Great 12 months for Windcorp

Henrik Glanneskog the secretary of the Swedish Brass Band, Windcorp has spoken to 4BR of the bands delight at the progress the band has made in just over twelve months.

Henrik told 4BR:

'Whilst formed as late as 2005, at the beginning of 2006 the band still found itself questioning its existence. Would it survive? Was it possible to have so few rehearsals and still keep a high quality? Well, the answers would come as the season evolved.

The spring engagement was an appearance at the Swedish Wind Music Festival in Jönköping combined with an own concert in Linköping the day after. Both performances went very well and we were happy to present the audience with brass band music that hadn’t been played in Sweden ever before – one of the key missions for the band.

Real test

The autumn season brought the real tester for the band with the Swedish Brass Band Championships in November. The preparation for the SBBC 2006 was minimal with only seven (!) days of rehearsals and one concert. During these rehearsals Windcorp Brass Band prepared not only the set (“Renaissance”) and own choice (“Tristan Encounters”) pieces, but also a complete concert programme inncluding Hillcrest, Keighley Moor, Songs in the Heart, Hymn for Diana and The Irish Blessing. By these premises it was very satisfying reaching the runners-up spot for the second consecutive year'.

President's view

The band’s president Andreas Kratz expressed his views on the SBBC 2006 and the season in general like this:

'To be honest, before starting the season we had serious doubts if these highly demanding pieces actually could be prepared within such a short time. Our Musical Director Alexander Hanson, however, was completely remarkable in his attitude towards the task. Not once, he showed any annoyance or stress. On the contrary, he was completely focused on the music, only wanting the composers’ intentions to be realised as close as possible.

All band members have also shown a very professional attitude with thorough preparations in advance of the band’s rehearsals. It should be emphasized that the atmosphere in the band has been nothing but positive and very relaxed, on stage as well as off stage. If 2005 was a trial period to see if it was possible to create this band, it is a common sense that 2006 was the year when all us band members definitely grew together to feel that we are the band'.

Enthusiasm

It is with great enthusiasm Windcorp Brass Band will meet 2007. With the invitation to give a gala concert at the Scandinavian Trombone Festival in May 2007 together with soloists Chris Houlding, Michel Becquet and Stefan Schulz the band hopes to pave the way to the international arena, and it might not take long before the audience overseas get to hear Windcorp Brass Band play!

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