Adjudicators: John Doyle and Ian Brownbill
Conductor: John Berryman
Position: 4th (Qualification to the 2015 Grand Shield)
Winter Gardens, Blackpool, April 26 2014
John Doyle:
Opening – yes band – what an opening. Wow. Just listen to unison tuning on long notes and get in tune. A little scrappy on quavers after 10 but it recovers. 20 – Great bass noise. 30 – scrappy solo cornet (and Sop I think). Troms are epic. This is full of energy Mr/Mrs MD. 50 – Good Sop & Rep. 60 – not so good! Lovely balanced chord into poco lento. Musical Euph & Flug (bass had a mis-fire) but it didn’t affect the flow.
Troms and cornet not together at 80 – it is the second time around. What a great band sound – the best I have heard so far today. Troms again shine. A little untidy before 110 though troms. Euph & cornet lovely but out of tune on bottom C’s. Bari does well. Scrappy in ff before 140 cornets. Go bari at 140 – great .Nice horns in p stuff. Dynamic is good. Yes basses at 160. Hello Mr/Mrs Bass Drum. Bass trom is spot on after 170. 190 – this all works well band – what a noise into 200. Good rit into Moderato. Cornet & Flug sound great – just the odd moment of not being totally together. Largo is played so well but its all very loud. Solo Horn is Epic – that is all!! 220 – 3 sounds quieter than Largo when it should be louder. 220 – lovely glock & sop. Great basses into vivo and a lovely dynamic from Euph & Horn. Vivo – Yes troms – brilliant. Superperbly graduated cresc into 4 before 240. Solo cornet does well and I love how the band play quieter so we can hear him/her on the top Eb. Bass is the best we had heard today – brilliant into 280 guys. Band, you are playing with enthusiasm and confidence (it’s like the solo cornet and Eb bass have spurred you on). Great trom at 300. 310 – I absolutely love the sound. Solo cornets are clean as a whistle at 320. Un pochissimo – Brilliant balance – what a noise. 360 – Epic Sop. This is all superb band – so well directed and played. Ending is fabulous.
Overall – A wonderful performance – Soloists did so well and this is the best sound I have heard all day. It would have been nice for you to take some risks in the Largo section – it was a bit safe for me. Thank you.
Ian Brownbill:
Solid opening – lots of time and space. Fine into 30. Well controlled at 40. Percussion a little loose bar 55. Poco Lento generally good (careful Eb Bass). 79 is untidy – some better playing to follow and some great band sounds. Again just a little untidy 109 – Tuning solo cornet 116. Good at 130. Good into 150. Generally well controlled into 160. 170 has energy and drive. Good dynamic 183. V good at 190 into 200. Moderato – fluid duet played with confidence. Secure playing into Largo but a touch loud to start – you’re actually quieter at 217. 220 – the music flows well – good sounds into vivo – good dynamic 226. Effective good build into cornet solo – which was very well played – Excellent Eb bass and duo through accel. Excellent at 390 and super sounds to finish.
A terrific sounding band – some excellent solo playing and very well directed. A performance to be proud of.