*
banner

4BR Boxing Day Brain Tickler — Answer and winner

We had a great response to our Boxing Day quiz — with plenty of people using their musical brains to get to the answer...

Granville
 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to take part in our Boxing Day quiz.

We have to say, quite a few worked out the overall test piece we were looking for way before they answered all the questions — and then tried to fit in the individual answers- but plenty got them all right.

All you had to do was work out the answers of the 17 fairly easy questions below. The first letter of eventually gave you the name of the 4BR Editor's favourite classic brass band test piece.

Answers:

1. The little, not omnipotent, bit of Rolf Rudin's 4BR prize-winning European test piece.
Particle (The God Particle)

2. Opera by Wagner inspired by the last Tribune of Rome: Later arranged as a National Finals and Area test piece.
Rienzi

3. Metrical psalm tune of uncertain origin — sung to the words 'All people that on earth do dwell'.
Old Hundreth

4. Tuned percussion instrument — African in origin — low pitched, lower in tone, richer in sound than a xylophone.
Marimba

5. Welsh festival of music, poetry, dance and literature held every year — full of bards and druids heralded by the trumpet playing principal cornets of Tredegar and Fairey Bands.
Eisteddfod

6. A major 3rd in a tonic chord at the end of composition in a minor key — most famously 'The Coventry Carol'.
Tierce de Picardy

7. Surname of the composer of 'Pageantry' and 'Three Figures'.
Howells (Herbert)

8. Brass band instrument originally invented around 1843 by F. Sommer of Weimer — taking its name from the Greek for 'pleasant sounding'.
Euphonium

9. 'A Sailor's Life' — in French. Test piece with fearsome opening for soprano cornet...
Un Vie de Matelot

10. Musical instrument of sinuous, reptilian shape: Forerunner of the ophicleide in brass bands.
Serpent

11. The...... subject matter of Eric Ball British Open test piece. Inspired by poet Louis Untermeyer's line 'And, when at last the fight is won, God, keep me still unsatisfied'.
Undaunted (The)

12. Italian word meaning 'nothing'. Often found at the end of reflective compositions.
Niente

13. Surname of composer of 'Grimethorpe Aria'.
Birtwistle (Harrison)

14. National Finals test-piece inspired by epic Finnish poetry about a Nordic God who rides an eight legged horse called Sleipnir.
Odin

15. Name generally given to Schubert's Symphony No 8 in B Minor D759.
Unfinished

16. The.... famous cornet solo named after a bird with the Latin name Luscinia megarhynchos.
Nightingale (The)

17. The first degree of the scale in the Tonic Solfa system and the famous utterance of cartoon character Homer Simpson.
Doh!

If you got them all right then it spelt PROMETHEUS UNBOUND by the great Granville Bantock4BR

Test piece identity

If you got them all right then it spelt PROMETHEUS UNBOUND by the great Granville Bantock (who is one the left of the picture — the other is an old actor called Monty Wooley)

Winner:

The lucky winner of a selection box of CDs was Cathy Chinn of Southampton, who plays tenor horn with Gosport Solent Band.

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


Philip Sparke

Music of the Spheres chosen as British Open set work

January 22 • Philip Sparke's iconic test-piece will be the challenge for the bands to meet at the 2026 British Open Championship.


Cobb

Cobb celebration to be recorded for broadcast

January 22 • The sold out 'Stephen Cobb 50' concert at Regent Hall this weekend will be recorded and set for broadcast withing 24 hours.


Festival Brass Band

Festival trio to lead Belgian challenges

January 22 • Guy Audenaert, Russell Gray and Richard Marshall will lead the competition challenges of Belgian National, European and World title contenders.


Brighouse troms

New Brighouse trom team ready for RNCM debut

January 22 • The British Open champion will field their new trombone section at the RNCM International Brass Band Festival this weekend.


Regent Hall Concerts - The January Band

Friday 23 January • Regent Hall. (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


The Hepworth Band - New Year Concert

Sunday 25 January • Christ Church, New Mill, Holmfirth HD9 7ER


Contest: Norwegian National Brass Band Championships

Friday 6 February • Grieghallen, Bergen, N-5015 N-5015


Contest: Norwegian National Brass Band Championships

Saturday 7 February • Grieghallen, Bergen, N-5015 N-5015


Regent Hall Concerts - Royal Greenwich Brass Band

Friday 27 February • Regent Hall. (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


East of England Co-Op Band

January 21 • PRINCIPAL CORNET - East of England Coop Band. We are a friendly, motivated, and ambitious 1st Section brass band, who under our MD Mark Ager, are keen to progress into the Championship Section. We rehearse Monday evenings, 7:30-10pm in Ipswich


British Airways Brass Band

January 21 • British Airways clubs band currently has trombone seat vacancies. . Friendly non contesting band based in Heston, South West London near to Heathrow Airport.


British Airways Brass Band

January 21 • British Airways clubs band currently has a horn seat vacancy.. Friendly non contesting band based in Heston, South West London near to Heathrow Airport.


Kevin Wadsworth


Conductor, adjudicator, teacher (ABBA)


               

 © 2026 4barsrest.com Ltd