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Nationals 2001:
The Adjudicators
The British Brass Band Federation have taken the very welcome step
this year of announcing the panel of adjudicators for the Finals
well in advance, thus stopping bandsmen and women all over the country
indulging in the time honoured tradition of worrying themselves
to death over who they think may or may not be in the box.
The three gentlemen (and it’s always gentlemen) who have been
given the task this year are David Read, Roy Newsome and Jan Van
der Roost.
David Read and Roy Newsome are familiar signatures at the bottom
of an adjudication sheet for most British bands, but the name of
Jan Van der Roost won’t be, although he is no novice to adjudicating
brass band contests as well as wind ensemble and choral competitions.
He is the first composer to be asked to adjudicate on his own work
at the Finals since 1993, when Derek Bourgeois was in the box to
pass judgment on “Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”. Jan Van
der Roost also joins a very select band of European born musicians
to have judged at the contest, and the first since Markus Bach in
1992 to be entrusted by the British to do the job.
Since the Second World War, the following composers have adjudicated
their own works at the finals:
1946 and 1948: Henry Gheel (Oliver Cromwell and On the Cornish
Coast)
1950 and 1960: Herbert Howells (Pageantry and Three Figures)
1958: Edmund Rubbra (Variations on a Shining River)
1964 and 1965: Gilbert Vinter (Variations on a Ninth and Triumphant
Rhapsody)
1969 and 1972: Eric Ball (High Peak and Kensington Concerto)
1986 and 1993: Derek Bourgeois (Diversions for Brass Band and Devil
and the Deep Blue Sea)
1988: Ray Steadman-Allen (Seascapes)
1989: Arthur Butterworth (Odin)
Frank Wright also adjudicated on numerous occasions as the transcriber
of many orchestral arrangements.
We believe the following European born musicians and composers
have adjudicated at the Finals: Vilem Tausky 1972: Joseph Horowitz
1974, 1975 and 1980 and Markus Bach 1992.
David Read:
David Read made his debut as adjudicator at the National Finals
way back in 1985 when he shared the adjudication on “Cloudcatcher
Fells” with Bram Gay and Sir David Willcocks. Since then he
has been the most regular of judges at the Finals in addition to
adjudicating at the British Open (debut 1982), the Masters, the
European and many other major brass band contest all over the world.
2001 sees his 12th appearance as adjudicator and his 7th in a row
in the box at the Royal Albert Hall.
He is a most highly respected judge, who’s written comments
are constructive and detailed and who has an acute ear for musical
shape as well as technical clarity. More importantly he is seen
as a “safe” adjudicator in the eyes of the bandsmen themselves,
in that he invariably gets the vast majority of decisions concerning
the prizewinners correct. This has been further emphasised by the
bands themselves voting him as their first choice to judge them
at the All England Masters for the past few years.
David Read was born in Wales and did his Military service with
the Regimental Band of the Welsh Guards. His playing career came
to fruition with the Askern Colliery Band, followed by a spell with
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery. He later joined the Munn and Feltons
Band (later named GUS) later becoming Principal Cornet. During his
time with the band, GUS became National Champions on four occasions
and World Champions once.
He was also assistant principal cornet for the Virtuosi Band of
Great Britain and Kings of Brass and was three times Champion Cornet
Player of Great Britain and once outright Solo Champion. He was
also a member of the famous GUS quartet that with John Berryman,
John Cobley and Trevor Groom who on a number of occasion were British
Quartet Champions.
He has been an educationalist as Senior Instrumental Teacher for
Cambridge Area Education Authority, and in 1983 was honoured by
the Worshipful Company of Musicians and in 1996 by receiving the
English Masters Dedicated Service Award.
National Championships Adjudicating Record: 12 appearances.
1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,
2001.
Dr. Roy Newsome PhD, B Mus, FRCO, ARCM:
2001 sees Dr. Roy Newsome makes his return appearance as adjudicator
since the National Finals of 1997 when he was in the box with David
Read and William Relton when Brighouse and Rastrick won playing
“On Alderney Edge”.
Prior to this he made his debut at the National Finals as a judge
in 1982, when he adjudicated on “Contest Music”. Since
then he has appeared on two other occasions in 1983 and latterly
1997.
Roy Newsome also conducted Williams Fairey to the National title
in 1986 on “Diversions for Brass Band”, as well as conducting
Black Dyke, Besses O’ the Barn, Ever Ready and Sun Life at
the Finals.
His conducting career started in earnest when he took the Elland
Silver Band to win the National Finals Fourth Section in 1958 and
since that time he became on of the leading brass band trainers
and Musical Directors of his or any other generation. In addition
to his National Finals victory of 1986, he has won the British Open
on 5 occasions with four different bands. He has also composed numerous
works for band and soloists, including a Concerto for Brass Band
and Piano and a recent transcription of Carmina Burana.
A renowned organist, he was Music Director of the National Youth
Brass Band of Great Britain from 1984 to 2000 and was for many years
the Head of Band Studies on the BA and Graduate Diploma courses
in Band Musicianship at the University of Salford. In 1989 he was
recipient of the college’s Honorary Graduate Diploma and in
1976 was awarded the silver medal from the Worshipful Company of
Musicians.
In 1999 he was awarded his Doctor of Philosophy for his research
into brass band history at the University of Salford.
In 2001 he adjudicated at both the European Championships in Montreaux
and the All England Masters Championships in Cambridge. At the first
Yorkshire Building Society won, but at the second he placed the
band 7th when both other adjudicators placed then 1st and YBS somewhat
controversially came 2nd to Brighouse and Rastrick.
Nationals Record:
Conductor: 16 appearances: 1 Win (1986 – Williams Fairey):
1 Second (1978 - Besses O’ th Barn): 3 Thirds (1973, 1974 –
Black Dyke Mills, 1993 – Sun Life): 3 Fourths (1984, 1987 –
Fairey’s, 1994 – Sun Life): 1 Fifth (1988 – Fairey’s):
2 Sixths (1981 – Besses, 1992 – Sun Life): 5 Unplaced
(1979, 1980 – Besses, 1990 – Ever Ready, 1991, 1995 –
Sun Life)
Adjudicator: 4 appearances: 1982, 1983, 1997, 2001-10-17
Jan Van der Roost:
The welcome appearance of Jan Van der Roost to adjudicate at the
National Finals should not only be welcomed as a decision to bring
in a “new face” to the adjudication process, but as a
sensible and thoughtful decision in light of the huge technical
complexities of the his composition, “Albion”.
For the uninitiated the piece will sound amazingly muddled and
complex for over three minutes from it’s start, as various
ensembles made up of cornets and drums play at different tempos,
rhythm and metre to indicate the chaos of conflict in Albion before
order is restored by the introduction of monarchic “order”.
To say that it is difficult for a first time audience to comprehend
is somewhat understating the point and there will an absolute need
for the ear of the composer to be used to unable the judges to make
sense and to adjudicate on what is actually going on. This is superb
brass writing that has an almost mathematical simplicity to it –
when it works it sounds quite breathtaking.
As for the rest of the work – the composer has been very specific
about his musical instructions, the voices and musical lines to
be heard and the effects employed to create atmosphere and colour.
His input into the adjudication process will be vital to ensure
that the band that can actually “perform” the music is
declared the winners. So many will just try and blow and bluster
their way through – lets hope the other experienced men in
the box take serious note of what Mr Van der Roost has to say and
write.
Jan Van der Roost was born in the town of Duffel in Belgium in
1956 and was introduced at a very early age to the prominent names
and performers of both brass and wind through his family, who were
associated with high quality amateur music making. Thus he was encouraged
to write and compose form an early age.
He became a student at the Lemmens Institute where he received
a varied high-class musical education that led to the award of a
triple Music Education Laurete Diploma for trombone, music history
and music education.. In 1979 he continued his studies at the Royal
Conservatoire of Ghent and Antwerp where he received a further Diploma
in composition.
He is currently teaching and lecturing at Lemmens Institute and
conducts the colleges Wind Ensemble and Wind Band. In 1999 he became
Guest Professor at the Shobi Institute of Music in Tokyo.
He is in demand not only as a composer but also as an adjudicator
and conductor and his highly versatile skills as a composer have
brought international recognition through performances of his works
both on radio, television as well as through live recitals and CD
recordings. He has composed extensively for brass, wind, choir,
piano, guitar, string orchestra, solo instruments and symphony orchestra.
Many of his current works include the three part trilogy, “Stonehenge”,
“Arsenal” and “Albion” as well as “Flashlight”,
“Canterbury Choral”, “Tocatta Festiva”, “Slavia”,
“Limelight Fanfare”, “Prima Luce” and “Minerva”.
© 4BarsRest
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