Well, once again Butlins has lived up to its reputation as a truly wonderful musical and social occasion. Our thanks go to Steve Walker, Stan Lippeatt, Brian Eggleshaw for their hospitality along with the numerous volunteers and who give up their time to help the staff here make the weekend what it is.
Congratulations to Flowers, Eccles Borough, City of Coventry, Tewitt Silver and Dodworth Colliery MW for their successes. It’s also well done to Youth Brass 2000 and Shirland for their victories in the Youth and Un-registered competitions. Also congratulations to Bethan Plant and all the other winners that took part in the British Open Solo & Quartet Championships which attracted competitors from Belgium.
Finally, happy 70th birthday to Stan Lippeatt, the long standing Musical Advisor for the contest and hope he remembers not just the weekend, but the Celebration concert tonight that featured friends that have played a major part in his banding life. It was a night those present on and off stage will remember for a very long time to come.
Good night from Skegness.
Sunday 12, 21:19:54
2020 Champion — Flowers
MD Paul Holland gets his hands on the silverware
Flowers Trophy cabinet will be filled up nicely when they get home!
The Flowers Band took home with them the ornate Warwick Vase as champions
Set-work Best Soloist winner: Emily Evans of Flowers
The 2020 Butlins Excellence Award was presented to Alan Morrison
Result: Championship Section
Set-Work/Music (entertainment)/Entertainment = Place
Best Soloist (set-work): Emily Evans (horn) — Flowers Best Soloist (entertainment): Kevin Crockford (soprano) — Desford Colliery (LCITWF) Winners set-work: Flowers Most Entertaining Band: Flowers Highest Placed Mining Band: Desford Colliery (LCITWF)
*Placing on entertainment takes precedence
Sunday 12, 19:22:49
Results: British Open Solo & Quartet Championships
Adjudicators: Dave Lea and Mark Walters
Senior Quartet:
1. Flowers
Senior Solo:
1. Bethan Plant
Junior Slow Melody:
1. Rhys Stokes
Junior Intermediate:
1. Edward Culpin
All participants awarded places by the judges and notified on their remarks sheets.
Enjoying our live coverage?
4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world.
Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.
Today is a very special day in the life of the legendary Stan Lippeatt, Musical Advisor for Butlins and such an influential part in making this weekend what it has become over the years.
And for that he deserves banding's thanks.
He's 70 years young, although he'll probably quip he's actually only forty with another thirty years of life experience.
Tonight at 8pm in Centre Stage there is a concert with his friends, so why not come along and wish him many happy returns... It should be fun...
Sunday 12, 17:27:19
British Open Solo update
It's been an enjoyable four hours of solo playing across the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Sections so far today and we're not finished yet.
One thing that's stood out is the number of overseas competitors who have travelled to be here in the past 24 hours to compete. These include Jonas Violet and his father Frans from Brass Band Willebroek. Jonas, Frans and other Belgium players were always huge supporters of the event when it was held in Tameside a few years ago, so its great to see them here as well.
Sunday 12, 16:32:10
Championship Section round-up and prediction....
Lots to enjoy from all six performers today — and a wide variety of music in style and substance too.
There was a touch of familiarity about things — nothing too left-field, but when the bands did try something a little different it worked well. The level of solo playing was first class, with Kevin Crockford rolling back years to be the favourite with the audience to win the Soloist Prize.
Flowers had that stamp of quality about everything they did this weekend and their entertainment set, dusted off from Brass in Concert showed that in full. Just a bit dynamically over-whelming in places, but such confidence from a band in prime form.
Desford were a different proposition from yesterday and pushed Flowers very close, whilst Woodfalls and Dr Robert Childs in particular used experience and nous to make the most of their resources.
GUS were brave and committed to an exciting new musical direction and both Redbridge (with that great i-band finale) and Wantage showed themselves off in fine light.
Class should be the deciding factor today and overall then — so today we go for...
4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world.
Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.
Dawn of a Voyage (Dan Price) The Descent (Christopher Bond) Soloist: Harmen Vanhoorne (cornet) Monster Thrash (Paul Saggers) La Cathedrale Engloutie (Debussy arr. Dan Price) Escape the Kracken (Dan Price)
Flowers give us a reprise of their 2019 Brass in Concert programme, opening in style with Dan Price's stirring 'Dawn of a Voyage', played with an ocean going brio that gets things off to a fine start.
Harmen Vanhoorne simply radiates class in Christopher Bond's 'The Descent' that follows. A model of composure and a lesson in lyrical playing on the edge of audibility. Wonderful stuff from the Belgian star.
In complete contrast the full force of the high seas is released in all its power in Paul Saggers' 'Monster Thrash' as a furious torrent of music is unleashed featuring soloists including Harmen Vanhoorne once again and the ever impressive Paul Richards on soprano.
Next it's the wonders of the city under the sea that are viewed through wondrous eyes in Debussy's 'The Sunken Cathedral'. It's majestic, radiant music played with warmth, but it's also dynamically robust at times…perhaps a little too much so for music that was originally conceived for the intimacy of a piano.
Back to Dan Price and The Kracken is portrayed in music of menacing fury that transforms into ultimate triumph as flashes of John Williams emerge in what is an energetic romp to the end.
It completes an exciting final programme from Flowers and one that could see them steal the title back from Desford…it's only a few hours wait now until we will find out!
Christopher Thomas
4BR Editor's spin...
After the excellence of yesterday's performance no wonder Flowers took to the stage and played with such confidence here.
That stamp of hallmarked quality was heard from start to finish — although it was a touch brazen and harsh at times — just missing the opportunity to really showcase their abilities and tonality at the lowest dynamic levels. The Sunken Cathedral just lacked magical mystery.
That said, the set was so well conceived — the gem of the cornet solo at its heart full of gold and silver.
A very fine band on high quality form once again though. They have been a class act this weekend.
Sunday 12, 15:02:09
Championship Section:
5. Woodfalls (Dr Robert Childs)
A Prince in search of a Princess...
Procession of the Nobles (Rimsky Korsakov) Miss Blue Bonnet (Frank Simon) Soloist: Jan Boler Devil's Galop (Charles Williams) The Firebird — Infernal Dance and Final Hymn (Stravinsky arr. Farr)
Great to hear this opener again and it makes for a fine, noble start to a programme that promises to capitalise on the pantomime season…Oh no it doesn't!!
The lonely prince (one with a royal problem of trapped wind we are told by announcer David Hayward) appears on the stage with a pbone…..the perfect instrument for demonstrating his flatulent problems.
The first sight of the object of desire comes in the form of principal cornet player Jan Boler, who demonstrates her considerable attributes with a performance of 'Miss Blue Bonnet'.
As the Prince goes into battle it's Charles Williams' 'Devil's Galop' that gets a welcome reprise…a bit of swashbuckling Dick Barton in his prime.
The finale comes in the form of Stravinsky's 'Firebird' suite, a radiant affirmation of the Prince securing the object of his desires.
It amounts to a witty, thoughtfully put together programme that fused a handful of old favourites with pantomime humour that clearly made its mark on the 1700 strong audience in Centre Stage.
Christopher Thomas
4BR Editor's spin...
A neatly conceived reboot of ideas and yellow tinted music this — spruced up in panto style with a great narrator in Dave Hayward and a flatulent trombone hero who was a brilliant 'Le Petomane' cameo performer (check out the old film with Leonard Rossiter in the main role!) .
The music and story-line combined well — even if the idea was as cheesy as any great old cheddary 'Cinders' tale you may have seen this Christmas with the kids.
The little mimic motifs also added to the mischief and fun and there was some seriously good playing on show too — from the imperial sounding start to scorch mark Firebird ending.
Familiar stuff this — but polished and cleverly executed familiar stuff nonetheless.
Sunday 12, 14:28:55
British Open Solo & Quartet Championships
So with the Youth contests over, the focus in now on the British Open Solo & Quartet contests, with various titles at stake. Dave Lea and Mark Walters are judging.
If you're here come on over and show your support,
Enjoying our live coverage?
4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world.
Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.
August 20 • Regent Brass (Championship Section) seek Bass Trombone, Eb/Bb Bass & Percussion. Shortlisted for 4barsrest Lower Section Band of the Year 2024, we have a balanced schedule of innovative concerts & contests, regularly premiering new music.
