2020 Australian National Championship Test Pieces Announced

Contest organisers have announced the test pieces that will be performed at the 2020 Australian National Championships in Perth next year. The event will run from Friday 10th April to Monday April 13th, and will include solo and ensemble events, the Parade of Bands and of course the band contests. The main competitions will be based at Scotch College, Swanbourne, using its impressive Dickinson Centre and Memorial Hall facilities.

 
'The Torchbearer'by Peter Graham, an homage to Eric Ball, is the set-test for the A Grade competitors. It was commissioned as the test-piece for the National Championships of Great Britain and the Australian FABB Open Contest in 2009 and is a set of symphonic variations based upon the first phrase of the trio of Ball's Salvation Army march, 'Torchbearers'.
The work testing the B Grade bands is from the pen of Swiss composer Oliver Waespi. His 'Traversda'is based on the Swiss song of farewell and uncertain reunion.
 
The C Grade test piece ‘Viking Age’ by Thierry Delleruyelle, will certainly challenge the competitors as they try to conjour up the images of Norse mythology. Popular Scottish composer Alan Fernie provides the Open D Grade work, 'A Royal Mile Suite', which is a celebration of some of the most famous landmarks and characteristics of the city of Edinburgh.
 
Three works will test the bands in the Junior Grade competitions: Edward Kennedy's 'Spirit of Youth Overture', 'Village Scenes'by Alan Fernie and Rob Hume’s arrangement of 'An Irish Folk Song Suite'.
 
Open A Grade: The Torchbearer (Peter Graham)
Open B Grade: Traversada (Oliver Waespi)
Open C Grade: Viking Age (Thierry Deleruyelle)
Open D Grade: A Royal Mile Suite (Alan Fernie)
Junior A Grade: Spirit of Youth Overture (Edward Kennedy)
Junior B Grade: Village Scenes (Alan Fernie)
Junior C Grade: An Irish Folk Song Suite (Trad. Arr Rob J Hume)
 
For Concert Band test-pieces and more information, go to: https://www.nationalbandchampionships.com.au/test-pieces-2020.html?fbclid=IwAR2fkMyW1ZG7Q71Hpr5ZxU1wndPfmT0lcFkKVShhlDbd4bNoWeha_EcPpdc

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