*
banner

Home grown test-piece talent for New Zealand Championships

The five test pieces to be heard in Wellington next year all come from the pens of New Zealand composers.

New Zealand
  The New Zealand Championships will be held in Wellington in 2026

The Brass Band Association of New Zealand has announced that all five works to be performed at its 2026 National Championships in Wellington have been composed by New Zealand compositional talent.

It is understood that it is the first time that this has happened at the oldest National Championship in the banding world.

The event takes place at the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Opera House and Te Whaea Centre from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th April. The chief adjudicator will be Russell Gray.

Set Works


A Grade: Taniwha (Scott Kennedy-French)
B Grade: Images (David Woodcock)
C Grade: Where the Light Falters (Kodi Rasmussen)
D Grade: Elegy for Brass Band (Fraser Bremner)

Solo Championships

The works that will have to be performed by instrumentalists in their bids to claim the keenly contested individual solo prizes have also been announced.

Soprano Cornet: Luciferous (Steven Booth)
Championship Bb Cornet: Chaos for Cornet (Fraser Bremner)
Amateur Bb Cornet: Two Contrasting Scenes (Jack Bewley)
Flugel Silver-Backed Fox (Andrea Hobson)
Tenor Horn: A Rhapsodic Spirit (Grant Pitcher)
Baritone: Pulcinella (Philip Sparke)
Tenor Trombone: Caricatures for Trombone (David Woodcock)
Bass Trombone: Bassically Speaking (Brian Hodges)
Euphonium: Concerto for Euphonium — Part 1 (Philip Wilby)
Eb Bass: Variations on The Bear Went Over the Mountain (Dale Vail)
Bb Bass: GBC (Fendall Hill)

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


Cory Alps

Cory to head to Alpine Festival

May 6 • The Welsh champion will join up with BrassBand Bozen Uberetsch as part of the first Alps Brass Festival.


Sarah Baumann

BBE appoints Baumann to interim CEO role

May 6 • Sarah Baumann has been appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Brass Bands England.


David Childs

Childs to provide recital and masterclass at Elgar International Festival of Brass

May 6 • Details have been released of the recital and masterclass appearances of the euphonium virtuoso at the forthcoming event in Birmingham.


Brighouse

Brighouse to close Best of Brass series

May 6 • The British Open champion will provide the final concert of the annual Leeds 'Best of Brass' series.


Regent Hall Concerts - FiveBy5 Trumpet Quintet

Tuesday 5 May • Charlton House and Gardens. Charlton Road, . London. . SE7 8RE


Regent Hall Concerts - Royal Greenwich Brass Band

Friday 8 May • Regent Hall. (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Wardle Anderson Brass Band - Wardle Junior Blast

Friday 8 May • Milnrow Parish Church, 16 Westward Ho, Milnrow, Rochdale OL16 3JX


Regent Brass - Woodbridge Excelsior Band and Russell Gray

Saturday 9 May • The Salvation Army (Regent Hall), Oxford Street, London W1C 2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - Woodbridge Excelsior Band

Saturday 9 May • Regent Hall. (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


East London Brass

May 7 • B Flat Bass : fresh off the back of our promotion to the Grand Shield, ELB are on the look out for a bflat bass player to complement our existing section. The band is ambitious and has an exciting second half of the year ahead.


Thornton Cleveleys Band

May 7 • We currently have the following vacancies.. 3rd Cornet and Bb Bass.. Friendly 3rd Section NW band based just outside of Blackpool. We have some great concerts coming up as well as marches, galas and charity events. With the odd contest thrown in too


Thornton Cleveleys Band

May 7 • MD VACANCY . We are a 3rd section NW band based just outside of Blackpool. Monday and Thursday rehearsals. Good mix of concerts and contests. Library full of music with funds available for new music. .


Michael Bennett

BSc, RNCM (Perf)
Performer, Composer, Arranger, Teacher


               

 © 2026 4barsrest.com Ltd