Its Starting to get a Habit!

January 31st 2009

The are Nun better than Blaenavon Town Junior Band for picking up the most improved Gwent Band in Section 2 of the Greater Gwent Youth Band Festival.  This is the third year in a row that the band have picked up this prize and shows how much the band has improved over that period.

The Band had a very early draw 9.25am and were at the Crosskeys campus at 8:55am!  After weeks of rehearsals the performance of the entertainment programme was very satisfying.  Just a few nerves at the start but once we got going we started to really enjoy the music and this came across to the audience and adjudicator.

The programme started with Ceri Johns Regal Fanfare and continued with Cool Calypso by Bruce Fraser with plenty of funky percussion.  Next it was the turn of Daniel Cox and Ryan Brown with a lovely performance of the Euphonium Duet Cherry Ripe.  We also included a bit of swing with Half a Pound - Tuppenny Rice and finished off with I Will Follow Him complete with dancing Nuns!

As well as Most Improved Gwent Band percussionist and Nun Aurora Simmonds was also the Youngest Player in Section 2 and picked up her won trophy.

It was also a very memorable day for the Youth Tutor Evan Smith who was awarded the Con Buckley Trophy for his work with Youth Brass Music over the years.  This is a very special honour as this award has been presented to some fantastic people such as Eric Powell and for Bleanavon Town MD Bryn Davies.

Adjudicators Comments

Fanfare

A bright start with good style and excellent dynamic contrast at B.  Careful Euphs, some play B flat when B naturals are required! a strong opener.

Cool Calypso

A nice lilt to this with great contribution from the maracas! Watch out for the key signature.  This is a great toe-tapping number though - well done.

Cherry Ripe

Confident Duettists! Sometimes lost in the balance - why don't you stand on the cornets site where the bells face out? Drum kit finds the groove - well done! It's very important for the band to play so quietly and you make a great effort to do this.  Daniel and Ryan have a lovely blended sound together.

Tuppeny Rice

Good fun style with some accomplished drum kit playing.  Great dynamics throughout and a very effective ending.

I Will Follow Him

Nicely controlled introduction and then two great 'nuns on the run' which add brilliantly to the fun atmosphere.

Overall - lots to commend, you're obviously very well trained and I look forward to my next chance to hear you! Thanks.