*
banner

4BR Boxing Day Brain Tickler — Answer and winner

We had a great response to our Boxing Day quiz — with plenty of people using their musical brains to get to the answer...

Granville
 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to take part in our Boxing Day quiz.

We have to say, quite a few worked out the overall test piece we were looking for way before they answered all the questions — and then tried to fit in the individual answers- but plenty got them all right.

All you had to do was work out the answers of the 17 fairly easy questions below. The first letter of eventually gave you the name of the 4BR Editor's favourite classic brass band test piece.

Answers:

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

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

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

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

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.
Eisteddfod

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

7. Surname of the composer of 'Pageantry' and 'Three Figures'.
Howells (Herbert)

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

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

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

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'.
Undaunted (The)

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

13. Surname of composer of 'Grimethorpe Aria'.
Birtwistle (Harrison)

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

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

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

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

If you got them all right then it spelt PROMETHEUS UNBOUND by the great Granville Bantock4BR

Test piece identity

If you got them all right then it spelt PROMETHEUS UNBOUND by the great Granville Bantock (who is one the left of the picture — the other is an old actor called Monty Wooley)

Winner:

The lucky winner of a selection box of CDs was Cathy Chinn of Southampton, who plays tenor horn with Gosport Solent Band.

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    


Purcell

Purcell students shine in BBC Composing Competition

December 9 • Young compositional talent from The Purcell School has made its mark in the BBC Young Composer Competition.


Smith and Grezzy

Podcast: Smith & Grezzy's Big Chat Brass

December 9 • The second part of the duo's chat with Derek Broadbent.


Knapton

Knapton takes Towcester lead

December 9 • The experienced Ian Knapton is to become the new Musical Director at Towcester Studio Band.


Carys Wood

Trumpet student in royal spotlight

December 9 • Royal Academy of Music trumpet student Carys Wood recently performed at the annual Princess of Wales Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.


Garforth Brass - Strawberry Fields Primary School

Friday 5 December • Garforth Methodist Church,. Church Lane,. Garforth,. Leeds LS25 1NW


The Hepworth Band - Christmas Brass & Voices

Saturday 6 December • Thornhill Parish Church, Dewsbury WF12 0JZ


Petworth Town Band - Petworth Town Band Christmas Event

Saturday 6 December • Petworth Town Centre GU28 OAD


Haverhill Silver Band - Family Christmas Concert

Sunday 7 December • Castle Manor Academy, Haverhill CB9 9JE


Petworth Town Band - PetworthTown Band Christmas Concert

Saturday 13 December • St Mary’s Church Petworth GU28 OAD


Petworth Town Band

December 9 • Petworth Town Band have vacancies for CORNETS, BASS TROMBONE and TUBA. We are a very active band with an inspirational MD Paula Streeter. Concerts are planned for next year and we would welcome you to join us


Welwyn Garden City Band

December 9 • We are a friendly & sociable Second Section Band with an eye on the 2026 Areas. We have vacancies for a FRONT ROW CORNET player and PERCUSSIONISTS.


Flookburgh band

December 9 • Flookburgh Band Vacancy ........ Musical Director . . We are newly promoted to the Second Section and looking for an inspirational Musical Director to lead us forward!. Concerts: 5 main concerts per year + summer engagements . .


Dr. Stephen Arthur Allen

D. Phil. (Oxon) [Ph.D Oxford University], GBSM, LTCL, ABSM, ALCM, Cert. Ed.


               

 © 2025 4barsrest.com Ltd