Ibstock Brick Brass were thrilled to achieve a 3rd place trophy win at Bolsover Festival of Brass this year. With a fantastic programme and some lovely solo playing, the band earned a great result on the day with a solid performance.
The opening number was the exciting and energetic Starburst by Dan Price, a piece written to evoke the vastness of space and the explosive nature of the galaxy, with its broad chords and rhythmic ostinato, a great opener that set the scene for a great programme.
Ibstock then cleared the way for the soloist of the day, Principal cornet LeeAnne Wilkins, who delivered a beautiful and lyrical rendition of Don’t Doubt Him Now by Leonard Ballantine (Arr. Craig Woodland). LeeAnne’s lovely sound and consideration for the meaning behind the melody was very appreciated by the audience.
The band then moved forward with a piece called Mid All The Traffic (Shenandoah) arranged by Leonard Ballantine. This Salvation Army hymn tune is simple yet beautiful, and was played with careful observation of dynamics and plenty of expression.
As a finale MD Dave Lea chose the Finale of Glorifico Aeternum by Dean Jones, a musical number which offers glory and thanksgiving to God. It is an exciting and metronomically precise piece where every individual part is important and must be balanced, and one which the band thoroughly enjoyed playing.
As a programme in whole this showed the work that Ibstock Brick Brass has put in and highlighted some exceptional solo talent. Overall this was a great success for the band who are now preparing and looking forward to attending Butlins Mineworkers Contest January 2020 in the second section.