Treize Etoiles Defend Euro Title

The 45th European Brass Band Championships took place this weekend in the beautiful setting of Palanga in Lithuania. Congratulations to winners Treize Etoiles and their Musical Director Frederic Theodoloz. The Swiss band managed to successfully defend the Championship Division European Title with two superb performances of the set work ‘A Road Less Travelled’ by Philip Sparke and the band’s own choice selection of Ludovic Neurohr’s ‘Karma – Concerto No. 20 for Brass Band’. Neither performance was judged to be an outright winner by the adjudicating panel of Bertrand Moren, Margie Antrobus, Thomas Ludescher, Andrew Duncan, David Thornton and Thomas Doss. However, in terms of consistency across the weekend Treize Etoiles won with a comfortable 2 point margin ahead of Norwegian runners-up Eikanger-Bjørsvisk Musikklag. Eikanger was also rewarded with the Best Soloist prize, which went to the band’s solo trombone player, Vidar Nordli. Brassband Willebroek from Belgium claimed the final podium place.

In the Challenge Section Brass LT won the title with 1st Old Boys Silver Band in second place and Brass Band Wipptal in third. The Best Soloist in the Challenge Section was awrded to the Tuba player of 1st Old Boys Silver Band. Full results are below and a complete review of the European event will feature in the next issue of Brass Band World Magazine.

Result:
Championship Section:
Adjudicators:
Set Work: Bertrand Moren, Margie Antrobus, Thomas Ludescher
Own Choice: Andrew Duncan, David Thornton, Thomas Doss

Set Work: A Road Less Travelled By (Philip Sparke)
Set Work/Own Choice = Total

1. Brass Band Treize Etoiles (Frederic Theodoloz): 95/98 = 193
Karma - Concerto No 20 for Brass Band (Ludovic Neurohr)

2. Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag (Florent Didier): 94/97 = 191
Jesus in Tibet (Simon Dobson)

3. Brassband Willebroek (Frans Violet): 96/94 = 190
Sand and Stars (Thierry Deleruyelle)

4. Tredegar Band (Ian Porthouse): 97/91 = 188*
Dear Cassandra... Concerto No. 14 for Brass Band (Ludovic Neurohr)

5. Brass Band Schoonhoven (Erik Janssen): 93/95 = 188
The Falcon in the Snow (Paul Saggers)

6. Brighouse & Rastrick (Prof David King): 91/96 = 187
Z 1920 - Scenes from a Silent Movie (Peter Graham)

7. Brassband Burgermusik Luzern (Michael Bach): 92/92 = 184
Cataclysms (Roland Szentpali)

8. Hauts-de-France Brass Band (Luc Vertommen): 98/85 = 183
Sand and Stars (Thierry Deleruyelle)

9. 3BA Concert Band (Corsin Tuor): 90/88 = 178*
Weeping Willow (Hitoshi Takahashi)

10. Brass Band Oberosterreich (Gunther Reisegger): 89/89 = 178
The Triumph of Time (Peter Graham)

11. Gota Brass Band (Michael Thomsen): 88/87 = 175
Fraternity (Thierry Deleruyelle)

12. Concord Brass Band (Jesper Juul Windahl): 87/86 = 173
Sand and Stars (Thierry Deleruyelle)

Best Soloist: Vidar Nordli (trombone) — Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag

*Set Work placing takes precedence in event of a tie

Challenge Section:
Adjudicators: Dr Brett Baker, Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Test Piece: Baltic Legends (Vaida Beinariene) and Own Choice

1. Brass LT (Russell Gray): 93
2. 1st Old Boys Silver (Dr Jonathan Corry): 91
3. Brass Band Wipptal (Patrick Gruber): 90

Best Instrumentalist: Andrew Milligan (tuba) — 1st Old Boys Silver

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