The most wonderful time of the year is finally here! The Brisbane Excelsior Band is getting ready for the National Championships in Gawler, South Australia 25-28th of April.
The test piece this year is Albion by the Dutch composer Jan Van der Roost. The piece was commissioned by the Swiss brass band federation as the test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of England, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Switzerland in 2001, and for Norway in 2002. Albion, along with Excalibur and Stonehenge, is the third major piece for brass band in which Jan Van der Roost took his inspiration from the British Middle Ages. The piece paints a picture of the conquest of Albion (the earliest known name of the British Island), in which the listener is taken back to the time of King Arthur and his legendary Knights of the Round Table.
The band will also be performing an own-choice maor work, a stage march, a sacred item (hymn tune) and will also be competing in the street march.
We’re hoping for yet another win after being pipped to the post by the excellent Wellington Brass Band from New Zealand last year.
If you are not in South Australia during the Nationals, make sure you follow the live streaming of the competition on www.brassbanned.com.au
Good luck to all bands competing!
