2007 New South Wales Brass Band Championships

Preview: A Grade

Saturday 25 August approx. 3pm
Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith

Test: Alea Iacta Est (The Die is Cast) by Michael Forsyth

This section will without a doubt be the playing highlight of the weekend.  The test piece has proved to be an unpopular choice, but bands have been preparing well despite this. 

A lot of interest will be on the two guest conductors - Ken McDonald and Jason Katsikaris.  Ken is the most successful conductor in the history of Australian banding and Jason has gained the reputuation as being one of the best in business to whip a band into shape in the shortest amount of time.

Both have very solid bands to work worth and we are really looking forward to hearing what they can do with the short time they have had with their MD's.

City of Holroyd Band    
Conductor: Mark Strykowski

Always a consistent performer in A Grade but of late have been a fair way down the ladder with a 14th in the 2007 Aussie Nationals. 

This time last year they managed an overall equal third (technically third outright with a countback to the test) with St Mary's against the same line up as this year.

They will be out to prove themselves to be worthy competitors in this grade.     

St Mary's Band Club    
Conductor: Jason Katsikaris

Jason has been working the band very very hard these last couple of weeks and we have learnt from his past record what kind of result this can bring. 

St Marys Band Club are looking forward to the NSW Sate Championships with a great deal of enthusiasm. The band are very excited at securing the services of Musical Director Jason Katsikaris, who kindly extended his visit home following the recent successful Sydney and Hunter tour of the Gunnedah Shire Band.

Jason Katsikaris, current Musical Director of the BTM Band in the United Kingdom, has built himself a reputation both home and abroad at getting the upper most out of every piece he works on, and this years Test is no exception.

The band have enjoyed working on the Test, over coming its many challenges, and are very much looking forward to performing it on the weekend.

Key Players
Principal Cornet: Phil Dokmanovic
Soprano Cornet: Rodd Kuiper
Solo Horn: Johnathan Gatt
Flugal Horn: John Webster
1st Baritone: Marcus Huempel
Principal Euphonium: Mark Howcroft
Solo Trombone: Robert Thompson
Bass Trombone: Ian Howick
Eb Bass: Anthony Rowe
Bb Bass: Larry Prestwidge

Waratah Brass    
Conductor: Ken McDonald 

Waratah's preparation for States 2007 has been a bit disjointed, especially after losing all the parts for all three pieces in the June floods.

There were also some difficulties in filling a few seats in the band, but that's all ironed out now and the band is on good form thanks to the efforts of Matthew Van Emmerik, who has been our resident conductor, and Ken MacDonald, who will be conducting us on the day.

Opinions on the test are many and varied, and many in the band feel the piece could be scored better, especially for Percussion - not many bands have 4 (or more!) percussionists handy.

Work on the own choice has been coming along at a cracking pace, and with David King rehearsing the band last week the band is really in a strong position to play some very good music.
 
Key players
Principal Cornets: Conrad Curry and Tricia Grice
Soprano: Jaime Brown
Flugel: Tim O'Hearn
Solo Horn: David Wilks
1st Baritone: Therese Curry
Solo Euphonium: Matthew Van Emmerik
1st Trombone: Garry Kosky
EEb Bass: Simon Moffat
BBb Bass: Darrell Hodges
Timpani: Broden Ford
Percussion: David Kimpton

Waratah were first here last year by a country mile but did not attend this years Nationals.  Despite several set backs such as the lack of a regular MD and the floods, this band is tenacious, will be in top form, with one of the best leaders in the business in Ken McDonald.

Warringah Concert Brass    
Conductor: John Saunders

Warringah Concert Brass has had a very full month consisting of preparation, rehearsals, concerts and competitions in the lead up to this year’s state competition.  These include instruction under the baton of Prof David King, a fabulous concert with Mr David Thornton as well as local concerts, and competitions. This is WCB’s first year in the NSW state competition since their promotion to A grade and they are looking to stretch their wings a little and show the competition that they are a serious contender. 

This is the bands first shot in A Grade at the State Championships having won the B Grade title here last year.

Key players
Principal Cornet: Scott Marsh
Soprano: Simon Sweeney
Flugel: Vaughan Price
Horn: Jeff Markham
Baritone: Kevin Dallas
Euphonium: Thom Humphery
Eb Bass: Dianne Frazer
Percussion: Anthony Brahe    

Willoughby Band    
Conductor: Andrew Snell 

Happily the band is largely unchanged from Ivanhoe. The soprano seat so ably filled by Kevin Crockford in Melbourne is now taken by Rhiannon Davis, who moves up one from rep. Also boosting the band is a very welcome new member, Paul Mason, formerly of Foden’s, on bass trombone (the most important seat in the band according to MD Andy Snell!).

Willoughby has also secured the services of Chris Perrin, a 20-year veteran of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra who adds a huge amount of expertise and experience to the cornet section. In this age of permits galore the band is proud of the fact that we expect to perform with 35 players, 34 of them registered members of the band, with just one permit percussionist, due to the set test requiring large numbers of players.

The band has had a good preparation for the contest, with concerts on the 5th and 18th August to get well and truly into performance mode. The own choice music has been challenging but extremely good for the band’s development.

Key Players
Soprano: Rhiannon Davis
Principal Cornet: Brian McGuiness
Flugel: Mark Coleman
Horn: Marg Evans
Baritone: Anna Gregg
Trom: Peter O’Brien
Euph: Jeff Ma
Eb Bass: John Butterworth
Bb Bass: Mick Donohue
Perc: Jono Hughes

Second here last year and 8th at this years Nationals, MD Andy Snell, wants better.

 4BRDU Dodgy Predictions
1. Waratah
2. St Marys Band Club
3. Willoughby