It has been announced that the 2020 Swiss National Brass Band Championship has been cancelled due to ongoing concerns and restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision taken by the Swiss Brass Band Association (ASBB) means that since March 2020 there has been the complete cancellation of all National Championship events due to have taken place around the banding world.

It is also the first time since the Swiss National Championships took place on an annual basis in 1982 that they have been cancelled.

The event was due to have taken at the Montreux Music & Convention Centre on the weekend of the 27th-29th November.

Impossible dilemma

4BR understands that the ASBB was faced with an almost impossible dilemma in being able to organise a large and successful championship event.

The championships attract over 60 bands with hundreds of performers, as well as a huge number of supporters and brass band enthusiasts to listen to performances in its Stravinski and Miles Davis auditoriums.

The post contest atmosphere around the busy bar areas of the Convention Centre and the variety of traders on display has also made the Swiss Championships into one of the most friendly and vibrant in the banding world.

Intense discussions

The decision followed what was referred to as "intense discussions"in relation to the "constantly changing situation related to Covid-19"that placed huge difficulties in meeting guidelines and regulations on matters such as contact tracing and audience flow within the convention centre complex.

ASBB stated: "Such constraints do not correspond in any way to the spirit of meeting and performing at such an important event for the Swiss brass band movement."

Other potential alternatives were also discussed for the November event and on how COVID-19 could impose on events in future, but it was felt that despite the huge disappointment the right decision had been made.

Impossible

ASBB added: "The Montreux CSBB Committee, Music Commission and Organising Committee also reviewed other scenarios, but felt that the instability of the health policy situation and the very high levels of organisation that resulted from it, made it impossible.

Trying to undertake the event in November would also have posed a significant financial risk to the ASBB and the participants.

In addition, despite the implementation of all precautionary and protective measures, the risk of infection during competition would have remained very real. The quarantine obligations would have been the responsibility of the organisers."

The Montreux CSBB, Music Commission and Organising Committee also reviewed other scenarios, but felt that the instability of the health policy situation and the very high levels of organisation that resulted from it, made it impossibleASBB

Alternatives

It is now understood that the ASBB is currently developing an alternative solution to try and provide bands with some opportunity to perform in November.

The ASBB concluded: "We hope to take advantage of this particular situation to explore new ways and experiment with new forms of competition. With a view to spring 2021, the ASBB has decided to organize the National Solo & Quartet Competition in a different format.