The University Brass Band Championships of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is an annual event run for students, by students. It has been a significant part of the band’s calendar since the conception of the contest in 2011.
2025
Result: 11th Place, Audience Award (Trophy Section)
Conductor: Neo Borgia
Programme:
– Music for the Royal Fireworks (Handel)
– Money, Money, Money (ABBA)
– If I Were a Rich Man (Jerry Bock arr. Sandy Smith) – Bass Trombone solo: Thomas Morrish
– Quest for Coin (Ezra Collective arr. Neo Borgia)
– Bella Ciao (Thibaut Bruniaux)
2024
Result: 5th Place, Audience Award (Trophy Section)
Conductor: Abigail Rongong
Programme:
– The Greatest Show (arr. Philip Sparke)
– Liberty Bell (John Philip Sousa)
– Faith (George Michael arr. Phillip Harper) – Cornet solo: Emily James
– Glow (Eric Whitacre)
– Caravan (Duke Ellington arr. Steve Sykes)
2023
Result: 6th Place, Audience Award and Best Student Conductor (Trophy Section)
Conductor: Becky Lund
Programme:
– Starburst (Dan Price)
– The Spacemen (T. J. Powell)
– A Little Star Went Out (Philip Harper) – Flugel solo: Milly Brough Jones
– Mars, The Bringer of War (from the suite ‘The Planets’) (Gustav Holst)
2022
Result: 2nd Place and Best March (Shield Section)
Conductor: Brandon Fletcher
Programme:
– The Centaur (Derek M. Broadbent)
– Go the Distance (Alan Menken & David Zippel, arr. Becky Lund) – Euphonium Solo: Matthew Lawrie
– Olympus (Philip Harper)
2021
Result: 4th Place and Best Solo/Feature (Emily Roberts – Flugelhorn)
(Trophy and Shield Sections combined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Placings in this contest were not taken into account for future promotion/relegation between sections.)
Conductor: Sabrina Duxbury
Programme:
– Pastime with Good Company (Stephen Roberts)
– Habanera (from Carmen) (Georges Bizet, arr. Fred Mills)
– My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose (trad., arr. Gordon Langford) – Flugelhorn Solo: Emily Roberts
– Dancing Queen (Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, arr. Frank Bernaerts)
– The Joust (Don Gillis, arr. John Glenesk Mortimer)
2020
Result: 10th Place (Shield Section)
Conductor: Brandon Fletcher
Programme:
– Blue Danube (arr. Owen Russell)
– Libertango (Astor Piazzolla, arr. Leigh Baker)
– Hungarian Dance (Johannes Brahms, arr. Bruce Fraser/Rafael Mendez)
– Amparito Roca (Jaime Texidor, arr. Aubrey Winter)
– Victory – Cry of the Celts (Ronan Hardiman, arr. Peter Graham)
2019
Result: 2nd Place and Best Percussion Section (Shield Section)
Conductor: Brandon Fletcher
Programme:
– Windows of the World (Peter Graham)
2018
Result: 8th Place, Best Conductor (Shield Section), and Best Student Composition
Conductor: Prachvith Sean Intarasuwan
Programme:
– Jurassic Park (John Williams arr. Alan Catherall)
– Bolivar (Eric Cook)
– I Love My Love (Holst arr. Owen Russell)
– The Cossack (William Rimmer)
2017
Result: 7th Place (Shield Section)
Conductor: Gordon Eddison
Programme:
– When Thunder Calls (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
– All in the April Evening (Hugh S. Robertson arr. Eric Ball)
– Down by the Riverslide! (Traditional arr. Darol Barry)
– Procession to the Minster (Richard Wagner arr. Howard Snell)
2016
Result: 15th Place
Conductor: Ross Gubby
Programme:
– Light Cavalry (F. Von Suppe arr. J. Ord Hume)
– Bass in the Ballroom (Roy Newsome)
– Gresford (Robert Saint)
– Cry of the Celts – Victory (Ronan Hardiman arr. Peter Graham)
2015
Result: 12th Place
Conductor: Ryan Durkan
Programme:
– Horizons (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
– Napoli (Herman Bellstedt arr. Geoffrey Brand)
– Hymn to the Fallen (John Williams arr. Philip Sparke)
– All Night Long (Lionel Richie arr. Leigh Baker)
2014
Result: 3rd Place and Most Entertaining Performance
Conductor: Leo Conroy
Programme:
– Blue Devils (Warmup)-Space Chords (arr. Erwin Marionneaux)
– The Smile (Matthew Hall)
– From the Shores of the Mighty Pacific (Herbert L. Clarke)
– Caravan (Duke Ellington arr. Juan Tizol)
2013
Result: 3rd Place
Conductor: Leo Conroy
Programme:
– Just A Closer Walk (Traditional, arr. Alan Fernie)
– Concorde (Roy Newsome)
– Ballerina (Karlick and Bootz arr. Gordon MacKenzie)
– Eventide (W. H. Monk arr. Leigh Baker)
– The Gael (Dougie MacLean arr. Andrew Duncan)
2012
Result: 4th Place
Conductor: Matthew Thomas
Programme:
– Joy, Peace and Happiness (Richard Phillips)
– In Perfect Peace (Kenneth Downie)
– Simoraine (Clive Barraclough)
– Dimitri (Rodney Neston)
– Libertango (Pizzolla arr. Leigh Baker)
2011
Result: 12th Place
Conductor: Timothy Alston
Programme:
– The Cossack (William Rimmer)
– Swedish Folk Song (arr. Peter Graham)
– 12th St. Rag (Euday L Bowman, arr. Jack Peberdy)
– David of the White Rock (Dafydd y Gareg Wen, arr. Philip Sparke)
– The Incredibles (Michael Giacchino, arr. Philip Sparke)