Entries are now open for the 2020 West of England Bandsmen's Festival on Saturday 20th June at Bugle.

The 96th festival sees bands march through the pretty Cornish village on their way to the contest field to start the day in pursuit of perhaps the biggest selection of trophies in the banding world.

USA visitor

This year the event welcomes Lake Wobegone Brass Band from Minnesota — the first time that a band from the USA will have taken part in the event which started in 1912.

There is a varied selection of set-works, with Championship Section bands tasked with getting to grips with Peter Grahams' 'On Alderley Edge' if they are to catch the ear of adjudicator Tom Hutchinson and claim the famous Royal Trophy and £1,000 first prize.

Paul Sharman's 'Purpose' will test the First Section contenders with Cornish composer Daniel Hall's 'Sanctuary' in the Second Section. Philip Harper's 'Napoleon on the Alps' is the Third Section set-work with the Fourth Section contenders getting to grips with Alan Fernie's 'Royal Mile Suite'.

Test Pieces:

Championship Section:
On Alderley Edge (Peter Graham)
March: The Wizard (George Allan)

First Section:
Purpose (Paul Sharman)
Hymn: Love Divine (Philip Wilby)

Second Section:
Sanctuary (Daniel Hall)
Hymn: Treskerby (Monty Pearce)

Third Section:
Napoleon on the Alps (Philip Harper)

Fourth Section:
A Royal Mile Suite (Alan Fernie)

Youth Section:
Own choice test piece

Training Section:
Own Choice. (No more than 10 minutes)

Adjudicator: Tom Hutchinson

Applications

Applications can only be made on line through the Festival Web Site, www.buglebandcontest.co.uk

A band can include up to 5 guest players subject to certain conditions to be found in the Festival Rules.