The 34th Swiss National Brass Band Contest takes place on the 29th and 30th of November at the Music and Convention Center in Montreux.

Record entry

This year a record-breaking 63 bands will compete over the two days, with an evening Gala Concert featuring the Swiss Brass Consort, the
reigning Swiss Champions, Brass Band Fribourg, and horn player Owen Farr.

Saturday’s 'Brass Night', will feature a jazz and blues trio whilst on the Sunday, a free concert will be given featuring Swiss champion soloists and quartet.

Host

The Stravinski Concert Hall of Montreux will once again be the host of the best of Swiss brass bands. There are 4 bands in the 4th Section, 14 in the 3rd Section, 19 in the 2nd Section, 17 in the 1st Section and 10 in the Championship Section.

Start

The weekend starts on Saturday at 8.15am, with the 3rd Section contest in the Stravinski Concert Hall, where the chosen test piece will be 'Legenda Rumantscha' by Oliver Waespi.

This is followed, by the 1st Section contest, playing 'Dances and Arias' by Edward Gregson.

Miles Davis Hall

The Miles Davis Hall will hold the 4th Section from 10.15am, where bands will play Eric Ball’s 'Petite Suite de Ballet'.

Following the 4th Section, the 2nd Section will commence with the test piece 'Piccadilly', especially commissioned by the Swiss Brass Band Association to honour the Swiss composer Stephan Hodel, with financial help from the Suisa Foundation for Music.

British conductors

This year, four of the Championship Section bands will be directed by British conductors: Brass Band Berneroberland with Philip McCann, Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern with Allan Withington, Brass Band Fribourg with Robert Childs and Brass Band Treize Etoiles with James Gourlay.

Judges

This year’s record-breaking participation required the engagement of three extra adjudicators,: Hannes Buchegger, Remo Capra, Pascal Eicher, Ray Farr, Jean-Claude Kolly, David Read, Thomas Rüedi, Rolf Schumacher and Steve Sykes.

The Championship section contest commences on the Sunday at 8.30am in the Stravinski Concert Hall with the set test piece 'Titan’s Progress' by Hermann Pallhuber4BR

Gala Concert

The results of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sections contests will be given on Saturday night at 7.00pm, in the Miles Davies Hall.

At 8.00pm the Gala Concert, in the Stavinski Hall, will bring together Brass Band Fribourg, reigning Swiss Champions, conducted by Dr. Robert Childs and Pascal Eicher, horn virtuoso Owen Farr and the Swiss Brass Consort.

Brass Night

From 9.30pm, all are welcome to attend the 'Brass Night' giving all the chance to party at the Music and Convention Center of Montreux.

This time, the event will be feature the “Trio Urs Bossart” band.

Championship Section

The Championship section contest commences on the Sunday at 8.30am in the Stravinski Concert Hall with the set test piece 'Titan’s Progress' by Hermann Pallhuber.

This is followed at 12.45pm with the second half of the contest where bands compete with their own choice test pieces.

Own choice selections

This year these will include: Antarctica (Paul Lovatt-Cooper); Between the Moon and Mexico (Philip Sparke); Journey to the Center of the Earth (Peter Graham); Masquerade (Philip Wilby); Montage (Peter Graham); Music of the Spheres (Philip Sparke); Riffs and Interludes for Brass Band (Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen); St Magnus (Kenneth Downie)and Vienna Nights (Philip Wilby).

Results

At 5.00pm, prior to the results of the Championship section, (at approximately 5.30pm), a free concert will be given by three
Swiss champion soloists and quartet.

Tickets can be purchased from : http://www.brass.ch/sbbv/index.htm