Award winning composer Gavin Higgins and Darren Henley OBE, the CEO of Arts Council England will be two of the main figures who will play an active part in the 2023 Brass Band England Conference.
The event will be held at the University of Huddersfield on Saturday 7th October on the theme of 'Heritage and Innovation'.
Plaudits and critics
It follows the news that Gavin's major 'Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra' composition written for Tredegar Band and the National Orchestra of Wales to perform at the 2022 BBC Proms has been presented with a prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award, whilst Arts Council England continues to attract plaudits and critics alike for its most recent funding cycle .
Meanwhile BBE recently opened its new Brass Bands Archive to the public at the university's Heritage Quay records management and archive site.
Keynote speech and Q&A
The Conference will allow debate and opinions to be aired, with Gavin Higgins giving the Keynote Speech and Darren Henley taking part in a special Q&A session.
Speaking about his involvement he said: "I'm very much looking forward to attending this important national conference to find out more about what individual bands have been up to, and to share how we at the Arts Council are supporting bands, and can help your band on its journey."
An open call for conference proposals closes today (Monday 27th February) and a full programme of activities for the conference day will be announced in July.
As always, the Conference will also feature the annual BBE Awards, which are now open for nominations until midnight on Saturday 13th May.
To nominate go to: https://www.bbe.org.uk/awards
Conference tickets are available at: https://www.bbe.org.uk/civicrm/event/info/377
With a wide range of talks, workshops and networking opportunities packed in — if you dedicate just one day this year to the progression of your band, let this be it!BBE
Composer Competition
In addition, the newly launched Newmoon Insurance Young Composers Competition will take place.
It is open to composers who have not yet reached their 26th birthday by the anniversary (born after 26th June 1997) to submit a new composition for brass band before the deadline of 26th June 2023.
Pieces can be up to 5-minutes in duration, must not have been previously performed, and should be for standard brass band instrumentation. Entries will be assessed and a winner selected by a panel of judges to be selected by the organisers.
More information:
To find out more:
https://www.bbe.org.uk/news20122022-1520/newmoon-celebrates-young-composers-competition
People can either attend the event in person or take part on-line to enjoy the speakers, breakout sessions and other attractions.
Wide range
Speaking about the Conference, Sarah Baumann of BBE said: "The Conference is the perfect place to catch up with friends and colleagues, and meet new people in the sector. There's also the chance to see inspiring examples of what's happening at other bands and pick up lots of actionable insights to take back to the bandroom.
With a wide range of talks, workshops and networking opportunities packed in — if you dedicate just one day this year to the progression of your band, let this be it!"
