🏆ConsTest Champion Band & Championship Section Winner: Derwent Brass 🥇

🥈Overall 2nd Place & Highest Place 1st Section Band: Parc & Dare Band

🥉Overall 3rd Place: Sovereign Brass

Overall 4th Place: Usk Brass Band

Overall 5th Place: Jackfield Band

Highest Place 2nd Section Band: Harborough Band

Highest Place 3rd Section Band: Syston Band

Highest Place 4th Section Band: University of Warwick Brass Band

Best Instrumentalist: Cornet - Sovereign Brass (Luke Barker)

Best Cornet: Parc & Dare Band (Adrian Morton)

Best Back Row: Sovereign Brass

Best Euph: Derwent Brass (Chris Robertson)

Best Basses: Usk Brass Band

Most promising lower section band: Syston Band

Band Number 18. 

Carlton Brass (Matthew Ludford-King) - 49th Parallel

And to wrap us up for the day we have another brass band classic piece. 

Very clean start, Lovely Flugel Solo sound to kick us into the piece. Rise and fall is very effective. Sop shines through with clarity. PC and Euph share passages throughout both with conviction and a lovely warm tone. Bravo to both. Great dynamic contrast shown, dropped right down. A few intonation battles going on however with mutes in this was more than likely to be the case and it was managed well. Lovely warm Flugel tone which then is handed off to Solo Horn. Bravo. 

PC takes over with a lovely tune once again executed well. 

Faster section now seamlessly transitioned into. A great Trombone Section Sound. 

Baritone section extremely well played to support. Bravo. 

A few ‘almost’ moments however the band does well to recover these. What a beautiful crescendo to expand into a lovely full band sound. What an entrance by the Sop! Cuts through perfectly. And then we return to the starting them flawlessly. Back row just careful of the intonation with the mutes in the longer you are into hold the note just slipped slightly at points. Lovely Sop tune here sounds so easy. Choral band sound expands beautifully. Goosebumps with the crescendo up to open the sound out. The Percussion has been extremely tight, with 4 percussionists this is admirable. Lovely Flugel passage so controlled and easy sounding. Well done. 

Trombone section once again sounds so good and controlled even though the music has a hectic nature at this point. Sop once again is soaring. Perfection. 

The Two Young Percussionist must be enjoying this as they’re dancing away in the bars rest! Very proud that the Younger generation is so invested. 

Tight for the most part throughout this section and played with conviction only the odd occasion where someone just jumps an entrance. Good Bass sound in the next section before this beautiful duet between the PC and Flugel occurs. Lovely Sop playing during this solo. 

What an emotional contrast the band has managed to get during this section. A few intonation issues here and there but these are forgiven by the style the band is performing in. Another beautiful crescendo really opens up into a beautiful sound from the band. The MD allows for rubato moments and has really heightened the writing by pulling it around. Bravo Sir. 

The build is stunning and the band opens up for its final chord and the final chord of ConsTest 2026. 

Well done band I thoroughly enjoyed this performance.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 17. 

University of Warwick Brass Band (Tom Stoneman) - Corineus 

Special piece for me as this was my first (and last) areas contest piece when I played Solo Horn for a local band. 

Lovely to see a University Band here today. 

Great start, well balanced in the Tenor Horn Section. The piece then has the cornets join in with this Fanfare. Clashes work well. Great transition and classy Tenor Horn tune kicks us off. Did I spy the Solo Trombone Circular Breathing?! 

Piece builds well and the tune returns in a Fanfare form. Bell like effect works very well. Bravo both sections. Some intonation struggles on the next entrance by the Cornets however this resolved quickly. Lovely crescendo and great Tenor Horn rips as we transition into the second section. Some lovely legato playing on display as the Euph kicks us off in this new tune. Lovely sound produced and some lovely lyrical playing throughout the band. Bravo. 

Another expressive conductor which I do love. 

What a beautiful sound the PC is making during this solo, so controlled and emotive what a fabulous solo. Bravo. Euph seamlessly takes over this and continues this lovely passage is a most beautiful way. The Flugel then takes over and once again this is lovely. What a beautiful tune from the Euphs with PC on a counter melody. Bravo to all.

Not forgetting the accompaniment which is equally fabulous making it so easy for the soloists. 

Again there’s a few moments where the tuning isn’t always spot on however these are limited and do not have too much of an effect. 

Faster section works well, some mistimed moments but sorted very quickly. Tenor Horns shine once again. Bass section can’t be understated helping keep this all flowing, which it does. Cornet ‘Matador’ moment works very well. Percussion section is fabulous, very tight with the band and each other. The MD has got a great future band and controls them beautifully. Great ending to this fast section. 

A bit rocky on re-entry but again this is fixed almost instantly. Accelerando works well. As we get to the final fanfare section, the band really ramps up and unleashes its dynamics with a beautiful final note. 

Bravo to all very much enjoyed this performance.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 16. 

Usk Brass Band (Jamie Jones) - Five Blooms in A Welsh Garden 

Another Youth Band Set up, first one for a while and 4 Trombones! 

A nice clean start flowing well, just a couple instances of intonation issues but very soon resolved and back on pace. Great Trombone sound, full and rich.

Transition works well, Bases providing the walking steps with action on top of this. Great dynamic difference like a whisper. Front row Cornets pick up the tune which works very well before it transitions to lower band who also perform it very well. I’m enjoying all the effects going on in this piece. A lovely end to the first variation. 

It takes a small while to fully settle but once it does we are introduced to a lovely tune. PC takes over an obligato which is performed beautiful. Bravo. Usk have controlled themselves very well through a fiddly little passage with parts of tune being passed around every bar or two. Beautiful Sop note perfectly centered. Bravo. Solo Horn takes over and has a beautiful production quality which is very easy to listen to. Bravo. Back Row Cornets then take over, what a strong section they are beautifully balanced between you all. Bravo all. Another tight ending to the next variation. 

A good opening navigating a tricky passage. Flugel takes over in a solo and this is another beautiful produced sound wow. Bravo. Then links very well with the Sop. Solo Euph takes over a cadenza, amazingly played with style and class. Bravo Sir. 

We open up into a lovely melody, this is a lovely refrained performance so far. Rise and Fall is effective. What an amazing build up. There’s the full sound! This is so controlled and sounds so rich in flavours what an amazing sound. 

Muted cornets effect is really good. We then launch back into the start of the variation with ease but PC has the solo this time and performs this beautifully. A few intonation slips between parts in octave with each other but this doesn’t distract from the wonderful playing and sound the band is making. We ramp the speed, WOW! Sop launches into a soaring line over the top which rings beautifully in the Bradshaw Hall. Bravo Sir. Very lovely Euph tune follows before being taken over by the Cornet section. Call and response works, a tad unbalanced but very minimal. What a great sound the Trombones are making. And then we drop to absolute nothing again showcasing the dynamic capabilities. 

This is a great build up to the grand finish. 

Lovely performance, thank you.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 15. 

Jackfield Band (Ryan Richards) - Spectrum 

Another atmospheric start which builds rapidly, into a lovely full sounding band. What a great lower band sound here, some minor intonation issues but nothing that is too distracting. 

Great euph sound, band is tight for most of this however there is a couple occasions when they are not fully together. Great sound by the Trombones. 

Crescendo builds tension and has everyone on the edge of their seats, they’re creating an atmosphere very effectively. 

Slower section takes a few bars to get into but then works well. Nice sounds from the Flugel and Solo Euph working well as opposites. Rise and Fall works very well, just be wary of tuning when crescendoing. Great sound from 2nd Euph here navigating the challenging part well. Bravo. 

Sop soars over the band well leading to a full cut off. Before launching into the tune which once again he plays well. In my opinion the accompaniment needs to be slightly quieter to support solo. 

2nd Euph once again navigates a challenging few bars, Tenor Trombones quality has been up kept throughout whole of their accompaniment. Bravo. 

What a beautiful melody this has turned into, led by the two euphs, a couple intonation issues in their higher range but also across different parts in the band do attract a bit of attention however that doesn’t take away from the quality playing. Percussion remains tight when they come back in after not having much for a while. Lovely Sop note before we change the styles. Euphs take over again and once again navigate this well. Wow! What a dynamic contrast going from nothing to the brink of dynamics over 3 beats. 

Effective crescendo, and bag into this new style which is a logistical nightmare for many. Credit to the MD and the players as that was not an easy section whatsoever. New section full of clashes works due to the confidence each player has in this section a testament to the work put in. We launch back into the starting theme and the Lower Band is still producing quality. And what a final note. 

A really lovely performance of a classic piece, well done all.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 14. Oddfellows Brass Band (Sarah Fellowes) - Renaissance

Atmospheric start slightly let down by some intonation issues but quickly settles by the cornet entrance. Crescendo into a lovely tune. PC kicks off the solos, a small misfire but recovers well, the Euph then joined and the balance is good in the octaves. Speeding up now the band transitions into this section, Solo Euph with some lovely high soaring notes than ring out beautifully. 

Big sound after the crescendos. Entering into the move technical section, there’s a few timing issues between the band but nothing major and it resettles well. Dynamic contrast is there and working well, this music is exciting to listen to. 

Nice bit of Glocksenspiel playing leading to a Euph solo, which is navigated expertly with a lovely tone and consistency. Bravo. PC then takes over and also plays this beautifully. They then link up in octaves before it transition to the Solo Horn - who also plays this very well. Congrats to all. 

Solo Trombone well played. 

Solo Horn and Flugel both have a lovely sound and link up perfectly. Bravo. 

Well navigated through quite an awkward section which then leads into a lovely full band sound. A few mistimed notes during the time signature changed bars unfortunately but gets back on track within a couple of bars. 

Lovely Bass sound, really nice to have come through adding a layer of support. 

Great build up to the end of the piece, crescendos consistently over a good amount of time before a slight misfire but then a beautiful chord at the end of the piece. 

Well played all, a lovely piece to listen to and a new one for me personally. 

Thank you.

Sam E.

Band Number 13. 

Tewit Silver Band (Martin Hall) - Elgar Variations 

Kicking us off Is Tewit with a very recognisable piece as of recent - the Championship Areas piece. 

Nice pompous start with a good drive forward, maybe a bit loud for dynamic marking?

Lovely rich Euph tone. 

Sop navigates tricky passages well. 

Good transition into the slower section effectively. 

PC is the first of the soloists and what a fantastic sound this young man is making, a few minor blemishes however these do not take anything away from his playing. Bravo Sir. 

Good crescendo into build up. Great Tenor Horn rips. Stylistically very nice. Unfortunately due to loud start there isn’t much contrast between forte and double ff at this point. Great Euph part executed well. Nice Tenor Horn Soli. 

Rise and Fall effects work well. 

It takes a few bars to settle but the faster tempo sounds really good, full sounds and technically accurate. 

Basses take over and this is very tight enjoyable to listen to. Well done. 

The quavers transfer through the band. 

A slight error before the Flugel solo but wow! What an amazing sound being produced throughout this solo. Bravo young lady. 

A few intonation troubles here and there but mostly they don’t take away from the quality of playing, mainly in the higher ranges. Transition is effect again back into the main theme. Dynamic contrast is working much better now with a clear distinguish at the top end. 

A few timing errors in the next section and not always together however as a whole this worked. 

It’s now the Euph solo and the sound is ringing through the Bradshaw Hall, what a valiant attempt at one of the most challenging solos. Fast section is very loud, but maintains accuracy. 

Some minor timings issues but they don’t take anything away from the performance. Crescendo leads to a massive sound, full and rich right at the time top of dynamic capability. Flugel and Solo Horn shine in this section with both playing beautifully. Well done both. 

Sop takes over and again produces a lovely tone -the theme of this band. 

Crescendos are working really well for this band, helped that the MD is allowing for Rubato with the soloists. 

Quite a fast transition, which I don’t mind it worked well. Well played Trombones what a lovely sound you bring. Back into the main theme building up. Tenor Horn rips effective (I’d love more!) 

What a Bass Trombone sound. Bravo. 

Sop soars up and shines above on entering before the home stretch of the piece. 

What a huge sound, this is very impressive work. What an ending. 

Well played, with many younger members in this band the future is very bright for the brass banding movement. 

Thank you.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 12. 

Bedworth Brass (Jonathon Mott) - Vitae Aeternum 

To end the afternoon session, we have First Section Bedworth Brass, most likely the closest band to where I’m based! 

Nice vibrant opening from the band, an unfortunate timing error leads to a bit of disjoint but is very quickly resolved. 

Lovely Euph lines at this point beneath PC who is holding down the tune. Well played. 

Some intonation struggles at points unfortunately especially end of long notes but don’t take away from the performance massively. Crescendo opens up to a lovely full rich sound before dying just as quickly. Some nice Trombone playing follows between the two tenors. 

Bell effect does work, not all of them are together between tuned and cornets and unfortunately we lose some of the tuning at the end of notes again. Muted section is well played from the Cornets and majority is well in tune. Bell effect a lot tidier this time. 

What a beautiful Flugel sound in this solo. Full, rich and warm this is a lovely solo. Bravo. 

The Euphs take over, and again what an amazing sound being produced which rings beautifully in the Bradshaw Hall. 

They then follow this with a lovely counter melody up in the stratosphere that is played very well. Bravo all. 

Cornets just watch the tuning before being cut off. What a lovely ending to the movement. 

What a start to the third movement, I enjoy this. Whilst not always the most accurate the effect is amazing and passes around well. Xylophone player well done, that was very classy playing. Bravo. 

What a great sound this band is making. Between the tune on cornets and the euphs scaled runs this piece is becoming a show of technical ability whilst maintaining a good sound. Slightly mistimed notes across the band at points but not something that distracts. Glockenspiel!! Incredible. 

A few misfires during the rallentando to the end of the piece but a lovely performance that end with a nice full chord. 

Well played all especially tuned percussionist.

We will be back soon for the final session!

~ Sam E.

Band Number 10. 

Towcester Studio Band (Ian Knapton) - 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

The final repeated piece of the day and it’s a great piece. Towcester placed 3rd in the Midlands 2nd Section with this piece. 

Nice opening a few intonation struggles in the Bass section however nothing major. 

Builds nicely and Euph is evident here and sounds lovely. Front row cornet tune is classy and well tuned to each. Music is flowing well and leads to a nice full sounding double forte. 

Nice Trombone trio works well. 

Fast section gets moving well, some lovely tuned percussion. Music rises and falls effectively throughout this section. Speeding up again now Trombone kicks this off well, a few disjointed entrances in the band. Tenor Horns have good power behind them on their entrances. Percussion not always together unfortunately at the end of phrases. Tenor Horns shining through again what a great sound full of control. Lovely crescendo to the climax and then falls away leaving a lovely lower band sound. Tenor Horn entrance very nice again. Bravo. PC takes over with a classy start to his solo which maintains to the end of his solo. Bravo. 

Some intonation issues in the cornets on the long notes but nothing major and is covered. Lovely duet between Sop and PC. This section is flowing beautifully. MD is enabling the rubato and going with it and it brings out a lovely side to this piece. Bravo Sir. 

Flugel solo is classy with a lovely tone which then gets built up with an Accelerando. Unfortunately the first shock note isn’t fully together. Quickly made up by the massive dynamics on display. Tenor Horns once again creating a great sound on their rips. Dynamic range on display is refreshing to see the band get down in dynamic and well as the very loud. Front row effects work well in this section. 

Euph tune shines through and is well played. Crescendo once again to a big crash cymbal, a few intonation issues here. Build up to the end is very effective and works well. 

Lovely performance well done all. 

Thank you.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 11. 

Croft Silver Band (Henry Dunger) - Stantonbury Festival 

Nice opening followed by tight cornet, and a lovely Tenor Horn section. Taken over by Euph who produces a nice sound along with the Bass Section. Crescendo is effective. Lovely Flugel Solo sound. Bravo. 

Rall is effective and band then picks up the tempo very well. Solo Trombone creates a nice sound. Some tuning issues here and there to be wary about but the overall effect it has is minimal. Lovely build up by the Solo Horn and Flugel. Sop shines through. Classy ending following the MD well. 

Nice Trombone sound to start the next section and accompanied well. Sop shines through once again creating a lovely sound on the melody. Bravo. 

Key change is a bit nervous to start but settles well from the Tenor Horns and tuning is good between the section. Bravo. 

Deep bass sounds are refreshing to hear and really add a nice depth into this section. Well done basses. Dynamic contrast is effective. 

Beautiful solo from the Solo Euph and another nice ending to the movement. 

A bright energetic start to the final movement.

Tune is great between the cornets and the clashes are effective and undoubted which is nice. 

Nice percussion playing here. Band is navigating this movement very well, undoubtably the bands most confident. 

Here and there a few intonation issues but easily fixable. Tune in this section is once again played well and is accurate. Dynamic contrast is clearly. Well played on this link as this is in my opinion one of the hardest parts of this piece. 

Building up to the final section now and still full of energy and accelerating towards the ending. 

Classy ending to round off a lovely performance well played.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 9. 

Stamford Brass (Julian Bright) - Purcell Variations 

A familiar piece for me as the parts were used for my Technical exam so I am looking forward to hearing this piece. 

I like the opening and dynamic contrast is on show here. Bass tune is very executed. Crescendo builds nicely with some lovely low brass notes to support. 

Lovely expansion into a lovely rich sound before coming back with just as much style. Flugel solo is played well, nice style. Some minor intonation issues here and there but nothing major whatsoever. Nice Tenor Horn and Flugel link up. Faster section works well a few bits that could be slightly tighter but an overall good opening to this section. Chromatic runs are effective, and Trombones create a lovely sound here. Solo Horn starts off beautifully and is joined nicely by the First Horn. Bravo both. Great effort from the Sop in a difficult range. 

Rall is effective before the Solo Horn once again leads the melody off and the duet once again is lovely and balanced. A lovely controlled ending to this section. Kit player kicks off the fast section, which is upheld well by the Euphs. The theme flows around the band is well played and stylistically accurate. Bravo MD. Shoutout to the tuned percussionist who is running around playing multiple parts. Bravo. 

Some more classy euph playing follows pushing the tempo and dynamic. Even faster now yet the band is still controlled. A few slips here and there but a good section. 

PC kicks the next section off with a lovely lyrical solo that is playing very well, a lovely tone on display. Bravo. 

Accompaniment is well balanced letting the soloist sit easily on top. Crescendo building now leading to a lovely peak. Flugel once again plays the solo very well. The melody is being beautiful displayed by the band with elegance. A couple intonation difficulties at points across the band but nothing that detracts from the lovely playing. Solo Trombone finishes the phrase off beautifully before it passes to another part of the band. 

Some classy Rep playing to lead us to the end of this movement. Great sound at the start of this next movement. A real bounce in the rhythm and once again some low brass notes that come through really well. Lovely expansion into the final tune, a few hiccups when we get here but nothing that distracts a listener. Really ramping up for a big ending now the band is still fully in control of the sound. A beautiful final chord rings out. 

Lovely piece and very well played thank you.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 8. 

Parc & Dare Band (Dewi Griffifths) - Music Of The Spheres 

Our Second rendition of this piece today, once again this piece has big potential. 

Horn Solo is beautifully played, but unfortunately the wind tunnel then malfunctions which is a real shame. 

Huge sound when it kicks off really pushing the line of dynamics. Personally slightly too much for my liking however cannot fault the sound the band is making. Tight from the Trombone section, but a small slip from the band means the end of the phrase is slightly disjointed. 

Lovely Xylophone playing on display. Nice Tenor Horn section tune. Some lovely Euphonium playing and Sop playing on display here. Nice contrast when the dynamic drops. Some intonation issues at points due to the power of the band. Snatched ending suitable to the performance. Lovely duet between the Solo Baritone and Solo Euph matching each other dynamically. Some beautiful Sop playing and equally matched by the Solo Horn. Euph really rings out in the hall with beautiful control and tonality. Once again some intonation issues during the crescendo however this is minimal and does not affect the performance overall. Flowing into the PC solo, this works well and the PC creates a lovely sound. The band feels slightly too loud here but the Euph and PC link up beautifully and restore the tune being heard fully. 

Classy Sop playing again such power behind whilst maintaining a lovely sound. Bravo. A great effort from the Solo Horn in the next solo entry, and once again the Sop. PC rounds off nicely. Some intonation difficulties between the Sop and Solo Horn but once again very minor and doesn’t detract attention. 

Classy dynamics again on display going into the next section. Unfortunately not always together in this fast section but MD controls this well and gets them back in within a few bars. Snare player makes a nice crisp sound. Euph section sounds lovely which is followed beautifully with the Tenor Horns. Bravo. Percussion really brings the dynamics back up with class, and some lovely Bass Trombone notes are heard. Big sound into the main theme for this section and the sound on display is lovely, rich and full. Just watch some of the intonation when mutes are involved during the bell effects. Bell effects work effectively and are a joy to hear. Bravo. 

Once again Euph is shining with his sound. Bravo young man. Real class during this slow melody on show flourishing beautifully. Tenor Horn section sounds lovely during there tune. Bravo. 

Crescendo brings up a lovely full sound. MD showing class understanding exactly what he wants during this section and the band is delivering. Bravo. 

Some most super Sop playing on display and Bass Trombone hammering down notes. Just Wow. 

Final section is very loud, which unfortunately losing all the tune and merges into one. The rips from Euphs and Horns are well executed and are lovely to listen. 

Builds nicely to a lovely ending. 

Well done all a lovely performance to listen to.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 7. Harborough Band (Ben Smith) - 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Kicking off after the break is the Midlands 2nd Section Champions who will be playing in the 1st Section from 2027. 

Very atmospheric opening with the Bass section and percussion. Lovely Tenor Horn entrance controlled well very. The dynamic contrast is very good, some of the best on display so far. Effective use of turning towards the audience for the muted cornets. Bursts into a lovely tune from the Front Row Cornets. What a rich sound from this band and we explode into a massive double forte! 

Some minor intonation troubles but nothing that detracts from the performance. Some lovely tuned percussion playing on the glockenspiel. The music rises and falls beautifully, the band is clearly aware of what they are being asked of. Euph tune is played very well. Faster section now, some lovely Bass Trombone notes. Tenor Horns once again impress. WOW! From nowhere they burst into some rips. Tenor Horns once again are going at it, I’m very impressed with the sound and quality on show from the band. 

Sections are flowing easily and styles are clear. Occasional points where parts are slightly out of time with each other but these are very occasional. The Sop once again nails his top note with sophistication. We move to a slower section led by the PC. What a lovely tone being produced and accompaniment from the rest of the band. Different tunes flow around the band never feeling disjointed. Solo Euph countermelody is a joy to listen to. Bravo. 

The piece once again builds and then drops. Flugel solo is well played. Bravo. 

Speeding up now, the crescendo then dropping to nothing is massively effective. Bursting to a huge sound. JUST WOW! This is such a joy to listen to. The Sop player once again shows lovely control in higher register. Crash cymbals effective. Bass Trombone notes once again down in the depths come through amazingly. Lovely build up to the end. 

Just Wow, that was something special. 

It is evident the amount of talent in this band and clear to see why they have gone up as 2nd section champions. 

Bravo and thank you.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 6. Sovereign Brass (David Maplestone) - Un Vie De Matelot

An interesting set up chosen by the band, Flugel on the back row and then a pretty standard Youth Band Set up once again. 

Tight start from the band. 

No Mutes? 

Some nice Sop playing, just be careful of intonation at the end of notes. 

Technical parts handled nicely and some beautiful flourishing chords under the band. 

Nice baritone and euphonium playing. 

Some tight Front Row playing creating a nice sound throughout. 

Sop solo is well controlled again and navigated this solo well. Bravo. 

This section is flowing really well, something the band clearly have put a decent amount of time. 

Euph cadenza is controlled well and played with style and class. Bravo. 

Crescendo is executed well with a soaring counter melody. Accel. works well. 

Lovely Bass Section sound supporting the rest of the band. Unfortunately the runs are not always together and come across a bit sludgy at times. 

PC launches into a beautiful solo, Luke Barker plays this so well and creates such a beautiful controlled sound making this sound so easy which it is far from. Bravo. 

Band accompaniment here is lovely, supporting the soloist very well throughout this section. 

Luke launches into another impressive cadenza with some beautifully challenging runs. 

The main theme then comes back and is executed well, unfortunately the next phrase starts off a bit sloppy but is soon fixed. 

Good Sop notes shine through. 

Triplets work very well. 

Great band sound full of life and rich sounds pushing the dynamic range to its max. 

Great Trombone sounds!

Bass Trombone with a beautiful low ripped note. 

This is building up the end nicely. Nice Tenor Horn section to finish with a well controlled finish. 

Well done a lovely rendition of a jaunty piece of music.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 5. 

Derwent Brass (Jack Capstaff) - Music of the Spheres

This could be big. Off the back of their Qualification to the National Championship Finals, Derwent have challenged themselves with the British Open piece. 

Beautiful Horn opening controlled well full of emotion. Lovely build up into the first fast section. Massive sound created from the band. 

Expressive conducting which I love to see. 

Great Trombone sound. Followed by the Tenor Horns. Beautiful Euph sound created. Followed by the Flugel, once again a lovely sound. 

Very fast tempo on display, confidence in his players. Good Sop. 

What a sound this band makes, pushing dynamics to extremities. 

A few intonation slips but minimal and these do not take attention away from the playing on display. 

Beautiful duet between Solo Baritone and Solo Euph matched dynamically well. Followed by the Solo Horn and Sop. Flugel entrance is beautiful and projected well. Chris Robertson shines through in the upper range beautifully. Bravo. 

PC braves a tough solo very well, with style beforing being joined by the Solo Euph creating a lovely sound together in octaves. Lovely crescendo into a lovely controlled sound. Once again the Sop shows their class with entrances. Bravo. 

A great attempt from both Solo Horn and Soprano on difficult solo passages. All Soloists play beautiful throughout this section with a lovely sound. 

Lovely playing, with another great attrance from soloists throughout with a shoutout to our very own Elise. 

Back into fast section, a couple entrances not fully together unfortunately but easily fixable for the future. Nice trombone sound during solo followed by a controlled shock chord. Great lower band sound. Euphonium is just wow, easy to listen to and a lovely build up before fading away. Some great Tenor Horn playing underneath here, a difficult part. A few clips of notes here and there but nothing major. 

Bass Trombone sound!

Huge sound created by the band, so full and rich and doesn’t sound overblown. Nice Trombone section sound, just careful with tuning when playing that loud. 

Just watch intonation Cornets when muted. 

Bell effect works well the majority of the time. 

Back into some beautiful lyrical playing from the band, both Flugel’s very in tune with each other. Bravo. 

Once it gets going the pompous tune is lovely to listen to with solo seats shining through, and a strong trombone section. SOP! I cannot express how impressed I am. 

Final section is navigated well, with dynamic contrast. Big sound from the Tenor Horns in their “rips” and a beautiful trombone gliss to finish with. 

WOW. Throughly impressed with this performance and one that the Band and MD should be mighty proud of. 

Well done.

~ Sam E.

Band number 4. 

Arrow Valley Brass (Alex Bland) - Dark Side of the Moon 

Fitting piece for current global events and a return of Alex as MD. 

Interesting use of Cloth over the top of the bell on the back row, once again I like the artistic choice. 

Opening theme is handled well and trombone gliss up is nice. Sop is creating a nice sound. Bravo. 

Fast section is handled well. Back row tune works well. The effects work well a few intonation issues but doesn’t detract. 

PC handles the solo very well and is followed by a great effort from the bumper, and then the Solo Horn. Well done to all involved. 

Nice bass section sound and effects going around the band. Percussion does very well throughout. 

Echo effect works as well as the cymbal on top of the timpani. PC handles the solo tune very well once again and creates a lovely sound. Bravo. 

Accompaniment is lovely throughout the passage making it easy for soloist to sit on top. Back row does well keeping it flowing as well as the Bass Section. Flugel solo starts and once again has a lovely amount of emotion, and a great attempt from Solo Trombone. Solo Horn follows and creates a nice sound. This is well navigated through a hard section of the piece. 

Nice crescendo into the big tune. Sop once again shines through sitting on top whilst maintaining a lovely sound. Euph sounds are lovely as a counter melody then links up well with the Rep and Flugel. Another big crescendo to a lovely full sound, well controlled and then settles back into the opening theme well. Some nice Bass Trombone notes come through well (could even bring them out even more!). 

Really listen to each other here to make sure you are in time as well as helping with some intonation issues. 

Some nice playing in another hard section of the piece. Snare does a great job at staying crisp and driving forward. Dynamic contrast works well throughout the band. HORN RIPS!! I love this even if I may be biased they are controlled well and come across well. Big Rall to the end which the band navigates well and a nice sound to end. 

Well played all, a great attempt at a piece which I personally really enjoy. 

Thank you.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 3. 

Wellington Telford Brass Band (David Nicholson) - Variations on Laudate Dominum

First traditional set up of the day so far. 

Nice trombone sound to begin matched by a controlled full band joining in. 

Nice sound, some intonation issues within the cornet section. Well played by the tune in this section across the band. 

Nice ending to first section. 

A few intonation errors flowing into cornet solo which is handled well before being joined by the Euph which matches well. Euph solo works well, some timings issues within accompaniment does unfortunately take away from these solo players. Nice Tenor Horn section sound. 

New section now builds well into a nice full sound, cornet section very nice here with the mutes in, wanting a bit more sound however still a great effort. 

This passage is a nice improvement, very tight and the tune comes through more now with the cornets. Bravo. 

Percussion section shines throughout this section very tight and controlled. 

Nice duet between Flugel and Horn before passing to the Front Row Cornets. 

Some nice Sop playing with the mute in, well balanced. 

Good transition to the next section. 

Good dynamic contrast, but once again some intonation issues at points. 

Bass Section has been solid and has done a lovely job. 

Another Euph solo which is played nicely with a nice full sound ringing out in the Bradshaw Hall. Bravo. 

Crescendo is well controlled and then opens into a beautiful melody. This also seems to be a theme so far throughout the bands. 

Some nice Solo Horn playing to end the section. 

Well picked up by the lower band to start this faster section and then the same can be said about the Tenor Horns. 

Lovely lower band tune is rich in tone and tuning is very good. 

This builds into the lovely Hymn Tune of Laudate Dominum which is one my personal favourites. Sop shines through. 

Bands has a nice controlled sound throughout this not overblown at all. Trombones end the tune well with a nice final chord. 

A valiant attempt at this piece.

Well done.

~ Sam E.

Band Number 2. 

Syston Band (Alex Bland) - Viking Age

Another youth band set up, could this be the theme of the day? I personally like this!

Nice confident opening from the band well balanced between upper and lower band. 

Slight tuning and intonation slips here and there in the band but nothing major. 

PC and Euph link nicely in octaves. 

Speeding up now faster section takes a couple bars to get into the flow but once it does it works well, everyone knows their role in this section. 

Some lovely Sop playing and a big Bass sound helped that they have 5 basses! 

Percussion ramps up and is then accompanied by lower band well, again unfortunately not always together but a lovely sound being made. 

Bass Trombone! Wow! What a powerful sound equally matched later by the Sop. Bravo.

Crisp Snare playing helps keep the band moving forward. 

Flugel and Bari link up well in octaves and the same is apparent with the PC and Euphonium just watched the intonation at the end of notes. 

PC cadenza handled very well with class and style. I really enjoyed choices made. Bravo. 

Solo section for the PC after his cadenza is once again played with a nice tone and accompanied well. Euph taking over is lovely, this is a lovely slow section melody which is indulged well by all. MD you have a control over the band in this section but also give them time to indulge, thank you and well done. 

Louder noise in this slow section, an unfortunate wrong note and some intonation struggles but a great band sound. Once again the Sop shows the class, and a lovely ending crescendo. 

A lovely rendition and the PC gets a much deserved stand up by the MD. 

Well done a very enjoyable listen.

~ Sam E.

ConsTest

Band number 1. 

Wigston Brass Band (Colin Jones) - Lake of the Moon

Good morning everyone, kicking off the day we have Wigston Band performing Lake of the Moon. 

Wigston take the stage in a traditional youth band set up, which is refreshing to see. 

A nice rendition of the National Anthem to start. 

A nice atmospheric start from the band with an overall nice sound, some small intonation issues in the octaves but nothing that detracts from the performance.

Nice crescendo into louder dynamics controlled well. 

Nice full band sound, and some good Tenor Horn sounds, flowing into the Flugel solo which is executed well with a lovely tone. Bravo. 

Cornet duet is nice and has a good feel to it, well balanced between the PC and Bumper. 

Lower band nice sound, not always together but well balanced between every player. 

Music open into the typical South American style of the music well. 

Attacked section works well building through the band, Horn section makes a lovely sound. 

Accompany band is together and gets the accented notes across well and controlled. 

Band handles time signatures changes well, big sound pushing dynamic range to the limit at the top, sometimes a slight harshness in tone however I do not mind this as it is fitting of the style. 

Into a slower section now, Euphonium sound rings nicely. 

Back onto the Flugel, she is creating a lovely sound full of expression and emotion which links up in octaves with the Euphonium well. 

Full of expression, a piece of music that the band sounds like they enjoying.

Sop player rings out nicely with a lovely tone full of control. 

Flugel and Solo Horn duet works well, I’d like to hear more of the Solo Horn part as you are equals at this point. 

Faster section again well transitioned to, not always together as a band unfortunately but the quality of sound is refreshing to hear. 

Speeding up now cornet section create a nice sound. 

Big finish and a lovely performance from a band, one they should be very happy with and an enjoyable listen. 

Well done.

~ Sam E.