Live

Published on March 8th, 2020 by gavin

LIVE: Yorkshire Regional Brass Band Championships 2020 – Championship

Results:

Youngest Player: Rhys Stokes 11yo – Strata

Best Soloist: Euphonium Toni Durrant – CMF

Best Instrumentalist: Solo Horn Scott Bennett Hatfield

Best Principal: Richard Marshall – Black Dyke

Winning MD: Black Dyke

1. Black Dyke

2. CMF

3. Hepworth

4. Brighouse & Rastrick

5. Ellend Silver

6. City Of Bradford

Predictions

Well, it’s been a long day here in Huddersfield for the championship section, but wow have we heard some playing! The bar was immediately set with Brighouse off a number 1 draw. Has any band beaten that? I don’t think so. There’s been some band’s here that have found the technical demands of this piece a lot harder than others, and some of the interpretations haven’t really worked for us. Going on what we’ve heard this afternoon, we’re going to go for a top 6 of:

Brighouse & Rastrick
Black Dyke
Hammonds
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
Rothwell
Grimethorpe

Dark Horse: City of Bradford

Band #14 – Carlton Main Frickley Colliery

Good opening. The detail comes across well. In to 11/12 works well! Lovely stuff this. 28 works well. 35 is good. All the detail is there and there is a good sense of drive. Euph/Sop/Cornet, lovely stuff! Cornet/Euph is tight! This flows well. Excellent sop! There’s some excellent dynamic contrast and just all round playing on show here. Great ending, if a slightly different style choice.

The 2nd movements starts well. This is nice and tender. Stunning Euph solo, perhaps a touch slow though? Euph cadenza is lush! Excellent Baritone! Horn mostly works. Cornet cadenza – stunning. The quartet before the PP works well. PP into the FF is stunning. Nice Trombone to finish.

Solid opening. Lots of energy being pumped into this one! Clarity occasionally suffers, but there’s some good playing here. Euph/Sop duet works well. The basses do well and the detail can be heard. Lots of dynamic contrast. Nothing is overdone, which is nice to hear! Into the finale section works well. The finale section is not without the odd moment of intonation in the lower end melody. The dynamic nuances work very well! Lots of energy to drive us home!

Overall

An interesting one from CMFCB. Some amazing playing on show, but there were too many little clips for me. It’ll still be up there for sure, that goes without saying. I’m just not sure how high. This all depends on what the adjudicator is looking for.

Band #13 – Elland Silver

Good opening, just watch intonation in the horns. This is flowing nicely, just watch the tuning. It occasionally shifts. Watch the sound at 28, the FF was a little harsh. Into 35 works well. This has a slightly manic feel to it. Good dynamic contrasts however. The detail is coming through, but the sound is a bit harsh at times still. Euph/Sop/Cornet do well. This has a good flow. Sop does well. Just watch the balance. Good ending to this movement.

2nd movement starts well. This has a nice flow to it. Euph does well, just watch the tuning in the upper register. Euph cadenza works well. Baritone does well. Good job Solo Horn. Watch tuning before the Cornet cadenza. Well done Cornet, great cadenza. The quartet flows well. The PP section works well. Watch sop tuning at the FF. Good Trombone to close.

And we’re off! The 3rd movement motors a long to start. We’re loosing a little clarity but this is pretty exciting! Just the odd moment of loose playing detracts. The bass triplets can be heard mostly. Just watch tuning in the upper band. This is just on the edge, but it works! Don’t overdo the crescendo’s too much! As we move into the finale we’re starting to loose some of the detail. Watch the intonation in the lower end melody. The dynamic contrast mostly works. Big and brash to end. This was a little frantic.

Overall

A solid performance from Elland. It was all there, the detail, the soloist etc. Just a shame that we had too many tuning issues. Worth noting the choice of tempo for the last movement. It was just on the edge. Mid-table this one for us.

Band #12 – Hepworth

Great opening. Dynamic contrasts work well. This has a good flow to it. Lots of detail is jumping out. 28 mostly comes off. Good effort trombone. 35 feels a tad frenzied. Some of the detail is being lost. Good Euph/Sop work. We’ve lost a bit of the tempo, this works so much better. Good effort Cornet/Euph. There is still a sense of wanting to push all the time. Good effort Sop! This is a little loose to end…

2nd movement starts very unsteadily and the tuning could be better. This settles fairly quickly however. Euph does well. Confident cadenza from the Euph. Good Baritone cadenza. Well done Horn, good stuff! Cornet does well. Nice quartet into the PP. PP balance is a little top heavy. Don’t over-do the FF! Nice trombone to close.

Untidy opening that takes a while to settle. Again, this feels very frantic at times! We’re loosing lots of details. Euph/Sop do well, nice flow. Most of the bass triplets can be heard. We’re loosing a lot of the clarity. This is on edge. The finale was loose and way too overblown. We lost all the detail.

Overall

One that got away from them this. The band was more than capable of playing the piece, but just let it run away. It got manic at times and the sound was distorted due to overblowing. That being said, there was some lovely solo contributions along the way. Will it feature in the placings? We’re not sure…

Band #11 – Strata

Unsettled opening, but this quickly resolves. Watch the tuning, it’s not always quite right. Some of the rhythms don’t come across as accurate. Watch the tuning around 28. 35 is a little untidy but settles pretty quick. Some scrappy playing around the stand. This generally good, just not always 100% accurate. Good Sop! Lower end, watch the tuning. The ending settles and this is good to close.

2nd movement starts well, just a tad slow perhaps as we’re loosing the flow this needs. Euph does well, good sound! Euph cadenza works well! Well done Baritone. Horn does well, nice style! Good effort principal cornet! Quartet before the PP works well. Watch tuning at the PP section. Good trombone to close. Watch the band tuning.

Unsteady start to the 3rd movement. Not always accurate in the melody. It’s slowly starting to settle but there’s a lot of detail being lost in the texture even at this steadier tempo. Watch the intonation Euph/Sop! We loose clarity in the bass end. There is a nice flow to the music here as we approach the finale section, still loosing the detail in the lower end. A bit of a frantic ending this.

Overall

A mixed one from Strata this. It never quite got going and lost its way a little at times. Some very poor intonation and lack of clarity will have cost them. Such a shame this.

Band #10 – Black Dyke

Solid opening, all detail comes across well. Great dynamic contrast! 28 is stunning, so lyrical! Transition into 35 works well. 35 is good, lots of detail coming through. This is good stuff indeed! Euph/Cornet/Sop – stunning. Lots of detail can be heard. Euph/Cornet works well. Fantastic sop in the 6/8! Brilliant playing! Great close this.

2nd movement starts wonderfully. This is emotive and lyrical. Euph Solo is sweet, beautiful playing. The tiniest blip in the cadenza but this is phenomenal playing. Baritone cadenza is lush.Well done Solo Horn, beautiful stuff! Excellent cornet cadenza. The following quartet is stunning. The PP is so quiet, again….stunning. This builds up beautifully to the FF. What a sound! Trombone is excellent to close.

Excellent start to the 3rd movement. We can hear all the detail clearly and the dynamic contrasts are very effective. Euph/Sop duet is lush. The clarity in the basses through the triplets is amazing! The drive into the finale section works so well. There is just the odd moment of itonation issues in this finale section, but wow.

Overall

Top class stuff from Black Dyke, as expected. The soloists were stunning and the amount of detail brought of the music was exceptional. It will definitely be up there, but it’s still behind Brighouse for us.

Band #9 – Skelmanthorpe

Untidy opening from Skelmanthorpe. Watch the balance in the cornets. Tuning around 28 could be better! Good transition into 35. This feels slightly frenzied. The detail is being lost. Good transition into the 6/8 section. Euph/Sop do well. Horn/Bari melody flows well. This is quite scrappy at times. Touch of nerves perhaps? Well done sop! This has finally started to settle. Some good sounds coming out the texture now! Tight ending.

2nd movement starts well, lovely horn interjections. This has a nice flow to it. Solo Euph does well, just watch intonation in the upper register. Well done Baritone. Stunning Horn Cadenza. Excellent cadenza Cornet! The quartet before the PP works well. PP works mostly well, just odd moments of weak tuning in the cornets. Nice build up to the FF. Watch tuning as we diminuendo. Trombone does well to finish.

3rd movement starts well. Most of the detail can be heard. The bigger dynamics sometimes get a bit harsh! Make sure the triplets before the Euph/Sop feature don’t push. Euph/Sop do well. Nice drive to the music following this. Occasionally we just loose detail in the triplet melody lines. This is pushing and we’re loosing clarity because of it. Lots of energy in to the finale. Tuning and detail suffers at the the finale section. Gets scrappy towards the end! Nice close.

Overall

A performance that didn’t quite work for us. The tempo’s meant we lost detail and some of the dynamics were far too big for the band. This will be lucky to feature today in such a strong field of bands.

Band #8 – Hatfield & Askern Colliery

Good opening. Watch the balance, we’re loosing occasionally loosing the cornet detail. Good flow through 11/12 and onwards. Build up to 28 is good, just don’t over do it! Good into 35. Plenty of detail is coming through. Just the occasional untidy moment. Just watch the balance through the 6/8 section. Good Cornet/Euph. Nice drive. Excellent Sop! Just watch the intonation across the band to close. Otherwise, good close!

Slightly untidy opening to the 2nd movement. This flows well, but could have more space. Euph does well, nice sounds! The Cadenza mostly works. Nice Baritone Cadenza. Nice Horn cadenza. Stunning Cornet Cadenza. The quartet is little overdone, but works well. The PP moves on a bit quicker, not sure about this stylisticly. Good build up to the FF. Big sound at the FF, could be a tad broader. Good Trombone to finish.

Good start. Odd moment here and there. Good choice of tempo for the detail to be heard. Just looses cohesion at times. Euph/Sop duet works well. Good drive. Still loose clarity occasionally. Good dynamic contrasts. Don’t loose concentration in to the final section. Lower end not always togther in the finale section and watch intonation! Big and bold to close.

Overall

A solid performance from Hatfield that should see them in the middle of the table. Some of the style choices didn’t really work for us. Some excellent solo contributions, and well done Principal Cornet! Stunning. I just don’t think it was enough to push them up there.

Band #7 – Hammonds

Steady opening to start, but allows all the cornet detail to heard. Just watch tuning before 11/12. This flows well, nice and lyrical. In to 28 works well. 35 starts well. Plenty of excitement on show. A slightly laid back to the 6/8 section. This works really well though. The energy picks back up and this flows nicely. Well done Sop! Slightly loose to end.

Solid start to the 2nd movement. Lots of emotion present here. Euph solo works well. Stylish cadenza. Good baritone Cadenza. Stunning Horn Cadenza! Well done Principal Cornet. The quartet into the PP works mostly well. The PP is good, and builds effectively into the FF. Good Trombone to finish.

3rd movement starts well. Lots of good sounds. Just loosing the detail here and there due to balance. The build up to the Euph/Sop is exciting! Euph/Sop do well. This flows well. Good dynamic contracts on show. Euph/Cornet do well. The build up in to the finale section works. The finale is good, just watch the intonation in the lower band. Lots of energy to close. Brilliant!

Overall

Well, this was a performance that has definitely changed things here in Huddersfield! Lots of excitment and some class solo playing. This should most definitely feature! All depends on what the adjudicators want…

Band #6 – Crofton Silver

Solid opening. Most of the detail can be heard in the cornets. The lower end melody flows well, just watch the balance between cornets and the melody. In to 28 works well, just watch the tuning. Nice Trombone into 35. 35 works well. Just some loose moments. Euph/ Sop duet works well! Nice sounds to follow. Euph/Cornet duet not quite together. Well done Sop, good stuff! Little messy to end, but still effective.

2nd movement starts a little nervously, but quickly settles. Watch the tuning, it just rubs slightly at times. Stunning Euph, well done. Both solo & cadenza. Well done Baritone. Bravo Horn! Good stuff! Well done Principal Cornet. The quartet flows well. PP works well, good balance. The build up to the FF works really. Just be careful of tuning on the louder dynamics. Nice Trombone to finish.

Slightly loose opening, not all the detail is heard. This has a great drive and feel to it. Well done Sop/Euph, lovely stuff! This is driving forward well. The odd moment, but otherwise this is all generally good! The build up to the finale section works well. This has a great energy, just watch the balance. Fantastic ending!

Overall

An excellent reading from the newly promoted Crofton Silver. There was some excellent playing on show here. This might just be enough to push into the prizes here for us! Good show! Also, special mention to the Solo Horn, excellent stuff!

Band #5 – Drighlington

Starts well, but we’re not quite getting all the detail in the cornets. This is a bit heavy going at times and the music lacks drive & energy. The lower end melody doesn’t line up. 28 works mostly well. Excellent trombone before 35, lovely stuff! 35 is a little steady and a little loose at times. Cornet/Euph duet works well. This is starting to settle down now. Bravo Sop!! Good finish to end.

2nd movement starts well, just watch the intonation in the melody. Otherwise this has nice flow. Euph solo does well! Some nice playing. Well done in the cadenza Euph! Nice Baritone Cadenza. Bravo Horn, not easy that!! Excellent Cornet cadenza. The quartet is a bit stately, but has a lovely sound. Just watch the tuning here and there. PP excellent bass sound! Just watch tuning in the cornets. The FF works mostly well. Excellent Trombone to finish!

3rd movement starts a bit shakily, but settles. There’s some really good moments here! Well done Euph/Sop, just watch the odd bit of intonation. Most of the detail works well, the rhythms aren’t always totally accurate however. Good Sop sound! Approach to the final section works well. The slight lift in tempo really helps build the energy in this! Exciting ending!

Overall

Well done Drighlington on a tough ask! All the soloists rose to the challenge, and there was some good playing around the stand! Just too many unforced errors will have cost them a placing today.

Band #4 – Grimethorpe

Solid opening this. All the detail can be heard. The balance doesn’t always work however. 28 works mostly well. Transition into 35 is good. This has a nice steady feel to it. Horns do well. Lots of detail coming through. Euph/Sop/Cornet works well. Some odd tuning at times and balance doesn’t always work. Good ending to close.

2nd movement starts well. Nice use of dynamics. Euph solo is excellent! Good Euph Cadenza. Nice Baritone cadenza. Really nice Horn cadenza! Excellent cornet cadenza! The following quartet works well. Lead into the PP works well. The PP is very Bass heavy. Watch the tuning at odd moments too. The crescendo to the FF works really well. The flows well. Good Trombone to close.

Good start to the movement. All the detail is there. Sometimes the intonation falters slightly. Euph/Sop duet works well. This all has a good sense of energy to it. The bass end detail comes off well! This is being played well, just odd moments of poor intonation across the band. The final section has a great energy, just watch the tuning in the upper register! Just gets a little loose to finish. Great ending though!

Overall

Another performance that was inconsistent. There was some moments of sheer brilliance, and some that didn’t quite match up. Not sure whether Grimethorpe have done enough to make it to the Albert Hall there. Still too early to tell though…

Band #3 – Rothwell

Excellent opening. The melody flows well. The detail works well, great dynamic contrast. 28 is excellent! Great balance. In to 35 works well. Few clips and blips but this is so effective! Sop/Euph/Cornet works well. Great band sound. Excellent Sop, just watch it doesn’t become too much! Good, but slightly odd feel to the ending of this movement.

2nd movment starts well. This has a lovely feel to it. Euph solo works mostly well. Nice cadenza to follow. Stunning baritone cadenza. Good cadenza from the Horn. Excellent Cornet cadenza! The following quartet is lush. Slightly loose into the PP but this is lovely stuff. The crescendo works well. Good Trombone to finish.

Not always clean to start the 3rd movement, but this quickly settles. Some great band sounds on display! The detail is all coming through. Sop/Euph duet works well. Just start to loose some of the clarity in the triplet rhythms. This is really good stuff as we lead into the final section of the piece. This isn’t overdone, and it works so well! What an exciting ending!!

Overall

A performance that was not expected from this Yorkshire band. There was something missing. Such a shame because the reading and style was stunning! Not sure where this one will feature today sadly.

Band #2 – City of Bradford

Nice opening. Horn/Flugel melody works well. The odd unsecure moment in the cornets. Watch the intonation in the upper dynamics! Transition into 35 works mostly well. Not all the detail can be heard. Just odd the moment of loose playing. Euph/Cornet duet does well. This could be tighter mostly. Good effort Sop! Good playing to finish the movement.

The 2nd movement starts with a lovely lyrical style. Could do more with the dynamic contrast. Euph does well, but could be more emotive. Good cadenza euph, but VERY bold. Could’ve been more tender for me. Baritone does well! Good effort Horn! Excellent Cornet Cadenza. Following quartet needs more space. Watch the tuning in the PP section, occasionally this slips. The FF is a little harsh, needs to be broader, not louder. Tasteful Trombone to finish.

Good start to the 3rd movement. Most of the detail can be heard. The triplets don’t always line up, but this is good stuff! Sop/Euph duet works well. Just watch the intonation in the horns following this. Most of the detail in the running bass lines can be heard. This has plenty of energy and drive, good stuff! The flow into the final section is good. Just watch the intonation in the Euph/Trombones in the upper register. Massive band sound to finish! Great stuff!

Overall

Excellent stuff from City of Bradford. Full of excitement and energy! The soloists in the middle movement all did fantastic jobs, if just a little over the top. It’s a tough job following Brighouse, but I think CoB really rose to this occassion! Good job guys!

Band #1 – Brighouse & Rastrick

Solid start. The cornet detail is so clear and quiet. All the dynamics just work. Great band sounds all around. The progression into the 35 is clear and precise. We occasionally loose some detail, but this is so effective. The 6/8 section flows nicely. Good cornet and Euph duet. Excellent sop! Lip trills? Nice. Effective ending.

2nd starts well, odd moment here and there. This is gorgeous stuff. Euph solo – stunning. Euph Cadenza – stunning. Beautiful Baritone Cadenza. Excellent Horn Cadenza! Great Cornet Cadenza. The following quartet works well. The PP playing that follows is magical. Everything is balanced beautifully into the FF. Lovely trombone to finish.

3rd Movement starts well between cornet and euph. All the detail can be heard. Excellent playing this! Stunning Sop/Euph duet, the underlying band is so effective. All the detail in the basses can heard cleanly. This is exciting stuff! Not much to fault with this, if anything. As we move into the final section, this is big and bold! Excellent stuff. Just the occasional upper register tuning but nothing that detracts at all. What an ending!!

Overall

What an opening performance from Brighouse! This was just exceptional stuff. As defending Yorkshire champions, they’ve just set the bar ridiculously high!