The Co’s creative masterpiece wows Brass in Concert audience and judges

Huge congratulations to the cooperation band on its victory at the Brass in Concert Championships in the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead yesterday.

Pre-drawn to play off the no.3 spot, the band put on a creative programme which transported the audience to Paris in 1913 where the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées bustled with excitement. As Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring begins, the glittering Parisian audience was unprepared for what they were about to hear. Within minutes, the music erupted into chaos – boos, jeers and a riot that would change the course of music history.

Guided by Coco Chanel (portrayed by actor Elizabeth McNally), the set featured specially commissioned new works written exclusively for the band, alongside vivid arrangements by some of the brass world’s leading creative voices – Andrew Duncan, Lucy Pankhurst, Howard Snell and Simon Dobson.

“La Première” – a musical concept created by the band’s principal conductor Katrina Marzella Wheeler – not only wowed the audience of brass band aficionados, but also the panel of adjudicators who were assessing the quality of the music, the programme content and the entertainment and presentation.

Judging the quality of the music were Florent Didier and Benjamin Haemouts; programme content Anne Crookston: and entertainment and presentation Sue Collier and Al Booth.

As well as taking the overall winning silverware  – plus a very welcome £4000! – the band’s Alex Ramsay won the best principal cornet accolade and Stephanie Kennedy the best flugel award.

The aggregate scores were as follows:

1. the cooperation band (Katrina Marzella Wheeler) 185pts
2. Brighouse & Rastrick (David Thornton) 179pts
3. Cory (Philip Harper) 175pts
4. GUS (Christopher Bond): 155pts
5. Brass Band Schoonhoven (Eric Janssen) 155pts
6. Flowers (Paul Holland) 150pts
7. Foden's (Michael Fowles) 146pts
8. Aldbourne (Glyn Williams) 137pts
9. Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Allan Withington) 129pts
10. Kleppe Musikklag (Tormod Flaten) 129pts
11. KNDS Fairey (Mark Heron) 110pts

Awards

Audience award: Foden's
Highest quality of performance: the cooperation band
Highest placed in entertainment and presentation: Brass Band Schoonhoven
Highest placed in programme content: Brass Band Schoonhoven

Best new composition/arrangement: Bring the Bass (Simon Dobson), Brass Band Schoonhoven

Best soloist: Garry Curtin (Foden's)
Best soprano: Paul Richards (Flowers)
Best principal cornet: Alex Ramsay (the cooperation band)
Best flugel: Stephanie Kennedy (the cooperation band)
Best horn: Jonathan Bates (Foden's)
Best baritone: Eliot Harrington (Flowers)
Best euphonium: Chris Robertson (Brighouse & Rastrick)
Best trombone: Chris Thomas (Flowers)
Best bass section: Carlton Main Frickley
Best percussion: Flowers
Youngest player: Alava Petra (Kleppe Musikklag) aged 17

Winning conductor trophy: Katrina Marzella Wheeler