The inaugural ConsTest Birmingham Open Brass Band Competition takes place on Saturday 1st April at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
The new event (starting at 10.00am) is an initiative undertaken by student Mike Foley-Hall and has attracted 14 bands to perform their own-choice works to be open adjudicated by Ian Porthouse and Alan Morrison.
Live coverage
4BR will be at the event to provide live-coverage band by band analysis and opinions.
The works being performed, including the recent Area set-works, 'A Day in the Life of a Knight' (Philip Lawrence), 'Chorale and Toccata', (Stephen Bulla)', 'Pilgrim's Progress' (Rodney Newton) and 'Hungerford Town' (Darrol Barry).
There will also be the chance to hear 'Imagined Dances' (Freddie Meyers), 'Paganini Variations' (Philip Wilby), 'Purcell Variations' (Kenneth Downie), 'Scheherazade' (Drake Rimmer), 'The Lost Village of Imber' (Chris Bond), 'Trittico' (James Curnow) and 'Vitae Aeturnum' (Paul Lovatt-Cooper).
Partners
With bands from all sections competing for many prizes on offer, with partnerships from Geneva, Denis Wick, thecornetshop.com and Alliance.
There will also be several trade stands from World of Brass, Geneva and the Royal Marines, whilst Geneva Instruments will launch their new 'Signature' range at the event. There will also be a raffle to win a bottle of Bandsmens Gin!
4BR will be at the event to provide live-coverage band by band analysis and opinions4BR
Tickets and information:
Tickets are available at: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/constest-birmingham-open-brass-band-competition-01-04-2023
Tickets also include access to two gala concerts — the first, pre results, given by the 2022 winners of the Bernard Brown ensemble prize, Second City Brass Dectet. The second gala concert to be performed after the results, by The Ambrassadors, in Boults Cafe area.
For more information, go to: www.constest.co.uk
Draw:
1. Oddfellows Band (Ben Smith)
Vitae Aeternum (Paul Lovatt Cooper)
2. Regent Brass (Alan Duguid)
Imagined Dances (Freddie Meyers)
3. Jackfield Band (Ryan Richards)
Trittico (James Curnow)
4. Thoresby Colliery Band (Michael Howley)
Festival Music (Eric Ball)
5. Tewit Silver Band (Martin Hall)
Purcell Variations (Kenneth Downie)
6. Nailsworth Silver Band (Anri Adachi)
Chorale & Toccata (Stephen Bulla)
7. Wakefield Metropolitan Band (Lee Dunkley)
The Pilgrims Progress (Rodney Newton)
8. Red Admiral Brass (Stuart Barton)
Hungerford Town (Darrol Barry)
9. Shipston Town Band (Howard Gibbs)
Chorale & Toccata (Stephen Bulla)
10. Amington Band (Alan Gifford)
The Lost Village of Imber (Christopher Bond)
11. Greenalls Band (Russell Prescott)
Scheherazade (Rimsky Korsakov arr. Drake Rimmer)
12. Cleobury Mortimer Concert Brass (Matthew Ludford-King)
The Dark Side of the Moon (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
13. Enderby Band (Stephen Phillips)
Paganini Variations (Philip Wilby)
14. Sovereign Brass (Alan Gifford)
Diversions on a Bass Theme (George Lloyd)
