The final preparations are underway for the end of course concert of this year's International Brass Band Summer School at The Great Hall at Swansea University, Bay Campus (SA1 8EP) on Friday 4th August (7.00 pm).

Classics

The concert will feature performances by the Symphony and Cardinal Bands and will include classics such as 'The Italian Girl in Algiers', 'Poet and Peasant', Peter Graham's 'Shine as the Light' and Paul Lovatt-Cooper's new work 'Above and Beyond'.

The massed band items will include music by John Rutter with a grand finale that should be heard on the coast of the Mumbles with Dvorak's 'Finale to the New World Symphony'.

Featured soloists will be Cory principal cornet, Tom Hutchinson and Besson horn star Owen Farr.

Intensive music making

It rounds off a week of intensive music making, including a stern test of sight reading skills on Eric Ball's 'Sinfonietta — The Wayfarer' and 'Journey into Freedom'.

There was also a fun packed 'Brass in Concert' night where three ensembles battled against each other and where a host of well-deserved individual and section awards were also handed out. The delighted overall champion was 'Brighouse Blowers'.

A special 'Ensemble Night' also saw representatives from each section of the band perform — with a special mention to the 'Canadian Brass' ensemble who flew the Maple Leaf flag brilliantly for their country.

International Brass Band Summer School at The Great Hall at Swansea University, Bay Campus on Friday 4th August (7.00 pm)4BR

Fantastic time

"We've had a fantastic time," Course Director Prof Nicholas Childs told 4BR. "Everything has been geared towards this concert which promises to be a real cracker with great music and brilliant soloists.

We always get great support from the banding community on South Wales and as well as our principal partner Geneva, and partners at World of Brass, Rath Trombones, Adams Percussion, Denis Wick, Brass Band World and Kapitol Promotions.

So if you want hear plenty of great brass band playing on a Friday evening please come along — it's a great venue to host a great event."