57 bands are making their way to Blackpool this weekend for the 102nd British Open Spring Festival.
The action kicks off at 10.00am in the Grand Shield contest with the top two bands gaining an invitation to compete at the 2024 British Open. The Senior Trophy will start at 11.00am with the Senior Cup at 12 noon.
Four bands will also be promoted from the Senior Cup and Senior Trophy to replace the appropriate relegated bands in each section.
The decision on the number of qualification places available for the 2025 Senior Trophy will be made after the event.
Tickets
Tickets for the day are £14 (under 16) and £20.
Tickets will be available from inside the main entrance to the Winter Gardens.
Adjudicators
The adjudicator team for the 2024 Spring Festival are (alphabetical order): Helen Douthwaite-Teesdale, John Doyle, Morgan Griffiths, Alan Morrison, Lynda Nicholson and Andrea Price.
Grand Shield:
Test-Piece: A Brussels Requiem (Bert Appermont)
Opera House
Draws: 9.00am & 1.00pm
Start Time: 10.00am
Camborne Town (Gareth Churcher)
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Allan Withington)
City of Bradford (Matthew Ryan)
City of Hull (Dean Jones)
Desford Colliery (Ian Porthouse)
EverReady (Russell Gray)
Fishburn (Duncan Beckley)
Friary Brass (Nigel Taken)
GUS (Dr David Thornton)
Llwydcoed (Joshua Ruck)
Milnrow (Lee Skipsey)
NASUWT Riverside (Prof Nicholas Childs)
Oldham Band (Lees) (John Collins)
Rainford (Sarah Groarke-Booth)
Ratby Co-operative (Chris Jeans)
Redbridge (Chris Bearman)
Rothwell Temperance (David Roberts)
Skelmanthorpe (Jonathan Bates)
St Dennis Silver (Darren R Hawken)
Wingates (Martin Heartfield)
Senior Cup:
Test Piece: The New Jerusalem (Philip Wilby)
Pavilion Theatre
Draws: 11.00am & 2.15pm
Start Time: 12 noon
Acceler8 (Jef Sparkes)
Amersham (Paul Fisher)
Ashton-under-Lyne (Martyn Evans)
Boarshurst Silver (Jamie Prophet)
Brass Band of Central England (Howard J. Evans)
City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) (Christopher Bond)
Dalmellington (Andrew Duncan)
Derwent Brass (Jack Capstaff)
Elland Silver (Brett Baker)
Kingdom Brass (Thomas Wyss)
Kirkintilloch (Hedley Benson)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW (Ryan Watkins)
Roche Brass (Keith Maxwell)
Shepherd Group (Richard Wilton)
Stannington Brass (Sam Fisher)
Thundersley Brass (Melvin White)
Tylorstown (Robert Westacott)
Unite the Union (Jonathan Beatty)
Verwood Concert (Kevin Smith)
Wantage Silver (Chris King)
Senior Trophy:
Test Piece: Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Peter Graham)
Spanish Hall
Draws: 10.00am & 1.30pm
Start Time: 11.00am
Blackburn & Darwen (Daniel Thomas)
Easington Colliery (Michael Fowles)
East London Brass (Jayne Murrill)
Ebbw Valley Brass (Gareth Ritter)
Eccles Borough (Mareika Gray)
Enderby (Gareth Brindle)
Haverhill Silver (Paul Filby)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Marsden Silver (Andrew Lofthouse)
Newtongrange Silver (Anne Crookston)
Parc & Dare (Dewi Griffiths)
Pontardulais Town (Matthew Jenkins)
Roberts Bakery (Mike Jones)
Tongwynlais Temperance (Owen Farr)
Unison Kinneil (Raymond Tennant)
Woodfalls (Paul Holland)
Yorkshire Imperial (Garry Hallas)
