The organisers of the British Open Championship have released details of the test-pieces to be performed by competitors at the 2019 Spring Festival to be held at Blackpool's Winter Gardens on Saturday 18th May.

Grand Shield

As has become something of a custom, the 2017 British Open set-work, 'Fraternity' by Thierry Deleruyelle will test the bands in the Grand Shield.

Initially commissioned as the set-work for the 2016 European Championship, it was received with widespread acclaim, and has since been performed extensively throughout the banding world.

Inspired by the tragic circumstances of a 1906 mining disaster in Douai in France that claimed over 1,000 lives, it's written in an open, tonal fashion — eschewing the trend for high-energy injections of volume and speed for more considered pacing and texture, subtly scored balances and lengthened lyrical lines.

Senior Cup

There is a European connection to the work to be performed in the Senior Cup, with a long overdue reprise for one of the forgotten gems of the early European Championship contests with Paul Huber's 'Symphonic Music'.

Commissioned as the set-work for the 1979 contest held at the Royal Albert Hall, it is a powerful, romantic symphonic study (approx 10 minutes in duration) of scholarly rigour and structure; its tonal language and sense of increasing drama allied to moments of suspended reflection and elegance.

Huber (1918 — 2001) was born in Kirchberg in Switzerland and studied under Willy Burkhard and Nadia Boulanger. He was the highly respected Director of Music at St Gallen's Classical School, wrote several operas, a number of Mass settings, a renowned Requiem and several symphonic works.

Senior Trophy

A classic piece from the pen of Gilbert Vinter will test the Senior Trophy contenders.

'Triumphant Rhapsody', the fourth of his major 1960s works, was commissioned as the set-test for the 1965 National Championship of Great Britain. It has since been used throughout the banding world both as a popular test-piece and own-choice selection.

Based on the exploration of major and minor second intervals (it was originally to be titled, 'A Matter of Seconds') it remains a hugely inventive, free thinking composition, despite its formal composition structure.

Vinter (1909-1969) is regarded as one of the most inventive composers for the brass band medium — his works representing a seismic change in style and outlook. His untimely death in 1969 robbed the movement of a source of creativity that remains fresh and inventive to this day.

Publication details:

Grand Shield: Fraternity (de Haske publications)

Senior Cup: Symphonic Music (R. Smith & Company)

Senior Trophy: Triumphant Rhapsody (Studio Music)

We're delighted to be able to present three contrasting works to challenge the bands at the 99th Spring Festival — each requiring technical as well as musical discipline and explorationBritish Open

Discipline and exploration

A British Open spokesperson told 4BR: "We're delighted to be able to present three contrasting works to challenge the bands at the 99th Spring Festival — each requiring technical as well as musical discipline and exploration.

We are also pleased that interest from bands wishing to gain entry to the British Open qualifying contests remains as popular as ever, with the highest placed band (not already invited) in the Championship Section at the Brass at the Guild, Bolsover Festival of Brass, Wychavon Festival of Brass, Welsh Open and the Fife Charities contests earning an invitation to compete in the Senior Trophy."

4BR was informed that the details of the start times, prizes, competing bands, adjudicators, venues and ticket information for the 2019 Spring Festival will be announced in due course.

Further information:

Further information can be obtained from the British Open website: www.thebritishopen.net