Following the success of our live Internet coverage of this year’s European Brass Band Championships, British Bandsman is to collaborate with Yamaha Music UK Ltd. to present this year’s Brass in Concert Championship live online via the BB website.

Star presenter

The programme will again be presented by the international percussion star, Simone Rebello, with coverage beginning just before the first band takes to the stage at 9.30am on Sunday 21 November and continuing right through until the final announcement of results by the event’s presenter, Frank Renton.

Groundbreaking

Revealing details of the project, BB Editor, Kenneth Crookston, commented: "We are delighted to make this announcement on the back of our groundbreaking project earlier this year from Linz, after which we received terrific feedback from viewers and a considerable amount of encouragement to repeat the exercise as soon as possible.

Tickets are always at a premium for Brass in Concert, the most prestigious entertainment contest on the worldwide banding calendar with an history stretching back to 1977.

Those who miss out on the opportunity of attending the event at The Sage Gateshead will be able to catch all the action in high-quality sound and vision on the BB website at www.britishbandsman.com."

Live action

He continued: "Our association with World of Brass means that we will have access to the live action, which we will again beam worldwide directly from The Sage, one of the finest concert venues in the UK, using the services of New Leaf and GK Graphic Design.

We are again grateful to Yamaha for its continuing support of our live coverage, and in Simone Rebello we have someone who brought an extra-special dimension to our ‘European’ project. We are confident that the entire package will provide fantastic value for our many subscribers."

We are confident that the entire package will provide fantastic value for our many subscribersKenneth Crookston

Great day of music making

He concluded: "Those who sign up for the coverage are in for a great day of music, with the chance to see and hear live action of banding’s most entertaining event.

This year it will feature the newly-crowned Champion Band of Great Britain – Brighouse and Rastrick, the British Open Champion – Tredegar, the English National Champion – Fairey (Geneva), as well as the defending Brass in Concert Champion – Foden’s, the perennial event favourite – Grimethorpe Colliery and a host of other fantastic bands.

As a bonus, this year’s Action Research Youth Entertainment Champion – Elland Silver Youth Band and its inspirational conductor, Samantha Harrison, will now have the opportunity to perform its pre-results programme before a worldwide audience, which will no doubt be ‘wowed’ by the ability of this remarkable young band.”

Cutting edge

Speaking to BB on behalf of Yamaha UK, Marketing of Promotions Manager – Band and Orchestral Division, Ian Frankland, commented: "The live-streaming of the European Championships from Linz was a cutting-edge step for brass band contesting and undoubtedly one of the most exciting projects with which I’ve been involved during my many years at Yamaha.

The Brass in Concert Championship (now sponsored by Yamaha and British Bandsman) therefore seemed like the obvious next choice to receive the live-streaming treatment.

This premier banding event is more than just a competition. The audience is treated to 11 individual concerts by some of Britain’s top bands in one of the UK’s best concert halls.

The performances will all be unique and, in some cases, very visual, so people who either cannot get tickets or are unable to make the journey to Gateshead will still be able to experience the atmosphere of these live performances from the comfort of their own home."

Outstanding coverage

Commenting on behalf of the Brass in Concert Festival, Trevor Caffull added: "The Brass in Concert Championship has sought to break new ground in the banding world, particularly since moving its ‘home’ to The Sage Gateshead. The event is now genuinely a weekend-long festival with a dual focus on youth and brass entertainment excellence.

In recent years, the scope of the event has broadened with the inclusion of some of the finest overseas bands and this year we go truly international through live-streaming.

The organising team at Brass in Concert is delighted that Yamaha UK and British Bandsman, co-sponsors of the event, have teamed up to provide what we know will be outstanding live coverage."

Gala Concert

Prior to the contest, on Saturday 20 November, World of Brass in Concert will feature Foden’s and Black Dyke bands, while the successful workshops and taster sessions that have grown over the past few years will conclude with a mini concert by the ‘workshop band’, conducted by Dr. Nicholas Childs, as a preview to Youth Brass in Concert, featuring Elland Silver Youth Band, conducted by Samantha Harrison.

Tickets

Tickets for all the weekend’s events are available from The Sage Gateshead Box Office on 0191 443 4661 or at www.thesagegateshead.org

Live coverage

Live coverage of the Brass in Concert Championship is available for £7.95.

Log onto www.britishbandsman.com for further details.