Good morning from Palanga! Looking forward to lots more banding today, and tonight we’ll learn who takes home prizes from the weekend

Some wonderful music from the Challenge section bands this morning! A short break and the Championship own-choice selections will be underway

Well we are halfway through the championship own-choice performances today, and what a half it’s been! Some excellent performances, and some great new compositions for band. Second half up soon!

And that’s a wrap on the contest performances! Lots of buzz around the hall, but only time will tell who’s done enough to take home the prize today

EBBC 2024 championship section results 1: Treize Etoiles 2: Eikanger Bjorsvik 3: Willebroek

Congrats to Treize Etoiles for defending their EBBC win. Champions 2023 and 2024

Reflecting on a really tremendous weekend of music making in Palanga. Thanks to everyone who has followed along, and looking forward to next year in Stavanger!

It’s the British Open Spring Festival in Blackpool UK and our Chief Contributor, Chris Thomas Chris Thomas is there for Brass Band World. Subscribe to BBW at brassbandworld.co.uk for Chris’s full retrospective in the next edition. Good luck to all the competing bands 🎶

Today’s British Open Spring Festival adjudicating team… Grand Shield: Morgan Griffiths & Lynda Nicholson Senior Cup: Alan Morrison & Andrea Price Senior Trophy: Helen Douthwaite-Teesdale & John Doyle

It’s going to be a Home Counties kick off in the Grand Shield with Friary Brass Band and Redbridge Brass drawn one and two

What a fine opening performance from Friary Brass Band in the Grand Shield. This had both emotion and energy in equal measure and has set an admirable early marker.

We are witnessing a good overall standard in the Grand Shield with The Oldham Band (Lees) giving us a Brussels Requiem of searing drama and intensity from the number 5 draw.

A performance laden with drama and musical intent from Ever Ready, but one that was not always totally consistent in its execution and rhythmic clarity. Those fine margins are going to count in a Grand Shield that is likely to be a close call come the end if the contest.

Chris Thomas is going for a half time top three of Desford, Friary and Wingates in what is rapidly developing into an intriguing Grand Shield contest in the Opera House

A performance of technical merit from The GUS Band that opened beautifully but ultimately came over as a touch restrained in its overall musical impact. Fine soloists were very much to the fore.

The Grand Shield is reaching a conclusion in the Opera House with Rothwell Temperance and The Rainford Band set to close the contest. There will be real hopes amongst the Rothwell Temperance players for an immediate return to the British Open following relegation last September.

What a fine contest the Grand Shield has been. A select handful of bands have succeeded in unlocking both the musical and technical elements of A Brussels Requiem and Chris Thomas goes for a top four of Desford, Rothwell, NASUWT Riverside and Carlton Main Frickley Colliery.

Grand Shield result. 1 Oldham (Lees) 2 Carlton Main 3 Rothwell 4 Friary Brass

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