We have a full band set of Alliance bell covers up for grabs this weekend, plus a little selection box of goodies to fill your stocking at the end of the bed on Christmas morning — worth well over £130.

Bell covers

The Denis Wick Alliance brand covers are made to the same exacting production standards and can either be purchased as a full band set or individually for cornet/trumpet; flugel; tenor horn/tenor trombone; baritone/bass trombone; euphonium; French horn; EEb and BBb tuba.

The only difference is the colour — a light blue instead of black, with the Alliance logo on a discreet tab on the collar of the product.

All this we will add some Denis Wick mute corks for you to spruce up some accessories in need of some New Year care and attention and a copy of 'Still Beating' — the great autobiography of the one and only Richard Evans.

Work out the link

All you have to do is work out the link and tell us why…

What is the link between a National Final test piece by composer Derek Bourgeois, the nickname of the great jazz singer Bessie Smith, a famous waltz by Johann Strauss II and the Manchester City football team 'anthem'.

Answers:

Answers with explanation to be sent to: iwan.fox@googlemail.com

Closing date for answers: 12.00 (midnight) on Sunday 20th December

What is the link between a National Final test piece by composer Derek Bourgeois, the nickname of the great jazz singer Bessie Smith, a famous waltz by Johann Strauss II and the Manchester City football team 'anthem'4BR

Midweek Quiz: Ear, 'Ear...

The winner of our last quiz was Ian Davies, who just happened to have a dog with a name that inspired the right answers.

It was of course all about pearls — the Vermeer painting was 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring', the fantastic Eusebio was the Portugal footballer who was the star of the 1966 World Cup Final — 'The Black Pearl'.

The Bizet opera was of course 'The Pearl Fishers' and the famous music heard in cinemas was from the advertising agency 'Pearl & Dean'.