 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
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 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. . 100% BOOKED
We are delighted to announce that we are fully booked for our 2025 summer school course. Thank you for your support. Please contact [email protected] if you wish to be added to the reserve list. Stay tuned for future events, as new projects will be added throughout the year. Tutor Team Garry Cutt, Tom Smith, Dewi Griffiths, Owen Farr, Amy Louise Ewen, Mick Marshall, Les Neish Finale Concert : Saturday 19th July Besson Brass Band Supplies Ltd. #bessonbrass  50% BOOKED
50% of our participant places for FTBBSS.com’25 are now booked. To register your place on the course visit FTBBSS.comand click on the banner. Early bird savings until Sunday 9th March For more info go to FTBBSS.com Tutor team Garry Cutt, Les Neish Owen Farr Tom Smith Amy Louise Ewen Dewi Griffiths Mick Marshall With thanks to Besson Brass Band Supplies Ltd. #bessonbrass  REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Our registration form for FTBBSS.com 2025 is now open. Join us in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland for our 13th summer school on Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th July ‘25. Take advantage of our early bird fee available until Sunday 9th Feb for savings. This course is open to all ages, and you can register your place and find out more information at FTBBSS.com For any questions about the summer school or our events throughout the year, contact [email protected] The Team Led by Musical Director Prof. Garry Cutt, Instrumental tutors are Dewi Griffiths and Tom Smith (Cornet), Owen Farr (Horn), Amy Louise Ewen (Bari/Euph), Mick Marshall (Trombone), Les Neish (Tuba) Besson Brass #bessonbrass  WHAT A WEEKEND
16 counties / 26 bands represented We had a fantastic weekend for our inaugural Besson Brass Weekend - Limerick. Our intentions were to connect brass players from all over Ireland to strengthen the community through music, friendships and education. The workshops were led by Besson artists Owen Farr & Les Neish assisted by Stephen Crooks in what was a very successful weekend. Plans are already in place for next year but in the meantime, stay tuned to our socials and website for the release of our registration form very soon for our 13th summer course, FTBBSS.com 2025. (17th-19th July) Thanks to besson brass as always for their continued support over the past 12 years to enable us to bring these world class educators to counties in Ireland, so we can train and build a healthy exciting future for our brass band community. Not forgetting Band Supplies Ltd. in supporting this event and others we hold throughout the year also. Without this support, these events would not be possible. See you in July! #bessonbrass |