Future Corps Birdland

Future Corps was a Disney based performing group that no longer exists, but I wish it did! I honestly think I would be OK with spending many years performing with/in this type of ensemble.

Future Corps Birdland

Future Corps was a Disney based performing group that no longer exists, but I wish it did! I honestly think I would be OK with spending many years performing with/in this type of ensemble.

Santa Clara Vanguard 2014

One of my favorite drum corps shows ever was the 2004 Santa Clara Vanguard and their performance of "Scheherazade." Needless to say, I was overly excited when I found out that SCV will be performing "Scheherazade" once more for the 2014 season! Between the show selection, my connections with many of the SCV staff members, and my best friend marching his final season of drum corps this summer, I really can't wait to see this show!!!

2004 SCV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exc5G_IqxTg

NABBA (Part 5) – Atlantic Brass Band

One of my favorite performances of the evening was the Atlantic Brass Band. As a fan of Vivaldi’s music, this was the perfect blend of Vivaldi and brass band which was also executed with skill. As a euphonium player, I definitely have to say that Amy Bliss (principal euphonium) played extremely well and I loved the way she sounded with the ensemble. I personally would have scored them higher, but I guess there is a reason I’m not a judge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CFT4tDolT0

NABBA (Part 4) – Brass of the Potomac

In third place, the Brass of the Potomac (Score of 94.0) performed “On Alderley Edge” by Peter Graham. This ensemble consists of free-lance musicians along with members of premiere military bands in the DC/Maryland/Virginia region. An ensemble of very high quality players seemed to have lost most of their points on the test piece performance. The choice piece performance was great, although not completely void of audible errors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArtAsOYevqM

NABBA (Part 3) – Fountain City Brass Band

The Fountain City Brass Band placed second at this year’s NABBA competition with a score of 95.4. The Fountain City Brass Band has been extremely competitive since its inception, winning 6 U.S Opens, 4 NABBA Championships, and the Scottish Open Brass Band Championship. 

This year, FCBB performed Philip Wilby’s “Vienna Nights,” a difficult piece with several Mozart references scattered throughout. 4BarsRest says this about “Vienna Nights”: “…perhaps Wilby's finest work to date for the medium. This is Mozart brought to life in a way that no other composer for brass could approach. The mixture of genres, the intuitive appreciation of the style and the ability to compliment true genius with a deep felt and personal appreciation is a startling achievement.  It is a masterful work that in turn envelopes and intrigues, cajoles, subdues with sly wit and pathos and finally, and breathtakingly thrills the living pants off you in a way Mozart himself would have surely been tickled pink of.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNafk907zz4

NABBA (Part 2) – Stavanger Brass Band

The Stavanger Brass Band traveled to NABBA this year all the way from Norway. They were the final band to perform on both nights and seemed to be the most anticipated ensemble performing/competing. Their selection this year was “Myth Forest” by Stig Nordhagen. “Myth Forest” was also used as the test piece for the European Brass Band Championship in 2013. Stavanger’s performance was quite fantastic and was absolutely one of the standout performances of the evening and led to the group taking first place in the Championship Section with a score of 97.2 overall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B-D-vQV-jA

NABBA (Part 1)

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the NABBA (North American Brass Band Association) competition for the first time. While there, I participated in the competition with a 10-piece brass ensemble made up of members of the Eastern Iowa Brass Band. We performed a 10-piece arrangement of Chick Corea's 'Spain' and placed 2nd in our category. I had such a great time watching the brass bands this weekend and will review several of the pieces performed by the championship section ensembles throughout the next several posts.