Test pieces announced for 2020 National Finals

Works by Bruce Broughton, Edward Gregson, Thierry Deleruyelle, Philip Sparke and Dan Price are earmarked for the National Finals if they go ahead.

Kapitol Promotions has announced the identity of the five test-pieces that it has chosen to use if the ongoing restrictions in respect to the Coronavirus pandemic are alleviated to allow the 2020 National Finals in Cheltenham and London to take place.

In a statement on its website they say: "Kapitol Promotions is currently planning for the two Finals 2020 events to go ahead.

However, we are acutely aware of the impact that the current COVID-19 pandemic may have on future large-scale mass gatherings such as our Finals events.

Therefore, we are regularly reviewing these events in line with official UK Government guidance.

More information will be circulated to competing bands and the general public as soon as it becomes available."

Championship Section:

'Heroes' by the Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winning American composer Bruce Broughton has been chosen for the Championship Section Final earmarked to be held at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 10th October.

Premiered by Black Dyke at the 2019 BrassPass Band of the Year Contest it celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing which took place on July 20th 1969.

First Section:

The First Section contenders at Cheltenham earmarked for the weekend of the 26th/27th September will be faced with Edward Gregson's 'Connotations'.

Originally commissioned for the 1977 Championship Section National Final it is seen as one of the most influential works of the era, and has remained a popular contest and concert work ever since.

Second Section:

The popular French composer Thierry Deleruyelle provides the test-piece for the Second Section, with his 2016 work, 'Lions of Legends'.

The five movement work is inspired by the character and symbolism of the Lion — from its courage and strength to its emblematic use by political leaders and nations.

Third Section:

One of Philip Sparke's most popular works will face the bands in the Third Section.

'Kaleidoscope' was commissioned in 2003 as the set-work for the Aargau and Waadtland Cantonal Music Festivals and is a set of five variation on a 'Brugger Lied' (Brugg Song) theme.

The works has been used as the Second Section Area test piece in 2004 as well as at the Butlins Mineworkers Championship in 2007.

Fourth Section:

Dan Price's 'An Elgar Portrait' written in 2007 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Edward Elgar will test the bands in the Fourth Section.

The three movement work is inspired by three of his most celebrated works; 'Chanson de Matin', 'Nimrod' from 'Enigma Variations' and 'Pomp and Circumstance No.1'.

The work was used in the Fourth Division of the 2007 the Swiss National Championships as well as the 2008 Pontins Championships although it has been reworked for the National Final.

More information:

http://kapitol.co.uk/home

Listen to the pieces

http://www.brassbandworld.co.uk/media

we are acutely aware of the impact that the current COVID-19 pandemic may have on future large-scale mass gatherings such as our Finals events. Therefore, we are regularly reviewing these events in line with official UK Government guidanceKapitol