Having attended the outstanding Brass Bands England Conference in Huddersfield I came away with one of the subjects of the day running around in my head.

‘New Compositions’  - during the conference the conversation on new compositions was excellent and the added request from a few voices was for new compositions for lower section bands, my ears pricked up at this point, having spent 5 years running the BrassFestUK project where a new composition for lower sections bands was written each year I am very keen to pick up this baton and run with it.

The Bandsman will run a composition contest, all pieces submitted will need to be at a level that can be played by lower section bands and be no more than 4 minutes in length. I want to give plenty of notice that this contest is taking place so all the composers and budding composers can start coming up with ideas.

Each composer must register through The Bandsman Website (details below) and be able to complete their new work by March 31^st 2024 which will be the closing date for entries to be sent in.

The winning entry will receive £400 and your piece will be published and advertised across the banding world and I am sure much appreciated by MD's, Bands people and audience alike.

Banding needs more composers and lower section bands will always appreciate new music to add to the library and summer programme.

More details will follow, but hopefully there is enough here to whet the appetite.