Category: General

At the NM in Bergen Norway Rong Brass performed Bipolarity of Stijn Aertgeert. I loved every second of the performance, and it was so cool to end up 2nd in the first division, with promotion to the Elite Division. Amazing when you realize Rong Brass played in the 3rd Division in 2017.

Result:

First Division:

Adjudicators: Bjorn Sagstad, Katrina Marzella, Arsene Duc

1. Ila Brass (Magnus Brandseth) — 97
2. Rong Brass (Erik Janssen) — 96
3. Askoy Brass Band (Reid Gilje) — 94
4. Musikkorpset Gjallarhorn (Adam Cooke) — 93.5
5. Radoy Brass (Bjorn Breistein) — 93
6. Tomra Brass Band (Frans Violet) — 92
7. Molde Brass (Russell Gray) — 90
8. Flesland Musikklag (Thor-Arne Pedersen) — 89
9. Brottum Brass (Ray Farr) — 88
10. Hasle Brass (Robert Solberg Nilsen) — 87
11. Sola Brass Band (Gwyn Evans) — 86
12. Sandefjord Brass Symposium (Helge Haukas) — 85

Happy Tuba section !

Op vrijdag 31 januari ging het dak eraf in de Skans in Gorredijk. De Spijkerpakkenband gaf het jaarlijkse Midwinterconcert samen met de band Vangrail.

Wat is het toch super om steeds weer zo een gaaf concert te kunnen geven ! Onze gasten maar in het bijzonder onze eregasten van gehandicaptenzorg Piipskoft kregen waar voor hun geld !!

This year I return to the Dalmellington Brassband to lead them at the Scottish Brassband Championships in Perth next March.

What a joy to work with band again last weekend, it’s great to see they worked really hard before i joined them. The fantastic set test piece “A Tale as Yet Untold” by Philip Sparke is a great test!

Looking forward tot return and of february!

Noord Nederlands Symphony orchestra goes HAFABRA volume 2.

Last saturday we performed in theater de Harmonie in Leeuwarden. This was the second event in which the NNJO met the pro’s on stage, all organised by the North Nederlands Symphony Orchestra and their artistic leader Marcel Mandos.

Before the interval the Noord Nederlands Jeugdorkest and Brassband Soli Deo Gloria performed music of Johan de Meij and Jacob de Haan. They where rewarded as most performed classical composers throughout the world and received a BUMA award for that fact.

After the Break Johan de Meij conducted his second Symphony: The Big Apple.

The Book of Urizen is composed for windband, soprano singer and narrator. For our performance we invited Levy Pletting, soprano and Wouter Braaf, narrator. What a job they did.

Proud !!!

We spent a very nice inspiring night where guided through the score by Jacob.

Last weekend I returned to Norway to work with Rong Brass.

We are preparing the incredible composition Bipolarity by Stijn Aertgeert. Looking forward to go back in february !

On Christmas Eve the NNJO performed during the Christmas service in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. This time led by the inspirational Daniel Rouwkema so the Janssen family could enjoy the event as audience.

December 7 and 8: the Yamaha band clinic 2019 !

The concept is so cool, workshops, forum, sectionals, massed band you name it.

This year Russell Gray, Simone Rebello, Armin Bachmann, Arfon Owen, Katrina Marzella and my person where working with the bands.

Gerard Koning and Timo Hanf of Yamaha organised this great weekend.

The final presentation on both days was really cool, some great soloist.

Katrina performad Napoli of Bellstedt, Arfon performed Lark in the Clear Air arranged by Gorden Langford, and Armin performad Fantastic Polka of Arthur Pryor.

such as Arfon playing Lark in the Clear Air, Katrina performing Napoli, Armin performing Fantastic Polka of Pryor and Simone performed A Little Prayer by Eveline Glennie, it as so beautiful !

Op 23 November mocht de Koninklijke Harmoniekapel Delft dan eindelijk op concours na een lange en goede voorbereiding. Er is zo goed gewerkt in alle groepen, wat is het fijn om zonder invallers op concours te gaan ! Een ongekende luxe, hoewel sommige muzikanten overuren hebben moeten maken om de klus te klaren !

We speelden 2 geweldige werken, uiteraard het speciaal gecomponeerde Lux Futura van Kevin Houben, een ware hommage aan Delft, en het geweldige Extreme Make Over van Johan de Meij.

Enkele jury commentaren:

Jan van der Roost: Indrukwekkende prestatie, Complimenten dit was “most Excellent”.

Matty Cilissen: Gewaagd programma, moedig maar geslaagd !Compliment aan een mooi orkest en een ervaren dirigent !

Hennie Rameakers: Intense muzikale momenten.

Het is geweldig om weer eens te ervaren wat een geweldig middel en concours kan zijn, gewoon met elkaar de schouders eronder en kijken hoever we samen kunnen komen.. Ik kan eigenlijk niet wachten op het volgende project !

I am looking forward to work with Lyngby-Taarbæk in Denmark. We already shared the stage at several Europeans but now I have the privilege to work with this great bunch. Below the press release.

Lyngby-Taarbæk opts for Janssen in quest for Danish national title

The cross-continent famous Dutch conductor Erik Janssen will travel to the Northeast for the coming weeks – but not that far. Janssen is going to Denmark to stand in front of multiple previous Danish national champions Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band for the first time at the Danish National Brass Band Championships on Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th November. The competition is set to take place in Aarhus in the city’s Concert Hall’s beautiful Symphonic Hall. Here, Janssen and Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band will take on Copenhagen-based rivals and current title holder Concord Brass Band as well as Aarhus Brass Band, Nordvestjysk Brass Band, and FDF Christianshavn Brass Band in the Elite Division. Last year, the band became the overall runner-up in the 2018 Danish Nationals claiming the prize for best own choice performance with a stunning performance of Peter Graham’s The 39th Parallel.

Months of preparation

Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band which is based in the Copenhagen suburb of Lyngby began preparations for this fall’s Danish Nationals as early as right after last year’s championships when the set test piece for this year’s competition was announced. Having worked year-round with former bandsman, current band trainer Michael Thomsen, the band had already intense familiarity with the piece Psyché composed by Ludovic Neurohr which the band will play as set test piece on Friday of the competition weekend. Mr. Janssen had his first rehearsal with the band on the 13th October. And with many more rehearsals scheduled before the competition the band and their famous conductor will be in top condition entering the stage in Aarhus.

Secret adjudication

In the late afternoon, early evening hours of Saturday of the competition weekend, Mr. Janssen and Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band hope to bring sparkle to the concert hall with their own choice test piece. As has been the tradition for the previous many years, adjudication is secret, and the adjudicators will be placed in a black box during the performances of the bands. Therefore, the own choice piece of the band has not yet been announced to the public and can thusly not be mentioned here. But both the band and its conductor are excited about performing the pieces to the audience.

We suggest following the competition via live stream on YouTube and enjoy the best bands of Denmark competing for the top spot. While at it, you might as well root for Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band and Erik Janssen to do well.