Competitive live music making returned to Palanga in Lithuania last weekend when the wonderful coastal town and its impressive Concert Hall hosted the nation's Open Wind Band Championships.

It heralded another step in the progress made by organisers to hold mass participation events at the venue that would have been the welcoming host for the 2020 European Brass Band Championships, but which had to be cancelled due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

Mnozil's Phoenix

30 of the very best Lithuanian wind bands competed for titles in five different sections, and following the contests there was a packed Gala Concert featuring Mnozil Brass, which saw them give the premiere of their new programme set entitled 'Phoenix'.

Speaking to 4BR, composer and conductor Kazys Daugela, who is Associate Professor at Lithuanian Academy of Music & Theatre said: "This was a most significant event. It was so good to have the Palanga Concert Hall filled with youthful energy and amazing musical works.

This competition together with side events such as concerts, workshops, masterclasses, and seminars gave an enormous boast to the banding movement in Lithuania."

We now hope to build on this success further in the coming months and years once moreKazys Daugela

Appeal

He added: "Every year the Lithuanian Brass Band Association is cooperating with different countries to get new repertoire for brass, wind and orchestral ensembles and to especially broaden the appeal and horizons of the brass band movement.

We now hope to build on this success further in the coming months and years once more."