Pillowell Silver Band

Weston Super Mare Own Choice Contest 2009 - Adjudication

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Test Piece: Episodes for Brass (Gareth Churcher)

Adjudicators: Chris Wormald

Draw: 2 Position: 5 Points: 182

Chris Wormald

A reasonably tidy and successful opening with tuning generally secure.  Dynamics generally well observed too to open.  This is all neat.  Tuning starts to suffer at E and this is your weakest playing so far.  F also nervous, solo horn is very sharp on open C, flat on B.  Nice pedal in Bb Bass (bravo!) but the ensemble above not always together - a number of notes speak late.  Matters move on well then at G there are more tuning/togetherness and nerve issues/  Euphonium plays well after H but every middle Ab is painfully sharp - you must pull out your slide and listen so carefully.  Bass Trombone after I ???.  All around J this like the band is/are very apprehensive about all this, the nerves are everywhere, tentative entries and hesitant playing, even 3 before L is littered with late entries as you know.  The section 10 bars after N is very unsteady especially in Trombones.  At P I hear no 2nd baritone part in the chord sections, nor 2nd horn is parts either.  Tuning around the stand has suffered by Q but the finish is well rehearsed and well delivered.  Overall, there were many good features to this but it was all very understated (Tam-Tam apart!) and lacked vibrancy today.  Not a particularly strong choice of piece perhaps for the band today.