Blackpool calling as bands set for British Open next month
THE 102nd British Open Spring Festival at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens takes place on May 11.
Two bands from the Grand Shield will qualify for the 2024 British Open and four bands will be promoted from the Senior Cup and the Senior Trophy, which means the same numbers of bands will be relegated!
Bands in the Grand Shield Test Piece – A Brussels Requiem (Bert Appermont)
Camborne Town, Carlton Main Frickley Colliery, City of Bradford, City of Hull, Desford Colliery, EverReady, Fishburn, Friary Brass, GUS Band, Llwydcoed (Joshua Ruck), Milnrow, NASUWT Riverside, Oldham Band, Rainford, Ratby Co-operative, Redbridge, Rothwell Temperance, Slelmanthorpe, St Dennis Silver, Wingates,
Bands in the Senior Cup Test Piece – The New Jerusalem (Philip Wilby)
Acceler8, Amersham, Ashtonunder-Lyne, Boarshurst Silver, Brass Band of Central England, City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) (Christopher Bond), Dalmellington, Derwent Brass, Elland Silver, Kingdom Brass, Kirkintilloch, Pemberton Old Wigan DW, Roche Brass, Shepherd Group, Stannington Brass, Thundersley Brass, Tylorstown (Robert Westacott), Unite the Union, Verwood Concert, Wantage Silver.
Bands in the Senior Trophy Test Piece – Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Peter Graham)
Blackburn & Darwen, Easington Colliery, East London Brass, Ebbw Valley Brass (Gareth Ritter), Eccles Borough, Enderby, Haverhill Silver, Longridge, Marsden Silver, Newtongrange Silver, Parc & Dare (Dewi Griffiths), Pontardulais Town (Matthew Jenkins), Roberts Bakery, Tongwynlais Temperance (Owen Farr), Unison Kinneil, Woodfalls, Yorkshire Imperial.
The four Welsh bands competing in the lowest group – the Senior Trophy – Ebbw Valley Brass, Parc & Dare, Pontardulais Town and Tongwynlais Temperance are all of a very high standard and it is expected that they will be pushing to avail themselves of those four promotion spots. I wish them every success!
Song for Wales – Cory Band with the Pendyrus Male Choir performed the world premiere of this new composition for band and choir at a private engagement at the National Museum in Cardiff recently, with opera singer and TV personality Wynne Evans providing the narration of this work composed by Philip Harper.
The music was commissioned by the Celtic English Academy as part of the IALC (International Association of Language Centres) 2024 Workshop, which they are hosting.
The IALC was proud to organise the prestigious IALC Workshop which took place from April 11-14 in Cardiff.
The flagship event in the international study travel industry was expected to attract about 135 study travel agents from 33 countries and 130 representatives from IALCaccredited schools in 24 countries.
The 2024 IALC workshop was hosted by @celticenglishacademy.
Meanwhile, in October, Brass will be celebrating 10 community music-making.
To mark this occasion the group has received funding from Ty Cerdd to commission composer Michael Triggs to write a work for brass band and voice, but they are requesting your help with the lyrics.
Entries are requested in response to a member-created Word Cloud which sums up the spirit felt within the band. The prize will be the inclusion of your lyrics in this commission project, entry to the premiere performance, and £150.
Deadline for entries is 12 noon on May 6. More information can be found at the cathaysbrass.com website.
Cathays years of