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Please enjoy the video of Callum Wemyss – SCBF Outstanding Soloist 2011!
Please click on the above video clip to view a performance of SCBF Most Outstanding Soloist of the Year 2010, Callum Wemyss perform Philip Sparke’s CARNIVAL for Alto Sax.
Callum performed this work at the SCBF Finals in Perth Concert Hall on Saturday the 2nd. of April 2011. Adjudicators Chris Wormald and Brian Kerr awarded Callum the prestigeous SCBF Concerto Prize which is to perform a concerto accompanied by the students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This performance will take place on Thursday the 2nd. of February 2012, when Callum will perform Adam Gorb’s Concertino for Alto Sax with the RCS Wind Orchestra conducted by Nigel Boddice. Tickets are available from the box office of The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Callum is the second recipient of the SCBF Concerto Award, last year saw Chubbe Anucha an alto sax player from West Lothian perform Ronald Binge’s Concerto for Alto Sax with students of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama conducted by Nigel Boddice.
SCBF, now in its third year will produce a fantastic third opportunity for one young Scottish musician. The SCBF Aberdeen Area Festival produced two outstanding solo performances :
Trumpet Soloist Mark James performed DECLARATION for TRUMPET by Stephen Bulla, while Flute Soloist Jillian Hunter performed RHAPSODY for FLUTE by Stephen Bulla.
Both of these outstanding young musicians are now eligible for the SCBF Most Outstanding Soloist of the Year Award 2011/12 when they perform in the SCBF National Finals in Perth Concert Hall on Sunday 18th. of March 2012. Tickets are available now from Perth Concert Hall box office ( book online) or at the door on the day.
Nigel Durno.
SCBF Organiser
Updated 28/12/2011
Please see the ‘news‘ page for the results of recent band festivals.
| If you conduct a wind band ……. then this festival is for you, and will provide one of the best motivational tools and rewarding performance opportunities for your band to work towards over the coming months…..and years !The SCBF has FIVE KEY NEW features which differ SIGNIFICANTLY from the existing NCBF.The SCBF will have FIVE INDIVIDUAL WIND BAND categories/ classes:The ACHIEVING School Band Class – for bands performing grade 1 and grade 2 repertoire – up to Grade 2.5. |
Please click onSCBF Main Sponsors Just Music |
| The ADVANCED School Band Class – for bands performing grade 2.5 repertoire and above.The YOUTH Band Class – for bands composed of pupils from several schools. The COMMUNITY Band Class – for bands of all ages and abilities The OPEN Class – the premier wind band class for bands from music colleges or institutes of higher education and youth or community bands who wish to enter at this level.In this second year of the Scottish Concert Band Festival, there are no plans to include a Jazz Ensemble Class – although this may follow in future years if there is demand. The SCBF Festival specifically wants to attract performances from First Year Bands in Primary and Secondary Schools in Scotland, and bands with incomplete instrumentation, who traditionally have not been part of the existing NCBF.2. Secondly, the SCBF has a brand NEW REPERTOIRE LISTwith over 250 pieces of quality repertoire ranging from Grade 0.5 for very beginning bands to Grade 6.0 for professional bands. Only one piece must be chosen from the Repertoire List when compiling a programme to enter the SCBF, the rest of the programe is “own choice”. Alternatively, bands may elect to perform a work which they have commissioned as an alternative to choosing a work from the Repertoire List. The good news is that there is NO REQUIREMENT to play a title in BOLD PRINT from the repertoire list ! |
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| 3. The 3rd. NEW FEATURE of the SCBF is that it aims to have FOUR “AREA/LOCAL” QUALIFYING EVENTS in four regions throughout Scotland culminating in a Scottish National Final event to be held in the fabulous venue at PERTH CONCERT HALL on Saturday the 2nd. of April – the day after schools break up for Easter. |
 The Wind Section |
Inverness & Highlands – Saturday 27th. November – Millburn Academy, Inverness.
Aberdeen & North East – Sunday 28th. November at Northfield Academy/ Aberdeen Music Centre.
Dundee/Tayside/Perth – Sunday 14th. November – venue to be confirmed.
Edinburgh & East of Scotland – Saturday 4th. December – NEW VENUE – Inveralmond Community High School, Livingston.
Glasgow & West of Scotland – Sunday 5th. December – NEW VENUE – Inveralmond Community High School, Livingston.
# Saturday 2nd. April 2011 – SCBF National Final at PERTH CONCERT HALL. * Please Note CHANGE of VENUE and DATE.
Bands should enter their own AREA event, but in case of difficulty with a Festival date, bands may opt this year to enter a different area event on a different date.
4. The 4th. NEW FEATURE of the SCBF is the FORMAT of the MUSICAL PROGRAMME.
Traditionally, band directors presenting balanced programmes (15 – 20minutes) for music festivals have thought along the following lines -
Opener
Slow Tune
Biggie/ Finisher
The SCBF opens up TWO NEW POSSIBILITIES -
The OPTION to include a FEATURED SOLOIST playing a movement from a concerto or solo work – there will be a special Soloist Award for bands choosing this option at Area and National level.
The OPTION to include a work of pure entertainment, which draws on visual as well as the aural presentation – again there will be a special ENTERTAINMENT AWARD for bands choosing to include this option in their programme. This is really an attempt to get bands to “really visually entertain” their audiences, using “musical theatre”, choreography, props etc. instead of playing light concert repertoire with a “dead pan” sitting still approach.
So the new SCBF musical programme might look like this -
Opener ( possibly from the Rep List)
Slow Tune OR Solo Feature (New Option)
Biggie ( possibly from the Rep List or commissioned work)
Entertainment Item ( New Option)
It is however recognised that bands may not want to include either of these OPTIONS in their programming, and there is no penalty for doing so, since these are entirely separate awards.
5. The 5th. NEW FEATURE of the SCBF is that a new generation of Wind Band experts and ADJUDICATORS is currently being recruited specifically to help adjudicate at the different area/ qualifying events throughout Scotland. This new generation of adjudicators will be drawn from the instrumental teaching teams from Scottish Local Education Authorities – they will be working band directors themselves with existing knowledge of the band repertoire and a real interest in the future development of wind bands and instrumental music education.
They will attend annually a National InService Training day – this year to be held at the RSAMD on a date in October 2010 – to be confirmed. During this day they will analize the key areas of musical performance which is desireable and achieveable by each level of band from first year band through to accomplished adult band. This should help ensure that a positive, balanced and uniform level of adjudication is delivered at each SCBF event which encourages players, directors and their supporters to jointly seek continuing musical performances of enjoyment and quality.
ADJUDICATION & AWARDS
It is intended that adjudicators will largely be drawn from a pool of working band directors, who have attended a National Training event held in the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama. Crucially since by far the largest part of this Festival is educationally based, the band directors/ adjudicators will be focusing at this training event on what should be achievable by each grade of band and what actually is being achieved. Significantly this will be the first music festival where the adjudicators are given the opportunity to meet and agree on key aspects of performance and band repertoire in advance of the actual process of “live adjudication”. This should lead to a more “uniform” delivery of adjudication, and go some way to help “iron out” previous discrepancies, especially between Area Event and National Final.
Performances at AREA LEVEL will be awarded either a
GOLD or a Gold Plus,
SILVER or a Silver Plus,
BRONZE or Bronze Plus
award, based on the adjudicators perception of how successfully the band and the director have achieved in the following criteria :
RHYTHM – successful performance of all rhythmic elements, including successful negotiation of all changes of metre, accellerando/ rallentando/ appropriate use of rubato and choice of tempi.
MELODY – Successful balance throughout each piece of the Melodic Line, Counter Melodies (where present) with the rhythmic/ harmonic accompaniment and bass line.
TUNING & INTONATION – tuning up successfully prior to performance and maintaining a high level of “in tune” performance throughout.
ARTICULATION – the ability to clearly perform all styles of articulation required in each piece – legato, staccato, accents etc.
DYNAMICS – the ability to present a carefully structured dynamic range throughout each piece.
COMMUNICATION – the bands ability to respond to the conductors visual direction – and the conductors ability to give appropriate visual direction.
MUSICALITY & INTERPRETATION – the evidence from the performance of detailed prior thought and preparation on the programme by the conductor with regard to phrasing and creating musical performance which is more than simply a delivery of the notes on the page.
CHOICE & BALANCE of PROGRAMME – A well conceived balanced and contrasting programme which focuses on the strengths of the ensemble, but at the same time presenting the band with appropriate technical & musical challenges
The AWARDS
As outlined above, awards will be presented using the following hierarchy :
Bronze
Bronze Plus
Silver
Silver Plus
Gold
Gold Plus
at NATIONAL FINAL level, since it is anticipated that there may be several awards at Gold Level, and in order to differentiate a really outstanding Gold performance, the adjudicators may if they deem it appropriate, award one and only one PLATINUM Award.
At each AREA event, the adjudicators may award “The MOST ENTERTAINING BAND” award to the band who achieves the highest level of performance – visually and aurally, in the NEW FESTIVAL OPTION of the addition of an entertainment item to the performance.
At each AREA event, the adjudicators may award “The MOST OUTSTANDING SOLOIST” to the soloist who achieves the highest level of performance in the New Festival Option where band directors may choose to feature a particularly good soloist.
The National Final of the Scottish Concert Band Festival, on Sunday 21st. of March 2010, will be given a very high profile, with the highest achieving bands from across Scotland being invited to give public performances as part of the RSAM&D programme of events to recognise their success. The winning Soloist ( where band directors have chosen this option), will be invited to perform a solo work ( or concerto or movement from a concerto) with the orchestra or wind band of the RSAMD.
At National Final level, it is hoped to make an award to the Band Director who produces the most musical performance of any one piece or complete programme.
There will be an award for the band who successfully produces and performs “the BEST COMMISIONED NEW WORK for BAND”. This award could be won by a band at AREA level, and is not necessarily tied into performances at National Final level.
SCBF REPERTOIRE LIST 2009 – 2010
This list is available both with this mailing to you as a separate document, and online at http://www.scottishconcertbandfestival.com/
SCBF ENTRY FORM 2009 – 2010
The entry form is available both with this mailing to you as a separate document, and online at http://www.scottishconcertbandfestival.com/
The entry fee is £70.00
CLOSING DATE for entries for ALL AREAS is FRIDAY 22nd. October 2009
The NATIONAL FINAL of the Scottish Concert Band Festival, on Sunday 21st. of March 2010 at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in Glasgow.
THIS IS A FESTIVAL FOR YOU & YOUR BAND
If you have any questions or comments to make regarding the Scottish Concert Band Festival, please email n.durno@scottishconcertbandfestival.com
or contact
Nigel Durno, Scottish Concert Band Festival,
246 Auldhouse Road, EAST KILBRIDE, G75 9DX.
Tel. 01355 – 245674
