The last of the major European National Championships take place this weekend when 16 bands take part in the 44th Belgian National Championships at the Cultural Centre Zwaneberg in Heist-op-den-Berg.

The winner of the Championship Division will represent the nation at the 2025 European Championship in Stavanger.

Schedule

Saturday 30th November sees bands compete in the Open (11.00am local time), followed by the Third, Second and First Division. Sundays sees the performances of the bands in the Championship Division.

The morning will see the performances of the set-work (9.30am), followed in the afternoon by the own-choice selections (3.30pm).

The adjudication team for the weekend comprises Isabelle Ruf-Weber, Bert Appermont and Christopher Houlding.

Set works

Of the four set works being used, three have been written by Belgian composers with one by a Dutch composer.

Jan Van der Roost's 'The Lost Circle' will test the Championship Division bands. 'The Last Journey' by Bert Appermont is the First Division set-work, with 'Wigerathorp' by Jan de Haan being used in the Second Division.

The Third Division bands will perform 'Variations on a Norwegian Hymn' by Tom Gontier. There is no set work in the Open Division.

The Championships will be livestreamed by BrassPass.tv with live reporting coverage y CU Brass at www.cubrass.nl

Competitors

Championship Division:

Set Work: The Lost Circle (Jan Van der Roost)

Brass Band Heist
Brass Band Leieland
Brassband Buizingen
Brassband Gent
Brassband Willebroek
Festival Brass Band
Kortrijk Brass Band
Noordlimburgse Brassband

A Brussels Requiem (Bert Appermont)
Angels and Demons (Peter Graham)
Jesus in Tibet (Simon Dobson)
Music of the Spheres (Philip Sparke)
No Man's Land (Thierry Deleruyelle)
Perihelion: Closer to the Sun (Philip Sparke)
Red Priest (Philip Wilby)
The Forest For The Trees (Wim Bex)

First Division:

Set Work: The Last Journey (Bert Appermont)

Brassband Bacchus
Brassband Scaldis
Braz'art
Kon. BB de Grensbewoners Smeermaas
Mercator Brass Band

A Kings Lie (Stan Nieuwenhuis)
…Dove Descending (Philip Wilby)
Explorers on the Moon (Paul Raphael)
Ironbright (Paul Saggers)
Red Planet (Lennert Van Laenen)

Second Division:

Set Work: Wigerathorp (Jan de Haan)
Brassband Panta Rhei

Variations on 'Was Lebet' (Andrew Wainwright)

Third Division:

Set Work: Variations on a Norwegian Hymn (Tom Gontier)

Brassband Zuid-Limburg

Lions of Legends (Thierry Deleruyelle)

Open Division:

No Set Work
Academic Brass Band

N° 4 uit Original Chorales (Philip Sparke)
New Beginnings (Fredrick Schjelderup)
Neverland (Christopher Bond)

www.vlamo.be/bbk