Now there is no doubt.

Brass Band Treize Etoiles' stunning victory at the 170th British Open at Symphony Hall was stamped with such sublime authority that very few would now dare argue that they are not anything other than the best band in the world.

In claiming the title, the Swiss Open, National and European Champion lived up to every ounce of expectation of their talents. Their performance of Jan Van der Roost's 'The Lost Circle' was of superlative quality.

Now, in addition to taking over at the top of the 4BR World Rankings, and exactly 100 years after it was first presented, the iconic Gold Shield Trophy will for the second time reside in the cantons of Switzerland.

Swiss bank vault

The £4,500 first prize will also come in handy to ensure that the trophy is fully insured for its long road trip back to its new home. Given that Treize Etoiles will return next year in its defence, it could be destined to have its own Swiss bank vault.

The outpouring of post-results celebration of the players on stage could also have been heard echoing around the countryside in Valais, let alone above the bustle of Birmingham's city centre on Saturday evening.

There amid it though was a somewhat bemused figure. Despite having enjoyed so much elite level success since taking the baton in 2018, Frederic Theodoloz was still stunned by the magnitude of his band's latest achievement.

Just fantastic

Clutching his Mortimer Maestro Trophy he said: "I never thought in my life we would win such an honour. It's unbelievable. I'm so happy tonight. To win a British Open is a dream. Just fantastic. We had to work so hard on the score. It's such a challenging piece. Today we are all so happy to win this award."

Others would have shared their youthful joy — including Prof David King and Ivan Meylemans both of whom have recently worked with them.

Treize Etoiles are an immensely likeable band who brought a bus load and more of supporters with them to make a little part of Birmingham an enclave of Swiss pride. Fondue sales in the nearby Tesco Express rocketed on Saturday night.

Clear cut

For the judges the victory was clear cut, with Anne Crookston, Dr Luc Vertommen and Dr Stephen Cobb also stating that an outstanding Flowers was also a clear runner-up as was Black Dyke in third.

Each brought a slightly different take to the score, but all captured the literal narrative with the figurative impressionism; the storyline drawn with blocks of colour and texture that were manoeuvred skilfully to their final destination.

Behind them the judges revealed it was much closer between the top-six prize winners of Grimethorpe, Foden's and KNDS Fairey, with the remaining places as clearly defined in their communal opinions.

Stunning

"What a performance", Stephen summed up Treize Etoiles' 'The Lost Circle' in his written remarks, whilst Anne concurred in adding: "Stunning storytelling throughout — a privilege to listen to".

In congratulating both the band and the MD, Luc wrote: "Sorry that I ran out of superlatives. My utmost respect for this monumental, memorable contest performance."

Their full remarks were also littered with adjectives of technical excellence and expressive refinement for the ensemble and soloists alike, chief amongst them Stanley Wainwright 'Best Soloist' winning Mathilde Roh on cornet.

Few who heard a remarkably young band play with such assured maturity were nothing but overwhelmingly impressed too. The applause that greeted the conclusion of their account was a mix and awe and admiration. They were the worthiest of debutante champions.

Inspired Flowers

Treize Etoiles was pushed though into performing at a rarefied level of excellence — especially by an inspired Flowers.

They also had a player of sublime artistry who greatly enhanced the ensemble excellence in 'Best Soprano' winner Paul Richards, whose ability to command as well as subtly shade the dense textures of the score throughout was superb.

It was a performance off the early number 4 draw of the very highest class, paced and balanced (especially dynamically) with such informed understanding by MD Paul Holland, and delivered upon by his players.

Euro reward

Given that only three times since 1960 a band drawn in the first five had come runner-up at the contest, it was an achievement richly deserving of not just the £2,500 second prize, but also the greater reward of representing England at the 2026 European Championships in Linz, Austria.

Luc Vertommen described it in his remarks as, "very, very special", whilst Stephen Cobb said it was; "A really wonderful performance on a ready I thoroughly enjoyed." Anne Crookston described it as having, "so much colour and character — superb!"

They were not wrong. They were the band on just about everyone's lips as a probable winner until the arrival of the Swiss on stage.

Speaking to 4BR MD Paul Holland as said: "Everything about the performance was superb — but also a culmination of what we have been doing for some time now. Our congratulations go to Treize Etoiles, but I'm so proud of my players and what I know we can now go on and achieve."

Outstanding Black Dyke

Third placed Black Dyke also benefitted from the contribution of a solo player of supreme authority, as Adam Bokaris claimed the 'Best Euphonium' award.

Drawn immediately before the Swiss, Prof Nicholas Childs provided the judges with a performance of richly defined textures and technical clarity that was a hallmark of a 'Lost Circle' that had a dramatic certainty about it from start to finish.

Stephen Cobb described it as "outstanding" in his written remarks, whilst Anne said it had been "a fantastic reading". Luc referred to it as being "world class" and "a monumental performance".

The trio of podium finishers certainly gave the judges what they were looking for in a test-piece that asked a great deal of conductors in working out a clear narrative arc of performance without getting bogged down by technical process.

Each balanced clarity of musical thought with technical delivery — the considered approach to the dynamics a particular feature.

Judges thought processes

Anne Crookston's excellent pre-results analysis laid out the judges' communal thought processes and the emphasise on texture and colour (especially the use of percussion) to bring character to the music rather than the more simplistic device of dynamic and tempo overload. The results were admirably consistent with the approach spoken about.

It saw the remaining prize places go to a finely judged account by Michael Bach with Grimethorpe (their third successive top-six finish with him at the contest) of nuance and detail, ahead of Foden's and KNDS Fairey.

The defending champion under Russell Gray will have known that too many minor blemishes as well as a few notable risks in instrumentation and pacing saw their title defence fall short on this occasion.

For KNDS Fairey, with cornet player Brian Taylor marking his 50th anniversary with his band, it was a result that confirmed the sense of rejuvenation that has taken place in the Stockport outfit over the last year or so. It was their first mention from the stage since 2013.

Inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies

Immediately behind came those with inconsistencies as well idiosyncrasies.

Tredegar, was the former, starting so well but losing points with chips to the persuasive musical approach, as did the cooperation band in continuing their increasingly solid run of good from in coming eighth.

The top ten was completed by Leyland and Carlton Main — the former with a show of growing potential, the latter in admirably overcoming yet another number 1 draw (their second in a row at the contest and fourth at major events since 2019).

Talking points

One of the major talking points in the Broad Street bars late on Saturday night was centred on Cory and Brighouse & Rastrick, who ended up in their lowest results placings at the contest since 1998 and 2006 respectively.

They certainly found favour with many in the hall, as well as at home on the wobplay.com live stream coverage, yet despite all the study scores being sold out, not everyone would have had the direct insight and detailed analysis available to them as the judges.

Dramatic and energised, but perhaps over-saturated with nuance, some subtle, some not, they were performances that held a resonance of what Anne Crookston spoke about before the announcement of the results.

Many liked them — the three judges didn't. As it has been for the 171 years since 1853, it was their opinion that counted.

Varied

Behind them the standard became more varied and obvious; Hammonds, Aldbourne, Whitburn and Oldham Band (Lees) couldn't quite draw together coherently consistent accounts, whilst in what was tightrope battle for Symphony Hall survival it was Northop and Hepworth that triggered the trap door drop to the Grand Shield.

Highest standards

The main talking points before the contest was reportedly about the views bands and their conductors held about 'The Lost Circle' test-piece, as well the identity of the judges.

In the end the UK Leading Band Forum published a statement on its Facebook page on the morning of the contest publicly endorsing the choice of Dr Stephen Cobb, Anne Crookston and Dr Luc Vertommen as one that reflected "the highest standards to which the British Open has a long track record of confirming". No complaints then about the results?

Meanwhile, most players and conductors 4BR spoke to also fully endorsed the belief that 'The Lost Circle' was an exceptionally difficult and different type of elite level work that brought the type of somewhat forgotten musical challenges that they enjoyed overcoming.

None though perhaps more than Brass Band Treize Etoiles.

Iwan Fox

To win a British Open is a dream. Just fantastic. We had to work so hard on the score. It's such a challenging piece. Today we are all so happy to win this awardFrederic Theodoloz

Result:

Test Piece: The Lost Circle (Jan Van der Roost)
Adjudicators: Dr Stephen Cobb, Anne Crookston, Dr Luc Vertommen

1. Brass Band Treize Etoiles (Frederic Theodoloz)
2. Flowers (Paul Holland)*
3. Black Dyke (Prof Nicholas Childs)
4. Grimethorpe (Michael Bach)
5. Foden's (Russell Gray)
6. KNDS Fairey (Philip Chalk)
7. Tredegar (Ian Porthouse)
8. the cooperation band (Glenn Van Looy)
9. Leyland (Daniel Brooks)
10. Carlton Main Frickley Main (Allan Withington)
11. Cory (Philip Harper)
12. Brighouse & Rastrick (Prof David King)
13. Hammonds (Morgan Griffiths)
14. Hepworth (Ryan Watkins)**
15. Aldbourne (Ivan Meylemans)
16. Northop Silver (Erik van de Kolk)**
17. Whitburn (Michael Fowles)
18. Oldham Band (Lees) (John Collins)

Stanley Wainwright Memorial Trophy: Mathilde Roh — cornet: (Brass Band Treize Etoiles)
Brian Evans Memorial Trophy for Best Soprano: Paul Richards (Flowers)
The Geoffrey Whitham Memorial Trophy for Best Euphonium: Adam Bokaris (Black Dyke)

* Flowers Band will receive an invitation from Brass Bands England to represent England at the 2026 European Championships in Linz, Austria.

** Northop Silver and Hepworth are relegated to the Grand Shield