Belgian contenders prepare for National challenges

18 bands will head to Heist-op-den-Berg this weekend for the 2025 Belgian National Championships.

The championships take place this weekend.

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

The 45th Belgian National Championships take place this weekend at the Cultural Centre Zwaneberg in Heist-op-den-Berg

18 bands will take to the stage, including for the first time nine bands in the Championship Division. The winning band (or highest placed band) other than Brass Band Willebroek (defending European Champion) in the Championship Division will also represent Belgium at the 2026 European Championship (EBBC) in Linz, Austria.

Schedule

Saturday 29th November sees the competing bands in the Open (10.30am), followed by the Third, Second and First Division, followed on the Sunday by the Championship Division set-work (9.30am) and own-choice (3.15pm).

The adjudicators for the event are Jane Westervik, Jan de Haan and Christopher Houlding.

Broadcast and coverage

The Championships can be followed by livestream on BrassPass.tv at: www.brasspass.tv with commentary coverage provided by Dutch media partner Emotions on Stage at www.emotionsonstage.nl

The Championship Division bands will perform 'Crazy Twenties' by Thierry Deleruyelle — part of his 20th century series that includes 'Fraternity', No Man's Land' and 'Sand and Stars'.

Championship Division:

Set Work: Crazy Twenties (Thierry Deleruyelle)

Brassband Buizingen
Brassband Ghent
Brassband Willebroek
Brassband Zele
Brass Band Heist
Brass Band Leieland
Festival Brass Band
Kortrijk Brass Band
Noordlimburgse Brassband

Own Choice: (alphabetical order)
A Road Less Travelled By (Philip Sparke); Handel in the Band (Kenneth Downie); Midnight's Butterflies (Maurice Donnet-Monay); Music for Battle Creek (Philip Sparke); No man's land (Thierry Deleruyelle); Orpheus & Eurydice (Stijn Aertgeerts); So Spoke Albion (Gavin Higgins); Vienna Nights (Philip Wilby); Wisdom or Madness (Klaas Coulembier).

First Division:

Set Work: Embracing Duality (Ingebjorg Vilhelmsen)

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

Own Choice: (alphabetical order)
From Ancient Times (Jan Van der Roost); La Divina Commedia (Hendrik de Boer); Magdalena Bay (Gauthier Dupertuis); Myth Forest (Stig Nordhagen); The Forest of Dean (Derek Bourgeois)

Second Division:

Set Work: Metamorphosis on Finlandia (Andrew Wainwright)

Brassband Panta Rhei

Own Choice: Hope (Dorothy Gates)

Third Division:

Set Work: A Buoy (Stan Nieuwenhuis)

Own Choice: (alphabetical order)
Flashback (Jan de Haan); Lions of Legends (Thierry Deleruyelle)

Open Division:

Own choice:

Brassband Kempenzonen Tielen

Hymn for Diana (Joseph Turrin); Valaisia Variants (Tom Davoren); Peacemakers (Dan Price)

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