North American Brass Band Association

The North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) is among the organizations whose goal is to promote brass banding in North America. Brass banding is already quite popular in the United Kingdom, where the traditional British brass band style is from.

Although "NABBA" technically refers to the organization, many members of bands use "NABBA" to specifically refer to the annual Championships competition held during the spring.

Publication

The Brass Band Bridge is the official publication of the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA). The first issue was in 1980, and since then it has been roughly a quarterly publication.

First issue: "the Brass Band BRIDGE" (PDF). April 1980. Retrieved 16 June 2015. 

Archives of quarterly publications: "Brass Band Bridge Archives". http://www.nabba.org/about/bridgeArchives.html.  External link in |website= (help);

Associated Publications

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Annual Competition

Each year in late winter or early spring, a competition is held for brass bands across North America to compete. Four sections, or difficulty levels, exist for adults: 3rd Section, 2nd Section, 1st Section, and Championship Section. A Youth Section also exists and is restricted to performers ages 17 and younger who are enrolled in a primary or secondary school.

Despite the association's name, occasionally a visiting band from overseas will compete, such as the Stavanger Brass Band, from Stavanger, Norway, who in fact won the Championship Section in 2003 and 2014.

Host Cities, Section Winners - Test Pieces (Composers)

Year Host City Championship Honors Challenge Explorer
1983 Raleigh, North Carolina Smoky Mountain
1984 West Chester, Pennsylvania Gramercy
1985 York, Ontario Gramercy
1986 Indianapolis, Indiana Columbus
1987 Dublin, Ohio Columbus
1988 Hammonton, New Jersey NC State U
1989 Asheville, North Carolina WRAL
1990 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Columbus
1991 Cedar Rapids, Iowa Columbus
1992 Dublin, Ohio Ohio Collegiate
1993 Washington, DC Columbus
1994 Raleigh, North Carolina Hawthorn City
1995 Toronto, Canada Columbus
1996 Dublin, Ohio Illinois
1997 Red Wing, Minnesota Illinois
1998 Lexington, Kentucky Illinois
1999 St. Charles, Illinois Columbus
2000 Columbus, Ohio Illinois
2001 Washington, DC Illinois
2002 Cincinnati, Ohio Columbus/Illinois TIE
2003 Little Rock, Arkansas Stavanger
2004 Charleston, West Virginia Chicago
2005 St. Charles, Illinois Central Florida
2006 Louisville, Kentucky Columbus New England - Spectrum (Vinter) Georgia - Aspects of Praise (Himes) Tri-State - Dimensions (Graham)
2007 Louisville, Kentucky Fountain City - Dances and Alleluias (Sparke) Central Ohio - Connotations (Gregson) Massanutten - Crusade (van der Velde) Tri-State - Chorale and Toccata (Bulla)
2008 Louisville, Kentucky Fountain City - St. Magnus (Downie) Georgia - Journey Into Freedom (Ball) Spires - Variations on Laudate Dominum (Gregson) Tri-State - Hinemoa (Wood)
2009 Louisville, Kentucky Fountain City - The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Bourgeois) Central Ohio - Trittico for Brass Band (Curnow) Natural State - Purcell Variations (Downie) Tri-State* - The Four Noble Truths (Sparke)
Year Host City Championship 1st Section 2nd Section 3rd Section
2010 Raleigh, North Carolina Fountain City - Variations on an Enigma (Sparke) Central Ohio - Triumphant Rhapsody (Vinter) Spires - Danceries (Hesketh) Oakland University* - Postcards from Home (Wilby)
2011 Grand Rapids, Michigan Atlantic Brass Band [1] - On the Shoulder of Giants (Graham) Central Ohio - On Ratcliff Highway (Steadman-Allen) Natural State* - Penlee (Dobson) Capital City - Haydock Variiations (Pullin)
2012 Cincinnati, Ohio Atlantic Brass Band - Masquerade (Wilby) Central Ohio - Pageantry (Howells) Madison - The Dark Side of the Moon (Lovatt-Cooper) Bend in the River - Jubilus (Van der Roost)
2013 Cincinnati, Ohio Princeton - Elgar Variations (Ellerby) Five Lakes - Four Dances from "Checkmate" (Bliss/Ball) Chesapeake Silver Cornet - Labour and Love (Fletcher) Chapel Brass - Saint-Saens Variations (Sparke)
2014 Grand Rapids, Michigan Stavanger - Symphony in Two Movements (Gregson) Central Ohio - Connotations (Gregson) Weston Silver Band - Laudate Dominum (Gregson) Crossroads - Partita for Brass Band (Gregson)
2015 Fort Wayne, Indiana Fountain City Weston Silver Band - Dublin Silver Band - Prisms (Graham) Chapel Brass -
2016 [2] Fort Wayne, Indiana Fountain City - From Ancient Times (Van der Roost) Pike's Peak - The Alchymist’s Journal (Hesketh) Capital City - Fanfares and Love Songs (Higgins) Milwaukee Festival Brass - The Graces of Love (Waespi)

Solo Competition

As part of the annual competition, 11 different categories of solo contests are also held:

  1. Adult High Brass Slow Melody – Any Age (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
  2. Adult High Brass Technical Work – Any Age (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
  3. Adult Low Brass Slow Melody – Any Age (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
  4. Adult Low Brass Technical Work – Any Age (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
  5. Adult High Brass Slow Melody ‐ Senior (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
  6. Adult High Brass Technical Work – Senior (Cornets, Flugelhorns & Tenor Horns only)
  7. Adult Low Brass Slow Melody – Senior (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
  8. Adult Low Brass Technical Work – Senior (Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums & Tubas only)
  9. Youth Brass Solo – must be 17 years of age or younger or enrolled in a primary or secondary school.
  10. Adult Percussion Solo
  11. Youth Percussion Solo – must be 17 years of age or younger or enrolled in a primary or secondary school.

Although each section is individually scored and winners are announced accordingly, the overall Best Soloist each year typically wins a brand new instrument donated by its manufacturer.

Member Bands [3]

Associated Festivals and Competitions

References

External links

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