National Brass Band Championship UK

[Seymor B Fudd]

After 61 years wanting to I finally made it to the Royal Albert Hall last saturday - why? The UK brassband championship! In an another forum, the Lounge I wrote about it but I think these remarkable performances could need a more dedicated post so: Hopefully some of you guys were able to attend??

The competition lasted from 10 o´clock in the morning til 0730 pm.
20 bands! The test piece was a quite impressive chart by the Austrian - Hermann Pallhuber, Titan´s Progress - a fascinating composition displaying genuine test piece qualities, streaks of "ländler", beautiful solos (euphonium, cornet). The soprano part - oh my ....extreme range runs up to E (=A for Bb cornets) - matched by the tuba section with complicated long runs with an abundance of semiquavers or even faster, often in a very fast tempo.... Many parts with that so very special brass band sound, mighty, powerful, broad spectrum, cantabile parts. And, quite a surprise, a rather common use of vibrato! Vibrato has been banned for a long time so I´ve been told/and have experienced, but seems to be back in better shape. Today, even in my band, a vibrato more to enhance the lyrical/cantabile sound than being a vibrato per se.; that is rather subtle. You brassbanders all over including the Island - how about this?
The cornet sections, full of youngsters and very seasoned players of both sexes, succeeded in sounding "cornetty" in spite of high register and full power!
After some time I could follow the different sections by the help of an open score......I was stupefied by the virtuosity and the ease (most of the time) of playing. We predicted 6 bands among the best and 4 of them were correct so some musicality seems to be at hand.....in all humility The Cory Band ended up as champions - you could feel the enormous resources of the band as a unit and of the individual members. However much to our surprise their sopranoplayer was awarded the best individual player - we thought there were others who played more with their bands. But he sure is a formidable player, this elderly chap.
But great performances from almost every band; the young female euphonist of the Carlton band played just beautifully!
There is nothing much that can surpass the mighty yet very cantabile sound of a brass band at full speed ahead - or - slow "airy" almost dreamy sound of cornets, horns, euphoniums!
What a musical experience - will stay long in my mind!
Today I´ve been deep in rehearsal for our own participation in a coming contest. 4 hours deeply lost in the "Aeronauts", the Music from Kantara - charts that are much much easier than the championship test piece....but as fun to play - hopefully listening to as well.
I´m so grateful having had the opportunity to play in "my" brassband more than 60 years! Besides all the other bands..
_________________
Cornets: mp 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974)