bel-Air" (Goff Richards), there was some impressive lyrical playing – very sweet and musical. Be careful of mute noise; it can really detract from the music. This band's performance was unfortunately largely marred by intonation problems.

Royal Hifofua Tongan Brass, conducted by Frederick De-Roy Vi, was placed Seventh with 202 points. Their stage presentation was incredibly disciplined and quite stunning to witness (for those reading this article to have never seen this band perform – it's quite a treat, because their uniform includes a grass skirt and sandals). The band plays with a big rich sound and certainly has a terrific tuba section to support the sound. Generally, the performances seemed to be lacking energy and style; the music often was played without a sense of direction. Other areas for the band to work on are intonation and note production: there were many slips and splits from the individual players, particularly with initial entries.

D Grade
Test "Homage to Pharoah" (Drake Rimmer)

Norman Short, conductor of D Grade winners: Yagoona District Band

Yagoona District Band played with great style and a wonderful sound to win D Grade with 209 points. Conducted by Norman Short, the band opened with the Sacred Item, "Prayer of Thanksgiving" (Himes), revealing great balance and excellent dynamic contrast.

The Test had a very tight opening, and the cornet section was impressive with their togetherness and solid intonation. It was fun to watch one of the EEb tuba players who constantly moved with the music and really enjoyed himself. The cornet soloist was a bit shaky – perhaps nervous, and the horn section had a hint of insecure intonation throughout.

Their Own Choice, "Oregon" (Jacob de Haan) had terrific energy and spot-on ensemble work throughout. There was occasional untidiness and intonation lapses, but otherwise the performance was top class. The dynamic variation was impressive, the phrases were long and sustained, and the bass line energy and impetus really propelled the band.

St Marys Band Club, conducted by Ken Bradley, was placed Second with 205 points. They produced lovely sound and had great control in general throughout their Sacred Item, John Golland's "Deep Harmony". Well done to the young soprano cornet soloist.

The band played with energy and fantastic dynamic contrast throughout the Test and Own Choice. There was the odd intonation glitch and some untidiness and slips generally, but not to detract from the performance. Soloists played with musicality and control, although the conductor could be heard singing at times. This band was quite impressive for a young group.

Waratah Brass No. 2 – Newcastle, conducted by Conrad Curry, was placed Third with 204 points. This band seemed to be mostly a junior band, with only two tubas, and what seemed to be only two solo cornets. They played with great energy and style, but there was a lot of intonation problems and they really sounded unbalanced. Some impressive players include the cornet soloist, a young boy on snare drum and a very tiny girl on second baritone, whose feet didn't touch the floor!

Armidale City, conducted by David Brown, was placed Fourth with 203 points. This band was rather inconsistent in their performance: at times it was quite musical, well balanced and there was great dynamic contrast, and then there were large sections that were rough and untidy, with metronomic and dull playing. It was pleasing to see the young percussion section, and well done to the cornet soloist.

City of Holroyd was conducted by Mark Strykowski and for such a small band, really gave an admirable performance. They were placed Fifth with 202 points. There were a lot of intonation problems throughout and obviously balance issues, but generally the band had a good sense of energy and style, with terrific dynamic contrast. Some impressive playing included the solo cornet, solo horn, and percussion section.

Brisbane Water Brass, conducted by Jonathan Gatt, was placed Sixth with 196 points. This band obviously thoroughly enjoyed their playing and this was evident in the energy of the sound. The balance was quite top heavy, and generally the attack was too percussive and harsh. The intonation was troublesome throughout, but the dynamic contrast was terrific. The players really need to practice softening their sound and attack, particularly with the beginning of phrases in softer sections.

Tamworth Brass, conducted by Rebecca Sullivan, was placed Seventh with 196 points. This band has the foundations for a very nice ensemble – they produced a lovely sound, had a well balanced ensemble, and generally the intonation was sound. Unfortunately they really seemed to lack some ‘spark': many of the tempos were very slow and lethargic and even the faster tempos lacked energy. The conductor of this band really needs to inject some enthusiasm into the group: I'm sure the result would be quite impressive.

Liverpool City, conducted by Trenton Wright, was placed Eighth with 192 points. The highlight of this band was certainly the tuba section – they gave the band a great depth of sound. Unfortunately, the band was generally quite untidy and the intonation was a problem for most of the performances. Despite this, the enthusiasm and energy was evident throughout and the players really seemed to enjoy themselves.

Junior A Grade
Test "Four Preludes" (Eric Ball)

Danny Alexander, conductor of Gunnedah Shire Junior Band: Junior A Grade Winners

Gunnedah Shire Junior Band won the Junior A Grade section with 212 points. Their conductor, for the first time, was Danny Alexander. The band immediately produced a lovely rich sound in their Sacred Item, "Amazing Grace" (Himes). As with the senior band, their ability to play so well together, and to move and phrase together is impressive.

The opening to the Test was exciting, with a warm and rich sound. The great tuba section provided a solid foundation. The band had terrific dynamic contrast and soloists in the Second Movement were great. The cornet fanfare in the opening of the Fourth Movement was impressive, with superb balance.

In their Own Choice, "Glasshouse Sketches" (Barry Gott), the opening atmosphere was delightful. There were occasional lapses in the intonation in this piece, but not to detract from the performance overall. Well done to the cornet soloist, euphoniums and baritones, flugelhorn, trombones and percussion section in this performance.

City of Wollongong Junior Band, conducted by Tara Grimm, was placed Second with 206 points. This was quite a small band, but despite this they produced a well balanced, warm sound. They played with terrific style and energy, with only the occasional lapse in intonation and areas of untidiness. Their dynamic contrast was great and lead players were impressive: particularly soprano, solo cornet, euphonium, tuba, trombone and solo horn.

Sutherland Shire Brass Youth Band, conducted by Brian McGuinness, was placed Third with 203 points. This was quite a small, but well balanced band. Whilst they produced a strong sound for a small group, it often was too harsh and the phrases seemed to be cut short. The long, flowing melodic lines tended to be ‘lumpy' and really needed to be smoother. Intonation was often a problem throughout too. Otherwise, this group has heaps of potential: they had terrific dynamic contrast and played with enthusiasm.

Junior C Grade
No Test – Own Choice

Bankstown City Junior Brass, conducted by Rae Forrester, won the Junior C Grade section with 156 points. This band produced quite a mature sound for a young group. They gave an impressive performance of their Own Choice, "Partita" (Edward Gregson). The percussion section did a great job, although at times possibly outbalanced the band. There was some untidiness and intonation problems, particularly with the quieter and more exposed areas, but the dynamics were exciting and the band had great energy. Well done to the soprano cornet player. Bankstown's Concert Item was Gordon Langford's "Men of Harlech". This had a rousing opening and some superb percussion work. Well done for a musical and entertaining performance.

Warringah Youth Brass, conducted by John Saunders, was placed Second with 154 points. This was a large and very young group of musicians. The band put in an admirable effort, playing with good balance and sound, and always that wonderful youthful energy. Obvious areas to work on include: intonation, phrasing and holding notes for their full value, moving together and ending notes together.

Congratulations to all the bands for a terrific weekend of performance. Well done New South Wales: banding is alive and well, and with so many young people, the Movement is certainly well placed.