Pontins Brass Band Championships
26th October 2003
Festival Music
Eric Ball (1956)
Conducted by Graham O'Connor
Adjudicator:
David Read
1. Overture
Good sound & style, all well shaped. (4) Neat, only slight slips occur in pitching, what a pity. Effective from (12) Good Basses. I like the light texture. Final bars fine until last note?
2. Romance
Heavy! Bar 5 fine. (1) Excellent. Fine Euphonium (2) Solo Cornet good sound & shape (3) Neat & tidy (4) Lovely sound & shape ~ just the way it should be. (7) Fine Trombone, & Solo Cornet fits around so well. Artistic Euphonium & Solo Cornet from (8) I enjoy this. Beautiful ending!
3. Impromptu
Excellent opening. (2) Slight problem - only minor (5) Just right - (dynamic level) (8) So well shaped (9) Slight slip. Style is good, so important. Final bars good but penultimate bar too long & heavy.
Very good shaped performance not without lapses.
Adjudicator:David Horsefield
1. Overture
Stylish opening with refinement and the music flows well. Tutti at (3) excellent. Dynamics are well defined. Slip into (7). Detail 2 before (8). Balanced and sonorous in (9). Triplets into (12) good. Soprano Cornet (a few clicks noted). Distinctive reading which impresses. Poor close.
2. Romance
Secure entry and apart from a few slips the music flows well, although a little heavy. Better in bar 5. Bass line effective. Euphonium nice shape. (2) Well controlled here. In (3) you negotiate this section quite well. (5) Good stylish playing. (6) Sonorous sounds noted and the music flows well. (8) Excellent solo playing from Solo Cornet/Euphonium. A really musical approach, almost chamber music here. Delightful close.
3. Impromptu
Exciting atmosphere created and the ensemble shows a rhythmic tightness. A few careless moments but the music lives. Excellent pp at (5). (8) Shows an expressive band. Slip from Solo Cornet, but you are taking chances. (10) Well restrained and the Vivace leads into the final section which almost succeeds.
Thank You.
Result :
1.Skelmanthorpe
2.Hepworth
3.Fishburn Band
4.Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
5.Ashton-Under-Lyne
6.Glossop Old
7.Dobcross
8.Pennine Brass
9.Lindley Band
10. B.T. Band
11. Bedwas Trethomas & Machen
12. Nottingham City Transport
13. Wingates
14. Beaumaris
15. Gateshead Brass
16. City of Coventry
17. Tongwynlais Temperance Silver
18. Mossley
19. Jackkfield (Elcock Reisen)
20. Drighlington
21. Freckleton
(4 additional bands withdrew from the contest)
