Top 5 Things I'm Looking Forward to at the 2025 RNCM International Brass Band Festival

Well, I'm gearing up for a full-on weekend of brass bands at the 2025 RNCM International Brass Band Festival. After exploring the International Brass Band Festival programmes, it's clear to see that there is going to be a lot to explore across the three dates. From celebrating legendary composers to discovering new works and spending time chatting to other banders, here's what I'm looking forward to most at the 2025 RNCM International Brass Band Festival.

1. Celebration of Brass Band Legends

One of our community's most beloved composers, Edward Gregson, is celebrating his 80th birthday in 2025 and many of the weekend's programmes will feature his music, including a new world premiere! As a firm fan of Gregson's work, I am thoroughly looking forward to revisiting some of his most iconic works for brass band and being introduced to his new works and the works I haven't had the opportunity to hear live before.

Sadly, 2025 saw the death of legendary composer, Elgar Howarth. Known for masterpieces such as, Fireworks and his famous and widely successful association with Grimethorpe Colliery Band, his passing is a great loss to the banding world. However, you know what the most wonderful thing about music is? It's immortal and means we can still experience Elgar Howarth's musical genius, even though he is no longer with us. As it happens, a few of the bands performing across the weekend are featuring the music of Elgar Howarth, including Fireworks and I (and many others in the audiences I'm sure) am looking forward to a musical celebration of one of banding's finest.

2. Athena All Female Brass Band

As a female brass bander, this is something that would have blown my mind when I was younger. Hailing from the USA, Athena Brass Band is the country's first all-female brass band and I'm so looking forward to their performance. Representation is so, so important and to witness the talent and energy of an all-female ensemble, performing a programme showcasing female composers would have meant so much then and I am beyond excited now! I'm excited for young female brass players who will have the opportunity to be inspired by the incredible female musicians in this band.

Their programme features a lot of exciting-sounding titles, such as Pandora's Box, Ghosts of Industry and The Cosmographic Mystery, so I'm looking forward to being introduced to these works. As a flugel player who has followed and admired the band's flugel soloist, Jen Oliviero's career on Instagram for some time now, I'm eager to finally see her perform live, alongside the band's other soloists, Ashley Hall-Tighe, Bente Illevold and Gail Robertson. It's going to be an inspiring Saturday morning for sure.

3. New Music Premieres

The RNCM International Brass Band Festival is always a great event to discover new music and this year is no exception with a multitude of UK and world premieres. I appreciate the commitment to showcase works from a diverse range of composers, including shining a spotlight on incredible UK female composers throughout the weekend's programmes.

Alongside exploring new works from the pens of established composers within the community and being introduced to works from composers I haven't heard from yet, I'm looking forward to experiencing works that have been around for a while that I've never had the chance to hear live. A few of these pieces include, John McCabe's Cloudcatcher Fells, Judith Bingham's Prague and Denis Wright's Cornet Concerto.

4. Earth and Space: Astralis & Fragile Earth

One of the programmes that stood out to me, in addition to Athena Brass Band's, was the Black Dyke Band's. My encounter with Philip Wilby's Astralis happened when it was chosen as the set work for the Scottish Open Brass Band Championships in 2023.

It's something of a marmite piece amongst banders, but having watched every band at the competition battle their way through it, I can see the composer's vision and it is quite a descriptive piece. Black Dyke Band's programme features a world premiere of this particular performance with an accompanying film. As it is a work that I can imagine being more powerful with a visual element, I'm intrigued to see how this will work.

Fragile Earth is the latest collaboration between internationally-renowned composer, Karl Jenkins and brass bands. Originally commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, the piece illustrates the challenges posed by climate change and the healing power of nature. As an animal lover, admirer of Karl Jenkin's music and Attenborough fan, I'm really excited to hear this work live.

• Anticipation for the collaboration between Astralis and visual media, creating a sensory experience.

• Potential discussions on the relationship between music and film, enriching the understanding of both art forms.

• The thrill of experiencing live music paired with compelling storytelling through film.

  
  

5. Three Days of Brass Bands

I feel like this festival is like a 'Comic-Con' for brass banders. There's so much to listen to, learn from and be inspired by and you're surrounded by incredible musicians. It also offers a great chance to catch up with banding friends and maybe share a pint or two...or three...or four. As a brass band geek, having the chance to immerse myself in the music in all things brass bands. I thoroughly enjoyed the one day I spent at the festival last year, so to be able to soak up the full three days this year is beyond exciting (my bank account doesn't agree - pay day literally cannot come soon enough - but heck, it's worth it!).