The Brass Band Forum

From OrlandoSentinal.com:

"The Brass Band of Central Florida has won the North American Brass
Band Alliance's national championship...

The band will represent North America in the British Open in September."

Is this true? I hope so...

-Nigel

Are they going to qualify through the Grand Shield like everyone else has to then?

I know it's a good international bonding type thing to invite bands across, but it seems very unfair to those of us who actually have to qualify... I just feel it makes a mockery of the qualification process, that's all. British Bands work their backsides off to try and qualify when all you really need to do if you want to play at the Open is emigrate and join a foreign band and wait for your invitation.

Only my opinion of course.

I believe that bands that play in the Open play by invitation rather than by winning the Grand Shield. Convention states that the winner is invitied which is why it's perceived (incorrectly) as a promotion for winning.

Someone else may (will) know more about this than me.

Fair comment.

But...

They can't have their cake and eat it (and still have it).

If the 4 are related, then just as bands who win the Grand Shield are invited to the Open, the Shield should receive the bands relegated from the Open.

If, however, the Open is completely independent, then relegated bands should have to requalify to the Grand Shield via the senior trophy and cup in order to stand a chance of invitation back into the Open.