The YMOTY wind and brass semifinal is on in half an hour (9pm) on BBC 4!

Thank you Nicki, you're a star, I would have missed this if you hadn't mentioned it!

Not a problem, only just remembered myself!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (see other YMOTY thread to make sense of this reaction)

Oh Benjaminja, I am so sorry not everyone will get to watch this

Will make sure I report back!!

Ahaa! Have ascertained the winner of the brass section... see here!

ARGH I'VE MISSED IT!

Is it on radio?

I know the clarinettist! Playing his own composition!

Grrrrrrrrrrr x 2

*cough* won't say what I've heard about him...

Ah... so this looks like one of those who Chris was talking about Choddy.....

Excuse me?!

I'm just recalling the implications you made about "all Junior RNCM students" a couple of weeks ago. You never mentioned any names when either Choddy or I asked! No offence meant - I'm not talking about anything you dont know about!

I can't believe the clarinettist won after they completely slammed his first piece. But his composition was amazing. I wanted the male flautist to go through, but you win some, you lose some

I liked the male flautist. But the clarinet guy made a lot more of his instrument, even if his technique wasn't amazing. So far, I can't see who out of the finalists is best.

Radio 3 has broadcast his compositions. When I try to write anything that modern it alway sounds like random notes! I missed the semis - do the judges talk to the performers themselves about how they played, or is that shots of a "private" conversation? If it is, could you imagine watching yourself back on TV months later (something cringeworthy in the first place!) and then hearing what the judges actually said about you?

Come online boho, I have things to tell you!

Yes, some of the things they said were quite hurtful, like, 'I have students who could wipe the floor with him..'!

I know - the woodwind judges were very critical!

But yet they said that about the clarinettist and he won!

Why didnt they enter themselves then!? I would have cried If someone said that about me on television! I don't think I could wipe the floor with him that's for sure!

because they know what the competition has become....

Sounds like you're doing just fine then Chris, my MSN refuses to log on.

Perhaps If i try to make it sound random... it will sound musical!

Would anyone care to enlighten me why people keep saying things like this, what's happened?

I didn't think that the clarinettist was the best, then again we didn't see much to judge, and I felt they picked him for his quirky character more so than his playing (based on their comments in the judging room....).

Yes, they criticised him the most!

Yeah, but at least there was something to criticize, with that oboe girl it was note perfect but would you really choose to listen to it? Musically there was little there, compared to clarinet guy. Yeah, he took risks, so it wasn't perfect, but it was musical, and it was a real performance. He reminds me a little of the piano finalist from last time (who was amazing).

Yes, I agree, his performance was really musical, especially in his own composition

I loved the Clarinet guy, and was really pleased when he won. I was surprised he did win though, because the judges' comments were so harsh!!

Unlike most (all?) of the other woodwind players, the Clarinet guy didn't come from a priviledged musical background, with professional parents as musicians who had brought him up to be a musician from birth. His natural talent won out! It's really good to see that kids from "ordinary" backgrounds, whose parents aren't at all bothered about music, can be successful in competitions like this.

Maybe I'm completely jealous of the oboist girls, but I thought that they played perfectly but were so BORING.

I just knew that lots of the girl flautists on here would be rooting for the pretty-boy flautist!! He was great though, he was my second choice to win.

Yeah, I liked the male flautist.

The cynic in me feels that this was one of the major reasons that he was chosen. Exactly to prove that anyone could do it from whatever background giving a boost to the competition's popularity and silence critics; rather than for having superior playing. I don't dispute that his composition was good, but this isn't the young composer of the year competition . I really don't think we've heard enough to make judgements yet, I look forward to hearing the whole programme later this week to make a more informed judgement .

Another thing that I've found most interesting to note in the competition is the interaction between the players in the different finals. The pianists were all very competitive and 'professional' with each other (for want of a better word) taking things very seriously; the percussionists were just acting like a group of friends having a day out together and enjoying the fun; the brass players seemed a bit less friendly with each other than the percussionists but still seemed considerably less competitive than the pianists; the woodwind players were mostly 'professional' like the pianists, apart from the clarinettist who just seemed a bit jokey but at the same time the 'I want to win' attitude clearly showing. I'm guessing that the string players will be a lot like the pianists: we'll see .

I wonder how many people enter in each category, is this published anywhere? I should imagine there are far fewer percussion and brass players, and hence less competition up to the final, than there are string, woodwind or piano players. Then again, everyone is on a level playing field once they get to the final .

It was really annoying they hardly showed anything of what was played. What they did show of the clarinettist wasn't spectactular at all. I've played the Finzi many times and that especially was quite uninspiring, from my own experience as a clarinettist. Indeed the clarinettist on the panel said he has students only a year or two older who would 'wipe the floor with him'.

Perhaps there should be a competition for people who are not studying at any specialist music school, whether school level or conservatoire. Only high school, comprehensives, universities (maybe still music students but perhaps not). You would still see some amazing performances.