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2025 4BR CD of the Year

There were impressive recordings from impressive bands — but one stood out from the rest in 2025.

4BR aWARDS
  Black Dyke Band's musical trip to the Eternal City was the clear CD of the Year winner

Winner: Respighi (Black Dyke Band)

2. Festivities — Cornerstones Vol. 3 (Cory Band)
3. Storm (Hauts de France)

The Yorkshire champion continues to produce CDs of the highest artistic quality under the baton of Director of Music Prof Nicholas J Childs — with 'Respighi' claiming their tenth 4BR CD of the Year award.

The Doyen release was a long term project that was cultivated into a stunning release featuring performances of 'Roman Festivals', 'Fountains of Rome' and 'Pines of Rome', and gained an imposing 9 first choice preference votes from the panel.

The latest release in Cory's long term 'Cornerstones' project of recordings was a deserved runner-up as Philip Harper's band continues to breath new life into classic banding repertoire, whilst the engaging 'Strom' release from French Champion, Hauts-de-France was third.

Panel:

The Awards Panel consisted of: Iwan Fox (4BR Editor); Chris Thomas (4BR & BBW); Malcolm Wood (4BR & BBW); Josie Sleigh (musician); Gordon Simpson (brass band statistician); Sarah Groarke-Booth (conductor/adjudicator); Michael Franz (Editor Brass Band News Switzerland); Liv Appleton (Content Creator/itsnotatrumpet.com); Camila Soderstrom Tveit (musician/adjudicator); Alexander Zwann (conductor/journalist); Tim Mutum (brass band historian); Henk Van Loon (Editor Emotions on Stage); Philippa Edwards AOM (conductor/performing arts producer); Stein Skorpholm (broadcaster/musician).

Past Winners:


2024: Bliss: Works for Brass (Black Dyke Band)
2023: Force of Nature (Black Dyke Band)
2022: Vaughan Williams on Brass (Tredegar Band)
2021: Festmusik — A Legacy (Onyx Brass)
2020: Gregson: Music of the Angels (London Brass)
2019: The Music of Bliss & Howells (Brighouse & Rastrick Band)
2018: Metropolis (Black Dyke Band)
2017: Dances & Arias (Black Dyke Band)
2016: War Memorials (Cory Band & Tredegar Band)
2015: Dark Arteries (Tredegar Band)
2014: Gaia Symphony (Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag)
2013: When Worlds Collide: The Music of Nigel Clarke (Brass Band Buizingen)
2012: Masquerade (Foden's Band)
2011: Only for You: The Music of Paul Lovatt-Cooper (Black Dyke Band)
2010: Romeo & Juliet (Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag)
2009: Maestro (Foden's Band)
2008: New Music for Brass Band (Foden's Band)
2007: Vienna Nights (Black Dyke Band)
2006: Heaton: Volume 4 (Black Dyke Band)
2005: Tales and Stories (Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag)
2004: Music of the Spheres (Yorkshire Building Society Band)
2003: Bourgeois in Brass (Yorkshire Building Society Band)
2002: The Heaton Collection (Black Dyke Band and the ISB)
2001: Butterworth (Black Dyke Band)

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Awards

2025 4BR Lower Section/Youth Band of the Year

December 25 • Such a wide range of bands doing great work on and off the contest stage this year — with a remarkable young band taking the honours.


4BR awards

2025 4BR Contest Performance of the Year

December 25 • In a year of contest winners — there was still one performance that claimed an extra first prize.


Newcomer

2025 4BR Newcomer of the Year

December 25 • An exciting year full as exciting new talent emerged in different fields and genres of the brass band movement.


4BR aWARDS

2025 4BR CD of the Year

December 25 • There were impressive recordings from impressive bands — but one stood out from the rest in 2025.


Garforth Brass - Strawberry Fields Primary School

Friday 5 December • Garforth Methodist Church,. Church Lane,. Garforth,. Leeds LS25 1NW


The Hepworth Band - Christmas Brass & Voices

Saturday 6 December • Thornhill Parish Church, Dewsbury WF12 0JZ


Petworth Town Band - Petworth Town Band Christmas Event

Saturday 6 December • Petworth Town Centre GU28 OAD


Haverhill Silver Band - Family Christmas Concert

Sunday 7 December • Castle Manor Academy, Haverhill CB9 9JE


Petworth Town Band - PetworthTown Band Christmas Concert

Saturday 13 December • St Mary’s Church Petworth GU28 OAD


Crewe Brass

December 22 • Crewe Brass are looking for PERCUSSION (TUNED and KIT) to join our highly motivated 4th section band. We are a very welcoming and sociable band, with a positive outlook and a reasonably busy calendar of engagements. Other enquiries are welcome.


Crewe Brass

December 22 • Crewe Brass are looking for a BBb BASS player to join our highly motivated 4th section band. We are a very welcoming and sociable band, with a positive outlook and a reasonably busy calendar of engagements. Other enquiries are welcome.


Crewe Brass

December 22 • Crewe Brass are looking for a Eb BASS player to join our highly motivated 4th section band. We are a very welcoming and sociable band, with a positive outlook and a reasonably busy calendar of engagements. Other enquiries are welcome.


John Maines

BA (Hons)
Presenter, compere and conductor


               

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