The list of Spring Festival competitors that will look to either qualify, or take one step closer to competing at the British Open Championship, has been announced.

With the 2020 and 2021 Championships cancelled due to Covid-19, the 100th Spring Festival event will take place on Saturday 7th May at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

100th anniversary

The test-pieces are also retained from what would have been the 2020 event, with Peter Graham's 'Dynasty' testing the 20 Grand Shield contenders. The top two bands will be invited to compete at the British Open at Symphony Hall on Saturday 10th September.

The promotion and relegation of bands remains the same. The bottom four in the results table from the Grand Shield will be replaced by the top four from the Senior Cup. The same applies between the Senior Cup and Senior Trophy.

The organisers have released the details of which segment of each contest the bands will perform in to help supporters and general public plan their day. The list of adjudicators will be released in due course.

A British Open Championship spokesperson told 4BR: "We are delighted to return, and we offer a warm welcome to the competitors and to the listening public.

The test-pieces were chosen to in line with our policy to use a work performed at the British Open and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Spring Festival, and we are sure they will prove popular with performers and listeners alike."

The day has been structured to try and ensure that all three contests finish at approximately the same time so that the results ceremony can be held together at the conclusion of the Grand Shield event.

Popularity

The popularity of the Spring Festival continues to see bands strive to qualify from a number of partner satellite events. Pontardulais Town was the latest band to secure its place in the Senior Trophy after winning the 2022 Welsh Open title earlier this year.

The quality of the contests also sees five Albert Hall National Championship finalists competing in the Grand Shield (with the West of England to come). There is also one Albert Hall qualifier in the Senior Cup alongside two Cheltenham National finalists, whilst the Senior Trophy features one London bound band and four other Cheltenham finalists.

Grand Shield:
Test-piece: Dynasty (Peter Graham)
Draws: 9.30am & 12.30pm
Commences: 10.30am
Second half of contest will not commence before 1.30pm

Camborne Town (s)
City of Hull (s)
Friary Band (f)
Hepworth (s)
Llwydcoed (f)
Milnrow (s)
Northop Silver (s)
Oldham Band (Lees) (f)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW (f)
Rainford (s)
Ratby Co-operative (f)
Redbridge (f)
Reg Vardy (f)
Rothwell Temperance (s)
St Dennis (f)
The GUS Band (s)
Wantage Silver (s)
Whitburn (f)
Wingates (f)
Woodfalls (s)

Senior Cup:
Test-piece: Freedom (Hubert Bath)
Draws: 10.30am & 1.00pm
Commences: 11.30am
Second half of contest will not commence before 2.00pm

Acceler8 Band (f)
Ashton-under-Lyne (f)
Aveley & Newham (s)
Blackburn & Darwen (s)
City of Bradford (s)
City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) (f)
Dalmellington (s)
Derwent Brass (s)
Elland Silver (s)
Filton Concert Brass (s)
Jaguar Land Rover (f)
Kingdom Brass (f)
Kirkintilloch (f)
Newtongrange Silver (s)
Roche Brass (f)
Shepherd Group (s)
Skelmanthorpe (f)
Thoresby Colliery (f)
Tongwynlais Temperance (s)
Vernon Building Society Poynton (f)
Verwood Concert Brass (f)

Senior Trophy:
Test-piece: Life Divine (Cyril Jenkins)
Draws: 9.30am & 12.00pm
Commences: 10.00am
Second half of contest will not commence before 1.00pm

Amersham (f)
Bo'ness & Carriden (s)
Boarshurst (f)
Crofton Silver (s)
Easington Colliery (f)
East London Brass (s)
Eccles Borough (s)
Enderby (s)
Fishburn (s)
Hatfield & Askern Colliery (f)
Jackfield (s)
Lydbrook (s)
Marsden Silver (f)
Pontardulais (s)
Roberts Bakery (f)
Sovereign Brass (f)
Staffordshire (f)
Thundersley Brass (f)
Tylorstown (f)
Unison Kinneil (f)
Unite the Union (s)
Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel (f)