Last year, when I wrote my blog about the 2023 British Open Contest (read it here), I wrote it still with the feeling that it wasn't quite real. I couldn't believe that it had happened. Positive experience, is really the only way to fuel belief that you can do something. Playing at the same contest, one year later, was a completely difference experience for me.
Grimethorpe are such a busy band. I have performed a lot of concerts and been soloist in almost every one. This is so powerful for building confidence as a player and helped a lot for this contest.
My first thoughts about the contest were when I got hold of my part in May 2024. The test piece was The Lost Circle by Jan Van De Roost. Initial thoughts were that it did not look very hard and after playing it through, I was wondering if there was any melody in the piece at all.
I noticed straight away, the need for three different mutes and also felt that my part had a serious lack of places to breathe. I mentioned in last years post, that when composers add mutes in test pieces, it is great if it is for a genuine musical reason and not just to add more challenge for the players. Carrying three mutes plus instrument, plus concert dress bag and whatever else is required on the contest day is not fun. In this test piece, I needed a cup mute for only two notes at one point. I just thought this was ridiculous and thankfully, from some experimenting, managed to get away with using two mutes. It was probably possible to use only one mute for the whole piece and I bet some players did this. The small red euphonium mute (read my review here), actually can be made to sound like a cup mute. Big contests should provide mute options for the big instruments in bands just like they do with percussion, especially if composers are writing for so many mutes.
With the logistical issues sorted out, I started learning the music. It was difficult to practice on the one hand because it required so much technical skill. The only way I could do this was to start slow and gradually increase the tempos bit by bit for each chunk of the piece. Very boring practice and it seemed that there wasn't much room for my musicality to be challenged in the piece but this was still early days in my prep.
It was a brand new piece of music, so no recording existed. There was no reference, there was nothing to listen too for inspiration and nothing to tell me how good a piece this was at this early stage. I didn't know how my part fit with the others and I hadn't studied the score.
The first rehearsal on the test piece as a band was just before the summer holiday. After that rehearsal, I decided I loved the piece and couldn't wait to perform it. I loved the story line and movie like sound track which it provided to the history and mystery of Stonehenge.
One week before the big day, we welcomed our professional conductor, Michael Bach, into the band room and the serious work started. Wow, suddenly the piece became far harder than I had first thought. So many small changes and subtleties. So many tempo changes and points of balance and detail that needed highlighting. I don't think I have ever taken music on the stage which I had written so many comments on. Lots to remember and pulling off a perfect performance was going to be hard for any band.
In the week leading up to the contest, I felt great. My euphonium felt amazing and I felt that I was completely at one with it. I have struggled a bit recently with my instrument just not feeling right, after it had a chemical clean but that was now in the past. In the week before the contest, I hardly worked on the test piece at home, I just ran it through. When you put all the time in miles in advance, it really pays off in the lead up to a contest. You should get to the point where you cannot play it wrong, you just go into auto pilot and your subconscious does the job for you.
On the Thursday before the big day, we had an open rehearsal in a church, for members of the local community to come and hear the test piece. This was a tough rehearsal because we worked very hard on the music in that rehearsal and then ran it through at the very end. There was still a lot of work to do, to find a performance that we would be happy with.
I started back to work in the week before the contest and this was a welcome distraction. I was confident and happy in myself but I know from experience, I can have a habit of mental self sabotage. The thing that gets me is the waiting, I hate it, I am impatient and just want to get on the stage and that concept often makes me nervous. I am not nervous about playing my instrument, but the nervous feelings and my brain start trying to keep me safe from the harm that doesn't exist. The human brain and nervous system are so unbelievably complex and how we all survive daily life is amazing. If you suffer from mental health issues, no matter how big or small, or are even just a bit of a worrier, always talk to people about it. You CAN beat it.... I am the proof.
Morning of the contest, I felt amazing, nice hotel breakfast and early rehearsal, the band were on form. I took myself away for a moment while everyone else was waiting for the draw and just walked back when I knew it would have already been announced. For me, waiting for the draw is the worst part of contests. We were drawn number 5, so we had a bit of time but it meant we would be playing before lunchtime. I was happy with this and just had a great feeling about how the band would play.
Arriving at the Symphony Hall was emotional. I always think about when I used to go and watch the Open as a youngster, I felt so proud and really eager to get on the stage. An old banding friend had passed away recently and some of his closest friends were there, it made me more focused to grab hold of everything I want in life and live every day to the full. RIP Shawn Elliot. I also bumped into a few other friends and had time for some quick team talking (and hugs) from my wife and daughter.
Backstage, it was very hot. Not as hot as the year before but this was on my mind, all senses are running wild and I had to keep reminding myself to relax. It is great at the Symphony Hall because you get to use a room for a while right before going on the stage and you can have a good warm up.
Before walking on stage, bizarrely, I had absolutely no nervous feelings at all. I knew I could do it and just felt excited. There were more people in the hall watching that last year and the feeling in the hall right before starting our performance was electric.
The test piece started with a creepy percussion sound, using a large sheet of metal, a lightening sound. I was watching the percussionist and it looked like no sound was going to come from the thing, I had a sudden panic but the piece started smoothly. My first few entries felt a bit scary and I really had to pull myself together very early on in the piece to get my focus heightened. As the music progressed, it was clear the band were playing well. There was not any really big euphonium solos, more like duets or exposed ensemble sections and being able to play alongside the other soloists in the band is just a dream come true.
Here is a clip of two of my favourite bits from the piece.
I loved the performance but was a bit disappointed by the audience reaction, it just seemed as if it hadn't hit the mark in some way. As the day progressed, it seemed the audience were divided on the piece but also it was difficult to see what in the music was going to be the winning factor for the adjudicators. I knew our performance was exciting and would do something that others could not achieve. It wasn't perfect in execution though, which made me think maybe we might not come in the top half of the results, it could have gone either way. There were fine details, tempos shifts, balance and style points that Michael Bach found in the score and I hoped that the judges noticed it all.
Often, as an audience member, it is easy to judge a band on things that might not actually be important to the real judges. This score needed some studying and a lot of comments from friends or online media seemed to miss the bigger picture of what the piece was trying to achieve. The story of a massive monumental journey, the whole piece needed movement and could never be static, this was something that Grimethorpe achieved and our result coming 4th proved this.
My section mates were amazing. Especially Bo-Rong Li, a Taiwanese euphonium player (and good friend) who stepped into our first baritone seat and performed with class.
Some shock results for some big named bands, who most the audience thought should have won or come higher but that is what happens in contests. Grimethorpe Colliery Band can still win this contest and I know we will be doing our very best to do just that next year!
Congratulations to all the prize winners and to the adjudicators, especially Anne Crookston, who was the first female to serve in that role, I am sure she will not be the last.
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Thanks for reading ❤
Mark Glover
10/9/24
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