Results: 2003 Swiss National Championships

Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern A Band conducted by Ludwig Wicki are the 2003 Champion Band of Switzerland. Giving a thrilling performance of the new test piece “Land’s End” by Oliver Waespi they took the title for the fourth time in their history and for the first time since 1995. It was the conductors first victory in the Excellence Section and builds on the bands win at the 2002 Swiss Open Brass Band Championships. The win also means that they will be the Swiss representatives at the 2004 European Championships to be held in Glasgow in May 2004.

Second place went to the reigning champions Brass Band Fribourg conducted by Arsene Duc who couldn’t quite do enough to retain their title and missed out on the trip to Glasgow next year by one point. Third place was taken by Entlebucher Brass Band conducted by Philippe Bach.

The 2000 and 2001 champions, Brass Band 13 Etoiles conducted by Peter Parkes had to be content with 6th place whilst six times champions Brass Band Berner Oberland directed by Carlo Balmelli came 4th.

The adjudicators for the event were Roman Brogli, James Gourlay and the composer himself Oliver Waespi.

The record entry of bands meant that 19 ensembles took to the stage for the First Section, which saw victory go to Regional Brass Band Berne conducted by Daniel Bichsel, whilst the Second Section was made up of 17 bands and saw victory go to Brass Band Feldmusik Escholzmatt directed by Pirmin Hodel. The bands in the First Section had to get to grips with “Journey Into Freedom”, the set work for the Senior Cup next year, whilst the Second Section bands had to perform “Resurgam”.

The Third Section saw eight bands playing “Sunset Rhapsody” with a two point winning margin going to Regionale Jugend Brass Band Luzern directed by Corsin Tuor, whilst the new Fourth Section saw four bands playing own choice works and ABM Brass Freiamt winning by a point for their performance of “The Princess and the Poet”. The band were conducted by Roger Stockli.


Excellence Section

Set Work: Land’s End – Oliver Waespi

1. Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern – 97pts
Ludwig Wicki
2. Brass Band Fribourg – 96pts
Arsene Duc
3. Entlebucher Brass Band – 95pts
Philippe Bach
4. Brass Band Berner Oberland – 94pts
Carlo Balmelli
5. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan – 93pts
Christophe Jeanbourquin
6. Brass Band 13 Etoiles – 92pts
Peter Parkes
7. Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia – 91pts
Yvan Lagger
8. Oberaargauer Brass Band – 90pts
Armin Bachmann
9. Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien – 89pts
Blaise Heritier
10. Musikgesellschaft Risch – Rotkreuz – 88pts
Remo Capra

Adjudicators: Roman Brogli, James Gourlay, Oliver Waespi


First Division

Set Work: Journey Into Freedom – Eric Ball
1. Regional Brass Band Berne – 95pts
Daniel Bichsel
2. Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia – 94pts
Pierre Etienne Sagnol
3. Brass Band MG Rickenbach – 93pts
Corsin Tuor
4. Brass Band Kirchenmusik Fluhli – 91pts
Herve Grelat
5. Nobody’s Brass Emmental – 90pts
Anton Helscher
6. Brass Band 13 Etoiles B – 89pts
Geo – Pierre Moren
7. Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern B – 87pts
Corsin Tuor
7. Brass Band Fricktal – 87pts
Dani Haus
7. Liberty Brass Band Ostschweiz – 87pts
Roger Wellauer
10. Brass Band Harmonie Neuenkirch – 86pts
Albert Benz
10. Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg – 86pts
Peter Stadelmann
10. Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan B – 86pts
Christophe Jeanbourquin
13. Brass Band Berner Oberland Junior – 85pts
Veronique Gyger
13. Seeland Brass – 85pts
Thomas Ruedi
15. Brass Band Sursilvana – 82pts
Gion Geri Tuor
16. Oberwalliser Brass Band – 81pts
Eddy Debons
17. Brass Band Frohsinn Schotz – 80pts
Rudolf Renggli
18. Brass Band Uri – 79pts
Hans Burkhalter
19. Brass Band Breitenbach – 78pts
Roland Schaub

Adjudicators: Graziella Contratto, Wolfgang Sieber, Martin Winter


Second Division

Set Work: Resurgam – Eric Ball

1. Brass Band Feldmusik Escholzmatt – 97pts
Pirmin Hodel
2. Brass Band MG Reiden – 96pts
Patrick Ottiger
3. Societe de Musique L’Avenir de Lignieres – 94pts
Vincent Baroni
4. Brass Band Harmonie Rickenbach – 93pts
Marco Schneider
5. Brass Band Posaunenchor Flaach – 92pts
Christian Bachmann
6. Musikverein Brass Band Henggart – 91pts
Patrick Stump
7. Brass Band Cazis – 89pts
Claudio Steier
8. Brass Band Matzendorf – 88pts
Christoph Bangerter
9. Brass Band Rapperswil – Wierezwil – 87pts
Roalnd Froscher
10. Brass Band Fribourg B – 86pts
Stephane Delley
11. Brass Band MG Egolzwil – 85pts
Marcel Bossert
12. Ensemble de Cuivres Concordia Mervelier – 84pts
Maurice Periat
13. Oberaargauer Brass Band B – 83pts
Thomas Hauri
14. MG Brass Band Lengnau – 82pts
Marc Meilli
15. Brass Creation – 81pts
Laurent Rossier
16. Brass Band MG Greppen – 80pts
Mario Bergamin
17. Brass Band Meltingen – 79pts
Thomas Scherrer

Adjudicators: Roman Brogli, James Gourlay, Oliver Waespi

Third Division

Set work: Sunset Rhapsody – Eric Ball

1. Regionale Jugend Brass Band Luzern - 91pts
Corsin Tuor
2. Oberwalliser Brass Band Junior – 89pts
Tobias Salzgeber
3. Brass Band Ratia – 88pts
Roland Aregger
4. Liberty Brass Band Junior – 87pts
Christoph Luchsinger
5. Musikgesellschaft Brass Band Marwil – 86pts
Markus Fisch
6. Brass Band Rhodan – 85pts
Christian Pfammatter
7. Musikgesellschaft Brass Band Hauptwil – 84pts
Edi Keller
8. Entlebucher Jugend Brass Band – 83pts
Peter Scmid

Adjudicators: Graziella Contratto, Wolfgang Sieber, Martin Winter


Fourth Division

Own Choice

1. ABM Brass Freiamt – 87pts
The Princess and the Poet
Roger Stockli
2. Junior Brass BAND mg Reiden – 86pts
Call of the Sea
Franz Renggli
3. MGRR Juniorband Risch – Rotkreuz – 85pts
Indian Summer
Markus Wismer
3. Musikgesellschaft Bernhardzell – 85pts
The Kingdom Triumphant
Thomas Schildknecht

Adjudicators: Graziella Contratto, Wolfgang Sieber, Martin Winter

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