2007 Victorian State Band Championships - Retrospectives

19-Aug-2007

11 & 12 August
Wendouree Centre for the Performing Arts
Ballarat

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4BRDU had various representatives for these titles who combined efforts and helped to compile the following retrospectives for each grade.  Thanks go to Broden Ford, Neil Fulton, Aaron Ford, Danny van Bergen and Wendy Bardsley.

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Open A Grade
Adjudicator: Graeme Lloyd
Test: Dances and Arias by Edward Gregson

Saturday evening at the superb Wendouree Centre for the Performing Arts saw the Brass Band component of the Victorian state championships get under way with just one band taking the stage for the A grade competition.

Footscray Yarraville City Band, conducted by Phillipa Edwards treated the adjudicator, Maj. Graeme Lloyd, and the small audience what amounted to an intimate concert in a fabulous setting. The only thing left for the audience to wonder was whether the band could play well enough to score the required points to secure the title…. Well, we would all love some controversy but, at this performance, Footscray well and truly came up with the goods.

They kicked things of to a great start with their Hymn, Mid all the traffic (Ballentyne), which was nicely controlled in lots of ways -  dynamic control, phrasing, warmth of sound and accurate intonation.  A lovely simple tune, with special mention of the gorgeous sounds from the Principal Cornet, that was a pleasure to listen to.

The test, Gregson’s Dances and Arias was next and, again, we were treated to a dynamic performance that had a good mix of sparkle and sensitivity. An excellent reading of the score from the MD combined with some fine direction resulted in a thoroughly engaging performance of this work.  Of particular note was the virtuosic playing of the rather difficult Euphonium solo, providing one of the great highlights of the evening. Despite the band being obviously undermanned (particularly in the cornet section), a point confirmed later by the conductor, the bands attention to detail and quality of sound throughout the dynamic range certainly impressed.

Witches Sabbath proved to be a tough choice for their concert selection, a work that in no way gave the band a chance to relax. Although the band played with great style and flair, it lacked some of the accuracy and fluency of technique displayed earlier.

The Arabian sent the audience home with their collective toes tappin’. Here the band presented a stylish rendition of this classic march delivering punch and enthusiasm and again highlighted the reason why they won this particular section at the National Championships.

The adjudicator’s comments, praised the band and the standard of playing, however the bands CD comments told a slightly different story with Major Lloyd being not too impressed with certain aspects, for example, the use of 'brass band' vibrato and 'brass band' articulation.  Major Lloyd claimed the band was 'too good' for this - what this means we're not too sure.

Following the on-stage adjudicator comments, Joe Cook was awarded the Frank Wright Medal for his numerous services to banding in this country, an honour not lost on the Tasmanian and a well deserving recipient of this prestigious award.

Overall, FYCB certainly delivered a programme that was well prepared and played. There was no doubt in anybodies mind that they had done more than enough to secure the title. Despite the lack of competition they again showed that the form of the band is still on the right track after placing at the recent Aussie Nationals. 

Highlight:  The Arabian
Standout Player: Principal Cornet

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Open B Grade
Adjudicator: Mark Ford
Test: Essay by Edward Gregson

Boroondara Brass (Danny van Bergen) displayed some fantastic ensemble sounds, with such a warm bass end, and a wonderful cornet section. The mid section of the band (horns & baritones) sounded a bit weak, but that may have been the acoustic.

The band experienced some major percussion problems throughout their performance, but to their credit, each percussionist was in fact, a brass player!

Their performance of the test pice, Essay by Gregson, did seem a little ‘un-cooked’, but that’s to be expected after a busy few months. Unfortunately, Gaelforce relies too heavily on the percussion section, which meant that it was just a little too diffiucult to pull off. Perhaps a different concert item could have been selected, which may have showed off the strengths of the band more to their advantage?

The band played Mid All the Traffic arr. Ballantine as its Hymn and Praise by Wilfred Heaton as the march.

All things considered, it was a marvellous effort by Boroondara to make an appearance at the contest and a well deserved State Championship title.  Just a bit of a shame there was no competition.

Danny van Bergen with Adjudicator Mark Ford

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Open C Grade
Adjudicator: Mark Ford
Test: Partita by Edward Gregson

Open C Grade proved to be very interesting to listen to. Some very good playing, and at times, high quality playing. We even had a little bit of drama to finish off with, with points being taken off two bands for going over time in some of their own choice selections. Luckily it didn’t affect the outcome. A bit of a silly rule we thought!

Wodonga brass
Gregory Lewis

Hymn: Swedish Folk Song arr Peter Graham.
There was some lovely playing in the hymn once the band got settled, including a very nice cornet solo. There were some intonation issues through 2nd & 3rd cornets but all in all a well balanced band.

Test:
There were some nice sounds in the opening, and very good ensemble playing throughout.  We felt that one of the timps may have been sharp?  The tuba section were fantastic in this movement, as was the soprano. In the second movement,  the band phrased well together and suspensions well brought out. Good attempt at cornet solo. Tight cornet section. Some fantastic edgy trombone sounds. Shame about the euphonium slops, but solo played quite well none the less. There was some mis-pitching and unfortunately, for us, the performance didn’t quite capture the character for this movement.  At the start of the third movement, the percussion were not together with the rest of the band at the opening. Nice legato playing from horn section. A good length given to the quavers in the cornets. Band has a very good balance. More of a march feel needed. Eupho playing well. Could have done with more of the percussion, mostly timpani to set up the ending.

Concert item: Hymns of Praise by Goff Richards
Pity about eupho slip, apart from that, a very good opening. Band making some fantastic sounds at times. Lovely legato playing. Tempos nice and flowing. Glock trills need to be faster. Soprano a little flat in last chord.

March:  Blaze Away
Good start. Bass end could give more - too top heavy. Very enthusiastic bass drum playing (I’d hate to be standing a meter either side of her- could get seriously injured!). The enthusiasm and commitment is admirable. Struggling to capture 6/8 feel. Good work by cornet section.  Exciting finish.

Highlight: Test
Standout player(s): Eupho section

For us, a very solid performance that deserved the outcome of third place.

Warragul Municipal
Bruce Armstrong

Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy arr Dykes
More confident start needed. Tuning mostly good. Good attempt flugal. Try to avoid pear shaped notes. Intonation through the horns. Nice basses. Enjoyable performance

Test:
1st mvt.
Confident and exciting opening. Mis-pitching in troms. Not hearing much dynamic variation. Some clarity lacking at times. Nicely balanced at end with suspensions well brought out.
2nd mvt.
Well done cornet soloist, accompaniment nicely balanced. Accents brought out well in troms. Eupho could play a little more legato.
3rd mvt.
Snare too loud. Melody in horns not played as lyrical as synopsis suggests. Euphos struggling through semiquavers. More timp needed at the end, also, timp seems a little sharp.

Concert Item: Amparito Roca by Texidor
Opening played with confidence. Xylophone well played; adding to the colour of the music. Grace notes well played by cornets. Some tempo issues: slowing down. Snare too loud at times, but some good soft playing. Xylo player impressive.

March: Pendine by Martyn
Needs more excitement the opening. Nice to hear a glock part (sounds like someone playing a bell-lyre on the march). Band has found a good balance. Some intonation trouble through the band. Well done tutti cornets.

Highlight: Amparito Roca
Standout player(s): glock/xylo player.

Overall, another strong performance by a well directed capable band.  The competition in the grade however was stiff, resulting in fourth place overall for Warragul.

Warragul Municipal

Geelong West Brass
Jeff Steele

Hymn: Hymnsong of Philip Bliss arr Gott
Nice work horns/baritones in opening. Nicely balanced. Some intonation in basses. Good soprano. Quite a large sound for a band “C” grade band! Trom intonation.

Test: 1st mvt.
Syncopation clear and well balanced. Warm bass sounds. good dynamic variation. Last chord very well balanced.
2nd mvt.
Cornet soloist seems to struggle at first, but soon finds her way-lovely trills. Each note in cornet quavers easy heard as a vertical chord. Eupho could be warmer- more vibrato? Nicely balanced cornet section.
3rd mvt.
Accompaniment very nice- good length to notes. Fantastic legato playing in horns. Nice flowing tempo which is constant throughout. Fantastic final chord- excellent soprano!

Concert Item: Pirates Of The Caribbean arr Blanken
Eupho melody could have been brought out more in beginning. Dropped mute? Well done cornets/sop. Tempo perhaps a bit too quick (I’m having images of Jack Sparrow running down hill!). Rhythmic precision- such a tight band. Rattling snares (should be turned off while not being played). Fantastic ensemble playing. Lots of smiles on stage: well done!

March: Taskforce by Joe Cook
Cornets well balanced and each note is clearly heard. Good use of dynamics. Nice soprano. Snare too loud, timps too soft. The end built up very well.
Great performance- well played and well presented. Playing well above their grade!

Highlight: Test
Standout player(s): whole cornet section

A band in top form who showed why they are the current National C Grade Champions.  First place for us - in total agreement with Mr Ford!

Geelong West MD, Jeff Steele and players celebrate with Mark Ford

Sunshine Community Brass
Chris Smith

Hymn: Dear Lord & Father arr. Graham
Great start. Solo cornets working well together. Lovely legato style and vibrato in flugal. Soprano articulated too harshly at times. Lovely, sweet flugal sound. Good tuning in tubas at end.

Test:
1st mvt.
Band not together at times. Tubas impressive. Fine ensemble playing. Powerful final chord.
2nd mvt.
Intonation in horns. Horns need to match flugal sound. Good basses. Well done solo cornet; a bit rough at times, but overall a fine effort. Euph solo played well, with well balanced accompaniment. Timps not in tune with band.
3rd mvt.
Percussion difficulties in opening.  Troms/tubas working well together; some very fat, warm sounds from bass end. Good tempo. Fell apart for a moment- some issues with the syncopation we think?! Percussion not together at the end.

Concert Item:  Breezin’ Down Broadway arr. Richards
Stylish opening. Well directed by MD. Dynamics used to full effect. Percussion lagging behind. Well done glock. A lot of foot tapping in the audience. Excellent trombones. Keep up drummer! Eupho solo could be brought out more. Great ending.

March: Oodnadatta by Gullidge
Snare dragging (sounds like they’re being played on the 3rd quaver-triplet beats). Some lovely ensemble playing. Tubas doing a fantastic job. Early entries on syncopated rhythms. 

Highlight: Dear Lord and Father
Standout Player(s): Flugal

A fine band at the top of this grade without a doubt.  Just a tad behind Geelong overall but first in the Hymn tune shows what this band really can do.  Had to settle for second place overall today though but plenty of potential for the future.

Chris Smith out the front of Sunshine Brass

City of Ballarat Municipal
Brian Milkins

Hymn: How Great Thou Art arr Ball
Snare could be played a little softer. Good soprano. Some better phrasing needed- perhaps some rubato?? Major tuning problems. Triangle too loud. Troms too aggressive.

Test:
1st mvt.
Solid opening. Two crash cymbal players? Good work tubas. Some very good ensemble playing at times.
2nd mvt.
Better phrasing needed. Not much clarity. Still having some tuning issues. Cornet solo could be louder. Just a few inconsistencies: sounds great at times, but some silly mistakes are getting in the way of a good performance.
3rd mvt.
Bass end making some good sounds. Syncopation not working. Rhythmically unstable. Well balanced final chord. Shame about the cymbal ringing over.

Concert Item: Superstar arr Gordon
All a bit blurry at beginning. Cant hear euphos. A more relaxed feel is needed; just sounds like hard work. Some of the main themes could be brought out a little more. Tempo changes take too long to settle. Some good ensemble playing. Well done solo cornets. Dropped mute?? Good work from tubas. Some intonation towards the end.

March: Emblem of the Army by Gullidge
Confident start. Snares too loud (maybe one player rather than two??). some terrific ensemble playing. Troms struggle their way through bass end solo. Snare too loud again in trio. Euphos playing well. Good dynamic variation.

Highlight: March
Standout player(s): tuba section

A credible effort today from a band who always enjoys themselves and always gives of their best regardless of the result.  No placings received today but full marks for participating.

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Open D grade
Adjudicator: Mark Ford
Test: Voices of Youth by Edward Gregson

Darebin City - Northern Brass
Andrew Power

Hymn: Aurelia arr Newsome
March: Kirkby Lonsdale by Richards
Concert: Clog Dance arr. Charleson

Darebin City – Northern Brass were quite easily the standout band in the D grade section. Their tuning was excellent, balance was terrific, dynamic range was fantastic, and great clarity was heard throughout. Trombone section was great, as were the cornets, and the principal cornet player led the band very well. All pieces were very well directed by the conductor. I guess the only bone we could pick is that they don’t play compound time very well, and the triplet feel was always lacking.

By far the best band in the section and the results indicated this with the band winning all items by significant margins.

The band made good use of players from its A Grade band, Preston, but well within the rules we assume.

A regrade should surely be a strong possibility for this band.  We feel they could perform well up the ladder in the C Grade section.

Andrew Power surrounded by some of his loyal troops!

City of Bendigo
Andrew Trewartha

The first piece City of Bendigo played was Amazing Grace arr Himes, which starts with a soft snare roll. Unfortunately, the snare drummer was not able to get the roll smooth and even, and was perhaps a bit too loud. This really detracted from an otherwise very good opening.

The bands rendition of the test was quite good, often with moments of fantastic ensemble playing, but like any D grade band, silly mistakes occurred far too often, and sounded a bit messy at times. Also, some better phrasing was needed, particularly during the slower middle movement. Perhaps a little rubato next time? It was evident that the soprano cornet player was not having his best day, but he was giving it a red hot crack none the less.

The Prayer  arr Jones was just lovely, and the cornet soloist played very well. Just need to remember that ‘The Prayer’ is a vocal, and should be played the same way that a vocalist would sing it. Some vibrato wouldn’t have gone astray.

The band played Festival March by Phillip Harper with a strong sense of purpose.

Overall, quite a good performance, and a well deserved 2nd place.

Stawell City Brass Band
Siborne Lanagan

Hymn: Crimond arr McAnally
Concert: The Floral Dance arr Broadbent
March: Death or Glory by Hall

After not competing in 30 years, Stawell City had a very exciting 30 minutes ahead of them. The band made a big impression before they even played a note, when a young lad holding a tuba was found sitting at the drum kit. Right from the first piece, a struggle was evident. Intonation was a massive problem, as was balance, and there was just a lot of all-round untidiness.  But all of this didn't really matter - what a monumental moment this was to see the band back in action. 

A visual highlight was seeing the drummer player snare drum with his left hand, while banging down the tuba valves with his right hand, thus playing tuba and drums at the same time… whoa! There was quite obviously a lot of fun being had on stage. Hope to see them competing more often as their re-building phase continues.

Well done, Stawell.

Its not the quantity that counts ! ......Stawell City Brass Band

Shepparton Brass Band
Ossie Jellyman

Hymn: Lloyd arr. Fernie
Concert: Bohemian Rhapsody arr. Barry
March: Castell Coch by TJ Powell

The band plays very well when they sound confident. They often displayed very controlled playing, and followed the conductor well. However, when they didn’t sound confident, all detail was lost, and ultimately, the interest in the music was gone. Dear percussionist...with the utmost respect... I wouldn’t recommend playing the triangle with a wooden drumstick!

The young lad on soprano did quite a good job, but struggled at times with cracked notes. There was not a great deal of dynamic variation shown by the band throughout their performance either. At times, the music lacked that extra ounce of excitement, which could be easily achieved by playing the dynamics marked.  

Overall third on the day - we can easily see this band making lots of improvement in the future.

Shepparton Brass Band

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Junior C grade
Adjudicator: Mark Ford
Test: The Craftsman by Christian Bouthier

Bendigo Youth Brass
Jason Hague

Concert Items: 
Gonna Fly Now arr Colin Lord
Circus Suite by Stuart Johnson

Bendigo Youth Brass appeared to be a very well presented/disciplined young band. The use of trumpets and French horns was interesting, but the timbre didn’t seem to have been altered too much. The band was quite well balanced, and intonation was not a big issue throughout the majority of the performance, however, the band struggled through Goanna (Gonna) Fly Now’  by Colin Lord with quite a lot of mis-pitching and timing mishaps.

The tuba soloist was a standout, and soprano player hardly missed a note!

It was great to see everyone giving each other encouragement and support on stage.

The band played strongly in the test piece piece to win this and therefore the championships by one point from Hyde Street.  In the concet items, the band had to settle for a very close second.  This was an indication of how close these two bands were to each other on the day.

Hyde Street Youth
Mark Fitzpatrick

Despite playing quite well in the test, the band just appeared to be a tad bored?

The own choice selections Kuma He arr Ocean and Bugles on the Bandstand arr Pring, however, proved to be very exciting, and very well rehearsed. Kuma He provided a highlight, with some great ensemble playing and some very enthusiastic vocals. Quite a lot of foot tapping in the audience also!

So a well deserved first place it was in the concert items.  Who knows what could have happened if the band were as enthusiastic about its concert pieces as the test.

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Junior B grade
Adjudicator: Mark Ford
Test: Patterns by Edward Gregson

Whitehorse Brass
Alwynne Strentz

Concert Items:
I Will Follow Him 
Viva Birkenshaw by Rimmer

The band played with a lot of enthusiasm in the test. The MD has clearly put in a lot of work in the band room, as the detail in the piece was so clear.

There wasn’t too much wrong with their performance of the test. Intonation became a problem during the concert items, but some other factors, such as audience participation (great work clapping percussionist!) and some good individual efforts by band members, helped to make the performances very enjoyable for the listeners.

No other bands in this section but a first place was certainly deserved.