Brisbane Family Trip - Days 10 and 11 (Nationals Midpoint)

I write this at the midpoint of our Nationals campaign.

For those of you blissfully unaware of what the National Band Championships are, let me give you a brief run down, of what it is and why I'm here.

I currently play the position of first baritone for the mighty Box Hill City Band (BHCB). BHCB is a brass band currently graded as B grade. The grading of brass bands is based on many things (I am led to believe), and BHCB has been either a B grade or A grade (being the top grade) band since I was first involved with them back in 1988.

A lot of brass bands do this funny thing in that they compete in contests against each other to determine which is the best band. This is a tradition that has come across from the home of brass bands (the UK). Contests are now held all over the world. The annual pinnacle of this is the European Brass Band Championships which is being held next weekend in Montreux, Switzerland. Sort of like the Eurovision song contest only in that the best of each country play for the crown of European Champions (not the funny costumes, bad acts and parochial voting).

How do you determine which is the best band? Well in Australia, there are four pieces that each band plays that are then adjudicated and allocated points. Add up the points for each piece and the winner is the one that gets the highest overall points.

The four pieces that each band plays are:

Hymn - a piece that is from a church hymnal or a variation thereof. This can go for up to 5 or 6 minutes.(I'm not exactly sure of the time limits imposed here. The National Bands Council of Australia has a rule book that deals with all these things. I cannot be bothered reading it.)

Test Piece - this is a major piece of work that all bands in that grade have to play. The piece can run from about 10 to 20 minutes. Sometimes, as is the case this year, the test piece is music that the organisers have commissioned for the Championships.

Major Work - sort of like the Test piece except it's a work chosen by the band rather than imposed on the band.

March - There's a list somewhere of a bunch of marches that have been written for brass bands over the last century and half. We select a march from that list and play it on stage (not marching).

In addition there is the Parade of Bands. A "showcasing" of bands to the public. In Brisbane this year the Parade is held in the centre of the city. There is also a contest to determine the best marching band, which is separate from the Championships themselves. Most bands would prefer not to march expect for the fact that if you want to win the Championships you have to march in the Parade.

On Friday the band has performed the Hymn - a world premier of a piece titled "... and tears no bitterness" by Queensland composer, and friend of the band, Ralph Hultgren - and Test Piece - The Legend of Pandora by Benjamin Tubb-Hearne. This morning we fulfilled our obligation to march in the Parade.

The band are happy with their performance on Friday and are looking forward to playing the Major Work and March on Sunday. Then it will be time to celebrate (or not), have a couple of drinks, unwind and then look forward to the next contest.