Open will be a tough test even for our champions
THE British Open Brass Band Championships were established in 1853 and this year is its 165th anniversary and takes place this Saturday at Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
It is generally considered to be the oldest brass band contest in the world.
The Open aspires to preserve the established custom of encouraging new compositions to extend and question the boundaries of brass music and to provide enjoyable challenge to participants and absorbing entertainment for the audience.
Since 2000 our Welsh brass bands have won the British Open Championship title eight times which is some record.
Tredegar have won it twice in 2010 and 2013 and Cory six times in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2016.
There are 18 bands competing for the title 2017 British Open Champion Band, the current champion being the Cory Band.
The competition for the title is fierce, but friendly, with a great atmosphere pertaining throughout the day at the venue of the Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
The test piece, which will certainly challenge the competing bands, is composed by Thierry Deleruyelle and is called Fraternity.
It was commissioned by the European Brass Band Association and the Confederation Musicale de France through the Euro Festival in 2016 commemorating 110 years since the mining disaster at Courrieres, France.
Seventy miles of tunnels and galleries were devastated in seconds after an explosion trapping 1664 miners about 1000 feet underground – with some 1,099 miners perishing in the disaster.
Many of the bands competing on Saturday will have strong connections with mining fraternities and there will certainly be a great empathy with such an emotive piece of music.
Ian Porthouse, Tredegar MD: said: “The successes of 2010 and 2013 are potent reminders of the level of performance required to lift the most famous trophy in the banding world. You start from scratch each time you enter a contest.
“We know just how hard it is to win, but we also know we can do it too.
“The test piece suits us but we must ensure that we perform at our very best.”
Of the 18 bands competing only 17 will be competing for the title of British Open Champions as Valaisa of Switzerland is there by invitation and will receive a position and adjudication, but will not be crowned as British Open Champions.
Bands taking part in the British Open include eight who are listed in the top 10 of the world rankings.
To help understand the tough competition all the bands will experience I have added world ranking of each of the bands and have indicated if they are representing their region in the finals of the Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, which take place at the Albert Hall on Saturday, October 14. In alphabetical order:
World ranking - 3.- Finals Yorkshire World ranking - 2 -Finals Yorkshire - 14 World ranking World ranking -17 - Finals Scotland World & British number 1 - Finals Wales World ranking - 23
World ranking - 10- Finals North West Flowers - World ranking - 9 -
World ranking 11Finals North West World ranking - 5- World ranking - 35 - Leyland World ranking - 21World ranking -31- Finals North West World ranking -32World ranking 7 -Finals Wales World ranking -6Champions of Switzerland. World ranking -13- Scottish Champion World ranking - 24.
All the players of Welsh bands will be quietly wishing success to both Cory and Tredegar.
The very next day Cory will be joining Black Dyke at Symphony Hall in giving a concert which will feature Isobel Daws, trombone, who was this year’s Winner of BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Musician 2017.
Also featured are Tom Hutchinson, Cory principal cornet soloist, Glyn Williams, Cory principal euphonium soloist and Daniel Thomas, Black Dyke principal euphonium soloist.
Cory are conducted by Philip Harper and Black Dyke will be conducted by Professor Nicholas Childs.
I cannot miss the opportunity to say that both Professor Nicholas Childs and Daniel Thomas are originally from south-east Wales.