The Brass Band of Huntsville will host the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Championship competition in the Von Braun Center’s (VBC) Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Playhouse and North Hall Salon Friday and Saturday, April 29-30 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
Thirty British-style brass bands with over 1,100 musicians are registered to compete in the Rocket City for the first time since the pandemic shutdown as the NABBA Championships feature solo and ensemble competition along with head-to-head brass band battles across five championship sections, and a Youth Division.
A brass band ensemble consists almost entirely of brass instruments, usually including the flugelhorn, soprano cornet and baritone horn to help create bright, melodic sounds, much different from the dark and symphonic sound typical of orchestral brass.
According to MakingMusic, an organization that supports the leisure time music community, traditionally, brass competition is made up of friendly rivalries, contestants, local pride, and community, and represents a social pastime as much as a musical one.
This year’s competitive brass bands come from across the country from San Francisco to Boston and Chicago, to Colorado Springs, Kansas City, Saint Louis, and Tampa Bay – including Huntsville among others.
Weekend tickets are $30 for general admission and $15 for students, available through Ticketmaster.com and the VBC Box Office.
