Stavanger comes to a close...

That's it for the 2025 European Championships — with the title winning celebrations belonging to Belgium, Italy, Norway and The Netherlands.

Brass Band Willebroek's fourth victory under Frans Violet spanned not just 18 years from the last time that they lifted the famous trophy, but 32 since they first did it together in Plymouth in 1993.

It was thoroughly well deserved. As was that of Brass Band Uberetsch, who delivered a performance of rich promise to take the Challenge Section honours.

Elsewhere, the triumphs of Hordaland Ungdomsbrassband and Ytrebygda Skolekorps at the Youth Championships also showed that the next generation of Norwegian banding stars are ready and waiting, whilst Jaap Musschenga's victory in the 8th Conductors' Competition confirmed that we could be seeing him a great deal more at this event in the years to come too.

As always though there will be a great deal to talk about in the coming weeks about an event that showed both its strengths and weaknesses.

Iwan Fox

Results: European Youth Championships

Premier Section:

1. Hordaland Ungdomsbrassband (Reid Gilje): 97
2. BML Talents (Patrick Ottiger): 96
3. Catch Basin Brass Band (Georg Pranger): 95
4. Brass Band Sklepucini (Vilmantas Vapsva): 93
5. University of Chichester Brass Band (Emma Button): 91

Best Instrumentalist: Bernadus Butkus (euphonium) — Brass Band Sklepucini

Development Section:

1. Ytrebygda Skolekorps (Thor-Arne Pedersen): 96
2. Brass Band Aukstyn (Remigijus Vilys and Piet Visser): 94
3. Smoras Skolemusikk (Magnus Brandseth): 93
4. Wardle Academy Youth Band (Bradley McCulloch): 91
5. Youth Brass Band PotzBlech (Hans Jacob): 89

Best Instrumentalist: Jovita Kasperavicute (euphonium) — Brass Band Aukstyn

Premier Section:

5. Hordaland Ungdomsbrassband (Reid Gilje)

The outstanding standard of playing on show in this section is maintained to the very end with this scintillating performance from the Norwegians.

The sense of control and musical appreciation is felt right from the first notes of James Curnow's 'Tribute' — played with strict precision and cultured styling.

A highlight of the entire weekend comes next with 'O Magnum Mysterium' — a lovely display of peaceful and reserved beauty, before we enjoy a cracking account of the set-work.

This was playing that packed a leanly cut punch, not strident in any means but with a meaty richness of tonality that was infused with great style and purpose.

The closing 'Mahalageasca' was a hoot — a choreographed dance of ever increasing excitement (aided by brilliant percussion) that left scorch marks on the ceiling of Stavanger Konserthus.

That was wickedly good.

Post performance interview

Premier Section:

4. Brass Band Sklepucini (Vilmantas Vapsva)

The defending champion provides ample evidence to explain why they secured the title in Palanga last year and why they will be in the tight race with rivals to repeat the feat this time around.

Todd Slater's 'Ignition' certainly did what it said on the title tin — sparking their challenge into life with a fiery exhaust blast of energy and drive.

The euphonium solo 'Pantomime' has become a staple solo feature of the very best players over the years and their young player certainly displayed all the virtuosic elements to add his name to the list.

A seriously impassioned programme came to an end with the set-work — played with a bold confidence that brought the richest of rewards.

There was so much here to be seriously impressed by.

Post performance interview

Premier Section:

3. BML Talents (Patrick Ottiger)

This is a young band that certainly lives up to its name — packed to the rafters with performers of quality, led by a conductor who controlled the music making with a calm authority.

It may have seemed an ambitious programme on paper, but on stage it was delivered with a classy ease — right from the energised opener 'Euroflash'.

The set- work was played with a great deal of substance — a fine tonal pyramid of sound built on closely matched balances and textures that enhanced the character of the music.

'For a Love Lost' was a tender trombone led feature that had elegance and refinement, and which sat in contrast to the pastiche Arabic flavourings of 'Across the Desert' from 'Sand and Stars'.

The choreographed finale rounded off a display of outstanding playing from an outstanding young band.

Post performance interview

Premier Section:

2. University of Chichester Brass Band (Emma Button)

England's representative for the second year in a row delivers an enjoyable set that had a lightness of touch and style based around the programme they used at the UniBrass Championships.

There was a polished fizz to the opening overture from 'Phantom of the Opera' — all cloak and pastiche tastiness, which led into a very accomplished 'Meditation' from 'Thais' featuring principal cornet player Luke Greenwood. The tasteful appreciation of the phrasing was marked — as was the subtle accompaniment from the ensemble.

The set-work was approached with dramatic impulse in a cracking take on the score by the MD — picking out the character traits of the music to a tee.

Gershwin twins in 'It ain't necessarily so' and 'Im on my Way' rounded off a programme that had the hallmarks of detailed preparation and quality execution about it from start to finish.

Post performance interview

Premier Section:

1. Catch Basin Brass Band (Georg Pranger)

What an impressive start to this section from the former three time title winning Austrians.

The quality of the ensemble as well as solo lines was marked from the very beginning with the dramatic landscapes of Kjetil Djonne's 'Northern Landscapes'.

From fjords and mountains to a cracking mazurka, richly textured 'Bansull' and energetic finale that skipped to its triumphant close, this was playing that had a distinctive stamp of tonal and precision quality.

Bravo to the trombone soloist Mark Anton Allmair with a waspish take on 'Brasilia' fleet of foot and tongue, before a mature rendition of Chris Bond''s 'Corineus' brought things to a formidable close.

A fine young band that, led by an excellent MD.

Post performance interview

Development Section:

5. Smoras Skolemusikk (Magnus Brandseth)

Well that was a wowee performance from the defending champion — so much amazingly mature playing on a hugely ambitious programme based around the set work.

They came from a trio of pieces from the MD's 'Deception Island' programme that he wrote for Krohnengen Band that they performed in the Elite Divsion at Siddis and Brass in Concert.

It wasn't beyond these incredible young players though — the opening 'Drake Passage' setting the scene' before the stop-off for 'Four Brief Actions' that resonated with precision and character.

'The Volcano's Heart' offered contrast before the dramatic waves of pulsating drama washed over us from 'Neptune's Bellows' to close.

My word that was some journey and a half.

Post performance interview

Development Section:

4. Wardle Academy Youth Band (Bradley McCulloch)

What a polished set from the English representatives — bravura and brave, but also balanced with a touch of stylish finesse in each piece.

Tom Davoren's 'Living Power' was full of energised drive and great sounds, whilst the set-work was played with bags of character. Lots to enjoy with the chasing, running, singing and the final dispatch of the dragon (with its hint of Jaws in the musical lines).

Take a well deserved bow principal cornet — a cracking rendition of 'Napoli' fit for this or any other stage. The applause told its story.

A shortened version of 'The Kingdom Triumphant' rounds things off with an uplifting majesty — joyful and warm hearted.

A fine young band from top to bottom led with great understanding by the MD.

Post performance interview

Development Section:

3. Brass Band Aukstyn (Piet Visser)

This band continues to show its growing maturity under the baton Dutch conductor Piet Visser. This is their 9th appearance at the event and there was such confidence about their playing — right from the start when they both played and sung with such fervour in 'Pradzios vejas'.

The 18 year old euphonium soloist displayed a fine understanding of phrasing and lyrical shape in the section movement 'Red Sky' by Tom Davoren, before they produced a dramatic reading of the set-test, that had drive, pulse and power with that little dragon slaying twist to close.

The upbeat fun of 'Gospel Brass Machine' was packed with vitality to round off a set that has shown just how far this band has come in such a short space of time.

Post performance interview