Ebbw Vale 2007

Dances and Alleluias, Phillip Sparke

A reasonable start but not without blemish as early as bar 3 (top A). Generally very secure, good balance and tuning. All is generally too loud - even the 'mp' through at least 'mf'. Much detail is lost from 55 and this is all dynamically driven rather than clarity. Unfortunate. E Flat bass solo at 71 - so glossed over and quick that the detail possible is lost. Some excellent percussion work around the score too. Well played euphonium at 116 but like so many you play an F natural on the 3rd beat of 119 and this should be an F# throughout the bar.

Good attempt in trombone but not without blemish as you know. Excellent euphonium and soprano duet through to 143. Excellent flugel at 147. 158 has just the right character. The vivace at 169 is generally very well handled throughout but could do with a fraction slower as the euph solo at 243 demonstrates and again the baritone duet at 307 - all detail is lost at this tempo - detail which is perfectly possible as you know I know.

All the sections from 414 to 420 is very untidy and scrappy, 419arrives more by accident than careful placement for these few bars. Well played baritone at 420. - not without a casualty or two as you know though. For me, the lento at 440 is way, way too fast - it is marked crochet = 56 and you are absolutely nowhere near this at all. So fast, the music doesn't breath at all and bars like 449 and 450 just become casualties. Pity. Convincing close from 464 and a very impressive ending indeed. Great close.

Overall this was generally high quality playing, really, but not without blemish and a good deal of masking at times which, in a contest where every band plays this work would be very costly indeed. It had quality, technique, sound, balance, tuning, drama, everything, yet many times not as the score demanded. The lento tempo at 440 was particularly disappointing, if only because at crochet = 56 this music is stunning, truly powerful stuff, but at the speed you took it, this is lost, it becomes bland for the next 16 bars or so.

An excellent band, some excellent individual contributions, and a really enjoyable performance.

    Many thanks,

        Chris Wormald