In what has been a long and distinguished career, Dave Lea has tasted considerable contesting success. It is hard to think though that many have been sweeter than this Challenge Section triumph in Montreux.

He has certainly sipped quite a few champagne celebrations in the 30 years the helm of Jaguar Land Rover Band of course; leading the Midlanders to the British Open and National Finals, winning the Senior Cup and Regional title and bagging a First Section National success alongside a host of other prizes along the way.

Bottle of Bocksbeutel

Now though he could uncork a Bocksbeutel bottle of the finest Bavarian wine to toast adding a European title to his CV. Little wonder he was almost speechless.

Regensburg took the title by a two-point margin from Brass LT from Lithuania, with 1st Old Boys from Northern Ireland in third. Contest debutants Malaga Brass Band from Spain were fourth ahead of the Scots of Annan Town, who lost a place due to the deduction of two time penalty points.

"It's not often I'm lost for words,"he said with the broadest smile on his face as his players joyfully celebrated behind him on the stage of the Stravinski Auditorium.

"This is the culmination of so many years of hard work and commitment from the band, of working on good principles and knowing that they had to improve year on year. I'm thrilled for them all — they deserve it."

Having been associated with Brass Band Regensburg since 2012, he has helped guide the Bavarian's musical development from naive enthusiasm to cultured expertise alongside their long standing MD Christine Hartmann, who stepped down from the role earlier this year.

Progress has been incremental but consolidated — each success, from their third place finish in the Second Division at the 2014 German National Championships to this victory (they were third in 2017) built on an adherence to the type of solid, musical foundations that he has employed as a conductor over the last four decades or more.

Paid off

In Montreux, those years of hard work paid off in splendid fashion as they delivered a brace of high quality performances of the set-work, 'Terezin' by Mario Burki and their own-choice selection of Gilbert Vinter's classic 'Spectrum' — a work that Dave felt enabled the band to show off both their solo and ensemble talents.

Their outstanding solo euphonium player Benedikt Seidl deservedly took the 'Best Soloist' award, although there were substantial contributions to the success for all corners of the band.

The warmth of the ensemble tonality was heard on the engaging set-work — one inspired by the rather dark and sobering history of the Terezin military fortress in the Czech Republic, a structure that has embraced the beauty of music and the arts as well as the horrors of Nazi internment.

Dave Lea's considered handling of pace, dynamic and style, from touching emotion to forceful excitement was marked, as was his intuitive understanding of the different qualities required to bring 'Spectrum' to kaleidoscopic life; from the primary hued energy of 'Red' to the languid flow of 'Green' and ultimately to the foreboding of 'Purple'.

It was a richly deserved victory, and one that will hopefully further inspire them to continue on their upward curve of development.

They may be some way off the standard of their counterparts 3BA Concert Brass, who produced playing of the highest quality in the Championship Section, but on this evidence the ambition and talent is there to match them in time — especially with Dave's ongoing assistance.

Admirable LT Brass

The same will hopefully be true of LT Brass from Lithuania. They were only formed 3 months before the contest took place, following a concerted effort by a group of players and banding enthusiasts to ensure that the country that will host the 2020 European Championships was represented in Montreux.

Such has been the success and the inspirational work of Russell Gray that it is now hoped they will continue to develop as a regional representative band to enable players to benefit from a lasting connection to the European contesting movement.

Here they performed admirably; the set-work played with drive and drama, whilst their own-choice rendition of 'Spectrum' was boldly coloured and full of confident style. Hopefully there will be many more occasions to hear this band in action at this level in the years to come.

Talented young Old Boys

So too 1st Old Boys from Northern Ireland in third place. They were making their fourth Challenge Section appearance under Stephen Cairns (having also played in the Championship contest in the past).

Sprinkled with talented youngsters (including a 16 year old principal cornet and 14 year old solo trombone), their future development is being secured in wonderful fashion through their long term investment in their award winning youth band.

The fruits of that abundant harvest were displayed in full on both the test-piece and their bold own-choice selection of Etienne Crausaz's 'Sinfonietta No 3'; vibrancy and eagerness supplemented by experience and refinement.

Spanish triumph

For Malaga, their appearance, let alone their performance under Victor Eloy Lopez Cerezo in Montreux was a triumph.

Formed in 2015 by current and former students of the Superior Conservatory of Music of Malaga, inspired by the persuasive talents of trombonist Lito Fontana and helped by their local government and university to meet the costs of competing, they made their debuts (complete with French horns) in thrilling fashion.

And whilst the ensemble itself will take time to develop an authentic brass band tonality, the depth of sound and the quality of the individual players and their MD was clear as they produced a brace of excellent renditions of the test-piece and Philip Sparke's 'A London Overture'. Let's hope they will return again and again.

Once in a lifetime

For Annan Town, their appearance at the European Championships was as their conductor Paul Drury told 4BR, "a once in a lifetime experience."

And with no top section representation they did Scotland proud, as they produced a confident set-work allied to an excellent rendition of Edward Gregson's literary inspired 'Essay'.

They may have lost two points for going over the prescribed time limit, but when it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform at the European Championships, who could blame them for wanting to make sure they enjoyed every second of it.

Justified

EBBA's commitment to maintaining a liberal approach to the contesting ethos of the Challenge Section has been increasingly justified in recent years.

Former champions, the Italian Brass Band made an authoritative debut in the Championship Section this year, whilst the debut of the Spanish representatives (with the possibility of a band from Portugal attending next year) was hugely encouraging.

More established banding nations such as Northern Ireland see the event as offering a realistic competitive avenue to mark progress again counterparts of roughly the same level, whilst the 'one off' opportunity (as seen by the Scots this year) enables nations to maintain their European credentials.

Any if any band in any part of Europe is looking for inspiration to succeed, then it is well worth remembering that it has taken Brass Band Regensburg just seven years from their formation to become European Challenge Section champions.

Iwan Fox

This is the culmination of so many years of hard work and commitment from the band, of working on good principles and knowing that they had to improve year on year. I'm thrilled for them all — they deserve itDave Lea

Results:

Challenge Section:

Adjudicators: Ian Bousfield, Herve Grelat, Bert Van Thienen
Test Piece: Terezin (Mario Burki) & Own Choice Programme

1. Brass Band Regensburg (Dave Lea): 95
2. LT Brass (Russell Gray): 93
3. 1st Old Boys (Stephen Cairns): 92
4. Malaga (Victor Eloy Lopez Cerezo): 89
5. Annan Town (Paul Drury): 88*

Best Soloist: Benedikt Seidl (euphonium) — Brass Band Regensburg

*denotes 2 point penalty for exceeding playing time