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2014 4BR Awards — Conductor of the Year

Which conductor made the biggest impression on the collective consciousness in 2014?

There were hundreds of them plying their trade — although some more successfully than others.

The nominations from the 4BR team for consideration are...

Michael Bach

Michael Bach

The man behind Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern’s remarkable rise to European glory  - and a musician so bursting with talent that you wonder if we are only seeing the first of many more major contesting baubles of success that he is capable of grabbing by the musical throat.

His style, verve and sheer joy in taking musical risks marks him out - be it with Luzern, Leyland, Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia or Saanen Band, whilst he also revealed himself to be a very perceptive man in the box too.


Prof Nicholas Childs

Prof Nicholas Childs

No conductor so revels under the pressure of being in the contesting spotlight than the man who has moulded Black Dyke into a band that now responds intuitively to his every command.

The concert and CD recordings remains the slick and professional face of the Queensbury juggernaut, but it has been on the contest platform that he has finally been able to fire up the heart throbbing boosters of his Saturn V rocket on full power.  

At London in particular, he simply blasted rivals into oblivion.


HollAND

Paul Holland

A conductor who has used his musical intelligence to the full to plant the solid foundations on which he has built his band’s success.

2014 was a special year for Flowers, but it wasn’t just the his star players that caught the imagination. The impressive early season victories saw a band flexing its muscles without ever being in danger of losing control, whilst the Open podium finish was very much due to his finely shaped reading.

The National and Brass in Concert results simply confirmed the excellence of the job he has done.


Chris Jeans

Chris Jeans

For over a decade now, Chris Jeans has combined his outstanding trombone playing with Virtuosi GUS with his equally outstanding leadership of Youth Brass 2000.

2014 saw him lead his young band to yet another Butlins Youth Championship title, victory at the British Open Brass at the Guild Hall contest and first prize in the Championship Section of the National Youth Championships.  Just the Action Research title eluded them - but what a year - and what an inspiring MD.


James Gouraly

James Gourlay

Say it quietly, but ‘Jim Boy’ is back.

To be fair he’s never really been away (despite his American zip code), but on his annual return to Swiss shores he continued to show what the rest of the banding world has been missing for far too long.

Bold, charismatic, risk taking - the man bubbles with spontaneous musical combustion - and at the Swiss Open and Nationals in 2014 he almost sent the contest venues up in fire. 



Regent Hall Concerts - Royal College of Music Sackbut Ensemble

Friday 21 February • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - The Band of the Welsh Guards

Friday 21 February • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Contest: North West Regional Championships

Sunday 23 February • Winter Gardens Complex, Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HU


Newstead Brass - Midlands Championships Preview Evening

Sunday 23 February • Summit Centre . Kirkby in Ashfield . Nottinghamshire NG17 7LL


Regent Hall Concerts - Royal Greenwich Brass Band

Friday 28 February • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Linthwaite Band

February 10 • Linthwaite are a friendly 4th section band looking forward to the Yorkshire area contest in March, following on from that we will have a vacancy for a 2nd cornet. We also have various contests and engagements coming up through the year to keep us busy.


Chinnor Silver

February 7 • Our COMMUNITY BAND meets on a Monday morning and we welcome any players who would like an extra blow.. players of all abilities welcome and we do not expect you to alter your allegiance to your band.. just a fun blow with cake and coffee.


wantage silver band

February 5 • Wantage Band (championship section) has a vacancy for TOP 2ND CORNET. This would suit a player with experience in a championship/first section band. Rehearsals take place every Sun 7:30pm and Wed 8pm in Wantage with highly experienced MD Chris King.


James Chamberlain

BMus (Hons) PGCE
Conductor, Teacher


               

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