EBBA Confirms Future Host Cities
The Annual General Meeting of the European Brass Band Association (EBBA) was held online on 28 March, at which delegates agreed host venues for the European Brass Band Championships from 2023-25.
With next year’s event to be hosted at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, EBBA’s Executive Committee has now been mandated by the AGM to finalise contract negotiations with EBBC hosts in Malmö (Sweden) in 2023, Palanga (Lithuania) in 2024 and Stavanger (Norway) in 2025. Palanga and Malmö were originally scheduled to host events in 2020 and 2021. But both events were cancelled due to Covid-19, while Innsbruck (Austria) was forced to withdraw from its scheduled 2022 event due to Covid-related funding issues.
An update on preparations for the 2022 event was also presented to national delegates by Brass Bands England Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth Crookston, who gave further details on the timetable for the weekend of 29 April - 1 May. EBBA President, Ulf Rosenberg, commented, “We are very much looking forward to the 2022 EBBC in Birmingham and very impressed with the way that Brass Bands England has been able to adapt its plans to host the event at such short notice."
Well established English conductor and arranger, Chris King, who also enjoyed a very successful career as a military musician and now works in education leadership, was elected as a new member of EBBA’s Music Commission, joining MC Chairman Paul Hindmarsh (England) and committee members Frode Rydland (Norway) and Oliver Waespi (Switzerland). Commenting on the new post Chris King said, “I am delighted and privileged to have been invited onto the EBBA Music Commission, and am looking forward to working with Paul and the rest of the MC team, who are all renowned musical powerhouses.”
After some years with negative numbers, EBBA’s financial report showed a surplus for the year ending 31 December 2020, while Ulf Rosenberg commented that EBBA would soon be making announcements over sponsorship contracts which have been agreed very recently.
To conclude the meeting, national delegates gave updates of their work and their current outlook in relation to the Covid Pandemic. Ulf Rosenberg concluded, “This has been a very challenging period for the entire brass band community, but we are very optimistic for the future and looking forward to, what will be for sure, fantastic events in the coming years. We are obviously very concerned that everyone remains safe and well in the meantime, but we look forward to meeting again with our friends and colleagues from across Europe at Birmingham in 2022.”
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