European Championship 2016 – 2nd place!

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What a fantastic end to an amazing Youth Band contesting season!

We came second in the European Championship - one point away from the winner, Young Brass Band Willebroek from Belgium. We were absolutely delighted that our own Siobhan Bates took the overall solo prize on tenor horn with Cappriccio Brilliante - quite a weekend! We also performed a concert on the Friday evening, about which you can read a writeup here.

Click here for the full results

Watch our performance!

Olympus

Philip Harper

 

 

Capriccio Brilliante

H. Belstedt arr Sandy Smith

 

 

Audio only

Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra John Williams arr Klaas van der Woude

March Brioso Philip Sparke

 

 

4barsrest talk to Chris, Siobhan and Becca after our performance in Lille!

 

 

Here's what Malcolm Wood of British Bandsman had to say:

Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans)

Olympus (Philip Harper) Capriccio Brilliante (H. Belstedt arr Sandy Smith), Tenor Horn Soloist: Siobhan Bates, Scherzo for Motor Cycle and Orchestra John Williams arr Klaas van der Woude), March Brioso (Philip Sparke)

It's the Olympic themed set work to open for the four time English winner of youth contests in the UK in 2016.

It's so well polished and delivered right from the bright opening. There's that winning Olympic spirit running through the nostrils of the players too. They are so composed on stage here and there is so much warmth in the playing although the percussion playing wasn't as neat and polished as it could have been.

Siobhan Bates goes all Sheona White with the solo the Scot was synonymous with, 'Capriccio Brilliante'. It's classy playing right from the off, so secure and measured with nothing out of place and it's a breeze as the tempos are upped at the end. Very impressive indeed and very easy to see why this lady is so highly respected and sought after.

Possibly the best horn playing of the entire weekend - and look who has played on this stage so far?

The remainder of the programme comes from their recent Premier Section National Youth winning victory.

The Scherzo for Motor Cycle and Orchestra is so well balanced whilst the reprise of the Philip Sparke 'March Brioso' bristles along within the blink of an eye and makes you think of 'You're riding along on the crest of a wave....'.

Seriously high class playing from the English representative, but whether it is enough today to topple the Young guns of Willebroek (or anyone else still to come) remains to be seen.

Malcolm Wood

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