Treize Bien! Parkes and Co win Swiss National

Treize Bien! Parkes and Co win the Swiss Nationals

Brass Band Treize Etoiles under the continued inspired musical direction of Major Peter Parkes are the 2001 Swiss National Brass Band Champions following their win on the weekend at Montreux playing Jan Van de Roost’s brilliant test piece “Albion”.

The band took the title with a narrow one point victory over Brass Band Fribourg conducted by Philippe Bach and Brass Band Berner Oberland in third place directed by Carlo Balmelli.

Adjudicators Pierre – Alain Bidaud, Pierre Pilloud and Howard Snell found the “Galloping Major’s” performance to be one that warranted high prise and not only caught the mood and drama of the music but also made full use of the opening “fanfare” section to create the “chaos” that is so intrinsic to the music as a whole. The audience as a whole thoroughly enjoyed the chance to hear Van de Roosts’s fine piece and the comments of both players and paying public were very positive.

The win gives Treize Etoiles the chance to lock horns again at the European Championships after their narrow failure to take home the European prize in Montreux this year, where they missed out on the title by just one point from eventual winners Yorkshire Building Society and BAYV Cory. The performance shows that Treize Etoiles will be a “Major” force come the next contest.

Meanwhile the Class 1 section saw victory go to Brass Band Harmonie Neuenkirch conducted by Albert Benz who took the title on the set test piece “Passacaglia” by Oliver Waespi by a one point margin from Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg directed by Peter Stadelmann, with Philippe Bach coming in the prizes again this time in third place with Brass Band Kirchenmusik Fluhli.

The Second Section saw victory go to Brass Band Berer Oberland Juniors conducted by Veronique Gyger, who many will remember as the very fine solo cornet player of the Oberland Senior band when she played under her maiden name of Pitteloud. They secured a two point winning margin on the set test “Sinfonietta for Brass Band” by Joseph Horovitz from Brass Band Junior Valaisan directed by Victor Bonvin and Brass Band Harmonie Rickenbach conducted by Remo Capra who came third.

The Third Section saw six bands take on the set test “The Seasons” by Philip Wilby and it was Regionale Jugend Brass Band Luzern conducted by Rino Chiappori who came out on top with a narrow one point victory over La “Lyre Paroisissiale” La Roche in second place directed by Mark Oliver Broillet with Musikverein Hofstetten taken by Michael Zoppas in third.

A total of 45 bands were on show and with the standard of bands has been reported to us at 4BR to be improving rapidly, especially in the lower sections. Audience figures were up again on last year and the response to the set test pieces was very good. “Albion” was seen as a fine test of the best bands and a piece of music that was universally enjoyed by the players and most importantly the audience.

The European National now move on to Holland this weekend and Belgium next, where once again the top section set test will be Jan Van de Roost’s music – it should prove very interesting.


Full Results:

     
1.Brass Band 13 Etoiles Formation A - Major Peter Parkes - 97pts
2. Brass Band Fribourg A - Philippe Bach - 96pts
3. Brass Band Berner Oberland - Carlo Balmelli - 94pts
4. Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern A-Band - Ludwig Wicki - 92pts
5.Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien - Blaise Héritier - 91pts
6. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan A - Christophe Jeanbourquin - 90pts
7. Ensemble de Cuivres Mélodia - Serge Gros - 89pts
8. Musikgesellschaft Risch-Rotkreuz - Corsin Tuor - 88pts
9. Oberaargauer Brass Band - Manfred Obrecht     - 85pts

Jury: Pierre-Alain Bidaud (CH), Pierre Pilloud (CH), Howard Snell (GB)

1. Class 1
Passacaglia, Oliver Waespi

1.Brass Band Harmonie Neuenkirch - Albert Benz -96pts
2. Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg - Peter Stadelmann - 95pts
3.Brass Band Kirchenmusik Flühli - Philippe Bach - 94pts
4. Regional Brass Band Bern - Daniel Bichsel - 93pts
5. Brass Band Uri A-Band - Hans Burkhalter - 92pts
6. Brass Band Matzendorf - Christoph Bangerter - 91pts
7. Liberty Brass Band Ostschweiz - Roger Wellauer - 90pts
8. Brass Band 13 Etoiles Formation B - Géo-Pierre Moren - 89pts
Brass Band MG Rickenbach - Corsin Tuor - 89pts
10. Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia - Adrian Schneider - 88pts
11. Musikverein Brass Band Henggart - Patrick Stump - 87pts
Oberwalliser Brass Band - Eddy Debons - 87pts
13.Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern B-Band - Rino Chiappori - 86pts
14. Brass Band Breitenbach - Roland Schaub - 85pts
Brass Band Frohsinn Schötz - Rudolf Renggli - 85
16. Brass Band Prättigau - Markus Fisch - 84pts

Jury: Robert Grob (CH), José-Raphael Pascual (E), Guy Michel (CH)

Section 2
Sinfonietta for Brass Band, Joseph Horovitz*

1.Brass Band Berner Oberland Junior - Véronique Gyger - 93pts
2. Brass Band Junior Valaisan - Victor Bonvin - 91pts
3. Brass Band Harmonie Rickenbach - Remo Capra - 90pts
4. Brass Band Cazis - Claudio Steier - 89pts
5. Brass Band Feldmusik Escholzmatt - Rolf Minder - 87pts
6. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan B - Christophe Jeanbourquin - 85pts
7. Brass Band Fribourg B - Stéphane Delley - 83pts
8. Brass Band Rapperswil-Wierezwil - Toni Muggli - 82pts
9. Bürgermusik Untereggen - Guido Knaus - 81pts
10. Brass Création - Laurent Carrel - 80pts
11. Brass Band MG Reiden - Adrian Schneider - 79pts
12. Société de musique L'Avenir de Lignières - Vincent Baroni - 78pts
13. Musik Frohsinn Oberburg - Bernhard Wüthrich - 77pts
14. Brass Band Posaunenchor Flaach - Christian Bachmann - 76pts

Jury: Pierre-Alain Bidaud (CH), Pierre Pilloud (CH), Howard Snell (GB)

Sectio 3
The Seasons, Philip Wilby

1. Regionale Jugend Brass Band Luzern - Rino Chiappori - 89pts
2. La "Lyre Paroissiale" La Roche - Mark-Olivier Broillet - 88pts
3. Musikverein Hofstetten - Michael Zoppas - 87pts
4. Brass Band Uri B-Band - Philipp Gisler - 86pts
5. Entlebucher Jugend Brass Band - Armin Bachmann - 85pts
6. Fanfare "La Lyre" Rue - Stéphan Cottet - 83pts

Jury: Robert Grob (CH), José-Raphael Pascual (E), Guy Michel (CH)

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