HIGHLIGHTS:

• The President’s Own performing ‘Music for Prague 1968’ by Karel Husa

• Sinfonisches Landesblasorchester Hessen (Germany) conducted by Oliver Nickel

• Becoming a Board member of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles

• Visiting the Lobkowicz Museum in Prague Castle

• Adjudicating the WASBE Composition Contest

From the conversations to the concerts, to the re-connections and new introductions, WASBE felt like one big family reunion, rather than a wind band conference. The all-encompassing nature of WASBE really hit home when I found myself sitting at a table with WASBE board members Rom Shamir (Captain, conductor of the Israel Defense Forces Orchestra, Israel), Enrique Hernandis (Composer and Associate Professor of Composition at Berklee Valencia, Spain) and Stéphane Delley (Conductor-Fribourg Conservatory, President of WASBE-Switzerland). To an Australian who lives in a remote regional centre, this was not normal.

What I loved the most was the difference in tone of the ensembles from around the globe. The warm, rounded reeds of the Central Band of The Czech Armed Forces (Conductor: Jaroslav Šíp) had my attention from the very first sonic moment. How was it possible for saxophones to blend so seamlessly into the band timbre yet bolster and fortify all at the same time? The sheer symphonic scale of the Banda de Música Filarmónica Beethoven from Spain (Conductor: Juan José Fernández Olivares) complete with a violincello section to the emotional cohesion of the Sinfonisches Landesblasorchester Hessen conducted by Oliver Nickel (Germany). I was simply in awe.

Two magical music moments for me were presented in the way of concerti. Each one offered a completely new approach to the genre. The first being “Dreaming of Masters IV” - a jazz concerto for saxophone by Canadian composer Allan Galliland (b. 1965 Scotland). This offering was performed by the adult community group ‘Edmonton Winds’ from Canada (conductor Raymond Baril). Award winning jazz saxophonist Pj Perry calmly stepped out onto the stage of the Žofin Palace and exclaimed ‘let’s play this gig’. Complemented by his own quartet, Perry commanded the stage in every possible way. Galliland’s score was the perfect blend of wind ensemble and soloist, merging together the art-forms seamlessly. The middle movement “Reminiscence” offers a lulling section in 5/4 which left you drifting as high as the neo-Renaissance ball room would allow.

The second concerto experience (that was the musical highlight of the conference for me personally), was the marimba concerto ‘Reflection’ by German composer Hubert Hoche. Hoche’s concerti was written during the pandemic and captures to perfection the bewilderment, the rush and flow of isolated energy as well as the enduring sadness for those lost. The soloist, Marta Klimasara commanded the Marimba with such high energy and vivacity, and her lines were sewn into the ensemble with ease and clarity by the gifted German composer. This work sparked my imagination like a bright and refreshing sorbet after a heavy European goulash, and will remain with me for a long while. If you are yet to discover the work of Hubert Hoche be sure to explore his website. There are works for Grade 1 band through to the professional level, and his website is in both German and English: https://www.hubert-hoche.de/

To learn about the concerts and repertoire played at the conference, please visit: https://www.wasbe2022.com/programme/

WASBE is an organisation which offers an experience of professional development and connection through immersion. Every member, every presentation and every performance was a celebration of the very best that Wind Band music has to offer on an international scale. Through fascination and generosity, knowledge and repertoire is shared in abundance with a unifying love of one commonality: band. I am so honoured and deeply humbled to have the opportunity to serve on the WASBE board, and urge anyone reading this, who maybe feeling a little disconnected or a little lost in the world of wind music, to consider becoming a member of the organisation. Like anything, you reap what you sow, so jump in with both feet and explore the delights of all you survey. For the world of wind music is much deeper than any of us realise.