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News
16 Nov 2008
WCB wins Battle No. 5
We did it! Warringah Concert Brass has won the Grand Final of the NSW Battle of the Bands for the 5th consecutive year.
When you take into account winning the 2006 and 2008 Eastcoast Entertainment Championships and being the highest placed Australian band at the recent Australasian Open Entertainment Championship, Warringah has cemented itself as one of the most entertaining bands in Australia!
The band must be congratulated for a number of years of hard work and being brave enough to try different styles of entertainment. The commitment and hard work has paid off!
27 Oct 2008
Best Soloist Award
To the delight of his fellow WCB members, Anthony Brahe took out the best non-brass soloist award at the Australasian Entertainment Championship on Sunday.
Anthony played his own original composition for the Marimba entitled "The Not-So-Square Dance", complete with cowboy shirt and hat. Anthony hasn't entered a solo competition in nearly 20 years and was suprised at being judged the best by the adjudicators Barrie Gott, Steve Bastable and Ken Young.
His success at winning this award rides on the back of earlier in the week having two of his original compositions published. Congratulations Anthony.
26 Oct 2008
WCB at the Australasian Open
Warringah Concert Brass has come home from the FABB Australasian Open Championship and the Australasian Entertainment Championship, making it very clear to the banding community that they are a serious player in today’s competition field.
Seven bands competed in the inaugural event including :
• Brisbane Brass - Australia
• Brisbane Excelsior - Australia
• Footscray Yarraville City Band - Australia
• St. Mary’s – Australia
• Waitakere City Brass – New Zealand
• Warringah Concert Brass – Australia
• Woolston Brass - New Zealand
WCB came 4th in the selected test piece in what was seen as a very competitive field that included some of the finest bands in the southern hemisphere. The test piece, Music of Battle by Phillip Sparke was a very challenging test and by far the toughest penned by Sparke to date.
The band went on the next day to become runners up in the Australasian Entertainment Championship.
With a general feeling of disappointment in not taking out the event, the band was encouraged to be recognized as the highest placed Australian band in the field.
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Here is what 4barsrest had to say about the band’s performance…………..
Australasian Open Championship
Prelude and Toccata:
Good opening with pulse established well in opening bars. Good band sound evident. Cornet/Euph section - some minor intonation discrepancies. Bravo euph. Excellent percussion.
Elegy:
Nice work baritone. Tasty euph - well done. Solo link ups not always successful 184. Great sounds at Estatico. Lovely work from glock.
Finale:
Excellent cornets. Bravo trombone. Solo horn does well too. Good tempo that suits. Pity about some loose ensemble at the end.
Overall, a good reading of the score.
Australasian Entertainment Championship
Programme: Coconut Champagne, Flashdance, Stripper, The Swan, El es el Senor, The Not So Square Dance, Soul Bosa Nova
Brass Soloist: Thom Humphrey, euphonium
Non-brass Soloist: Anthony Brahe, marimba
Well put together - bordering on 'cheesy' in a couple of spots but we still loved it.
MD John Saunders played a great role as roving compere.
The dying swan was an interesting take on a serious number. Thom Humphrey did well to maintain composure when the swan was dying.
Austin Powers - always a crowd pleaser, and well portrayed.
The band's use of the auditorium maximised their presentation effectiveness.
Another well constructed program - professionally presented.
19 Oct 2008
WCB goes German again
The WCB Oom pah pah band has again wooed the crowds at the Dee Why RSL Club Oktoberfest held on Saturday 19 th October.
The principal benefactor of the event was the Breast Cancer Foundation.
It did appear that members of the band were initially hesitant to don the lederhosen, long socks and silly hats, but by the end of the day this feeling gave way to the enthusiastic crowd calling for more music to be played from this generally misunderstood genre!
28 Sep 2008
Farewell to Darren Cole - again!
Warringah Concert Brass has said farewell for the second time to their Deputy Music Director and principal trombone, Darren Cole.
Darren has been appointed Officer Commanding/Music Director of the Australian Army Band Perth, taking up duties in October.
As a conductor, Darren has the rare reputation of winning every competition he has conducted, including two Grand Finals of the NSW Battle of the Bands with Warringah as well as a Victorian State Championship with Kew Band Melbourne.
At the 2008 National Brass Band Championships, Darren was announced as the Champion Drum Major.
Darren will be greatly missed at Warringah, but it is not the end of the association as both the band and Darren have agreed that on his return to Sydney in the future his spot will be waiting!