A new work by Belgian composer Stan Nieuwenhuis is set to be given its world premiere at the Swiss National Championship in Monteux this weekend.

Cycles

'Cycles', has been commissioned by a band to be played in the Championship Section own-choice discipline — and was made possible by the innovative use of a crowdfunding appeal to enable each supporter to 'buy' a few bars of the piece.

The composition originally had the working title of 'Birth' — appropriate enough as it was soon delivered through the amazing financial support it received — and is inspired by facets of human biology, as Stan told 4BR.

Image of light

"While writing, I got engrossed in the process of birth. I'm fascinated by the image of the light at the end of the tunnel.

Is it a real image that we know from our own birth? Are the 'start' and 'end' of life concepts we make up because we can't handle the extreme hugeness of the universe?

It's a fascinating subject — a 'cycle' of human life that starts and ends in perceived light."

Are the 'start' and 'end' of life concepts we make up because we can't handle the extreme hugeness of the universe?Stan Nieuwenhuis

Belgian set work

Also this weekend another of the composer's works will be performed at the Belgian National Championship, where his 2015 European Composer Award winning work, 'L'effet Divers' is the set-work in the First Section.

Stan himself will be playing at the Belgian National Championship with Brassband Buizingen, in the Championship Division.