Brass Bands England has announced that the National Youth Brass Band Championships will return to the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester in 2015.

Back home

A BBE spokesperson told 4BR: "Everyone is delighted to going ‘back home’, following the refurbishment that took place in 2014 which saw the competition temporarily move to Salford.

The refurbished Halls at the RNCM are now absolutely amazing and Brass Bands England is looking forward to hosting the UK’s premiere youth band competition back at this superb venue."

Four Sections

The contest will now take place on Sunday 19th April with four sections for competing bands.

The Beginners and the Junior Sections will select their own pieces for their contest programmes which are not to last more than 15 minutes playing time.

Intermediate Section:

For the Intermediate Section, the Music Panel has chosen a set work, ‘Plus Ultra’, composed by Andrew Stevenson and available from IMAS Music:

The work which around eight minutes in duration is inspired by the twelve labours of Hercules and takes its title from the Latin motto ‘Further Beyond’ and the tenth of the Herculean tasks given to him by the Gods — the dividing of a single mountain into the Rock of Gibraltar and Monte Hacho — the subsequent Pillars of Hercules.

Go to: http://www.imas-music.co.uk/#/shop/4565737416/plus-ultra/8514144

The contest will now take place on Sunday 19th April with four sections for competing bands4BR

Championship Section:

Meanwhile, ‘The Saga of Tyrfing’ by Jacob Wilhelm Larsen has been selected for the Championship Section contest.

At around 12 minutes in length, it is inspired by the mythical tale of Svafrlami, King of Gardariki and the grandson of Odin, who forced a brace of rather malicious dwarves Dvalinn and Durin to forge for him a sword with a golden hilt, that would never miss a stroke, would never rust and would cut through stone and iron as easily as through butter.

The Dwarves made the sword, which shone and gleamed like fire. However, in revenge for the task imposed on them, they cursed it so that it would kill a man every time it was drawn and that it would be the cause of great evil.

The work has been recorded by Tredegar Band on the CD ‘Travels’: http://www.4barsrest.com/shopping/cd_detail.asp?id=1016

The work is published by Brass Factory: http://brassfactory.dk/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=66

Further information:

Further details of the contest can be obtained from: Arnold Tattersfield arnold.tattersfield@brassbandsengland.co.uk or 01924 629109