It was not only the emerging transitions fuelling the future of Norwegian energy production that were highlighted in Stavanger.

Sunday belonged to the next generation of the nation's brass band playing talent as Hordaland Ungdomsbrassband and Ytrebygda Skolekorps claimed the European Youth Championship Premier and Development titles.

Although having challenges of its own (the school that produced the 2023 and 2024 Development Champion Smoras Skolemusikk is reputedly facing potential closure, whilst the NMF is looking at ways to tackle the loss of young players to the senior banding movement after they leave education), the performances were powerful endorsements of the long term investment in youth development in the country.

Hordaland Ungdomsbrassband, made up of the best young players in the Hordaland county region (the area around Bergen) aged between 13 and 20, were the worthiest of champions.

Seriousness and fun

Led by the inspirational figure of MD Reid Gilje, their programme was a showcase mix of controlled seriousness and exuberant fun, marked by a wonderfully balanced ensemble sound and confident lead lines (many of which were shared between players).

Opening with the razor-sharp precision of James Curnow's 'Tribute', they followed it with one of the highlights of the entire weekend — a rendition of Morten Lauridsen's 'O Magnum Mysterium' that hung in the air of the Stavanger Konsertus in frozen beauty.

Kjetil Djonne's clever Nordic set-test portraiture 'Northern Passages' could have accompanied an advert for the Norwegian tourist board; the opening all misty fjords and emerging dramatic grandeur, the second movement a playful mazurka dance light of foot and feel.

'Bansull' was a short lyrical interlude that led to a bit of 'fiddly-dee' playfulness in 'Halling' that set the seal on a performance of stylish maturity.

They rounded things off with a stonking, choreographed rendition of 'Mahalageasca' played with such joyful brio (aided by a stunning perc team) that all that was missing was Reid Gilje wearing a bowl of fruit on his head like Carmen Miranda.

It was quite something — the standing ovation from the audience an entirely appropriate mark of its title winning excellence.

Swiss excellence

Swiss banding has also been investing in its youth for some years now — the rewards readily heard with Brass Band Treize Etoiles and Valaisia on the weekend (as well as at the recent National Solo Championships) — with its National Youth Band (formed in 1976) a match for any around the world.

BML Talents (ostensibly the B Band of Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern) also plays in the senior Swiss First Section. Packed with talent, they pushed the Norwegians to the line in what must have been a photo-finish to separate for judges Russell Gray and Jan de Haan.

Led by Patrick Ottiger, their performances of the upbeat 'Euroflash', followed by the set-work and 'For a Love Lost' were imposing endorsements of their quality, before they upped things with a swaggering rendition of 'Across the Desert' excerpt from Thierry Deleruyelle's 'Sand and Stars' and a neat nod to their contest hosts in 'Nordic Polska' to close.

Catch encouragement

Former three time champion Catch Basin Brass Band from Austria ended third, but will have taken a great deal of encouragement back home with them as they look towards representing the nation on home soil in Linz in 2026.

Led by Georg Pranger, the performances 'Corineus', 'Brasilia' (featuring a fine trombone soloist in Marc-Anton Allmaier) and the set-work held future promise as well as current purpose.

Growing maturity

Such was the standard on shows that the defending champion in the Lithuanians of Brass Band Sklepucini had to be content with fourth place.

However, the rapidly growing musical maturity of the players (shown with Brass Band Aukstyn in the Development Section and Brass LT in the senior Championships Section) remains hugely encouraging for the banding movement in the country.

Vilmantas Vapsva led his ensemble with purposeful intent as they opened with Todd Slater's 'Ignition', followed by a 'Best Soloist' rendition of 'Pantomime' by their euphonium player Barnardas Butkus (repeating the accolade won last year) and the set-work.

English student fit

That left the English representatives of the University of Chichester, who returned for a second successive year under MD Emma Button.

Just how the link of sending the UK UniBrass Championship winners here now fits in with this event's outlook remains debatable, although there was a great deal to enjoy in their approach in a set built around their winning UniBrass programme.

Potential catalyst

With EBBA itself in need of securing its future by engaging with future generations of European-wide performers, it seems curious that given its ongoing commitment to the European Youth Band, this contest still has the feel of being an 'add-on' rather than an integral part of the overall event.

Even more so, when the open-air prize ceremony was such a fantastic occasion.

The potential for the Youth Championship being a catalyst right at the heart of the European weekend instead of the rather anaemic and exhausted Challenge Section is obvious.

Iwan Fox

The potential for the Youth Championship being a catalyst right at the heart of the European weekend instead of the rather anaemic and exhausted Challenge Section is obvious4BR

Result:

Premier Section:

Adjudicators: Russell Gray; Jan de Haan
Set Work: Northern Passages (Kjetil Djonne)

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: Bernardas Butkus (euphonium) — Brass Band Sklepucini