There will be an excellent line-up of bands testing their early season form at the popular Brass at the Guild Championships in Preston this weekend.

With competitors able to choose either Butlins or Area test-pieces to air, it gives an ideal opportunity to find out just where they stand as the contest season picks up speed.

Cross country

The contest takes place at the Guild Hall on Sunday 27th January, with the Championship Section attracting nine bands from both sides of the Pennines as well as Scotland and the Midlands.

They will all be looking to bag the £400 prize and Stanley Winter Trophy, whilst the highest placed qualifying band will also gain entry to the Senior Trophy at the Spring Festival. The defending champion is City of Bradford.

There will be 10 bands in the First Section, with entrants also making their way down from the North East and up from Wales, with seven in the Second Section which takes place in the Guild Hall's Charter Theatre.

British Open Youth title

There are sure to be keenly fought battles in the Third and Fourth Sections, whilst the popular Youth at the Guild Festival has attracted eight keen youth bands all looking to claim the British Open title.

With a host of individual and section awards, a generous prize fund thanks to the ongoing support of sponsors and excellent facilities and organisation, the contest day should also prove popular with listeners keen to catch a first hearing of the 2019 Area test pieces or some old classic overtures.

With generous prize money, numerous individual awards, excellent sponsorship support and the qualifying link to the British Open Spring Festival, there should be plenty of keen competition on show throughout the day4BR

Competing Bands:

Championship Section:

Test Pieces: Seascapes (Steadman-Allen); Rienzi (Wagner arr. H Johns); Benvenuto Cellini (Berlioz arr. Frank Wright); Carnival (Dvorak arr. Geoffrey Brand)
Adjudicator: Sandy Smith

Pre-Drawn:
Start: 3.30pm (approx)

City of Bradford (Lee Skipsey)
Foresters Brass (John Davis)
Freckleton (John Pearson)
Johnstone (Lynda Nicholson)
Oldham (Lees) (John Collins)
Skelmanthorpe (Martin Heartfield)
Strata Brass (Jonathan Bates)
Thoresby Colliery (Ian McElligott)
Wardle Anderson Brass (Sean Conway)

First Section:

Test Pieces: Symphony of Marches (Vinter); The Force of Destiny (Verdi arr. Frank Wright); The Corsair (Berlioz arr. Geoffrey Brand)
Adjudicator: Sandy Smith

Pre Drawn:
Start: 1.30pm (approx)

BTM (Jeff Hutcherson)
Flixton (Matthew Ryan)
Haslingden & Helmshore (John Binns)
Hatfield &Askern Colliery (Stanley Lippeatt)
J36 Brass (TBA)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Middleton (Kevin Gibbs)
Mossley (Duncan Byers)
Ripon City (Mark Sidwell)
Roberts Bakery (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)

Second Section:

Charter Theatre
Test Pieces: Rise of the Phoenix (Darrol Barry); Academic Festival (Brahms arr. Denis Wright); The Frogs of Aristophanes (Bantock arr. Frank Wright)
Adjudicator: Dave Lea

Pre Drawn:
Start: 10.30 am

BD1 Brass (Lee Skipsey)
Blackpool Brass (Len Charnock)
Delph (Jonathan Davies)
Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
Ireland Colliery Chesterfield (Lindon Bolt)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW B (Mike Goulding)
Poulton-le-Fylde (Alex Webb)

Third Section:

Test Pieces: First Suite in E Flat (Holst arr. Herbert) Egmont (Beethoven arr. Ball);Rule Britannia (Rimmer)
Adjudicator: Brian Rostron

Pre Drawn:
Start: 11.45am (approx)

Audley Brass (Tom Hancock)
City of Chester (Matthew Birkett)
Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
Emley Brass (Garry Hallas)
Huddersfield & Ripponden Brass (Adam Bell)
Lostock Hall Memorial (Joshua Hughes)
Pilling Jubilee Silver (Steve Hartley)
Thornton Cleveleys (Stephen Craig)

Fourth Section:

Test Pieces: Stantonbury Festival (Ray Steadman-Allen); Overture to Youth (Hughes); A Saddleworth Festival Overture (Richards)
Adjudicator: Brian Rostron

Pre-Drawn:
Start: 10.00am

Brindle (Matthew Balson)
Dobcross Youth (Matt Hindle)
Red Admiral Brass (Stuart Barton)
Rode Hall Silver (Nigel Butler)
Skelmersdale Prize (Ben Coulson)
Stacksteads (Fred Bowker)

The British Open Youth at the Guild Festival:

The Charter Theatre

Adjudicators: Ryan Breen & Helen Varley
Pre-Drawn:
Start: 12.30pm (approx)

Elland Silver Youth (Samantha Harrison)
Enderby Youth Band (Trevor Hounsome)
Houghton Area Youth (Brian Adams)
Macclesfield Youth (Louise Renshaw)
Oldham Music Centre Youth (Jonathan Leedale)
Poynton Youth (Michael Eccles)
Red Admiral Youth (Daniel Brooks)
Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans)