It proved to be quite a tricky battle of banding knowledge this year as our 30 Christmas Quiz questions gained a fantastic response — although not many got all the answers right.

Many thanks then to everyone who took the time to enter — especially those who collectively got players and supporters in their senior bands to send in entries to try and win that Besson Prodige cornet for a beginner or youth player.

One word of advice though — make sure you get a second opinion, as in a couple of cases 25 or more entries all included the same wrong answers!

Winner

In the end it was Scott Walker of the cooperation band in Scotland who we picked out of the electronic hat. Scott will be donating the Besson Prodige cornet plus mutes to The Cooperation Youth Band.

He told 4BR: "What a great start to 2026. Our Band Manager asked us to all try our luck to help support the youth band which has just celebrated its first anniversary. They meet once a month under Stephanie Kennedy and draw in players from various bands throughout the region with an ethos of inclusion and support.

It's doing great work in helping grass roots banding — so thanks to 4BR I'm thrilled the prize will go to fantastic use."

Young player support

Ronnie Tennant of Band Supplies who kindly provided the prize alongside Besson added: "Being able to support young players in this way means a great deal. I'm sure whoever gets the cornet and the election of mutes is going to be thrilled."

4BR will now make arrangements for the prize to be presented to the cooperation band in the very near future.

Answers:

1. Which player arrived on stage in a coffin in 2025?
Answer: Chris Robertson of Brighouse & Rastrick at Brass in Concert

2. The cooperation band's winning Brass in Concert programme was narrated by an actor (below) playing which famous fashion designer, businesswoman, perfume maker and Nazi collaborator?
Answer: Coco Chanel

3. What is the literary link between the following test-pieces? 'Star Crossed Lovers', 'Caliban', 'Lorenzo' and 'Beatrice & Benedict'?
Answer: They are all based on characters from Shakespeare plays

4. Which two bands were relegated from the 2025 British Open?
Answer: Whitburn and Oldham Band (Lees)

5. Who this year became the first woman to lead a band to a Championship Section Area title — 47 years after the last, Barbara Stone, did so in 1978?
Answer: Jayne Murrill (East London Brass)

6. Who did Richard Marshall take over from as principal cornet of Black Dyke Band in 2006?
Answer: Roger Webster

7. Apart from David Morton, who is the only other conductor to lead Desford Colliery Band to National Championship of Great Britain title success?
Answer: James Watson

8. Who is this professional trombone player (below), who was 'Best Soloist' at Brass in Concert in 2021?
Answer: Isobel Daws

9. What is the link between the test-piece 'Le Roi d'Ys', Freddie Mercury, a character in the Australian soap opera 'Neighbours' who played the tuba in the Salvation Army, a famous Whit Friday march written by George Allan, and the old presenter (who also played the trumpet) of the BBC television children's programme 'Record Breakers'?
Answer: All chess pieces — King (of Y's); Queen (lead singer); Bishop (Harold Bishop); Knight (Knight Templar march); Castle (Roy Castle)

10. And in what test-piece would you have possibly found some (below), if not all of them, this year?
Answer: Checkmate (Sir Arthur Bliss)

11. Which band was crowned Fourth Section National Champion of Great Britain in 2025?
Answer: Arbroath & Carnoustie

12. Which award winning soloist brought UK audiences musical portraits of 'Three Gods' at this year's RNCM International Brass Band Festival and in concert with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain in London?
Answer: Tim de Maeseneer

13. What does the musical term 'con slancio' mean?
Answer: With enthusiasm or spirit

14. True or false? Sir Edward Elgar (below) once wrote a football song in honour of Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Billy Malpass called, 'He Banged the Leather for Goal'?
Answer: True

15. What was invented in 1711 by John Shore, Handel's trumpeter, which has been used by musicians, instrument makers and orthopaedic surgeons ever since?
Answer: The tuning fork

16. Which composer wrote the music to the films 'Psycho', 'Cape Fear' and 'Taxi Driver'?
Answer: Bernard Herrmann

17. Which trumpet player made her final live concert appearance at 'The Last Night of the Proms' this year?
Answer: Alison Balsom

18. Michael Hext, Adrian Spillett, Peter Moore and Jordan Ashman are all former winners of which famous televised music competition?
Answer: BBC Young Musician of the Year

19. How many test-pieces has composer Philip Sparke (above) written for the British Open Championship?
Answer: None

20. Which band is the current Championship Section World Champion?
Answer: Brass Band Willebroek

21. In which city is Thierry Deleruyelle's test-piece 'Crazy Twenties' set?
Answer: Paris

22. Name the composer of this work performed at a major championship this year?
Answer: Ingebjorg Vilhelmsen

23. Which National Championship event commissioned new test-piece works from Thomas Doss, Philip Wilby, Bert Appermont, Philip Sparke, Simon Dobson and Thierry Deleruyelle this year?
Answer: Swiss National Championships

24. Who is this conductor?
Answer: Frans Violet

25. Who is the only other band part from Tredegar and Cory to have won the Welsh Regional Championship title since the year 2000?
Answer: Tongwynlais Temperance

26. Name this ancient brass instrument, much fancied by the Romans?
Answer: Carnyx

27. What are the first names of the Area test-pieces composers whose works we heard this year?
Answers: a) Morley (Calvert); b) Derek (Bourgeois); c) Oliver (Waespi); c) Jacob (de Haan); d) Andrea (Price)

28. Identify this major championship test-piece written in 1985 from the composer's notes and first sketches?
Answer: Cloudcatcher Fells (John McCabe)

29. What is the link between KNDS Fairey Band's performance at Brass in Concert this year, with a test-piece by Howard Snell, and a composition by Morton Feldman called 'Rothko Chapel' to be found in Houston, Texas?
Answer: All linked to paintings — 'Pictures at an Exhibition' played at Brass in Concert; 'Gallery' by Howard Snell played at National Championships in 2017; The music is inspired by the Rothko Chapel featuring paintings by the artist Mark Rothko.

30. Which city will host the 2026 European Brass Band Championships?
Answer: Linz