It has been confirmed that a record 67 bands will battle for the various Swiss National titles in Montreux next month.

The championships will once again be held at the 2m2c Music & Convention Centre on the weekend of 25th/26th November, with eleven bands battling for the Excellence honours, currently held by defending champion and recent British Open winner, Valaisia Brass Band.

They will be looking to become the first band to secure hat-trick of wins at the event since 1992 as well as securing their place as the Swiss representatives at the 2018 European Championship in Utrecht.

Twin disciplines

The twin discipline contest will see the eleven bands play the set work, John Pickard's 'Eden' on Saturday evening, followed by the own-choice selections the following day.

This year they include two renditions of the British Open test-piece, 'Fraternity' as well as 'Destination Moon', 'Electra', 'Hypercube', 'Journey of the Lone Wolf', 'The Turing Test', a brace of 'Old Licks Bluesed Up' and premieres of 'Concerto' by Roland Szentpali and 'Inferno' by Todd Smith.

Blitz

21 bands will compete in the First Division category on the set-work, 'Blitz' by Derek Bourgeois, whilst 11 contenders in the Second Division will perform a new work, 'Mastermind 2.0' by Cedric Fuhrer.

18 competitors in the Third Division will tackle Philip Harper's 'Kingdom of Dragons' with six bands playing 'Terra Nova' by David Chaulk in the Fourth Division.

Excellence Division:

Test Piece: Eden (John Pickard) & Own Choice Selections:

Brass Band Berner Oberland (Corsin Tuor)
Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern (Michael Bach)
Brass Band Fribourg A (Maurice Donnet-Monay)
Brass Band Treize Etoiles (Dr. James Gourlay)
Constellation Brass Band A (Yvan Lagger)
Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien (Blaise Heritier)
Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia (Vincent Baroni)
Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan (Francois Roh)
Liberty Brass Band Ostschweiz (Andreas Koller)
Oberaargauer Brass Band (Christoph Luchsinger)
Valaisia Brass Band (Arsene Duc)

First Division:

Test Piece: Blitz (Derek Bourgeois)

AEW Brass Band Fricktal (Tristan Uth)
BML Talents (Patrick Ottiger)
Brass Band Cazis (Enrico Calzaferri)
Brass Band Eglisau (Andreas Buri)
Brass Band Emmental (Jan Muller)
Brass Band Fribourg B (Maurice Donnet-Monay)
Brass Band Impertial Lenzburg A-Band (Rafael Camartin)
Brass Band Kirchmusik Fluhli (Armin Renggli)
Brass Band MG Reiden (Roland Froscher)
Brass Band Rickenbach (Enrico Calzaferri)
Brass Band Rosalp (David Bonvin)
Brass Band Schotz (Urs Bucher)
Brass Band Sursilvana (Roman Caprez)
Brass Band Treize Etoiles B (Cedric Vergere)
Ensemble de Cuivres Euphonia (Michael Bach)
Ensemble de Cuivres Ambitus (Francois Roh)
Feldmusik Knutwil (Gian Stecher)
Jurassic Brass (Maurice Periat)
Oberwalliser Brass Band A (David Lochmatter)
Regional Brass Band Bern (Jon Kowszun)
Universal Brass Band Wil (Gian Stecher)

Second Division:

Test Piece: Mastermind 2.0 (Cedric Fuhrer)

Brass Band 43 (Olivier Neuhaus)
Brass Band Abinchvova (Gian Walker)
Brass Band Berger Oberland Junior (Jan Muller)
Brass Band Feldmusik Escholzmatt (Roger Muller)
Brass Band Harmonie Rickenbach (Lukas Scherrer)
Brass Band Junior Valaisan (Aurelien Darbellay)
Brass Band Lotschental (Aldo Werlen)
Ensemble de Cuivres Jurassien B (Florian Lab)
Ensemble de Cuivres Melodia B (Sebastien Pasche)
Liberty Brass Band Junior (Christoph Luchsinger)
Musikgesellschaft Konkordia Aedermannsdorf (Bernhard Wuthrich)

Third Division:

Test Piece: Kingdom of Dragons (Philip Harper)

Brass Band Frutigen (Pascal Andres)
Brass Band Gurbetal (Urs Stahli)
Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg B (Stefan Aegerter)
Brass Band Junior Vaudois (Simon Sulmoni)
Brass Band l'Avenir Lignieres (Cyril Perrenoud)
Brass Band Munsingen (Christoph Hertig)
Brass Band Solothurn (Martin Butikofer)
Brass Band Zurich (Werner Kubli)
Burgermusik Untereggen (Stfan Roth)
Constellation Brass Band B (Ivan Denis)
Jugend Brass Band Michelsamt (Peter Stadelmann)
Jugend Brass Band Schwarzbubenland (Martin Schaad)
Musik Frohsinn Oberburg (Jan Muller)
Musikgesellschaft Jenaz (Tristan Uth)
Musikgesellschaft Oberwil b. Buren (Hansueli Mollet)
Musikverein Brass Band Henggart (Christian Bachmann)
Musikverein Rothrist (Cyrill Schaub)
Thunerseebrass (Christoph Hertig)

Fourth Division:

Test Piece: Terra Nova (David Chaulk)

Entlebucher Jugend Brass Band (Mario J. Schubiger)
Hinterlander Jugend Brass Band (Luca Frischknecht)
Jugend Brass Band RML (Ivan Estermann)
Jugend Brass Band Oberer Sempachersee (Manuel Imhof)
mgrr Junior Band (Matthias Kieffer)
Musikgesellschaft Brunisried (Manfred Schaller)