Mount Charles Band make
it to Norway..........and back
Mount Charles enjoyed a volcanic ash
free trip to enjoy a weekend of music making in Norway at
the Grenland International festival of Brass.
Setting off at 5.30am from their
bandroom in Cornwall, they set off in optimistic mood,
hoping the flights would be unaffected, to make their trip
to Oslo (Torp) airport. News reports on the radio did
indicate that some Norwegian Airspace had been closed, due
to the Icelandic volcano erupting again, so there was a
nervous wait to check the situation at Stansted when
checking in. Thankfully all flights were still fine, and the
band were delighted to be able to board, and make the flight
to Norway. Upon landing the other flights in and out were
cancelled, as the ash had blown across Scandinavia, closing
western Norway airports, so that was lucky indeed!
The band had an evening to themselves
on Thursday evening enjoying the final of the conductor
competition and the Norwegian Military Band.
Friday evening was the Sacred programme
/ contest at the magnificent cathedral at Skien, where the
band performed a 25 minute programme, featuring Tim
Whitehead in the Flugel solo ‘Share my Yoke’.
On Saturday morning the band were drawn
number 1 to perform the premiere of the specially
commissioned test piece entitle ‘Band on a Holy Crusade’ by
Norwegian composer Oyvind Westby.
In the afternoon the band closed the
contest with their entertainment programme which was a
reprise of their winning programme from the Miller
Countrywide contest, played 2 weeks before.
The awesome
Mnozil Brass performed the
Gala concert, before the results were announced in true
European style where the band were delighted to win a host
or prizes.
The band won the best Hymn tune
performance, playing Dean Goffin’s ‘Light of the World’,
best performance of the test piece, and Ian Thomas picked up
the best soloist prize for his performance of the Harry
James Trumpet Concerto.
They were also crowned Grenland
International Festival Champions, the first band from the UK
to do so, winning 15000 krone to bring home too!
The band left the hotel at 6.45am, for
their flight returning back into Cornwall at 6pm that
evening to round of an exhausting but thoroughly rewarding
weekend!
Derek Thomas said ‘Getting the band
overseas was a real test for us, but the support we received
from Oyvind Klingberg in helping the band attend this
festival has been amazing, and I cannot thank him enough for
his support’.
‘Whilst in Grenland, we were made to
feel so welcome, and Morten and the team of helpers from
Grenland Brass were there to help us throughout the trip!’
We recommend this festival to any UK
band wanting to make a trip overseas.
The organisation was excellent, the
support remarkable but the beer very expensive!
The band are now hoping to enjoy their
trip to Blackpool as much!!
