European Championship preview

In this month’s BBW Award-winning composer, Paul McGhee, previews the European Brass Band Championships’ Challenge, Premier and Development Youth section test-pieces, in advance of the Lille-based competition. Those pieces are:

Challenge Section: Samson - Symphonic Poem for Brass Band by Rodolphe Schacher
Premier Youth Section: Olympus by Philip Harper
Development Youth Section: Music For Greenwich by Edward Gregson

Paul McGhee also surveys the Elite section set test-piece with in depth analysis of Fraternity - French composer, Thierry Deleruyelle’s, musical evocation of Europe’s worst mining disaster at Courrières in Northern France, in 1906.

In addition, and as excitement builds ahead of the European Brass Band Championships in Lille, Mark Good previews the entire schedule listed below.

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EURO FESTIVAL 2016 SCHEDULE

39th European Brass Band Championships: Nouveau Siecle Concert Hall,
17 Place Pierre Mendes, France 59800 Lille

28 April
8.00pm-10.15pm, Conservatoire de Roubaix: Final, 7th European Soloist Competition
Brass Band Nord Pas de Calais will accompany finalists during the first half of its concert and the evening will also feature the European Youth Brass Band. Twenty-five soloists from eight European countries have participated in the competition to reach the Final and the three finalists will perform a set piece and an own-choice piece.


29 April

9.00am-10.00am, Nouveau Siecle: Press Conference.

12.00pm, Opera de Lille:
Opening Ceremony (invitation only) featuring the European Youth Brass Band, meeting for the 14th time.
1.30pm-3.00pm, Nouveau Siecle: Brass Conference.
3.00pm-3.30pm, Nouveau Siecle: Composer’s Talk.
4.00pm-10.00pm, Nouveau Siecle:
Championship Section test-piece contest.

30 April
9.00am-12.30pm, Nouveau Siecle Hall: European Challenge Competition.
12.30pm-6.00pm, Nouveau Siecle Hall: Championship Section own-choice contest.
8.30pm-10.30pm, Nouveau Siecle Hall: Gala Concert featuring Black Dyke Band, Brass Band Nord Pas de Calais and the European Youth Brass Band, followed by the Awards Ceremony.

1 May
Nouveau Siecle Concert Hall: 3rd European Youth Brass Band Competition. 9.00am-11.30am: Development Section 11.30am-4.00pm: Premier Section
4.30pm-5.30pm: Farewell Concert by European Youth Brass Band, followed by the Awards Ceremony.

Tickets: European Soloist Competition Final: €16 Championship Section test-piece Competition: €36 Challenge Section and Championship Section Own-choice competitions: €36
Gala Concert/Awards Ceremony: €36
 European Youth Contest: €13 
Book here