*
banner

4BR Boxing Day Brain Tickler

Something to get the brain working after all that food and drink on Christmas Day. You have to show your workings out though..

4br
 

Quite a bit of working out if you are to get to the ultimate answer of our Boxing Day brain teaser.

First letter

All you have to do is work out the answers of the 17 fairly easy questions below. The first letter of each should eventually give you the name of the 4BR Editor's favourite classic brass band test piece.

You must show your working out of how you got to the eventual name of the test-piece to get your hands on a cracking batch of CDs.

Have fun...

1. The little, not omnipotent, bit of Rolf Rudin's 4BR prize-winning European test piece.

2. Opera by Wagner inspired by the last Tribune of Rome: Later arranged as a National Finals and Area test piece.

3. Metrical psalm tune of uncertain origin — sung to the words 'All people that on earth do dwell'.

4. Tuned percussion instrument — African in origin — low pitched, lower in tone, richer in sound than a xylophone.

5. Welsh festival of music, poetry, dance and literature held every year — full of bards and druids heralded by the trumpet playing principal cornets of Tredegar and Fairey Bands.

6. A major 3rd in a tonic chord at the end of composition in a minor key — most famously 'The Coventry Carol'.

7. Surname of the composer of 'Pageantry' and 'Three Figures'.

8. Brass band instrument originally invented around 1843 by F. Sommer of Weimer — taking its name from the Greek for 'pleasant sounding'.

9. 'A Sailor's Life' — in French. Test piece with fearsome opening for soprano cornet...

10. Musical instrument of sinuous, reptilian shape: Forerunner of the ophicleide in brass bands.

11. The...... subject matter of Eric Ball British Open test piece. Inspired by poet Louis Untermeyer's line 'And, when at last the fight is won, God, keep me still unsatisfied'.

12. Italian word meaning 'nothing'. Often found at the end of reflective compositions.

13. Surname of composer of 'Grimethorpe Aria'.

14. National Finals test-piece inspired by epic Finnish poetry about a Nordic God who rides an eight legged horse called Sleipnir.

15. Name generally given to Schubert's Symphony No 8 in B Minor D759.

16. The.... famous cornet solo named after a bird with the Latin name Luscinia megarhynchos.

17. The first degree of the scale in the Tonic Solfa system and the famous utterance of cartoon character Homer Simpson.

You must show your working out of how you got to the eventual name of the test-piece to get your hands on a cracking batch of CDs4BR

Answers:

E-mail us the answer before midnight on 27th December with your contact telephone details at: quiz@4barsrest.com

Christmas Eve winner:

The answer to our Christmas Even brain teaser of the identity of a leading character in Donizetti's 1835 opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor', the Hollywood home of actress Mae West and a famous Whit Friday march by the great William Rimmer?

It was Ravenswood.

The winner was Jeremy Home, who will be getting a late Christmas prezzie of a selection box of CDs.

Jeremy plays for Friary Guildford Band and has been enjoying a great festive season doing the rounds of carolling.

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


British Open

British Open ticket sale date announced

May 22 • The general sale of tickets for the 172nd British Open Championships will open on Friday 29th May.


NYBBGB

New Horizons repeat for NYBBGB on You Tube

May 22 • The concert given by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain featuring the world premiere of 'Victoria Wood: A Laugh Less Ordinary' is now available to enjoy on You Tube.


Wantage

One out of three for Wantage

May 22 • The Welsh Open champion is enjoying the challenge of reaching out to new audiences.


Pershore

Full day of brass entertainment at Pershore

May 22 • The Pershore Midsummer Brass Festival takes place on July 4th.


Newstead Brass - Mansfield MVC - Brass and Voices

Sunday 24 May • Forest Town Arena. Clipstone Road West,. Mansfield NG19 0EE


Contest: Whit Friday March Contests

Friday 29 May • Saddleworth & Tameside OL3


The Hepworth Band - Brassband Burgermusik Luzern

Saturday 30 May • Dewsbury Minster, Vicarage Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 8DD


Fulham Brass Band - Summer Concert

Friday 5 June • St Dionis Church, Parsons Green SW6 4UH


Sherborne Town Band - Friends

Sunday 7 June • Sherborne, Dorset-Pageant Gardens DT9 3NP


St John's Band (Mossley)

May 21 • We are a friendly, welcoming 4th section band based in Tameside, Greater Manchester. Following our 4th place at the North West regionals, we are looking for a Bb and Eb Bass player (position negotiable). We rehearse Tuesday & Thursday evenings in Mossley.


St John's Band (Mossley)

May 21 • We are a friendly, welcoming 4th section band based in Tameside, Greater Manchester. Following our 4th place at the North West regionals, we are looking for SOLO CORNET players (position negotiable). We rehearse Tuesday and Thursday evenings in Mossley.


Silk Brass

May 21 • Musical Director. Silk Brass are looking to recruit a suitably experienced person to take on this challenging and exciting position.


Morgan Griffiths

Dip. Performance
Conductor, Peripatetic Music Teacher, Lower brass specialist


               

 © 2026 4barsrest.com Ltd