*
banner

Christmas Day Quiz: Win a Besson Prodige cornet and a bag full of goodies!

Get your thinking caps on after your post Christmas dinner snooze and settle back with our quiz with fantastic late Xmas prezzies waiting to find a new home..

Quiz
  The goodie bag includes a Besson Prodige cornet, lots of handy accessories and some great CDs!

We have a brilliant prize thanks to our friends at Besson and Band Supplies to offer for whoever gets all, or most, of the 30 questions correct — a fantastic Besson Prodige Bb cornet, plus a sack full of Besson goodies and some great CDs — worth well over £500.

We have made them all multiple choice answers to help you along. Some are much easier than others, but a couple you may need to do a little searching on 4BR (the answers can be found in news items and articles, reviews and results) or thinking about.

Good luck!

Questions:

1. Which band gave what turned out to be the final performance of the truncated 2020 Regional Championship contest series at Torquay in March?

a) Filton Concert Brass
b) Camborne
c) Flowers

2. Which conductor won a trio of Area titles (two in the top section and one in the First) in 2020 all from the number 1 draw with his bands?

a) Nicholas Childs
b) Ian Porthouse
c) Russell Gray

3. What was the name of the test piece that was scheduled to be premiered at the 2020 Championship Section National Finals of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall?

a) 'Pandemic 1349' (Paul McGhee)
b) 'A Road Less Travelled By' (Philip Sparke)
c) 'Heroes' (Bruce Broughton)

4. Eric Ball's test-piece 'Youth Salutes a Master' pays tribute to which classical composer whose 250th birthday anniversary was celebrated around the world in 2020?

a) Mozart
b) Beethoven
c) Rossini

5. What four time National title winning conductor with Cory Band has the middle name of Horatio?

a) Robert Childs
b) Philip Harper
c) Arthur Kenney

6. In which year was the Besson company originally formed?

a) 1837
b) 1937
c) 2007

7. In what year did the British Open Championship first NOT take place?

a) 1859
b) 1997
c) 2019

8. In what year did Harry Mortimer win his LAST National Championship of Great Britain title as a conductor?

a) 1945
b) 1950
c) 1955

9. Which well known brass band composer was asked to write and perform a short work on BBC Radio 4 in March 2020 to mark the UK's impending Brexit from the European Union, after also writing 'Fanfare for Europe' back in 1973 to celebrate Britain's entry into the then EEC?

a) Harrison Birtwistle
b) Edward Gregson
c) John Pickard

10. What well known Swiss brass band composer wrote major Championship Section level works called '31342 Feet' and '*****' — Concerto No 10 for Brass Band, Percussion & Onde Martenot'?

a) Thierry Deleruyelle
b) Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
c) Ludovic Neurohr

thanks to our friends at Besson and Band Supplies to offer for whoever gets all, or most, of the 30 questions correct — a fantastic Besson Prodige Bb cornet, plus a sack full of Besson goodies and some great CDs — worth well over £5004BR

11. The composers Edward Elgar, Dmitri Shostakovich and Mark Anthony Turnage all have a well known shared love for which sport which they have written music about?

a) Cricket
b) Football
c) Crown Green Bowls

12. Which former British Prime Minister conducted Black Dyke Band on a 1977 LP entitled 'Morning Cloud'?

a) Harold Wilson
b) Margaret Thatcher
c) Edward Heath

13. Which famous American guitar player lived in the same house at 25, Brook Street London as George Frederic Handel — although not as the same time?

a) The Edge
b) Jimi Hendrix
c) Carlos Santana

14. Who is the Patron Saint of Musicians?

a) Saint Cecilia
b) Saint David
c) Saint Christopher

15. Which famous trumpet player was married to American actress Betty Grable?

a) Bix Beiderbecke
b) Harry James
c) Wynton Marsalis

16. What does the musical term 'leggiadretto' mean?

a) Languidly
b) Gracefully
c) Pompously

17. In which section of a French brass band would you find a posaune?

a) Percussion
b) Horns
c) Trombones

18. Mozart's 'Serenade in D Major' (K320) written in 1779, features which brass instrument?

a) Soprano cornet
b) Post Horn
c) Ophicleide

19. In which brass band test piece would you find movements entitled, 'Grasmoor', 'Striding Edge' and 'Helvellyn'?

a) A Moorside Suite
b) Explorers on the Moon
c) Cloudcatcher Fells

20. How many variations are there in Elgar's 'Enigma Variations'?

a) 10
b) 14
c) 20

21. Which country's National Anthem was written by James and Evan James in January 1856 and was the first to be used at a sporting event when their team played against New Zealand in 1905?

a) Land of My Fathers (Wales)
b) Flower of Scotland (Scotland)
c) Star Spangled Banner (USA)

22. Which musical configurations can be described as 'authentic', 'half', 'plagal' or 'deceptive'?

a) Minor keys
b) Cadences
c) Alternative fingerings

23. Which band won the top section prize in the first Cory online Championship contest this year?

a) Whitburn
b) City of Cardiff
c) Fountain City

24. Which composer wrote the famous marches, 'The Great Little Army', 'Colonel Bogey', 'The Middy' and 'Old Panama'?

a) William Rimmer
b) Kenneth J. Alford
c) J. P. Sousa

25. Which former American President is the subject of an opera by composer John Adams?

a) President Clinton
b) President Nixon
c) President Trump

26. Which Philip Wilby test piece has a 'Nativity' scene in it?

a) ...Dove Descending
b) The New Jerusalem
c) Revelation

27. What does the musical term 'minaccioso' mean?

a) Menacing
b) Minute
c) Merry

28. Which band won the Fourth Section Butlins Mineworkers title in 2020?

a) Spennymoor Town
b) Dodworth Colliery MW
c) Woodbridge Brass

29. Which Oscar winning British composer also wrote the music to the films 'The Belles of St Trinian's' and 'The Heroes of Telemark', a concerto for the great Benny Goodman, and a Championship Section National Finals test-piece at the Royal Albert Hall in the 1970s?

a) Malcolm Arnold
b) Harrison Birtwistle
c) Gilbert Vinter

30. How many musicians perform in this Besson video?
https://www.facebook.com/BessonBrass/videos/861037367980364

a) 15
b) 25
c) 35

Answers:

Answers to be sent to: quiz@4barsrest.com

Closing date for answers: 12.00 (midnight) on 31st December

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


British Open judges

Adjudication panel announced for British Open Championship

June 23 • Another move to the future for the British Open as Stephen Roberts, Anne Crookston and David Hirst are confirmed as the judges for the 171st Championship event at Symphony Hall in September.


Liberty Brass Band

Report & Result: 2025 Mountain Brass in Concert

June 23 • Liberty Brass Band wins the first Swiss 'Brass in Concert' entertainment title


Bugle

Report & Results: 2025 West of England Bandsmens Festival

June 23 • Camborne retain their Royal Trophy credentials as gain a huge haul of silverware in Bugle, as St Austell, Shrewton Silver, Illogan Sparnon Silver, St Austell Youth and Carharrack & St Day Silver also head home with titles.


Hepworth

Report & Result: 2025 Blackburn & Darwen March & Hymn Tune Contest

June 23 • Hepworth showcase their grand march and hymn tune talents as they take the honours and £1000 first prize at the popular event.


The Portsmouth Grammar School - Concert by The Black Dyke Band

Saturday 28 June • St Marys Church, Fratton, Portsmouth PO15PA PO15PA


Petworth Town Band - Fete in the Park with Petworth Town Band

Saturday 28 June • Grounds of Petworth Park GU28 9LR


Petworth Town Band - Farnham Brass Band and Petworth Town Band

Saturday 28 June • Farnham Carnival


Petworth Town Band - Petworth Town Band at Billingshurst Carnival

Sunday 29 June • Carnival through Billingshurst and concert at Recreation Ground RH14 9SX


Simon Langton Brass - Deal Memorial Bandstand

Sunday 29 June • The Strand, Walmer, Deal CT14 7DY CT14 7DY


Alder Valley Brass

June 26 • We are looking for BBb bass and soprano cornet players to join our ambitious, busy and sociable 2nd section band (national finalists 2023) with a good blend of concerts, engagements and contests. Rehearsals Mondays and Thursdays 8-10pm in Farnham, Surrey.


Bilton Silver Rugby Band

June 25 • With a varied upcoming programme of events and following on from our successful "Musicals" concert and first ever trip to Saddleworth for Whit Friday, the band requires an Eb Bass player to join our group.


Alder Valley Brass

June 24 • As a result of a relocation we seek a Musical Director. We are an ambitious, busy and sociable 2nd section band (L&SC, National finalists 2023) with a blend of engagements, concerts and contests. We rehearse 8-10pm on Mondays and Thursdays in Farnham


Andreas Kratz

Mus.B (hons)
Conductor, Adjudicator, Teacher


               

 © 2025 4barsrest.com Ltd