A new commission by the critically acclaimed Belgian composer Jan Van Der Roost has been announced as the set-work for the 2024 British Open Championship.

'The Lost Circle' is his fifth major contest composition and has been commissioned through an international consortium of organisations, including the British Open alongside the national bodies of Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

It will receive its world premiere at the 170th British Open Championship at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Saturday 7th September.

Guesswork, doubts and speculation

The work sees the composer return in inspiration to Stonehenge — the ancient site on Salisbury Plain in the UK that has held fascination to humans for millennia. It is, as the composer says, "a monument that has been the subject of questions, guesswork, doubts and speculations from time immemorial."

However, although 'The Lost Circle' is linked thematically in musical inspiration, it is not an "explicit successor" to his earlier 'Stonehenge' composition written in 1992.

Instead, as Jan Van Der Roost writes in his foreword to the 16-minute score, it is a work rich in thematic symbolism. It questions both how and why the inner circle of megalithic Bluestones were brought by ancient people on a 240-kilometre journey from deep in the Preseli hills in West Wales to their final resting place.

Honoured

Speaking exclusively to 4BR he said: "I am honoured to write 'The Lost Circle' for the British Open and the national associations of Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Austria where it will subsequently be performed at some of their National Championships.

It follows 'Excalibur', 'Stonehenge', 'Albion' and 'From Ancient Times' in being used at major events, and I will be delighted to hear it performed at the magnificent Symphony Hall in Birmingham for its world premiere."

He added: "It is definitely a challenging and demanding work, but one I hope will be enjoyed by the conductors, performers and audiences alike in the months to come in the UK and Europe."

It is definitely a challenging and demanding work, but one I hope will be enjoyed by the conductors, performers and audiences alike in the months to come in the UK and EuropeJan Van Der Roost

Magnificent work

In making the initial contest announcement, British Open Championship Artistic Advisor, Dr Robert Childs told 4BR: "Jan Van der Roost is rightly regarded as one of the foremost composers writing for the brass band medium.

'The Lost Circle' is a magnificent work — and one which I am sure alongside our colleagues throughout Europe will provide a wonderful musical test for competing bands, and a thoroughly rewarding musical experience for listeners."

Thrilled

British Open Contest organisers Martin and Karyn Mortimer added: "It will be the first time Jan Van Der Roost has written a work to be used at the British Open Championship.

We are thrilled to be able to provide the stage for its world premiere. Our thanks go to him and to our consortium friends for making this wonderful piece possible."