Brass band competition big audience draw

Five years ago, the U.S. Open Brass Band Championships burst on the Chicago area, introducing local fans to the distinctly British styled music and competition.

These are not high school bands competing, but highly skilled adult bands. Each one plays music arranged for their traditional British brass band instruments, including cornets, tenor horns, Fluegelhorns, euphoniums, baritones and two types of tubas - a double B flat and E flat model - that make the bottom of the band sing.

Now in its sixth year, the competition takes place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Norris Cultural Center, 1040 Dunham Road in St. Charles, after playing to audiences in Arlington Heights its first five years. Tickets are $20 at the door.

"It's a level of playing and musicianship that is very high," says Dallas Niermeyer of Arlington Heights, who helped to mount the first championship in this area. "All of these groups have players that are college educators and brass instrument teachers, so it's a different level than in a community band."

Seven bands will competing for cash prizes, including the Prairie Brass Band from Arlington Heights, the Madison Brass Band, the Milwaukee Festival Brass Band, the Eastern Iowa Brass Band, the Ohio Brass Band, the Brass Band of Central Florida, and last year's winner, the Fountain City Brass Band from Detroit.

Central Florida, coming from Orlando, is a top contender, given its runner up title last year, and grand champion titles the three years before that.

Look for each band to play a British march, since one of the cash prizes goes to the best rendition. The Prairie Brass Band will play "The Voice of the Guns," written in 1917 and heard throughout the film "Laurence of Arabia."

The band's program demonstrates the variety heard in the contest. The group opens with "Softly, Softly," which is a jazzed-up theme from a British television show, followed by a duet between the principal cornet player and soprano cornet, called "Arabesque."

Frank Renton, a popular BBC radio commentator and former brass band director, returns from London to emcee. His commentary between performances adds background information and color.

Organizers said they had outgrown their former venue, St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, and its auditorium, which seats more than 800. Norris Cultural Arts Center can accommodate 1,000 fans and offers state-of-the-art acoustics.