TromboneChat

I went to the NABBA CHampionships this past weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana with my wife, a lot of really great brass playing and music, although the pieces by the nature of the event were heavily weighted toward the technical end of the spectrum.

Strange to admit as a brass player, but I only have a very limited apppetite for brass music, I think the lack of different colors as you would get from wooodwinds and strings makes everything sound kind of the same, but if there were an event made to stretch this appetite, this was surely it!

The vendors were all very "valved-instrument" centric, I suppose this is to be expected, as the competing ensembles generally only had three trombones.

JTeagarden wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2026 7:19 am The vendors were all have "valved-instrument" centric, I suppose this is to be expected, and the competing ensembles generally only had three trombones.

That's standard instrumentation for british style brass band. Two tenors, one bass. Competing brass bands rarely have more than three trombones.

Yes, this is clearly based on the British model, cornets instead of trumpets.

I have a few friends in the Five Lakes Silver Band. They have an absolute blast at these events.

Pun intended.

They took the whole enchilada, unfortunately, we didn't stay to hear them, we were brassed out by 5 pm

JTeagarden wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2026 7:19 am Strange to admit as a brass player, but I only have a very limited apppetite for brass music, I think the lack of different colors as you would get from wooodwinds and strings makes everything sound kind of the same, but if there were an event made to stretch this appetite, this was surely it!

Hearing a S tier British Brass Band in person is a very special experience. The blend and colors that can be achieved with that instrumentation is amazing.

I have yet to hear an American British Brass Band match a British one. I think it’s because we’ve got a bunch of doublers on Cornets, Alto horns, Baritones and Euph lol.

As it is, I might be able to squeeze in an opportunity to hear an actual British brass band, my daughter married a fellow from Glasgow, and we hope to visit them in the Fall, although I tend to think (perhaps wrongly) of these as more purely English as opposed to British, I'll do some searching...

Just looked...Whitburn seems to be a highly ranked Scottish brass band.

JTeagarden wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 2:16 pm Just looked...Whitburn seems to be a highly ranked Scottish brass band.

There are a LOT of brass bands of all levels just between Glasgow & Edinburgh, let alone in Scotland/rest of the UK. I stay in one of the smaller regions (historical mining area) in Scotland and there are four bands plus their youth set ups.

Many of the bigger bands started 'B' Bands and some are now competing in the same sections. It's a real minefield but I'm sure there will be a concert somewhere during your visit.

Look at the Scottish Brass Band Association (sbba.org.uk) for more info.

mrdeacon wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 1:48 pm I have yet to hear an American British Brass Band match a British one. I think it’s because you’re got a bunch of doublers on Cornets, Alto horns, Baritones and Euph lol.

I think that many American bands strive to this, even if it is a pretty impossible task. I know that Five Lakes not too long ago did go to Europe and did a gig with the Black Dyke Band.

Cooperation Band in Glasgow is absolute tops.

There were quite a few trombones to see with the vendors at NABBA including a Greenhoe tenor and bass and a selection of Raths.

Five Lakes was fantastic although James Madison and Chicago both really played beautifully on the choice piece - unfortunately for them that isn't weighted as highly as the set test piece, and they didn't do as well with the set test.

I was specifcally looking for gadgetry, as opposed to horns...

mrdeacon wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 1:48 pm

JTeagarden wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2026 7:19 am Strange to admit as a brass player, but I only have a very limited apppetite for brass music, I think the lack of different colors as you would get from wooodwinds and strings makes everything sound kind of the same, but if there were an event made to stretch this appetite, this was surely it!

Hearing a S tier British Brass Band in person is a very special experience. The blend and colors that can be achieved with that instrumentation is amazing.

I have yet to hear an American British Brass Band match a British one. I think it’s because we’ve got a bunch of doublers on Cornets, Alto horns, Baritones and Euph lol.

These guys are pretty handy in the US: https://bbbc.net/

I know one or two from England who go over to play with them.

mgladdish wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 2:45 am

mrdeacon wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 1:48 pm
Hearing a S tier British Brass Band in person is a very special experience. The blend and colors that can be achieved with that instrumentation is amazing.

I have yet to hear an American British Brass Band match a British one. I think it’s because we’ve got a bunch of doublers on Cornets, Alto horns, Baritones and Euph lol.

These guys are pretty handy in the US: https://bbbc.net/

I know one or two from England who go over to play with them.

Are they competing?

SwissTbone wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:46 am

mgladdish wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 2:45 am

These guys are pretty handy in the US: https://bbbc.net/

I know one or two from England who go over to play with them.

Are they competing?

No idea!

I find that whole scene an anathema to be honest so don't keep up with it.

mgladdish wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:52 am

SwissTbone wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:46 am

Are they competing?

No idea!

I find that whole scene an anathema to be honest so don't keep up with it.

"Competitions are for horses, not artists" Bartok.

I kind of agree with them. But it's still fun following results and all the chit chat that goes with it.

SwissTbone wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:46 am

mgladdish wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 2:45 am

These guys are pretty handy in the US: https://bbbc.net/

I know one or two from England who go over to play with them.

Are they competing?

They do not compete, and -- honestly -- the best batch of regular US bands Like Five Lakes, Fountain City, and even JMU, are far better than BBBC. Even though they have a lot of star players, they only rehearse with each other for short stretches.

With all this talk of brass band, I went back and re-watched that Youtube video of Shostakovich 10 - Scherzo - you know the one, with the Brass Band of Battle Creek and Charlie Vernon just goes bonkers.

That was posted 16 years ago. Egads!!

AndrewMeronek wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:40 pm With all this talk of brass band, I went back and re-watched that Youtube video of Shostakovich 10 - Scherzo - you know the one, with the Brass Band of Battle Creek and Charlie Vernon just goes bonkers.

That was posted 16 years ago. Egads!!

Just listened to it, fantastic!

JTeagarden wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 6:48 am They took the whole enchilada, unfortunately, we didn't stay to hear them, we were brassed out by 5 pm

The agony of festivals and conventions is that they take something you normally consume for about 5 minutes per week and make you buy a ticket to 12 hours of it in one day.

SwissTbone wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 4:54 am "Competitions are for horses, not artists" Bartok.

"Prizes are for boys... and I'm all grown up." - Charles Ives. I'll presume he recycled that from Bartok.

JTeagarden wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 7:01 pm

AndrewMeronek wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:40 pm With all this talk of brass band, I went back and re-watched that Youtube video of Shostakovich 10 - Scherzo - you know the one, with the Brass Band of Battle Creek and Charlie Vernon just goes bonkers.

That was posted 16 years ago. Egads!!

Just listened to it, fantastic!

I prefer La Forza for me…
https://youtu.be/qSYlETbQiDY?si=RTMANPcpW9csSej0

From the same concert.

Would have sounded better in a good hall, but this was recorded when they were refurbishing Kellogg Auditorium.

Cheers,
Andy