2006 Australian National Championships - Retrospective C Grade

Brisbane, Queensland was the setting for the Australian National Band Championships this year. 4BRDU takes a look at the C Grade performances over the Easter weekend.

Test: Northern Landscapes (Peter Graham): Four Movements: Industry, Seascapes, Earth Dance, Flight

There were nine bands to compete in C Grade at this year's Australian National Band Championships. The bands performed in the Ithaca Auditorium, City Hall, Brisbane.

At the completion of the section, adjudicator Bryan Hurdley made comments about the performances. He discussed the Hymn and how it is a great ‘trainer' for bands, particularly in regard to the basic ingredients needed for all bands: balance, intonation and ensemble. He commented that the Test was very difficult and perhaps too difficult for this Grade – not exposing the Section to its full potential. He also commented that all the bands (except one) selected well for their Own Choice and congratulated the conductors. An overall problem was "consistency" – the music could be really fantastic and then quite suddenly really bad! This highlights the need to be over-prepared.

Greg Aitken, conductor of Brisbane Brass 2, with Bryan Hurdley

Brisbane Brass 2

Brisbane Brass 2, conducted by Greg Aitken, was the winner of C Grade with 467 points overall, winning the Hymn, Test, Own Choice, and being placed Second in the Stage March.

This young band was impressive from the very beginning with their awesome Hymn, Veri Immanuel by Philip Sparke. An off-stage cornet player introduced and concluded with the haunting and atmospheric melodic line of this great piece. The band had a lovely warm and full sound and certainly used dynamic contrast to their advantage. The band was well balanced and the percussion section was impressive throughout.

The opening to the Test was very precise and again impressive. The First Movement was well handled with just some occasional scrambling in the faster sections by the cornets. The bell effect at ‘K' was effective although not always balanced in the lower parts. A lovely warm sound and cantabile style was produced in the Second Movement with very nice cornet solo work indeed. The opening fugue in the Third Movement was well articulated with a good steady tempo maintained throughout. Well done to the bass and percussion sections for a well-controlled end to this movement. The opening to the Fourth Movement was again very tidy. The band captured the style of this movement well, ably assisted by the conductor who ‘oozed the groove'! The interaction between conductor and band was certainly obvious. It was a treat to hear a smooth and sympathetic accompaniment throughout the Cantabile section at ‘E'.

Greg Aitken at the podium

Brisbane Brass 2 played Philip Sparke's Music for a Festival for their Own Choice. The opening to the First Movement was tight and precise; this band certainly has a great grasp on ‘ensemble'. There was very nice playing all round and a lovely sound. This movement had great energy, awesome dynamic contrast and the band was superbly balanced. There was some very tasty solo work by soloists in the Second Movement and the Third Movement was exciting with a great sense of direction as the music propelled to the conclusion.

For their Stage March, the band romped through the old favourite, Aces High (Bryce). The tempo was comfortable and it was pleasing to hear (or not hear!) the subtle percussion section. The dynamic contrast throughout was a treat, the bass section demonstrated some sweet delicate playing and it was indeed a relief to hear an appropriate and restrained cornet accompaniment in the bass end solo section.   

Brisbane Brass 2 were also the winners of the Parade of Bands, led by their Drum Major, Melanie Balzano.

Royal Hifofua Tongan Brass

Royal Hifofua Tongan Brass, conducted by Fredrick Deroy Vi, was placed Second in this section with 457 points overall. They were the winners of the Stage March.

This band is always such a treat to watch and hear perform. Their on-stage presence is impressive with their grass skirts and sandals and immaculate presentation, posture and discipline. This year there seemed to be quite a few youngsters (new?) in the band.

Royal Hifofua commenced their program with the Hymn Holy Holy Holy (Himes), revealing a superb rich sound with impressive support from the bass section. There were occasional intonation problems throughout to mar the performance slightly and the flugelhorn was disconcertedly flat in pitch. Despite this there was lovely musical shaping of the phrases and generally the band was quite a tidy ensemble.

The First Movement of the Test opened with great energy and the intonation was much more secure. The sound continued to be warm and full, and the bell effect at ‘K' was very well balanced and quite effective. The cornet and flugelhorn solos were a little overbalanced by the accompaniment in the Second Movement. The Third Movement got off to a great start with the basses and euphoniums but started get a bit frantic and untidy as the horns and then cornets took over the fugue. The Fourth Movement had great energy and lilt although the cornet section were not always together. The percussion section acquitted themselves very well indeed.

Royal Hifofua chose Oregon (de Haan) as their Own Choice and certainly gave a great performance of this work. The band played with great energy and captured the style well. Although intonation problems crept in, the musicality was not disturbed; there were some pleasant lyrical and melodic lines throughout contrasted by enthusiastic and vigorous passages.

The band's performance of Colonel Bogey (Alford) was quite tidy and certainly energetic. The volume in softer passages was a bit too loud at times, and again there were some occasional intonation problems, but overall this was a great performance of an old favourite.

Toronto Brass

Toronto Brass, conducted by Tim O'Hearn, was placed Third with 455 points overall. This band had a good mix of players and it was pleasing to see youngsters in lead seats – indeed the conductor himself seems quite young too.

The band opened their program for the competition with the Hymn In Perfect Peace (Downie). The intonation was sound although the band was not always playing together. Some dubious notes could be heard in the lower cornet sections at times and the Soprano's intonation was not always secure. It was pleasing to note that the band had good control in the more exposed sections.

The First Movement of the Test revealed a fine Principal Cornet. The cornet section struggled a little with the faster passages and the bell effect at ‘K' was top-heavy and ineffective. The flugelhorn sound in the Second Movement was lovely – shame about the slips. The band played with a lyrical flowing style throughout. Hmmm…MUTE! The fugue in the Third Movement struggled for control and almost hung together. The cornet section made a superb effort in the faster passages. Well done horns in the opening of the Fourth Movement; and lovely cornet and flugelhorn solos too. These youngsters certainly captured the energetic style of this movement and the percussion worked well to propel the band through to the end.

The band's performance of their Own Choice, Philip Sparke's Triptych, was indeed enjoyable. The opening was well controlled in all sections and there was impressive clarity in the faster sections. The band again captured the energetic style. The intonation was pleasing in the sustained passages and the cornet and euphonium soloists were impressive. The slow section was extremely well controlled and very lovely indeed; and the crucial bass section support throughout these sustained passages was all there. The band did have some intonation lapses creeping in from time to time, and the ending became a little harried and untidy, but overall there was great ensemble work amongst all sections.

Toronto Brass put in a rousing effort with their Stage March, Heaton's Praise. The performance was generally quite neat and the dynamics were observed throughout. A great effort from this band overall and it will be intriguing to observe their future progress.

Surfers Paradise Brass

Surfers Paradise Brass, conducted by Alan Trueman, was placed Fourth with 453 points overall. This large band produced a well-balanced, warm sound and it was pleasing to see some youngsters on the lower cornet seats.

The band's Hymn, Nicaea (Himes), revealed an impressive, rich sound with generally secure intontation. The cornet soloist had a lovely sound; shame about the nervous slips. Unfortunately the bass drum was too loud in places, obliterating the band.

The Test had an energetic and lively opening, although the horns were a little untidy at times. The euphonium produced some very nice work throughout. Unfortunately the bell-effect at ‘K' was not quite balanced. The Second Movement was lovely with some very pretty lyrical playing – just occasionally the accompaniment was too loud for the melodic lines. The fugue in the Third Movement was quite tidy to begin with but as other sections joined it became rather frantic and messy. Despite this, the tempo remained consistent and there was some fantastic work in the cornets and horns throughout the faster passages. The last movement had great style and energy, but the cornets seemed to lose stamina towards the end.

Surfers Paradise Brass also played Philip Sparke's Triptych for their Own Choice. There were some intonation problems in the cornets as the piece opened and the tempo seemed to slow fairly quickly. The style and energy was maintained though. The softer and more exposed sections had intonation problems in the accompaniment. Great solo cornet and euphonium solos and some lovely lyrical and melodic flowing lines were heard from this band. At times more bass would have filled the sound out. Well done to the Soprano Cornet.

The band's Stage March, Appreciation (Powell), had great dynamic contrast and was exciting. There was some general untidiness and scrambling in the faster sections. This band needs to be careful with very loud dynamics as intonation problems were especially obvious.

St Mary's Band Club Brass Band

St Mary's Band Club Brass Band, conducted by Robert Pearce, were placed Fifth with  453 points overall. This was a full band with many youngsters. They produced a lovely warm and balanced sound, as revealed in their Hymn, Martyn (Heaton). The intonation was generally secure and they had a great sense of phrasing. A point to note is that the entries were not always together and sometimes the tongue attack of entries from the cornets seemed a bit heavy.

The Test opened well, although the tempo seemed inconsistent. Well done to the solo cornet, flugelhorn and euphonium players. The Second Movement was very musical indeed, although more care was needed at times with intonation. The Third Movement fugue seemed to be very fast, but managed to hang together. The cornets were a little harsh at times but this movement had awesome energy and there was some fantastic percussion playing. It was fun to watch the band members obviously enjoying the last movement as they ‘bopped' along in their seats.

St Mary's Own Choice was Philip Sparke's The Prizewinners, which they again played with terrific energy and style. The dynamic contrast was impressive throughout and the slow section was certainly agreeable. Their Stage March, an old favourite, Slaidburn (Rimmer) was bright and dazzling and the players certainly put energy into the performance.

St Mary's Band Club Brass Band was placed Second in the Parade of Bands, led by their Drum Major, David Kurthi.
 
Bankstown City Brass Band

Bankstown City Brass Band, conducted by Dennis Williams, was placed Sixth with 450 points overall. This group was well balanced and quite young. They looked great on stage – all sitting forward in their seats, ready for action.

Their Hymn, I Know Thou Art Mine (Ballantine), revealed quite a nice sound from this group with great use of dynamics. There were intonation problems throughout in the horn section. The Soprano was impressive and generally this band played very nicely.

The Test opened well, but a swell-effect on notes was a little disconcerting. The cornet soloist had a beautiful sound although it was a little unsteady at times. The main areas needing attention throughout this performance were entries, balance and intonation. Despite this, there were many lovely moments and some to mention: lovely soprano playing, a lovely musical and flowing style in the slow sections, and some great cornet work in the faster fugue section. This band was impressive considering how many young players it has.

The band's Own Choice, de Haan's Oregon, had similar problems as observed in the Test: there were problems with intonation throughout – particularly noted in the horns and trombones, and there quite a few occasions when they were not playing together. Despite this, the band has great energy and the cornets had some terrific moments. Oh – and be careful with those mutes!

Bankstown gave a tidy and impressive performance of their Stage March, Montreal Citadel (Audoire), with great dynamic contrast, generally good intonation and an overall  big sound.

Maitland City Brass

Maitland City Brass, conducted by Bruce Rowlatt, was placed Seventh with 444 points overall. Their Hymn, Nicaea (Himes) revealed a good sense of musicality, but intonation was a problem throughout. The band needed better balance – particularly from the lower end, and there were many areas where the sections didn't quite move together.

The Test revealed similar areas needing attention: there were general intonation problems, many entries were not together and sections did not lock together, the balance was a bit top heavy throughout, and there were many insecure moments – from perhaps nervous players. Despite this, the band had great energy and certainly gave the music their ‘all'.

Maitland's Own Choice, Saddleworth Festival Overture (Richards), was certainly an enjoyable piece to listen to, and the band put in a rousing effort. Their selected Stage March was Alford's Army of the Nile. The same problems as in the Test were evident throughout these pieces, but again the band demonstrated great energy and enthusiasm throughout the performances.

There were many very promising moments from this band and there certainly is a great foundation to work with.

Sunshine Brass

Sunshine Brass, conducted by Adrian Frost, was placed Eighth with 439 points overall. The band's Hymn, Nearer My God to Thee (McAnally), seemed to be a little fast. The first entry was a little harsh and there were intonation problems throughout. The balance was good and the bass line provided a solid foundation.

The Test set off at a good tempo, although there was quite lot of untidiness in faster passages. Intonation was a major problem throughout and really let the band down. There was some lovely solo work though which was musical and captured the style intended. Generally this band needed to play better together overall and to sort out some of the faster passages in sections.

Sunshine's Own Choice, Diamond Heritage (Barry), was a much better piece for this band and certainly gave a different impression. Whilst there were still intonation problems, the band did a good job with the exposed sections and generally was well balanced. This piece was colourful, thanks to observation of dynamics, and the full-band sound was enjoyable. The band played much better as an ensemble and certainly captured the atmosphere of the work.

The band's Stage March, Blencathra (Rimmer), was tidy with great dynamics – although the cornets were a little harsh and out-of-tune in the louder sections. Bravo to the trombones in this piece.

Sunshine Brass was placed Third in the Parade of Bands, led by their Drum Major, Adrian van A Gaalen.

Yellow Cabs Bayside Brass

Yellow Cabs Bayside Brass, conducted by Corey Clarke, was the bottom band this year, with a total of 435 points overall. Corey is certainly a colourful conductor to watch and really enjoys what he does! He has a wonderful sense of musicality.

The band's first entry in the Hymn, Abide With Me (Wilby), was a little abrupt and not quite together. Intonation throughout was insecure and the balance really needed more depth from the bass section. The music was phrased very nicely and a great attempt was made with dynamics. Unfortunately in the louder dynamics the band tended to play harshly and out-of-tune.

The Test had a lot of energy, but again there was a lot of intonation problems throughout and general untidiness. Balance was also an issue: the band was top-heavy, resulting in a bright sound. A warmer sound can be achieved by balancing the middle and lower voices. At times the tempi taken was too fast and just ‘got away' from the players (eg. The fugue), yet the band still maintained a great sense of energy and enthusiasm for the work throughout. Well done to the percussion section.

The band was very ambitious to choose Philip Sparke's The Land of the Long White Cloud for their Own Choice. This is generally considered to be an A Grade major work. This wonderful piece was just too much for the band – and they really opened themselves up to be judged harshly because it is so well known. Whilst there were some fine efforts throughout, there was much missing. Generally the band had a lot of intonation problems and many sections did not move together. The faster passages were quite messy and uncontrolled and the tempi were inconsistent. A great attempt was made with dynamic contrast. The players must be congratulated for the effort they must have put into this work!

Yellow Cabs finished their program with the Stage March, The Australasian (Rimmer). This was at times a bit too loud and messy – lacking clarity, but certainly energetic.

Congratulations to all the C Grade bands who performed. It was a great competition and certainly a pleasure to be in the audience and hear all the bands.

Veronica Bowman