Australia
The Australian derivation of a brass band is the same as the UK brass band (i.e. standard instrumentation with no woodwind). Contesting bands in Australia are graded from A Grade to D Grade. National Contests are held each year at Easter, with the location moving from state to state. The current champions are Gunnedah Shire Brass for both the open and junior categories. Each state also conducts their own championships. National and state contests are generally of the same format: a set test piece for each grade, a hymn, an own choice, a stage march (march or concert march performed on the stage without marching) and a light entertainment concert program. Smaller regional contests often replace the major works with an own choice concert program.
Among the country's most famous brass band identities have been conductor and composer Percy Code; and David King and Frank Wright who made their mark in Britain. In later years, leading composers have included Brenton Broadstock (Winds of Change, Rutherford Variations, Valiant Take All My Sins Away and many more), Barrie Gott (Mumbo Jumbo, Gospel Train, Glasshouse Sketches) and Joe Cook (Taskforce, Keighley Moor) which have been published by Muso's Media, an Australian company founded and managed by Chris Earl.
Earl published Australia's Band World magazine for 15 years between 1993 and 2008. The magazine's 16 year run was the second-longest duration of any Australian band journal in the previous 150 years. Muso's Media has been recording the National championships on CD since 1998.
Read more about this topic: Brass Band (British Style)
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