Preview: 2024 Regionals

2024 is well underway and this year’s Regional contests are rapidly bearing down on us. Bands across the country have been working hard on the five test pieces which will determine the grading tables for the next year. First up, as always, is the North West this Saturday, 25th February, at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, before Yorkshire and The Midlands on 2nd & 3rd March, West of England and Scotland  on 9th & 10th March and concluding with the North of England, London & Southern Counties and Wales on 16th & 17th March.

I love the Regionals. The whole idea of a weekend devoted to banding and socialising is one I enjoy tremendously. Contests are about more than just the one weekend though, with preparation having been ongoing for weeks. The test pieces were announced last autumn and bands will have had half an eye on them from that point onwards; a quick run through at the end of a rehearsal before taking the part home to look at tricky corners. Get through the Christmas programme and come back in the new year for some ‘note bashing’, shaping the piece in rehearsal time, holding sectionals in the band room or at someone’s house (or sometimes workplace), and gradually pulling together all the details into one glorious picture. It’s intoxicating and all consuming.

For the most part though, a contest can be an intangible thing as there are numerous factors playing a part on the day - style, interpretation and nerves to name just some and inconsistencies are to be expected. The one consistent is preparation; bands have been preparing a performance, adjudicators preparing for a long day of concentration and analysis, and contest and venue staff preparing to keep the day running smoothly. Preparation, therefore, is key.

Rising to the Challenge

Each test piece is selected to challenge bands in different ways, whether that be technical passages, lyricism, dynamics or exposed solo lines to name just a few. The National Brass Band Championships Music Panel takes this into account when selecting the pieces for each contest and this year’s pieces are no different, providing challenges, and opportunities, for bands at all levels.

Commissioned by the SBBA in 2021, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fourth Section test piece Music for Jock Tamson by Alan Fernie takes its inspiration from the cartoon family ‘The Broons’. “The piece is very different to last year” explains Jess Tredrea, Musical Director of Sale Brass who will be competing in Blackpool this weekend. “It’s very accessible for the Fourth Section, which hopefully will result in lots of entries across the different regions. For bands “the challenge is definitely in the detail in this piece. As it’s perhaps somewhat less technically demanding than other pieces it’s given us lots of opportunity to really explore different approaches to melodies, phrasing and articulation, as well as the dynamics and how they relate to each other”. The piece isn’t without it’s complexities however as “there’s a fair amount of close harmony to contend with too, so being confident and centring notes (avoiding drifting flat or sharp to create the space in the interval) is vital. The solo work isn’t extensive so there’s lots of opportunity to show off work done as an ensemble, as well as demonstrate control at the louder dynamics”.

The test piece for the Third section Corineus by Christopher Bond tells the story of the legendary giant, and first ruler of Cornwall. Among those bands tackling the mythical giant will be the Devon-based South Molton Band, under the baton of their MD David Boorer. Corineus is fine as a third section piece with enough challenges to keep it enjoyable and not too far out of their capabilities” David explains. Those challenges that are presented though are less technical than they are physical as he feels that “there is too much emphasis on percussion and, although the composer does say you can get away with one player on percussion two, we do need three percussionists, something which is challenging in any lower band”.

For this year's Second Section Bands, the challenge comes in the form of Philip Sparke’s 1990 composition Triptych. “It is a real test for the section” explains Richard Marshall, who will be leading the Hatfield & Askern Colliery Band at the Yorkshire Areas. “It’s a composition full of balance, ensemble and dynamic issues and not forgetting those lonesome middle G’s / D’s in the prize winning second movement, and the dreaded word ‘tuning’". With challenges though, come opportunities and “Hatfield & Askern have loved the opportunities the piece has thrown their way” Richard says “and equally I’ve enjoyed working on the piece personally”.

A classic of the genre, High Peak, by Eric Ball, is the mountain First Section Bands across the country will be attempting to scale. Among those preparing for the climb are the Kirkintilloch Band in Scotland under the leadership of Hedley Benson. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that even though I've been involved with banding for 40 years, this is only the second time I've got to work on a piece by one of the real cornerstones of the brass band movement”, confesses Hedley but “for me that's exciting”. In preparation for the contest Hedley “consciously worked out an interpretation of my own before listening to any recordings only after which I then listened to 6 or 7 different bands/ conductors playing it. Each recording has its own character, some deviate a lot from the original markings and in the end I've come back to a very simple reading of the score. My ultimate aim is to interpret Eric Ball's musical intentions and convey them as clearly as possible to the audience”. “Aside from the usual challenges of playing as a large ensemble this piece gives an almost unique opportunity of nuance and flexibility, from the first euphonium declaration to the final triumphant unison concert Bb”, Hedley continues. “There is always something to consider within a bar or phrase". 

Composed by Philip Sparke for Howard Snell and the Desford Colliery Band in 1986, Variations on an Enigma gives Championship Section bands plenty to get their teeth into. The hidden, yet recognisable, enigma around which the piece is built provides the basis for a challenging, engaging and triumphant work from one of the movement’s greatest composers. “It's a great piece and written not only during an absolute purple-patch in Philip Sparke's life, but also a golden era of band composition” explains Philip Harper who will be seeking to reclaim the Welsh Area title for The Cory Band. “It's challenging because every player in the band has their moment in the spotlight and will need to be on their game, but it's a great opportunity to dig deep in the score and bring out all the detail.

Whilst there will be challenges specific to each section and piece, there will be consistent themes which adjudicators will be on the lookout for. “Regardless of the piece, the first thing and most obvious thing to an adjudicator is the quality of sound - the tone, intonation, tuning, blend and balance of different voices/groups'' explains John Ward, who will be adjudicating the First Section the London & Southern Counties contest. “In tandem with this, we're also considering dynamics (especially the context of different markings), technical control of the band (individually and collectively), how the lead lines are projected and, importantly, how they are accompanied/backed, secondary lines and counter melodies, solo work, tempo changes, phrasing, use and the understanding of accents.

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

For most bands, preparation begins with learning what test pieces are. For this year’s areas the announcement was made at the National Finals in September and for many there, the preparation will have commenced that morning when the CD also went on sale in the simple act of purchasing the recording. For Cory, there is less of a time pressure than others. “Our Area isn't until 17th March”, Philip explains, “so we've only just started looking at the piece in earnest, as we've had a very busy start to the year with a lot of new repertoire”. That doesn’t mean the hard work hasn’t started though as “of course, the players have all been perfecting their parts at home. We have a CD recording with a few other test-pieces next week, and then sectionals and the real hard work in the bandroom begins!” It’s a similar tale for the Kirkintilloch band as well. “We've been preparing other pieces for upcoming concerts and it's made sure that we've not become stale in our preparation of High Peak” Hedley explains. “As MD of the band I feel a responsibility to guide the band musically and try to always keep things fresh. I've deliberately chosen concert repertoire which ties in technically and musically with High Peak including Three Impressions by Arthur Butterworth, which is a workout for everyone especially the bass section, and Praise by Wilfred Heaton which relies on rhythmic integrity and a chamber music element of transparency”. “I deliberately left the piece until the first rehearsal back after the Christmas break” explains Richard “We (Hatfield & Askern) only rehearse once a week so each week was devoted to each movement before we began putting the piece together at the end of January. Our first aim was a run out to challenge our standard at the recent NEMBBA contest, which we won, and now our conducting team of me and Vicki Kennedy will add that little extra before Huddersfield”. Similarly, down in Devon, the South Molton Band waited for the new year before commencing preparation and David explains “We started looking at the piece in January which gives us plenty of time with rehearsals twice a week. I feel there isn’t a need for sectionals as I can cover these during ‘normal’ rehearsals (although, results will tell if this is the right decision!). In the North West though Jess and the Sale Band have taken a slightly different approach. “Our December was front loaded with Christmas gigs”, explains Jess “so before we finished for Christmas we gave it a run through, allowing the band to see/hear it before the break. We’ve slowly ramped up time spent on it since the New Year but have at least touched on it in most rehearsals. In early January we might have only run through a movement or looked at a small section for 10 minutes or so, spending the majority of the rehearsal trying out new programme repertoire, but then over time we’ve built this up and certainly for the majority of February we’ve concentrated on the test piece for the absolute most part. Of course we’ve had some sectionals in there too!”. 

The preparatory work is not limited to bands and conductors however, as John explains. “As with any other work/test piece contest, extensive study of the score is paramount: understanding the individual and collective challenges for the players, while getting a full appreciation of the structure/direction of the music” explains John. “The aim for an adjudicator is to be in the best possible position to appraise both the delivery of the band and assess the conductor's understanding of the score”. Alan Duguid, who will be adjudicating at the West of England Fourth Section agrees. "In advance I do similar preparation as if I were conducting", he explains, "analysing the score in detail and identifying potential problem areas. I usually go through it with my own band to help with this".

Process Driven

For bands and MD's their task is complete at the conclusion of their performance; a culmination of months of hard work. For some it can be a longer wait than others depending on the draw but, once the instruments are down it's time to relax. The adjudicators however will be occupied with their task through every performance, and afterwards, speaking to bands at the results and handing over awards. For some this will take place over two days. So what happens 'behind the curtain'? "I have a very set process I follow", explains Alan, "which is very similar to when I work as an examiner as part of my day job. Whilst I try not to have any preconceptions in advance of any contest, organisation and process are absolutely critical to write a helpful and balanced critique and give a fair result which has been methodically arrived at. The AOBBA Performance Assessment Criteria is the framework I use, typical of all adjudicators in the association". John agrees and will be working "to appraise what we hear, explain ourselves clearly in our remarks and be constructive and appreciative of the band's work, as we know what a huge undertaking it is to take the stage at a contest".

Something to look forward to

Of course, contests are about more than working hard and provide us all with the opportunity to enjoy ourselves, musically and socially. “For me personally, I’m really looking forward to going and fundamentally enjoying our performance” Jess says. “It’s something we’ve worked on over the last 12 months - confidence on stage - and I believe we’ve really seen it pay off in the latter parts of 2023. I think it’s easy to feel under pressure at the area (I know I certainly have felt it myself as a player, especially when promotions and relegations are hanging off a performance) but ultimately we get together twice a week because we enjoy music, each other’s company and working to get better as a team. It’s a shame to not aim to enjoy it”. And contests can also be a useful yardstick and learning experience, as Jess also looks forward to the feedback. “Steph Binns adjudicated our section last year and her remarks were excellent - clear, constructive and encouraging - it’s really good to see this approach becoming more common. Finally, I look forward to running into old (and new) friends in Blackpool - and possibly even listening to the odd band, if the queues at the bar allow!” This sentiment is shared by David who, when posed this same question, simply responded that he is looking forward to “Catching up with bandies and relaxing”. For Richard, this contest provides the opportunity to give something back. “I’ve loved every minute preparing Hatfield & Askern, the band that gave me my first opportunity to play many years ago”, he explains. “I’m now hoping that everything goes our way and that the band deliver, as I know they can, a great performance of this wonderful Philip Sparke gem. That’s all I can ask!” Hedley meanwhile is relishing getting out on stage. “Personally I'm looking forward to getting out performing with the band. It's all very well rehearsing in a bandroom but I feel very strongly that all bands should be out performing, really showing not only our banding community but the community at large how positive the banding movement can be!”. In Wales, Philip is looking forward to continuing the Cory Band’s incredible recent journey. “I always love conducting Cory at a contest”, he explains “we've had some amazing experiences on stage together”. And it’s not just those on the stage who are looking forward to competitive brass banding. This year will be one of new experiences for Alan. "I’m very excited to be going to the West of England area and adjudicating alongside Stephanie [Binns] for the first time" he explains. "The most enjoyable part of the process is hearing different performance approaches and I find that working alongside other musicians is always intellectually stimulating and a chance to hear others’ perspectives". For John, the excitement is “the opportunity to listen to the bands. I know it's a bit of a cliché to say 'it's a privilege', but it genuinely is. Most adjudicators are well aware of what it takes to play in or prepare a band for a contest. We're not sat waiting for you to make mistakes, we are crying out for confident playing. So, don't be unnerved by box, we're sat there wanting you to you play well!”

Whatever the result, whatever the outcome, I can’t wait!