Announcement of 2021 Season

The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB), the UK’s leading brass bands for children and teenagers, has announced its 2021 concert and course season. Due to the ongoing pandemic the NYBBGB has drawn up a blended virtual and physical plan to help ensure that the two bands can perform in 2021.

The bands are to be led this year by a trio of guest conductors: Ian Porthouse, Philip Harper and Nicholas Childs, some of the biggest conducting names in the brass band world. Tredegar Town Band Musical Director, Ian Porthouse, is to lead the Youth Band’s Easter course and Cory Band Musical Director, Philip Harper, is to lead its annual Summer course. Dr Nicholas Childs, Musical Director of Black Dyke Band, is to lead the Children’s Band course in the Summer.

Cornet virtuoso, Tom Hutchinson, principal cornet of the world’s number one ranked brass band, Cory Band, will be Easter’s guest soloist, and Ian Bousfield, a former principal trombone of the acclaimed Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, will feature in the Summer. Guest soloist for the Children’s Band will be Gary Curtin, solo euphonium of one of the UK’s finest brass bands, Foden’s Band.

In what will be a break with tradition the band, subject to government guidance, is looking to hold a blended virtual and physical course at Easter which will see the Youth Band split into three smaller ensembles playing live at Chetham’s School of Music (Manchester), Malvern College (Worcestershire) and iconic London venue, St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Mark Bromley, CEO of the NYBBGB, said: “Although for the second year running we’ve had to cancel our Easter residential course and concerts due to the pandemic, we have planned a unique mixture of virtual and physical rehearsals and performance opportunities over the coming year.”

“We learnt a lot of lessons from our successful National Youth at Home virtual course and concert last Summer which we now apply to all that we do. We’ve done a lot of work to ensure we have options in place that enable us to be very flexible during these difficult days.”

“Supported by a stellar line up of music and pastoral staff we are really looking forward to the 2021 season.”

Youth Band courses: 4 – 9 April and 31 July – 7 August. Concerts: Online only (23 April), Repton School (6 August) and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (7 August). Children’s Band course: 25 – 30 July (Repton School). Concert: Repton School (30 July). All subject to government guidance.