International Brass Band Summer School

Conductors: Dr Nicholas & Dr Robert Childs
Soloists: Richard Marshall & Brett Baker
Brangwyn Hall
Swansea
Friday 6th August

The 20th International Brass Band Summer School course came to a highly enjoyable close on Friday evening with the massed ranks of over 100 delegates boosted in their efforts to project the sound of brass to the furthest corners of the Gower coastline by the gargantuan tones of the massive Brangwyn Hall organ.

Mini tsunami

With its huge pipe work hidden behind its ornate enclosure at the back of the raised stage, organist Ian Shaw unleashed the musical leviathan to accompany the massed bands in the finale of the Saint-Saens ‘Organ Symphony’, which by its close had rumbled the foundations of the hall so much that it almost started a mini tsunami in Swansea Bay.

It also rounded off an evening of relaxed music making, led by the Black Dyke and Cory MDs, which featured plenty of competitive enthusiasm and fun mixed in with some notable musicianship.

Nod of respect

The evening saw the two individual bands (still intriguingly called ‘Eminence’ and ‘Preference’ in what was a last nod of post insolvency respect to former partner sponsors, York) provide an eclectic mix of repertoire, before finally joining forces for that thumping climax.

From the opening ‘Academic Fanfare’ and neatly played ‘Suite in F’, to the chipper ‘Trombola’ trombone feature and spirited ‘Dream Catchers’, (with a fine array of individual solo spots) there was plenty to enjoy in the first half under Dr Nicholas Childs, with Brett Baker showcasing his acrobatic technique in his solo ‘Atlantic Zephyrs’.

Well balanced

The well balanced mix of age and experience (ages ranged from 8 to 83+, with players from banding outposts as far afield as Brazil to Black Dyke) made for a relaxed musical atmosphere, which was continued into the second half with Dr Robert Childs leading his band through a purposeful ‘Summon the Heroes’ and well managed quartet of movements from ‘Aspects of Adiemus’ (again with a fine line up of featured solo lines).

Richard Marshall then displayed his prowess with a whip through ‘Charivari’ before he was joined in an equally rapid run out on ‘Buglar’s Holiday’.

To close there was a bravura performance of ‘Triumphant Rhapsody’ – full of colour and style, before a short break and the massed bands finale – and a fleet footed ‘Thundercrest’ march balanced by two warmly toned slower movements from ‘Carnival of the Animals’.

Reflection

A quick opportunity for reflection in ‘Sunrise over Blue Ridge’ was a nice counter balance before that thumping old show stopper and the spine re-aligning ‘Organ Symphony’ – which nearly, very nearly, took the roof off.

It rounded off a fine evening’s musical entertainment for a local audience that had come out in considerable numbers to enjoy themselves.

All they now have to do is wait until 5th August next year for it all to happen again.

Iwan Fox

^back to top