The Department of Music and the University of Birmingham Music Society is delighted to share news of success for the society Brass Band at this year’s ‘UniBrass’ competition – the university brass band championships of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

Competing at the host institution of Bangor University for 2020, and under the baton of Stuart Birnie, the band played a programme based on duels, which included the programmatic and entertaining arrangement of Tom and Jerry by Scott Bradley, as well as a performance of 'Duel of Fates’ from John Williams’ A Phantom Menace Suite. However, the climax was their performance of Liszteria by Sandy Smith, a piece for xylophone duet and band. The two soloists, Edward Ault and Stephen Cook, accompanied by the other percussionists, Cameron Chandler and Liz Chapman, won the University’s second ever award at these competitions, with the prize for ‘Best Percussion Section’. 

The band’s sixth place finish was the highest placed for any un-auditioned university brass band at the event and, with almost 60 players on stage, Birmingham were the largest band to play.

Photograph of the full UoB band
Soloists, Edward Ault and Stephen Cook