EBBA has announced more line up of bands for the 2008 Championships to be held in Stavanger in just over a month’s time.
The line up of competing bands has been confirmed as follows:
Championship Section:
Cory Band (Wales)
Stavanger Brass Band (Norway)
Kirkintilloch Band (Scotland)
Brass Band De Wâldsang (Holland)
Brass Band Oberösterreich (Austria)
Brass Band Willebroek (Belgium)
Brass Band Buizingen (Belgium)
Grimethorpe Colliery Band (England)
Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band (Denmark)
Stockholm Brass Band (Sweden)
Brass Band Fribourg (Switzerland)
B — Section:
Brass Band Frener-Reifer (Italy)
3BA Brass (Germany)
Murley Silver Band (Ireland)
Musikkorpset Gjallarhorn (Norway)
EBBA had invited Norway to nominate an extra band for the B-Section and the Norwegian Band Federation nominated Musikkorpset Gjallarhorn, the Third Division National Champions of 2007.
Set works
As reported on 4BR the set works for both sections of the contest have also been confirmed too, with Håkon Berge’s ‘Brass Blot’ and Craig Farr’s ‘Cornucopia’ the works that will be premiered.
This is the first time Berge has written for a brass band contest.
Those who offer most to the gods, in this case the judges, will win. It really takes brass music back to heathen timesHåkon Berge
Show off
He stated: "Brass musicians are a bread of their own. When you write for a symphony orchestra, nobody asks you to write something faster or more difficult. But the brass bands, they like to show off as much as they can, and showing it off in ten minutes."
When asked about the piece he said: "The title is supposed to be a little different, kind of a skewed look at the contest. Those who offer most to the gods, in this case the judges, will win. It really takes brass music back to heathen times."
Music that shall live
He added: "I’m not thinking about contests, but music. Music that shall live after a winner has been announced. Music that the performer must turn into his own, that’s what’s important. I also hope the audience feels a familiarity to the music, that they keep an open mind and experience it in their own way when they hear it."
He has dedicated the new piece to his first music teacher and conductor of his school band in Stavanger, Nils Haara.
Cornucopia
Meanwhile Craig Farr commented on his work: "The cornucopia, the horn of plenty, is an old symbol for something that gave people everything they needed. People get what they need from the planet, but have ruined things by greed. It ends on a rocky note, just as the music does. It starts off nicely, but ends on a sour and sad note."
With a well known family background in brass banding he knws what he wants: "I have tried to adapt my sound and my musical ideals. I want to give people music that they will enjoy practicing and immersing themselves in, not some ‘pling-plong’ music they would hate. Norwegian brass bands have been in the forefront when it comes to commissioning and performing new music."
Excited
He added: "I don’t want by piece to scare anyone, but rather give a nice taste of contemporary music. But it’s rhythmically more demanding than many countries will be accustomed to."
He is very excited by hearing his work too: "Very. I have mixed feelings, though. It is overwhelming and exciting, and really puts the composition to the test. It’ll be played many times by many bands. But it is educational for me that the piece will be studied and worked on by both conductors and judges."
More information:
You can read more about the composers:
