34 bands will take to the stage at the TivoliVredenburg concert hall in Utrecht this weekend for the 37th Netherlands National Brass Band Championships.

Euro host

The host venue for the 2018 European Championships should be packed for the action which starts on Friday afternoon (27th October) with the six bands competing in the Fourth Division. The set work is 'Purcellian Fantasia' by Jan de Haan.

They will be followed later in the evening by the five bands in the Third Division performing another brand new work, 'A Journey to the Bermuda Triangle' by Pimpanit Karoonyavanich.

Saturday sees nine bands tackle Stephen Bulla's evocative 'Frontier Vision' in the Second Division, followed by the four rivals in the First Division performing the equally descriptive 'Stonehenge' by Jan Van der Roost.

National honour

The Championship Division comprises ten bands, led by defending champion Brassband Schoonhoven in hoping to claim the 1500 Euro first prize and the honour of representing the home nation at the European Championships back in Utrecht in six months time. The set work is Kenneth Downie's 'Handel in the Band'.

4BR is making the trip alongside Goldy Solutions Ian Clowes to cover the action as it happens.

The Championship Division comprises ten bands, led by defending champion Brassband Schoonhoven, hoping to represent the home nation at the European Championships back in Utrecht in six months time4BR

Championship Division:

Set Work: Handel in the Band (Kenneth Downie)
Saturday: 28th October
Adjudicators: Garry Cutt, Florent Didier, Jan Van der Roost

Altena Brass (Anno Appelo)
Amsterdam Brass (Pierre Volders)
Brassband Rijnmond (Erik van de Kolk)
Brassband Schoonhoven A (Ivan Meylemans)
De Bazuin (Klaas van der Woude)
De Waldsang (Rieks van der Velde)
ProClass Brassband Limburg (Renato Meli)
Provinciale Brassband Groningen (Richard Visser)
Soli Brass (Anne van den Berg)
Spijkerpakkenband (Erik Janssen)

First Division:

Set Work: Stonehenge (Jan Van der Roost)
Saturday 28th October
Adjudicators: Garry Cutt, Florent Didier, David Thornton

Brassband Breukelen (Syde van der Ploeg)
Excelsior (Rieks van der Velde)
Kunst naar Kracht (Erik Kluin)
Oefening en Uitspanning (Anno Appelo)

Second Division:

Set Work: Frontier Vision (Stephen Bulla)
Saturday 28th October
Adjudicators: John Doyle, Durk Lautenbach, Jan Van der Roost

Brassband Amersfoort (Vincent Verhage)
Brassband Schoonhoven B (Robbert Vos)
Constantijn Huygens (Richard Visser)
David (Wilbert Zwier)
De Bazuin B (Sietse Hamersma)
De Lofklank (Gerk Huisma)
Excelsior (Herman Sibma)
Gloria Dei (Jaap Musschenga)
Martini Brassband (Rieks van der Velde

Third Division:

Set Work: A Journey to the Bermuda Triangle (Pimpanit Karoonyavanich)
Friday 27th October
Adjudicators: John Doyle, Durk Lautenbach, David Thornton

Backum Brass (Vincent Verhage)
Blaast de Bazuin (Theun van Leijen)
Gereformeerde Brassband (Jan Werkman)
Greidebrass (Marco Middelberg)
Looft den Heer (Gijs Heusinkveld)

Fourth Division:

Set Work: Purcellian Fantasia (Jan de Haan)
Friday 27th October
Adjudicators: John Doyle, Durk Lautenbach, Jan Van der Roost

Blaast de Bazuin (Paulus de Jong)
Ere Zij God (Gerben Huizinga)
Euphonia Ternaard (Paulus de Jong)
Felison Brass (Patricia Geertse)
Immanuel (Jan Werkman)
Soli Deo Gloria (Sijtze van der Hoek)