The UniBrass Championships will take place at the University of Sheffield on Saturday 5th February with the organisers telling 4BR that they hope it will return "better than ever"following its hybrid Covid-19 break.
That innovative approach last year ensured that the event continued to reach out to its participants and supporters, but the return to its traditional format has seen 23 bands sign up to make the trip to compete in the Trophy and Shield contests.
Trophy and Shield
The bands will perform 20-minute entertainment programmes. The Trophy Section features 11 bands and will be hosted in the Octagon Centre, connected to Sheffield's award winning Student Union.
12 bands will compete in the Shield Section which will be held in the University's Drama Studio.
New events
Two new events will be included this year: an Ensemble Section and an outdoor performance from each competing band.
The Ensemble section will be held in the Students Union Auditorium and will be a casual event for smaller bands and ensembles who can stray from the brass banding tradition to suit their musical makeup.
Participants will be awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze awards with the adjudicators providing encouraging feedback.
The free outdoor performances are to provide great entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
They will be held throughout the day on the Concourse outside the Students' Union, where audiences can enjoy a hot drink and chat.
Gala Concert
Following the contests there will be an exciting Gala Concert that will include renowned jazz trombonist Dennis Rollins playing with Friary Band.
A spokesperson told 4BR: "Now in our twelfth year, UniBrass has come a long way and continues to encourage universities across the country to create their own brass bands.
There are now over 750 student musicians who come along to the contest each year to be a part of the student brass banding community.
There are also opportunities this year for student adjudicators to work alongside and learn from the experts who will be judging the competitions."
Now we can't wait to be welcoming everyone back in person. There is nothing better than the raw, powerful sound of live brass!UniBrass Championships
Welcome
They added: "Last June we had the challenge of organising a hybrid brass band that catered for the difficulties that Covid-19 posed. Now we can't wait to be welcoming everyone back in person. There is nothing better than the raw, powerful sound of live brass!"
