Tag: brass bands

Scottish bands ready for Brass Band Finals this Autumn

The Battle of Brass Heats Up Ahead of Upcoming UK National Finals

Around 500 bands from across the UK have been taking part in regional heats, all leading up to two final events this autumn with the National Champion Band of Great Britain to be crowned at the Royal Albert Hall

Sections 1-4 National Finals, Saturday 13 – Sunday 14th, Cheltenham RacecourseChampionship Section National Final, Saturday 11th October, Royal Albert Hall, 10am

The culmination of the brass band season is fast approaching as the UK’s top ensembles prepare to compete in two prestigious finals this September and October. Bands from across the country will go head-to-head in a thrilling contest for divisional titles, promotion and the coveted Challenge Trophy – awarded to the band crowned National Champion Band of Great Britain.

Often described as the brass banding equivalent of the Football League, the competition began earlier this year with regional qualifiers involving around 500 bands across eight UK regions: London & the Southern Counties, Midlands, North of England, North West, Scotland, Wales, West of England, and Yorkshire.

Each region is divided into five competitive sections — the Championship Section and Sections 1 – 4. From these regional “heats,” 94 bands have earned a place in one of two national finals; the Sections 1–4 Finals which will take place in Cheltenham this September, where bands will vie for divisional titles and promotion within the structure and the Championship Section Final at the Royal Albert Hall, where the top 19 Championship bands will compete for the prestigious National Challenge Trophy and the title of National Champion Band of Great Britain 2025.

At October’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall final, each band will perform this year’s chosen work Edward Gregson’s Symphony in two movements.

The winner will be decided by three adjudicators who are sealed in a box in the auditorium where they can hear the music but can’t see the bands on stage.

The competition is judged this way to preserve its integrity and to put less pressure on the adjudicators. There is also a prize for the Most Outstanding Player.

Edward Gregson said: “I’m honoured that the National Brass Band Championships have selected my Symphony in two movements as the set work for this year’s prestigious competition at the Royal Albert Hall.

“Although I’ve previously received commissions for this event, this time the panel chose a piece I originally composed in 2012 for two of the UK’s National Youth Bands—music that carries youthful energy, rhythmic vitality, and lyrical expressiveness.

“It’s a bold and contemporary choice, drawing on symphonic traditions from Beethoven to Stravinsky and Prokofiev, while also nodding to the English pastoral style of Vaughan Williams.

“Unlike more programmatic works previously featured, this score demands precision, detail, and stylistic versatility from both conductors and players—combining symphonic brass with the warmth of traditional brass band sound.

“Having 19 of the UK’s finest bands prepare this piece is a great privilege, and I look forward to hearing the results on the day.’’

The National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain is one of the highlights of the UK’s banding calendar. 

Beginning in 1900, the event in its current format started in 1945 at the Royal Albert Hall, making this year the eightieth anniversary of the competition being held at the venue.

The event blends fierce competition with camaraderie as many long-lasting friendships and relationships have been formed over the years and many musicians have gone on to perform at the highest levels in the wider musical world.

The most successful band in the competition’s history is West Yorkshire’s the Black Dyke Band with 24 titles, and this year’s defending champions is the Flowers Band from the West of England.

The Results Ceremony will be preceded by a Gala Concert where the current National Youth Brass Band champions Northamptonshire’s Youth Brass 2000 will be the featured artist. 

They will be joined by an array of former members who have gone on to perform at the very top level including Jordan Ashman (BBC Young Musician of the Year 2022), Siobhan Edwards (Principal Tenor Horn, Black Dyke Band) and Mathew Gee (Principal Trombone, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) as well as current players from top British bands including Cory, Black Dyke – who were featured in the Sky Arts documentary Battle of the Bands in 2019 — and Grimethorpe Colliery, made famous by the film Brassed Off and students from the UK’s top conservatoires, including Royal Academy of Music (RAM), Royal College of Music (RCM), Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), and Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM).

The Gala Concert has in the past featured incredible musicians such as international euphoniumist David Childs Official, LSO Brass (London Symphony Orchestra), The Bands of HM Royal Marines, The Royal Air Force Squadronaires (RAF Music) Black Dyke Band, Cory Band, Mnozil Brass, Mike Lovatt accompanied by the Whitburn Band and many more.

There is a 25% discount for students and a special offer on gala concert only tickets.

Philip Morris, Managing Director, Kapitol Promotions said: “We are thrilled to return once again to London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall for our flagship event – a true celebration of brass banding at its finest.

“This year is of special significance as we mark the 80th anniversary of the first National Final held at the RAH in its current format. Audiences can look forward to outstanding performances of Edward Gregson’s Symphony in two movements – the composer’s own favourite work for brass band.

“Adding to the occasion, the Gala Concert will feature the current National Youth Champions of Great Britain, Youth Brass 2000, together with a host of exciting alumni as their special guests’’

Kapitol Promotions Ltd is a live music events company based in Penarth (South Wales) and is the current owner and promoter of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

Kapitol Festivals is the other arm of the company and upcoming events include The Armed Man at Brangwyn Hall on 19 Oct 2025 with Sir Karl Jenkins, and RWCMD Festive Brass on 12 Dec 2025 featuring the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama’s Brass Band at the Wales Millennium Centre.

Instagram @nbbc_gb | Facebook NationalChampionships | #finals2025 | www.nationalbrassbandchampionships.com

Listings information

Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, SW7 2AP

Saturday, 10am

£79 – 42.70 | https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2025/brass-band-championships | 020 7589 8212

Supported by The Nicola Morris Trust, Brass Band World Magazine and Ev-Entz

Cast and musicians announced for new show “KELI” about Brass Bands

  • New cast, musicians, and creatives announced for KELI, the debut play from Ivor Novello Award-winning composer Martin Green (Lau).
  • Based on personal stories from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’

WORLD PREMIERE 

National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions present 

KELI 

A play by Martin Green

Written and music composed by Martin Green

Directed by Bryony Shanahan 

Cast: Liberty Black (Keli), Karen Fishwick (Jayne), Olivia Hemmati (Amy/Saskia), Billy Mack (Willie Knox)and Phil McKee (Brian). 

Performing Musical Director – Louis Abbott and small brass ensemble – 

Stacey Ghent, Flugelhorn; Hanna Mbuya, Tuba and Karen Fishwick, Euphonium 

Set and Costume Designer – Alisa Kalyanova, Sound Designer – George Dennis, Lighting Designer – Robbie Butler, Casting Director – Anna Dawson 

Touring Scotland from Saturday 10 May to Saturday 14 June 2025. 

Previews at Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling before opening at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and touring to Dundee Rep Theatre; Perth Theatre and Tramway, Glasgow from May to June 2025.  

Opening performance at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Thursday 15 May 2025. 

Best known as the virtuoso accordionist in the visionary folk trio Lau, Martin Green has spent the past two years on an odyssey deep into the world of brass bands, culminating in this staging of KELI, marking its world premiere as a stage play. Making his professional debut as a playwright, Green was inspired by conversations he had for the BBC Radio 4 series ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’.  

KELI will feature brass band music from Green’s acclaimed album SPLIT THE AIR. Each performance will feature a live brass band performance from a leading Scottish brass band or ensemble of leading brass band players.

National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions are delighted that Whitburn band and Kingdom Brass will be part of this Scottish tour, sustaining ongoing relationships with Scottish brass bands and the communities they represent. 

Whitburn Band, one of Scotland’s leading brass bands, was formed in the heart of the coal mining area of West Lothian in 1870 originally serving as an outlet for members of the mining community to perform at local parades and gala days. The Band has been Scottish Champion 22 times, competes throughout the UK and Europe, and performs regularly at major Scottish events. Recent performances include Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh International Festival.  

Kingdom Brass was formed in 1999, after the amalgamation of the Cowdenbeath and the Kelty & Blairadam Bands. In the same year, the band competed for the first time at the Fife Championships and swept the boards. Since then, the band has competed locally and nationally winning numerous trophies and is established as one of Scotland’s top bands. The band performs at concerts, bandstand events, and local Gala days. 

Liberty Black will play the titular role of Keli in her professional theatre debut and Karen Fishwick plays her mother Jayne. They are joined by Phil McKee as band leader Brian, Billy Mack who plays 135-year-old ex-miner and town hero Willie Knox and Olivia Hemmati playing multiple roles. 

Liberty Black is in her final year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She performs and writes music and toured the UK with a band. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland credits include: The Cosmonauts Last Message…, Uncle Vanya and Romeo and Juliet.  

Karen Fishwick previously appeared in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre’s smash hit musical production which toured internationally and had a run in London’s West End. Theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company) and 101 Dalmations (Regents Park Open Air Theatre). Karen’s screen appearances include Outlander (Sony/Starz) and Call the Midwife (BBC).  

Billy Mack is an award-winning actor, previously appearing in The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil and The Enemy (National Theatre of Scotland). Recent theatre and TV/film credits include Men Don’t Talk (Genesis Theatre Company), Only Child (Happy Tramp/BBC) and On Falling (Sixteen Films).  

Phil McKee has worked extensively across theatre, film and TV. Previous work with National Theatre on Scotland includes Mary Stuart and Dunsinane (National Theatre of Scotland/RSC/Royal Lyceum Theatre). Screen credits include Clash of the Titans (Gorgon Films), The Rig (Amazon) and Deadwater Fell (Channel 4).  

Olivia Hemmati trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where she was a finalist for the Carleton and Hobbs Award 2024. Olivia is making her professional stage debut in KELI. 

The production features a brass ensemble of musicians led by Stacey Ghent on flugelhorn with Hanna Mbuya on tuba alongside Karen Fishwick on the euphonium. 

Stacey Ghent is a hard of hearing actress and musician raised in South Shields. Stacey’s TV/screen and theatre credits include a role as a teacher of the deaf in Coronation Street (ITV); A Thousand Blows (Disney+); Brassed Off and Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Octagon Bolton/Theatre by the Lake, Keswick/Stephen Joseph, Scarborough).  

Tuba player Hanna Mbuya is a member of Mercury-nominated 10-piece seed, Chineke! Orchestra and Nu Civilisation. Other collaborations have included those with artists  

Anna Meredith, Jon Batiste and Soweto Kinch, in addition to appearances with horn sections alongside artists including Solange, Joy Anonymous and Arlo Parks. Recent work in theatre includes Richard III (2024) & Hansel and Gretel (2024) at Shakespeare’s Globe.   

Performing Musical Director for KELI, Louis Abbott, is a multi-instrumentalist and singer and the songwriter for the chamber-pop band Admiral Fallow. Recent theatre work includes his role as co-musical director on the award-winning A Giant on the Bridge (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024). As a musician, drummer, engineer and producer Louis has collaborated with some of Scotland’s finest musicians including King Creosote, Camera Obscura and Eddi Reader. 

“The skill, the craft, is in controlling the pressure.” 

KELI tells the story of a fiery, sharp-witted teenager in a former mining town. Coal means little to Keli, but the mines left music in the blood of this place.  

As the best player her brass band has ever had, music is easy. Everything else is a fight. Feeling trapped in small-town life, pressure mounts.  

When the chance to change everything arises, can Keli keep a lid on it all?  

Marking 40 years since the miners’ strikes and featuring a sharp, hilarious script and live brass score by Ivor Novello winner Martin Green, KELI is a gripping show about community, creativity, and the power of music.  

Touring Scotland in 2025, the show will reach audiences across the country who belong to communities that were hugely affected by the miners’ strike of 1984-85. 

Green’s journey began by chance near his home in Midlothian. Following a poster advertising ‘BRASS IN THE PARK’, he discovered a self-sustaining world of music-making that – like the folk tradition – had retained its social function and was part of the warp and weft of the communities that performed it.  

The fictional play has evolved from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series Love, Spit and Valve Oil which explored the phenomenon of modern brass banding and featured interviews with members of brass bands. These interviews have inspired aspects of the characters in the play. In 2022 KELI was commissioned by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh as a three-part audio drama. 

“KELI is a hard story about the limitations placed on working-class lives, capturing teenage desperation, depression and fulfilment through music…forces of dialogue, music and folklore harmonise to a riveting final episode.”  The Guardian (on the audio drama, KELI) 

Martin Green is a multi-award-winning musician and Ivor Novello winning composer. As a member of Lau, he has won four BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Group an unprecedented four times. In 2014 he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists in recognition of his talent as a composer. In 2019 he won the Ivor Novello award for his large-scale installation Aeons that was part of The Great Exhibition of the North. 

Most recently Martin has gone on to create critically acclaimed work for BBC Radio 4 exploring different communities all over the UK and their relationship with music. These have reached millions of listeners and been highly commended by Association of International Broadcasters. 

Martin shared the stage with Whitburn Band as part of Celtic Connections at Tramway in early 2024 – “a profoundly moving affair” ***** The Scotsman. 

Martin is the Artistic Director of Lepus Productions, who are co-producing KELI with National Theatre of Scotland, marking the first time the companies have collaborated.  

Bryony Shanahan directs, marking her NTS debut. Previously Bryony was Joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and most recently directed the acclaimed, Same Team – A Street Soccer Story for the Traverse Theatre. Other notable productions include Bloody Elle (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Soho Theatre and West End) and also for the Royal Exchange Theatre, No Pay? No Way! Beginning, Let The Right One In, Nora: A Doll’s House, Wuthering Heights, Queens of the Coal Age, Weald, and Nothing.   

Martin Green, writer and composer, said: “To be making KELI with National Theatre of Scotland and Bryony Shanahan forty years on from the Miners’ Strike, feels absolutely right; an incredible team of visionary people. Perfect.” 

Bryony Shanahan, director, said: “My introduction to this project was that it was about a 17-year-old called Keli – foul-mouthed, hilarious and a virtuoso flugelhorn player – who finds herself in a disused coal mine with a 150-year-old Marxist miner after the strangest night of her life.

“Oh, and that it features a live brass band. I was in! I am so thrilled to be working with National Theatre of Scotland, Lepus and Martin Green to bring KELI to life.

“It’s a story about community, legacy and above all, music and I can’t wait to invite audiences into Keli’s remarkable world and heart.” 

KELI was developed with National Theatre of Scotland and The National Theatre, London’s Generate programme and was originally commissioned as an audio drama by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. Both KELI and SPLIT THE AIRwere developed with the support of Creative Scotland and The Space.Development of KELI was also supported by Freedom Festival, Hull. The music for KELI, Split the Air, was originally commissioned by PRS Foundation for the New Music Biennial at The Southbank Centre, and UK City of Culture. 

Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (preview Sat 10 May); Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (previews Tues 13 to Wed 14 May) Thurs 15 to Sat 17 May; Dundee Rep Thurs 22 to Sat 24 May; Perth Theatre Wed 4 to Sat 7 June; Tramway, Glasgow Wed 11 to Sat 14 June 2025. 

On social: #KELI 

Access info: There will be audio described, captioned performances and touch tours in Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth and Glasgow. There will also be integrated BSL interpreted and chilled performances on offer. All performances will be autism-friendly.  

Theatre for a Fiver tickets are also available for 14-to-26 years and those on low-income benefits at the venues above. 

Full access info here. 

Full performance information and creative biogs here.