2017 NYBB (L to R) Jack Bewley, Georgia Hoy, Luke Spence (Also Named Most Outstanding Player) and Byrce Fairweather
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The Official Journal of the Brass Band Association New Zealand Volume 63 | Issue 2 | March 2017 ISSN 1173 6089 New Zealand Mouthpiece is proudly sponsored by JP Musical Instruments | www.musicways.co.nz | 09 477 0384 | [email protected] Best section and quiz champions - the euphoniums and baritones of the 2017 NYBB (L to R) Jack Bewley, Georgia Hoy, Luke Spence (also named Most Outstanding Player) and Byrce Fairweather. 2017 NYBB The Taranaki rain didn’t dampen the Georgia Hoy, Jack Bewley, Luke Spence and Palmerston North Brass, Mark Davey, Emily enthusiasm and concentration of the 2017 Bryce Fairweather. Richards and Wellington Brass, Pub Charity, National Youth Brass Band throughout its the Infinity Foundation, the Four Winds Most Improved Player: Lachlan Spence – training camp and concert tour. Meeting Foundation, Wellington Community Trust, Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass in New Plymouth on Saturday 21 January, ABI Music, the New Zealand Army Band, the band went straight into rehearsal under Best Bandsperson and Outstanding Soloist: RNZ Air Force Band, and the Friends of the musical director David Bremner. Sectional Dale Vail – Wellington Brass National Youth Brass Band. work was taken by a very talented group of MD’s Award for Outstanding Musical The management committee would tutors: Alan Spence, Mark Carter, Robbie Contribution: Patrick Di Somma – especially like to thank David Bremner, Mike Cargill, Byron Newton, Mark Davey, Leigh Wellington Brass Ford, Leigh Martin and Dennis Teeling for Martin and Grant Myhill. all the work they did to ensure the success of Most Outstanding Player: Luke Spence – Other than rehearsing, the band members the NYB. Wellington Brass took part in a quiz night (won by the baritone/eupho section), an intense Player’s Player (New award commissioned by scavenger hunt and a night-time tour of the Dave, decided by secret ballot amongst the Festival of Lights at Pukekura Park. Concerts members): Hayden Cullen – Kaiapoi Brass. In this issue we: were held in New Plymouth, Wanganui, • Review the Youth Band concert, Congratulations to all involved with the 2017 Palmerston North and Wellington. All NYBB. • Congratulate a composer on a who heard the band agreed that it played recent award, to an extremely high level and was very The Association would like to thank the entertaining. following individuals and organisations for • Give background to the 2017 band supporting the 2017 National Youth Brass test pieces, The following awards were presented at the Band: Leigh Martin, Kinsley Sampson, end of the course: • And continue the series of advice Rod Greensill, Trevor and Betty Bremner, columns from Dr Bob. Best Audition: Mollie Cornfield – North Mr and Mrs Howard, Ray Farrow and The Shore Brass Devon Hotel New Plymouth Brass, Gary Happy banding. Vinnell, Chris Smith, Johnny Greensill Best Section: Baritone and Euphoniums – and Brass Whanganui, Chrissy Butts and 1 2 Listen Out – the stories behind the test music A Grade: Journey of the Lone Wolf by Simon the Hungarian countryside to collect and self-quotation on solo tuba. This leads into the Dobson was the set test piece for the 2016 catalogue the astonishing variety (both second dance, a frenetic scherzo, followed by Championship Section finals of the National harmonically and rhythmically) of gypsy and the second aria, in the style of a lament (solo Brass Band Championships of Great folk music heard in the Balkans. The arrival of euphonium, followed by two flugel horns). This Britain. This was the first time that a work by WW1 plunges Bartók’s beloved Hungary into builds to a powerful climax which subsides, Dobson was chosen for the elite division of this chaos. leaving the percussion to introduce the final famous brass band contest. The work depicts toccata-like dance. It transforms material from 2. Night Music: Bartók was at times a cold the story of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók the opening before a coda brings the music to a man, aloof and lonely. The odd moments of and was commissioned by Nicholas Childs for triumphant close. The large percussion section tenderness he showed are portrayed here in a Black Dyke Band in 2014. is an integral part in the work and uses a wide series of evocative solos. His brief but intense variety of instruments. Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was one of the most affairs speak of a love he could only long for. influential composers of the 20th century. His C Grade: Kenneth Downie’s Purcell Variations 3. Flight and Fight: Having been forced by the work bristles with colour and energy, with its was written to mark the 300th anniversary world’s evils to leave his homeland of Hungary roots deep in the earth of his beloved Hungary. of Henry Purcell’s death. Henry Purcell is for America, Bartók, the anti-fascist, felt However, Bartók was born into a landscape of deemed to have been at the peak of English isolated and angry. In this movement we hear perpetual social and political change. Bartók Baroque composers famed for his operatic his longing for a simpler time of gypsy folk was a quiet and lonely child, prevented from and choral compositions. Purcell was born in dances as well as his maturity and depth as a playing with other children by illness. He St Ann’s Old Pye Street, Westminster and his composer finally exploring deeper colours and found solace in the folk music his devoted family lived just a few hundred yards from darker themes. mother taught him to play at the piano. Many Westminster Abbey of Bartók’s middle period of compositions, B Grade: Dances and Arias by Edward Gregson Kenneth Downie’s first love is choral music, especially his slower-paced movements, have was commissioned by Boosey & Hawkes Band and he often uses the hymn tunes as themes been coined Night Music, evocative of the Festivals (with funds provided by the Arts and influences in his compositions. Downie’s landscape or emotional reaction to night-time Council of Great Britain) for the 1984 National choice of Purcell’s hymn tune, Westminster or darkness. Brass Band Championships of Great Britain. Abbey, is thus more than relevant as a theme for “Bartók was the Lone Wolf. A man who Dances and Arias is in one continuous his Purcell’s Variations. musically fought tyranny and fascism. His movement, but as the title suggests is a D Grade: Mid all the Traffic by Leonard journey took him from the hills of the Balkans series of alternating fast and slow sections Ballantine. This beautiful arrangement marries to the heart of the New World. His singular as follows: Dance – Aria I – Dance (scherzo) the words of John Oxenham to the American vision may have meant a life out in the cold, a – Aria II – Dance. The opening dance is traditional melody Shenandoah. A perfect life without warmth and love, a life without true energetic and introduces a four-note motif (on reflective piece that is often used at contests and happiness, a death mourned by few in a strange trombones) which is the basis for much of the concerts alike. land, but Bartók was the Lone Wolf”, says melodic material in the work. Throughout, Dobson there is a continuous process of thematic cross- Leonard Ballantine is a choral conductor and reference and transformation. bandmaster, raised in Windsor Ontario, who Journey of the Lone Wolf is portrayed in three studied piano, composition and conducting at linked movements: The first aria unfolds a long melody on solo the University of Toronto. He is a Major of the cornet, eventually continued by all the solo 1. Capturing the Peasants’ Song: After the Salvation Army and conductor of the band and cornets, and dissolving into a shimmering upheaval of moving to Budapest the young choir of the Yorkminster Citadel in Toronto, harmonic background (muted cornets, horns Béla Bartók meets Zoltán Kodály and the pair and the Norwich Citadel Band of the Salvation and baritones) over which is heard a brief embark on summertime adventures throughout Army. Structured De/Constructed ~ Concert Review I was fortunate to be able to organise my time Jordan joined the band after her funeral. The Phillip Sparke’s Zambesi, and Brad Mancer gave so that I could be in Wellington on Saturday first half closed with Phillip Wilby’s Paganini a very musical performance of Phillip Harper’s 28 January to hear the National Youth Brass Variations. No doubt this was chosen by the arrangement of Under the Boardwalk. It is Band present their concert Structured De/ Musical Director as the band’s challenge for worth noting that this latter performance was Constructed at the Te Whaea National Dance this year. The band responded with a very considerably enhanced by the playing of Andre and Drama Centre. creditable performance. Some of the well- Brown on Eb Bass. Occasionally during this known difficulties were evident but there was half enthusiasm outweighed musicality and the The band, under the superb direction of David also some very fine playing including some fine balance of the band suffered a little but this did Bremner, opened its programme with a very flugel playing from Brad Mancer. not detract from an enjoyable second half. It fine reading of Denis Wright’s arrangement was pleasing to see an arrangement of Dancing of Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture. This For the second half the band changed from Men, by New Zealand arranger Fraser Bremner, was a very mature, refined performance from formal attire into more casual clothing and used to bring the concert to a close. this young band and for this reviewer was one presented a very lively second half of what of the night’s highlights.