The latest World of Brass — 4barsrest.com Rankings show few changes near the top since the last update in May. The demise of the English National Championships and the postponement of the All-England Masters International Championship have created a major gap in the 2014 contesting calendar, but with national championships taking place in Ireland, Germany and New Zealand, plus a host of other events taking place in the early summer, there was still plenty of movement further down the table.

Major contesting returns in a fortnight’s time with the British Open in Birmingham, where the Welsh duo of Cory and Tredegar will be hoping for a repeat of last year’s successful mission, which saw the top two places going back to the Principality. Foden’s and Black Dyke will lead the English challenge this year, but it will likely take an Open/National ‘double’ for either to have a chance of making it to the top of the rankings before the end of the year.

The contests taking place since the last update are:

New Zealand National Championship: Wellington Brass;
German Championships — won by 3BA Brass;
Irish Championships — won by Drogheda Brass Band;
Aalborg Music Festival — won by Skanderborg Brass Band;
SEWBBA Merthyr Tydfil — won by Burry Port;
SCABA Entertainment — won by Friary Guildford;
Weston-super-Mare — won by Leicestershire Co-op;
Wood Farm Entertainment — won by Bedworth Brass;
Northern Counties BBA — won by Bon Accord Silver;
Ripon Festival of Brass — won by Leyburn;
French Open — won by Brass Band Rijnmond;
West Lothian Festival of Brass — won by Co-operative Funeralcare;
Bugle Contest — won by Camborne Town;
Battle of the Bands — won by Dinnington Colliery;
Whiston Festival of Brass — won by Dronfield;
Durham County BBA — won by Easington Colliery;
Welsh National Eisteddfod — won by Burry Port.

Top 10 bands

1. Cory
2. Tredegar
3. Foden's
4. Black Dyke
5. Eikanger-Bjørsvik
6. Brighouse and Rastrick
7. Burgermusik Luzern
8. Grimethorpe Colliery
9. Co-operative Funeralcare
10. Fairey

To view all the ranked bands, go to:
www.4barsrest.com/rankings/default.asp