Explore the Three Test Pieces Set to Test the Bands at the 2026 Spring Festival

The Mortimer family have confirmed the line-up of adjudicators and test pieces set to challenge the bands at the 2026 Spring Festival that will be held in Birmingham. 

2026 Spring Festival Test Pieces

The pieces set to test the bands at the 2026 Spring Festival have been chosen by the contest’s Artistic Director, Dr Robert Childs.

Grand Shield: ‘Star Crossed Lovers’ by Stephen Roberts

Adjudicators: Stephen Roberts and Anne Crookston

In a change from the last two years of the contest, the Grand Shield will once again utilise the test piece used in the previous year’s British Open contest, in this case it will be Stephen Roberts’ ‘Star Crossed Lovers’. 

The music is based on the ballet, Romeo and Juliet,  by Prokofiev with the composer using  a few key motifs and themes from the original ballet score that have been chosen to reflect opposites, namely, good vs evil, love vs hate. The key themes to listen out for are:

• The ‘main theme’ that can first be heard in the introduction and love scenes within the original ballet, but is drawn upon and referenced throughout the test piece

• The ‘Love’ theme - delicate and caring, this forms the basis of solo work and the ending

• Juliet’s themes - light, energetic and capricious motifs - used to personify the girlish, innocent personality of Juliet and to placate hostility shown by the rival families

• Mercutio’s theme - a mischievous, agile, taunting, and playful motif that ends in disaster with the death of the character at the hand of Tybalt

• Themes of hate - the two most recognisable motifs from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, taken from Montagues and Capulets 

Read more about Stephen Roberts’ Star Crossed Lovers

Senior Cup: Ballet for Band by Joseph Horovitz

Adjudicators: David Hirst and Lauren Petritz-Watts

This is a work that is no stranger to the UK contest circuit with the piece being used in over 20 contests since its first use as the set work for the Championship National Finals in 1983. It’s last use in the Spring Festival was in 2007 where it was used for the Senior Trophy - so  it’s certainly interesting to see that, 19 years later, it has been picked for the section above for the 2026 contest.

Horovitz’s, ‘Ballet for Band’ is music for an imaginary ballet. Rather than dictate any kind of storyline, Horovitz intended for the audience to draw their own characters and stories from the music, saying in his programme notes:

“I prefer the audience to exercise its own imagination, rather than be influenced by mine.”

The 10 minute work is in three movements that are packed with character and colour. It’s a twisting, agile piece filled with contrasting moods and plenty of opportunities for soloists to showcase their lyricism and musicality. This author is looking forward to working on the lovely flugel solo within the romantic slow melody section of the piece when the time comes!

Senior Trophy: Un Vie de Matelot by Robert Farnon

Adjudicators: Alan Morrison and Andrea Price

Un Vie de Matelot (translates to ‘A Sailor’s Life’) was written for the 1975 Championship Section National Finals and, since then, has been used in 11 UK contests with its last use at the Spring Festival being in the Trophy Section in 2002.

The work begins with a spirited, jolly opening with a set of fanfare-style solos starting with Soprano cornet, as we are introduced to our jaunty little sailor. After our jolly introduction to our main protagonist we move into a more romantic Larghetto section that features a beautiful slow melody solo from Soprano cornet. It’s not long before we’re thrust back into the action, as the solo horn opens up a more lively, technical dance-like section. The Lento that follows, allows the principal cornet a chance to shine with a thinly scored, exposed, solo moment. A recapitulation of the opening motif leads us into the finale that uses and develops material heard at the beginning of the work.

A New Era for the Spring Festival

The 2026 Spring Festival will mark a new era for the contest as it moves to Birmingham over the weekend of the 2nd - 3rd May 2026.

On Saturday 2nd May, the Senior Trophy and Cup sections will take place simultaneously in the Town Hall and Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space inside Symphony Hall. On Sunday 3rd May, the Town Hall will host the Grand Shield section.

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