While the band is rehearsing for our many upcoming concerts we are also rehearsing our National Finals test piece 'Snow Island' by Thierry Delaruyelle. The National Brass Band Finals are on Sunday 20th September 2026 at the Barbican, York.
We have our brilliant Musical Director Chris Banks and also our bandmaster John Richardson putting us through our paces. Both have extensive musical knowledge and experience and are working as team. The music is a wonderfully descriptive work. The composer describes it as below:
"The brass players of the five music associations of the villages of Crans-Montana were awarded the organisation of the 2024 cantonal festival, for which this work was commissioned. It depicts the dynamism of the resort through a lively first part based on a motif featuring a rhythm imbued with adventure and challenge. This is followed by a slower, more melodic section, a gentle, expressive theme highlighting the talent of the band’s soloists. The piece ends with a short and brilliant coda.
This work was commissioned by the Cantonal Associations of Valais, Bern, Jura, Geneva, Solothurn and Innerschweiz, and was chosen as the compulsory piece in the second category of the 2024 cantonal celebrations."
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Some excellent news for the band that we have a new sponsor 'Peak Roofclean'. Check out their website HERE.
The owner of the company Owen Turner has kindly offered to sponsor the band to enable us to take part in the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain at York in September. We are over the moon that we have this new partnership with this great company based in Derbyshire. Owen has been instrumental in the past with his connection with the Peacock at Barlow where the band have appeared at Christmas for the past few years.
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On Saturday 7th March The band competed in the regional Brass Band competition at Bedworth Civic Hall, playing the test piece ' Three Haworth Impressions'. We gained 2nd place out of 15 bands which means we are invited to the National Brass Band Finals of Great Britain at the Barbican Centre in York in September.
The band performed superbly under our amazing conductor Chris Banks. He brought along his wife Lucy and 3 week old Noah for the day and he was really well behaved (and Chris as well) !
Our result shows hard work in the bandroom pays off, although we had plenty of laughs along the way.
Our principle cornet Mark Brimble won the well deserved accolade for best instrumentalist of the day, as he filled the civic hall with his cornet solo's, a thoroughly fantastic weekend.
Also a mention to Matlock Band who also came 2nd in their section on Sunday 8th March under the baton of our Chris Banks, a big congratulations to them!
