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2024 4BR CD of the Year

There were a host of excellent band recordings this year, but these were the three that made the greatest impression of our panel.

cd of the year
  The superb Bliss release of Black Dyke Band led by John Wilson takes the 2024 accolade

Winner: Bliss: Works for Brass

Black Dyke Band
Conductor: John Wilson
Chandos Recordings: CHSA 5344
Review: https://4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd774.asp

2. George Lloyd — The Works for Brass

John Foster Black Dyke Mills Band
Conductor: David King
Equale Brass Quintet
John Wallace, John Miller, Michael Thompson, Peter Bassano, John Jenkins
Lyrita Recordings: LYRITA SRCD 425
Review: https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd770.asp

3. Malcolm Arnold: Music for brass band

Foden's Band
Conductor: Michael Fowles
Choir of Chetham's School of Music
Choir Director: Marcus Farnsworth
Beckus: MAF 003
Review: https://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/products/cd773.asp

Five of the 10 long list nominees gained at least one first choice preference from the panel.

The winner though was still clear cut, with 7 first choices and six others for the exceptional Bliss release on the Chandos label with Black Dyke Band conducted by John Wilson.

This was music making of vibrancy and character that simply seeped through each of the seven featured works.

The amended re-release featuring David King, vintage Black Dyke and the Equale Brass Quintet also found favour with the majority of the panel with 3 first choice nominations and five others to come runner-up.

Foden's cultured authority certain shone though on their appreciation of the brass band music of Malcolm Arnold, as it gained 2 first choice nominations plus four others from the panel to come third overall.

Panel:

The Awards Panel consisted of: Iwan Fox (4BR Editor); Malcolm Wood (4BR); Chris Thomas (4BR & BBW); Gordon Simpson (brass band statistician); Anne Crookston (conductor/adjudicator); Sarah Groarke-Booth (conductor/adjudicator); Alexander Zwann (conductor/journalist); Jess Tredrea (conductor/musician); Tim Mutum (brass band historian); Tom Davoren (conductor/composer); Michael Franz (Editor Brass Band News Switzerland); Henk Van Loon (Editor CU Brass); Stein Skorpholm (broadcaster/musician); Camila Soderstrom Tveit (musician/adjudicator); Philippa Edwards AOM (conductor/performing arts producer)

This was music making of vibrancy and character that simply seeped through each of the seven featured works4BR

Past Winners:

2023: Force of Nature (Black Dyke Band)
2022: Vaughan Williams on Brass (Tredegar Band)
2021: Festmusik — A Legacy (Onyx Brass)
2020: Gregson: Music of the Angels (London Brass)
2019: The Music of Bliss & Howells (Brighouse & Rastrick Band)
2018: Metropolis (Black Dyke Band)
2017: Dances & Arias (Black Dyke Band)
2016: War Memorials (Cory Band & Tredegar Band)
2015: Dark Arteries (Tredegar Band)
2014: Gaia Symphony (Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag)
2013: When Worlds Collide: The Music of Nigel Clarke (Brass Band Buizingen)
2012: Masquerade (Foden's Band)
2011: Only for You: The Music of Paul Lovatt-Cooper (Black Dyke Band)
2010: Romeo & Juliet (Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag)
2009: Maestro (Foden's Band)
2008: New Music for Brass Band (Foden's Band)
2007: Vienna Nights (Black Dyke Band)
2006: Heaton: Volume 4 (Black Dyke Band)
2005: Tales and Stories (Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag)
2004: Music of the Spheres (Yorkshire Building Society Band)
2003: Bourgeois in Brass (Yorkshire Building Society Band)
2002: The Heaton Collection (Black Dyke Band and the ISB)
2001: Butterworth (Black Dyke Band)

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Syndey

Report & Results: 2025 Yamaha Australian National Band Championships

April 20 • Sydney City becomes the inaugural Premier Championships of Australia as senior National titles head to Footscray-Yarraville City, Cairns Brass No. 1, Wonthaggi Citizensand City of Ballarat Municipal Brass.


Wobplay

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April 19 • There will be plenty of advertising opportunities for businesses as part of the comprehensive weekend of live-broadcast action from the European Championships in Stavanger.


Russell Gray

Gray to host double conducting seminars

April 19 • Aspiring conductors can enjoy the opportunity to work alongside Russell Gray in Scotland and Norway next month as he hosts his Conducting Seminars in Bathgate and Askoy.


Siusa

Jena pride at Sousa inclusion

April 19 • Jose Sousa will become the fifth young player from the Jena Brass Band Centre in Germany to represent the nation as part of the European Youth Brass Band.


Regent Hall Concerts - The Central Band of the Royal Air Force

Friday 25 April • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London. . W1C2DJ


Newstead Brass - Under Gaia

Saturday 26 April • Mansfield Palace Theatre. Leeming Street . Mansfield. Nottinghamshire NG18 1NG


Newstead Brass - St George's Day Celebration

Sunday 27 April • St Wilfrid's Church, Church Street, Kirkby In Ashfield NG17 8LA


Contest: European Brass Band Championshiips

Friday 9 May • Konzerthaus, SandvigÃ¥ 1, 4007 Stavanger, Norway


Contest: European Brass Band Championshiips

Saturday 10 May • Konzerthaus, SandvigÃ¥ 1, 4007 Stavanger, Norway


Chinnor Silver

April 22 • Our COMMUNITY BAND are recommencing rehearsals on 28th Monday at 11am in our bandroom and we would love you to join us.. We welcome players of all abilities who just fancy a friendly fun blow with cake and coffee thrown in.. Its all free so join us.


Linthwaite Band

April 21 • Linthwaite Band is a 4th section contesting Band , with a busy Summer of engagements coming up, and are looking to complete our friendly team, with a back row 2nd cornet player, and are keen to fill the position as soon as possible.


Chinnor Silver

April 21 • Required Percussion and Bass players (Eb or Bb). We are a friendly and ambitious band and have successfully qualified for the second section national finals and also earned promotion to the 1st section in 2026. Come along and help complete our happy team


Martin Heartfield

GGSM, ARCM, PGCE
Conductor, Adjudicator, Educationalist


               

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