European Youth Band – Linz, Austria 2010
Four very talented young musicians will embark on a journey of a lifetime when they join other young musicians from all over Europe, representing their country in this years European Youth Brass Band.
This year’s host city is Linz, Austria.
Linz is a city in the northwest of Austria, situated at the river Danube. It is the capital of the federal state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich). Its area is about 96 km2. Linz has around 190,000 inhabitants and is the European Capital of Culture 2009. There is the "Art & Culture Mile" along the Danube, which stretches from the Brucknerhaus concert hall and the Lentos art museum to the old town with its castle museum, and the Ars Electronica Center on the northern bank of the river. A symbol of Linz is the pilgrimage basilica on the Pöstlingberg. This church is easy to reach with the world's steepest tram – the "Pöstlingbergbahn". There you can enjoy the wonderful panorama, the "Grottenbahn" cave railway or the Linz Zoological Garden.
The EYBB was first conceived by BFBB when they hosted the EBBC in Birmingham.
This years MD who will train the band and present a number of concerts will be Wolfgang Homar director of music school of Kirchdorf
The band as a number of concerts planed as well as taking part in the opening ceremony. Their week will finish, leaving many new friends, on Sunday at the Farewell Concert.
Hannah Drage – Tenor Horn – is a member of Northamptonshire
Youth Band. She started playing at the age of ten quickly progressing
she is now principal horn.
In 2009 she won the Fellowship Instrumentalist Award for the Northamptonshire
Music Service and for the last four years as been a member of the National
Youth Band. As well as brass she plays the piano and sings with the school
choir.
Winning a scholarship to the RNCM Hannah hopes to become a professional musician and teacher.
Also a member of Northamptonshire Youth Band Jonti Smith – Baritone
will be joining Hannah in Linz. Reaching grade 8 at fifteen having started
playing at the age of 8 he began his association with NYB in 2003 where
he is now principal euph.
In 2009 he won Best Musician in the Chipping Norton music festival.
Jonti is a member of the National Youth Band also plays with Kidlington
Concert Band. He is hoping for a place at Exeter College, Oxford to study
music perusing a career in music and composition.
Joining Hannah and Jonti will be joined by two members of Camborne Youth Band, Rebecca Spinks and BaritoneBen, Ben King.
Rebbeca – Cornet – whilst as a member of Camborne Youth the
band as won 3 National Junior Champions, 2 national Community Champions
and last year won the national Premier Youth Championships. Over the last
six year she as been a pupil at the Wessex Summer BB School achieving
two awards for most improved player.
In 2009 she played with the North Shore Band in New Zealand who won the
A Grade Entertainment National Finals. Rebbeca is now working towards
Grade 8 on Bb Cornet; she also plays piano and flute.
Ben – Baritone – holds 11 GCSE’s and 2 A levels. He
holds the position as principal baritone and has won many honours with
Camborne Youth. He was with the NYBB for two years and is now playing
with Camborne Town Band.
He is a Teaching Assistant with Camborne Science & Community College.
His ambition is gain a Music Degree (BMus) and become a teacher.
All four youngsters will have ‘A Ball’ in Linz and the friendships made will stay with them forever.
The BFBB will contribute towards the expense of travelling.
Not only are they thrilled with the prospect of Linz their families are also, so much so that all parents/guardian will be travelling to Linz to support them. One Granddad is travelling to Linz with his caravan, wonder if he as any free seats?
We have been asked by EBBA if we could find another tenor horn player to attend the EYBB. We are please to nominate Beki who as been accepted and will be joining our other young people in Linz.
REBECCA ADAMS – TENOR HORN
Beki started playing Tenor horn when she 7 years old and played in the local brass band 'Brass Tacks' from the age of 10 till 18. Although this isn't a contesting band they have played in the finals of the music for youth competition at Symphony Hall in Birmingham twice in two years.
Beki has a distinction in Grade 8 tenor horn, summer 2007.
She joined the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain in Easter 2008 and has done 4 courses and counting! She has won several regional competitions and competed in the Bath Young Musician of the Year November 2008.
In Easter 2007 she started playing the French horn and in summer 2009 I took her Grade 8 and passed with distinction.
Beki is now studying at the Royal Northern College of Music with Lesley
Howie as tenor horn teacher and Lizzie Davis as French horn teacher.
