The 41st Swiss National Brass Band Championships will take place at the Montreux Music & Convention Centre next month with a record 62 competing bands.
Euro invite
12 contenders will battle it out in the Excellence Section with the hope of claiming the National title and gaining the invitation to represent Switzerland at the 2016 European Championships in Lille.
The Excellence Section bands, led by defending champion Brass Band Treize Etoiles, will first have to tackle the set-test, 'The Triumph of Time' by Peter Graham on Saturday 28th November, before performing their own-choice work the following day.
Own choice selections
As always there will be a great deal of interest in these selections, with at least three new compositions set to be premiered.
In addition to 'As if a voice were in Them' (Oliver Waespi); 'Goldberg 2012' (Svein Henrik Giske); 'Journey of the Lone Wolf' (Simon Dobson); 'Music of the Spheres' (Philip Sparke); 'REM-scapes' (Thomas Doss); 'Spiriti' (Thomas Doss) and 'Trance' (Thomas Doss), will be 'Ascension' by Philip Wilby, 'Birth' by Stan Nieuwenhuis and 'The Fallen Bride' by Ludovic Neurohr.
Division titles
'Swiss Colours' by Bertand Moren will be the set-work to be performed by the 20 bands in the First Division, with a new composition from Oliver Waespi entitled, 'The Raid' set to test the 14 contenders in the Second Division.
The 10 Third Division bands will battle for glory on 'Turris Fortissima' by Steven Ponsford with the six Fourth Division rivals playing 'Parnassus' by Jan Van Der Roost.
Judges
The international adjudication team for the event will comprise of Ray Farr, Erik Janssen, Thomas Ludescher, Richard Marshall, Philip McCann, Frank Renton, David Thornton Benny Wiame and Philip Wilby.
4BR will once again by making the long trip to Montreux to cover the action and bring you a taste of one of the most vibrant National Championships in world banding.
As always there will be a great deal of interest in these selections, with at least three new compositions set to be premiered4BR
Competitors:
Excellence Division:
Auditorium Stravinski
Saturday 28th November (set-work): The Triumph of Time (Peter Graham)
Sunday 29th November (own-choice)
Brass Band Berner Oberland (Corsin Tudor)
Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern (Michael Bach)
Brass Band Fribourg A (Frederic Theodoloz)
Brass Band Treize Etoiles A (James Gourlay)
Constellation Brass Band (Yvan Lagger)
Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien A (Blaise Heritier)
Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia A (Stephane Duboux)
Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan (Francois Roh)
Liberty Brass Band Ostschweiz (Andreas Koller)
Musikgesellschaft Risch-Rotkreuz (Rino Chiappori)
Oberaargauer Brass Band (Russell Gray)
Valaisia Brass Band (Arsene Duc)
First Division:
Auditorium Stravinski
Saturday 28th November
Test Piece: Swiss Colors (Bertrand Moren)
AEW Brass Band Fricktal (Tristan Uth)
Brass Band Cazis (Enrico Calzaferri)
Brass Band Eglisau (Andreas Buri)
Brass Band Emmental (Luca Frischknecht)
Brass Band Fribourg B (Maurice Donnet-Monay)
Brass Band Harmonie Neuenkirch (Manuel Imhof)
Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg A (Rafael Camartin)
Brass Band Kirchenmusik Fluhli (Armin Renggli)
Brass Band Konkordia Busserach (Tristan Uth)
Brass Band MG Reiden (Roland Froscher)
Brass Band Rickenbach (Enrico Calzaferri)
Brass Band Schotz (Urs Bucher)
Brass Band Sursilvana (Roman Caprez)
Brass Band Treize Etoiles B (Cedric Verges)
Ensemble de Cuivres Ambitus (Francois Roh)
Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia (Michael Bach)
Feldmusik Knutwil (Gian Stecher)
Oberwalliser Brass Band A (David Lochmatter)
Regional Brass Band Bern (Jon Kowszun)
Rosalp Brass Band (David Bonvin)
Second Division:
Saturday 28th November
Miles Davis Hall
Test Piece: The Raid (Oliver Waespi)
BML Talents (Patrick Ottiger)
Brass Band 43 (Jacques Rossier)
Brass Band Abinchova (Gian Walker)
Brass Band Berner Oberland Junior (Jan Muller)
Brass Band Feldmusik Escholzmat (Roger Muller)
Brass Band Harmonie Rickenbach (Lukas Scherrer)
Brass Band Junior Valaisan (Mauric Donnet-Monay)
Brass Band Posaunenchor Flach (Thomas Fischer)
Brass Band Rapperswil-Wierezwil (Matthias Siegenthaler)
Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia B (Vincent Maurer)
Liberty Brass Band Junior (Christoph Luchsinger)
MG Konkordia Aedermannsdorf (Bernhard Wuthrich)
Musikgesellschaft Sorenberg (Sigi Bieri)
Ste.de musique Brass Band L`Avenir de Lignières (Pascal Eicher)
Third Division:
Sunday 29th November
Auditorium Stravinski
Test Piece: Turris Fortissima (Steven Ponsford)
Brass Band Gurbetal (Urs Stahli)
Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg B (Stefan Aegerter)
Brass Band Solothurn (Martin Butikofer)
Brass Band Zurich (Werner Kubli)
Ensembe de Cuivres Jurassien B (Florian Lab)
Jugend Brass Band Michelsamt (Lukas Scherrer)
Musik Frohsinn Oberburg (Jan Muller)
Musikgesellschaft Full (Markus Hauenstein)
Musikgesellschaft Jenaz (Andrea Nold)
Oberwalliser Brass Band Junior (David Lochmatter)
Fourth Division:
Saturday 28th November
Miles Davis Hall
Test Piece: Parnassus (Jan Van der Roost)
Brass Band Junior Vaudois (Simon Sulmoni)
Entelbucher Jugend Brass Band (Mario J. Schubiger)
Hinterlander Jugend Brass Band (Luca Frischknecht)
Jugend Brass Band Neuenkirch (Manuel Imhof)
Jugendmusik Jenaz (Simon Buhler)
Thunersee-Brass (Christoph Hertig)
