4barsrest Downunder - Band of the Year 2006

Who are the players (and conductor) we have chosen as the 4BRDU Band of the Year for 2006? There are some great performers chosen but do you agree with our choices?

We think we have a cracker of a band which if not hypothetical, could be one of the best ever in Australia and New Zealand. The criteria for selection was really just an overall impression the player has made on us throughout the year, whether it be in a band situation or as a soloist.
 
We have decided to include only players who have been primarily in the Downunder part of the world over the last 12 months.  There are many fine performers who could have been top contenders for a seat in the 4BRDU band - Rosie Pearce, Brenden Wheeler, Alexandra Bowman, Edward Kennedy, Rob Kavanagh, and Thomas Humphries spring to mind, who have been elsewhere in the world during 2006.

Following the New Zealand system, we have opted for the configuration of 31 players, simply because it makes our job a little easier as we can choose more people.  The percussion section includes five players, justifiable given the demands from this section of many of the modern compositions.

It goes without saying that there are many others we dearly would have loved to have in this line-up.  Maybe next year we could use New South Wales player numbers and have a band of 34! 

Here is how we saw it...

Musical Director:
Howard Taylor

Although we tried very very hard NOT to choose Howard Taylor for this role, his achievements this year are simply outstanding.  His successes this year include the second Australian Nationals win in a row with Excelsior; his direction of Excelsior in its UK tour with not only a credible result in the All England International Masters, but also the four concerts in four UK cities with near capacity audiences; a second complete CD recording with Excelsior; the direction of the Stars of Brass concert featuring soloists from Australia and New Zealand; the direction of Excelsior at this years Melbourne International Festival of Brass; the direction of the New Zealand All Stars band in the CD production Poles Apart; the direction of the Tasmasian representative band Jubilee Brass; and his appointment as Musical Director of the New Zealand National Band for 2007-2009.
 
Musical Adviser:
Bryan Hurdley

We could not look past the inclusion of Bryan Hurdley.  The quiet achiever of brass banding, Bryan has been enjoying his year in the deep northern tropics, but has also been assisting Maureen Cameron with the direction of Cairns Brass.  This man is a master of band training and we would be silly not to include him as part of this group.
 
The Band

Soprano:
Colin Clark - Woolston Brass
Mark Fitzpatrick - unattached

If is was good enough for Black Dyke to have two Sopranos, its good enough for us.
 
Principal Cornet:
John Lewis - St Kilda Brass
 
Cornets:
Dave Barker - Hawthorn
Conrad Curry - Waratah Brass
Phil Dokmanovic - St Mary's
Kevin Hickman - Woolston Brass
Alexandra Kerwin - Marlborough District Brass
Andrew Large - Dalewool Auckland Brass
Jen Magoulas - Kew Band Melbourne
Vaughan McDonald - North Shore Brass
Kevin McMorran - Canterbury Foundation
Paula Russell - Brisbane Excelsior

Listed alphabetically, the players within this section can interchange and move up and down the ranks – they are all that good.
 
Flugel:
Mason Elliott - Dalewool Auckland Brass
 
Horns:
Steve Ridler - Brisbane Excelsior
Bruce Myers - Gunnedah
Mike Ford - Marlborough District Brass
 
Baritone:
Kristy Rowe - Gunnedah
Brad Hosking - Brisbane Excelsior
 
Euphonium:
Ashley Gittins - Brisbane Excelsior
Mark Howcroft - St Mary's
Riki McDonnell - Marlborough District Brass
 
Trombone:
David Bremner - Dalewool Auckland Brass
David Chaulk - Wellington Pelourus Trust
Joshua Davis - Waratah Brass
Peter Younghusband - unattached
 
Eb Bass:
Nigel Seaton - Woolston Brass
Adam Arnold - Gunnedah 
Paul Gunning - Hawthorn
 
Bb Bass:
Phil Johnston - Woolston Brass
Tim Curnow - Kew Band Melbourne
 
Percussion
Roanna Cooper - Woolston Brass
Leon Duncan - Kew Band Melbourne
Broden Ford - Kew Band Melbourne
Dave Kimpton - Waratah Brass
Lachlan Smith - Brisbane Excelsior

So what do you think?  Send us your thoughts to du.comments@4barsrest.com