  THANK YOU
Thank you! To everyone who made FTBBSS’26 what it was this year. We had an incredible time together with participants from all over Ireland and the UK, socialising, performing, and then learning from a fantastic tutor team, Garry Cutt, Dewi Griffiths, Tom Smith, Lucy Cutt, Owen Farr, Chris Robertson, Mick Marshall, Les Neish To the participants who supported this year’s course and many before it, we hope you enjoyed your time with us. To the tutor team, my poor wife Wendy, who has to listen to me talk about this course every day of the year, my family, and Sarah Emerson, thank you. To our sponsors, we are truly grateful for your financial support, instruments, prizes, gifts, music, and to you, the audience and everyone who supports us at each course and other events. Also, a big thank you to the fantastic venue of Devenish College and the caretaker team, whose facilities have completely enhanced our event. We are all knackered now, but make sure to save the date for our next event, Brassfest 2026, on Saturday 5th September. More info at FTBBSS.com. If not, see you in 2027 for our 15th anniversary! Artistic Director Stephen Crooks Arts Council of Northern Ireland Besson Brass König & Meyer Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Mercer & Barker Ltd Experience Enniskillen Local Businesses Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel & Lodges Stewart's Butchers Enniskillen Charlie's Bar S.D Kells Angie’s pizza @home field and Stream Buffet Crampon UK & IRE That's Not Banding @obrasso #ftbbss See less
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 We are excited to welcome Lucy Cutt as Cornet/Flugel Horn Tutor for FTBBSS '26!
Lucy begun playing at 8 years old with the Marple Junior Band, Lucy’s talent and dedication took her from the B Band to the senior Marple Band by 18 in 1990. That year, she made her debut at the Grand Shield, leading her band to their first of many appearances at the British Open. In 1996, as an unsponsored village band, they achieved a historic victory as British Open Champions, an unforgettable milestone after multiple top-six finishes. Lucy’s career continued to soar with the Fairey Band from 2004, followed by a return with Brighouse & Rastrick in 2011, helping them secure regional and national titles. Her performances have taken her worldwide, including at the European Championships and as a guest with Brighouse in 2024 . Rejoining Faireys in 2016 and later joining Desford in 2022 continuing with high-level performance and balancing work commitments. As a former Yamaha artist, she’s also worked with NYBBGB as a flugel tutor alongside other courses. Save the date for 2026! Thursday 16th - Saturday 18th July 2026 For more info on the course, visit: FTBBSS.com  THANK YOU! To everyone who joined us last night for our finale concert. We've had an incredible three days together at FTBBSS 2025, and we truly appreciate your support in making this event a success!
A special thanks to: Besson Brass Community Relations Council Fermanagh and Omagh District Council König & Meyer for supplying prizes & raffle gifts Mercer & Barker Ltd Local businesses: Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel & Lodges S.D Kells, Crowes Nest Enniskillen, Charlie's Bar Stewarts Butchers Traynors Butchers - Ballygawley & Home, Field & Stream Music providers: BrookWright Music & Obrasso Your support made it all possible! Thanks to our fantastic tutor team led by Prof Garry Cutt for your expertise, laughter, and the outstanding musical performances. Garry Cutt, Tom Smith, Dewi Griffiths, Owen Farr, Amy Louise Ewen, Mick Marshall, Les Neish Exciting news! We're gearing up for our first-ever Brassfest at the Buttermarket on Saturday 13th September. A festival bringing brass bands from all over Ireland together for one day of free music! More details on our website: FTBBSS.com FTBBSS 2025 has been a truly memorable few days, forging new friendships, performing for our local community, and nurturing our brass band movement for the future. See you on September 13th for Brassfest! Besson Brass  We are thrilled to announce our new euphonium/baritone tutor for 2026, Chris Robertson
Hailing from Carnoustie, Scotland, Chris started playing euphonium at age 10. He is now the Principal Euphonium of Brighouse & Rastrick Band and serves as Euphonium Tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. With a distinguished career, Chris has held principal positions with renowned bands including Grimethorpe Colliery, and is a highly sought after soloist and teacher. His performances have taken him across the UK and internationally in Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, Lithuania, Isle of Man, and Finland. Chris also co-hosts the popular "That's Not Banding" podcast with our own cornet tutor, Tom Smith. He's looking forward to joining us at our next summer course, while also excited to get the chance to visit his Granny in Omagh, and reconnect with his Northern Irish roots! A heartfelt thank you to Amy Ewen, who has stepped aside for 2026 due to work commitments. Amy's dedication, friendly nature, and exceptional musicianship over the past four years has made a lasting impact on our participants and our course as a whole. Thank you Amy . Save the date for 2026! Thursday 16th - Saturday 18th July 2026 For more info on the course, visit: FTBBSS.com  FTBBSS.com is delighted to announce the inaugural Brass Band Music Festival, taking place at the Buttermarket in Enniskillen on Saturday 13th September. This exciting event will feature 15 bands performing their entertainment programmes on stage throughout the day, offering a vibrant musical experience for all attendees and community.
The participating bands are a wonderful mix of local talent as well as groups traveling from across Ireland including Belfast, Wexford, and beyond adding a diverse and dynamic atmosphere to the festival. To enhance the fun, friendly competition will be incorporated, with bands performing for prizes and aiming to impress the judging panel. Each band comprises approximately 25-30 members, along with their enthusiastic supporters who will be staying in local hotels, exploring Enniskillen’s fantastic eateries, and enjoying various activities around town. Visitors can also explore the onsite small businesses and cafes at the Buttermarket, making it a perfect day for community engagement. We are thrilled to host this landmark event for the first time in the picturesque grounds of the Buttermarket. Our goal is to provide free musical entertainment for the community, creating a lively atmosphere where visitors can enjoy a coffee or treat while discovering the excellent local businesses that make Enniskillen special. We would like to thank the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for supporting this event. We look forward to welcoming everyone to a day full of music, community spirit, and enjoyment for all ages. More införmation to follow soon.  We are pleased to offer two bursaries for our course this year to two excellent young musicians who have a bright future ahead of them from Bangor and Carlow.
Nina Lyness - Cornet Nina Lyness is a 16-year-old cornet and trumpet player from Bangor. She has played with the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland as well as both Principal and soloist with her school orchestras, wind, and swing bands, is a long-standing member of the prizewinning 1st Old Boys Band, and this year marks her 3rd consecutive FTBBSS. Oran O’Neill - Trombone Oran O'Neill is a versatile musician based in Carlow, Ireland, known for his dynamic work as a choral conductor, composer, and freelance trombonist. Graduating from the MTU Cork School of Music in 2022, Oran has established himself as a talented and sought-after musician in a wide range of genres, from classical to jazz, soul, blues, ska, pop, and funk.  FTBBSS are pleased to announce that we have been successful in receiving funding from the Community relations council. Their support will help us continue to bring together people from all cultural backgrounds to work together in one unit. This film/publication/event has received support from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council which aims to promote a pluralist society characterised by equity, respect for diversity, and recognition of interdependence. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Community Relations Council. . |
