CD: The Nationals 2016

The Nationals 2016
Highlights from the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain
and the Pre-Results Concert
Royal Albert Hall, London
World of Brass: DOY CD 368

For those of us that are followers of trends in brass band music and playing, the annual release of the winning performances from the Cheltenham and Royal Albert Hall National Finals in the UK is not simply a memento of contest day. Rather, it's an on-going historical record of how our repertoire is changing and evolving, coupled with the ever-shifting dynamics of performance standards across the five sections. This year's release is no exception.

Interspersed with three somewhat random highlights of Cory's pre-results mini-concert (Steve Stewart gives a blistering performance of Live and Let Die alongside Ginastera's edgily, exciting Malambo and Neil Hefti's familiar Cute, featuring some fine kit work from Steve Jones), the 2016 test-pieces span a creative period of a little over 30 years, with Joseph Horovitz's 1983 Royal Albert Hall commission, Ballet for Band, being the oldest.

In Section 4, Kenneth Downie's Music for Kantara is given a performance of rhythmic vivacity in the outer movements with fine solo cornet work in the central movement by the 2016 champion, Phoenix (Goodwick) Band, directed by Luke Jenkins, whilst the cinematic sweep and drama of Kevin Houben's Lake of the Moon was captured in colourful fashion by Section 3 winner, Crofton Silver, led by Dean Jones.

Stephen Bulla's Images for Brass tested Section 2 bands, from which Derek Renshaw and Stannington Brass emerged triumphant with a dynamic and, at times, atmospheric account of what proved to be a demanding score. Meanwhile, although not blemish-free, St. Dennis's winning Section 1 performance of Ballet for Band, under Darren Hawken, beautifully characterised the rapidly changing scenes of Horovitz's music with style and intelligence.

Pride of place, however, goes to Cory's scintillating winning performance of Simon Dobson's fiercely demanding Journey of the Lone Wolf. By turns breathlessly virtuosic, yet also brimming with Hungarian character, it's a performance that epitomises the world's number one brass band at the very pinnacle of its magnificent powers.

CHRISTOPHER THOMAS – CHIEF CONTRIBUTOR

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