Section Championship
Test piece: Dances & Arias ( Edward Gregson)
ROTHWELL TEMPERANCE BAND (UK)
Rothwell Temperance Band (UK) – Conductor Andrew Riley
The current Rothwell Temperance Band was formed in 1984 as a junior band. In 1989, with a full roster of musicians and new instruments, they qualified for the national finals in the fourth section in 1991 and secured second place. In the same year, the senior group obtained a sponsorship, changing its name to match that of its new sponsor. The B Band then abandoned the B and adopted the name Rothwell Temperance Band.
In 1994, after being promoted to the third section, they won the Yorkshire Championship and competed in the National Finals in London, taking second place. In 1995, they won the third section of the Yorkshire Region Championships and again finished second in the national finals. In March 1996, after being promoted to the second section, the group again won first place in the regional championships after being number one out of fourteen groups. In 1997, the group was promoted to the first section and qualified for the national finals again. In the final, the group got the 5th place after being drawn as number one. In 1998, the band won the Yorkshire Area First Section again, qualifying for their fifth consecutive national final.
1999 was an incredible year for the band. In February, after being promoted to the Championship section, the group again qualified for the national finals and represented Yorkshire at the Royal Albert Hall in October where they were placed sixth. In 2000, the group secured sponsorship from Autocruise, a luxury motorhome manufacturer, based near Sheffield. In October 2000, the band travelled to Lucerne, Switzerland to participate in the Swiss Brass Band Championships. The group came away with the Swiss Open title, becoming the second English group to do so. Two weeks later, the group competed in the Pontins Championships and once again won the top prize, and their second title in a month.
2003 was a very successful year for the group with a fourth place finish at the Yorkshire Region Championships. In May, the group won first prize at the Senior Cup in Blackpool. The year 2004 saw a fantastic start with a sixth prize at the Yorkshire Region Championships, followed by a second prize at the Grand Shield competition in Blackpool in May. This success saw him promoted to the British Open, where the group took its rightful place among Britain’s elite groups. In 2005, the band placed fifth at the Open, beating many well-known names, including Brighouse & Rastrick and Grimethorpe Colliery.
This magnificent feat was followed in May 2006 when the group won the International Masters Competition in Cambridge, beating the reigning European and World Champions and winning
CONCORD BRASS BAND (DK)
Concord Brass Band (DK) – Conductor Stig Maersk
The Concord Brass Band was founded in 1957 by Herbert Møller. Throughout his youth, Herbert had heard the Salvation Army band march on Vesterbrogade, where he fell in love with the sound of British brass. Herbert now dreamed of implementing it in his own orchestra. On Saturday, March 23, 1957, Concord was founded, which became Denmark’s first brass band with about 30 brass and percussion musicians.
The name “Concord”, which means cooperation and joy, was chosen because it describes the essence of being a musician in the Concord Brass Band. In the construction of the young brass band by Herbert Møller, certain basic principles were gradually formed, traces of which can still be traced today.
Concord was to invite British conductors, who were to encourage the musicians to follow the style of the British brass bands. In addition, Concord had to perform and perform original British works as well as having original Danish works written for Brass bands.
The Concord Brass Band brings together qualified recreational musicians, conservatory students, and professionals. Over the past few decades, we have managed to establish ourselves as an orchestra of the highest musical level.
The Concord Brass Band now has 30 enthusiastic musicians and percussionists from all over Zeeland.
First section
Test piece: Horizon: The promise of he Lord (Andrew Wainwright)
AMERSFOORT BRASS BAND (NL)
Amersfoort Brass Band – Conductor: Vincent Verhage
Amersfoort Brass band hails from the city of Amersfoort, a beautiful, old city located in the centre of the Netherlands.
As of 2018, the band is competing in the 1st division. Brass band Amersfoort has been formed in 1975, so 2025 will be a special year for the band, celebrating 50 years of music-making.
For more than 12 years now, the band is under the inspiring musical direction of Vincent Verhage.
The band aims to combine a high level of brass band playing with good fellowship.
We are returning for a fifth appearance at the Open French Championships, which firmly shows our enthusiasm for visiting the beautiful city of Amboise and being a part of this great musical event!
Next to serious contesting, the band really enjoys playing public-friendly and entertaining concert programs. So we hope to meet you at one of our performances, for example at our outside concert performance in the Center of Amboise in the afternoon on Saturday 24th May, to enjoy a Dutch musical treat!
Second section
Test Piece: Images for Brass (Stephen Bulla)
CADENCES BRASS BAND (F)
Cadences Brass Band (F) – Conductor: Nicolas Biget
It is first and foremost the desire to play together and to promote their artistic practice by sharing it with a large audience that brings together women and men in a Brass Band. Very respectful of British tradition, all the musicians of the Cadences Brass participate on a voluntary basis in this magnificent musical adventure. This is how Cadences Brass was born in Blois in 2019 on the joint initiative of tuba player Nicolas Biget and Mickaël Boisset, Director of the Cadences Network (music schools of Blois Agglopolys). Nicolas Biget is a professor of euphonium and tuba art teaching at the CRD in Blois. Very attached to the unifying role of its mission in the agglomeration, it seeks to bring together in a common project the driving forces of the territory’s brass and percussion musicians.
The Brass Band responds in every way to this mission of developing local musical action, bringing together professional musicians, postgraduate students from the conservatory and “enlightened” amateur musicians from the department.
The artistic project and the pedagogical desire of this ensemble are nourished by the richness of the Brass Band repertoire, mixing original works and transcriptions, classical and traditional pieces. The Cadences Brass has performed at music school auditions, in concerts in partnership with the great bands of the department, in small and large halls in the region.
Curious to explore different universes, the Cadences Brass also joined forces with a concert recording on an island in the Loire with two composers of electro music, and in a completely different register, had the pleasure and honour of accompanying the renowned soloist Anthony Galinier. register, had the pleasure and honour of accompanying the renowned soloist Anthony Galinier.
BRASS BAND ROOSENDAAL (NL)
Brass Band Roosendaal (NL) – Conductor: Ward Dierick
Third section
Test pîece: Corineus -(Cristopher Bond)
BRASS BAND du CRR de TOURS (F)
CRR Brass Band of Tours City – Conductor David Hubert
The C.R.R. Junior Brass Band was created in 2009. This emanates from the impetus given to the Brass Band movement in the Touraine region for a number of years: the Open Brass d’Amboise, the support provided by the UDEM 37 for the organization of courses and the existence of EXObrass, a Brass Band born on the initiative of the teachers of the CRR of Tours and the department.
Made up of students enrolled in the second and third cycles, it is directed by David HUBERT. This group, which has 1h30 each week to work, is part of the collective practices of the C.R.R. of TOURS.
After winning the 1st prize in the 4th division in 2023 and 2024, the whole team is in the third division this year.
Fourth section
Test piece – Smoke Sketches (Daniel Hall)
BRASS BAND EN SEINE (F)
Brass Band en Seine – Conductor: Christopher Dufay
« Brass Band en Seine” was constituted as an Association under the law of 1901 in October 2001. He is currently housed at the Rouen music school.
The main objective of the association, in addition to collective instrumental practice, is to make the instruments of the brass family better known, or even discovered.
Performing in public concerts, the “Brass Band en Seine” also offers school activities. It is approved by the National Education and recognized as being of general interest. The Brass Band is of English origin. This formation allows you to hear cornets, flugelhorn, alto and baritone saxhorns, euphoniums, trombones and tubas, accompanied by percussion.
The thirty or so musicians of the Brass Band en Seine, all amateurs, young and old, have been rehearsing and performing since 2023 under the baton of Christopher DUFAY, trumpet teacher at the CRD of Petit et Grand Couronne.
The “Brass Band en Seine” participated in the national Brass Band competition of the Confédération Musicale de France in January 2009 where it obtained a first prize in the third division. In 2011, the BBS presented itself this time in the second division and obtained a 2nd prize. In 2014, the Brass Band en Seine once again competed in the second division where it finished as champion and obtained a first prize with honours. In 2022, the BBS competed in the fourth division (formerly third division) and obtained a first prize with honours. In 2023, the ensemble entered the 4th division at the Amboise International Open Bras Band Competition and obtained a 2nd prize. He is running again this 2025 year.