The French Open Brass Band Championships will take place in the lovely Loire Valley town of Amboise next weekend.

16 for 16

It will be the sixteenth time that the championships have taken place and this year, rather appropriately, 16 bands will make the trip to compete.

Brass Band Rijnmond of the Netherlands defend the title they have won for the past two years, as they seek to make it a hat trick by defeating five rival bands in the Championship Section.

Brass Band Rijnmond of the Netherlands defend the title they have won for the past two years4BR

British challenge

They will be up against a British challenge led by London & Southern Counties area champion, Redbridge, Jersey Premier Brass and Lockwood Brass, whilst fellow Dutch band Amsterdam Brass make the trip as well as French challengers Exo Brass.

France versus England

In the First Section it will be a straight France versus England battle, as Lympstone South West Telecoms Band battle against the home favourites of Brass Band Val da Loire and Brass Band des Pays de la Loire.

The Second Section sees two British bands try their luck in the shape of Thundersley and Swindon Pegasus, whilst the lowland challenge comes from the Netherlanders of Royal Dutch TNT Post Band and Schoonhoven B, whose A band will be competing at the Masters in Kettering the weekend before.

The Belgian challenger comes from Brass Band de Thudinie BBT and Mons Brass Band.

The combined Youth/4th Section has just the one competitor this year in the French competitors Brass Band Junior De CCR de Tours.

Lorwy test

The top section bands will have to get to grips with ‘A Lowry Sketchbook’ as their set work, whilst the First Section sees ‘A Moorside Suite’ given another outing. ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ by Darrol Barry is the test for the bands in the Second Section, whilst the Youth/4th Section set work is ‘Five French Masters’ by Chris North.

The adjudicators this year are David Horsfield, Professor Philip Wilby, Dennis Wilby and Pascal Eicher. Chris Jeans is the judge for the popular march competition, where bands take turns in marching down into the lovely town square in front of the fine Chateau d’Amboise.

Ladies first

In a nice departure from the usual norm, an all ladies panel of Barbara Broadbent, Mary Holmes, Jenny Horsfield and Mary Wilby will choose the best 30 minute open air programme by the bands.

The opening Gala Concert is being provided by Redbridge conducted by Jeremy Wise. The closing concert will see Rijnmond conducted by Anno Appelo feature Leyland’s star baritone player Kristy Rowe.

Further details can be found at: www.openamboise.com