[History] A roundup of popular set pieces from the All-Japan Band Competition
The brass band competition that wind ensemble players across the country aim for has been held every year.
Each year, the competition organizers provide several set pieces, and when you participate, you may find yourself wondering which one to perform.
Among past set pieces, there are quite a few that continue to be cherished as masterpieces, and it’s common to perform them at regular concerts.
In this article, we’ll introduce all the set pieces from the wind ensemble competition, from the latest selections to popular pieces from the past.
Use it as a reference when choosing your piece for this year’s competition or for your next concert program.
- Perfect for free selections and concert programs! Introducing famous and classic favorites in wind ensemble music.
- Recommended pieces for a wind band contest
- [March] A curated selection of classic marches and dazzling crowd-pleasers for concerts!
- A classic brass band medley
- [Brass/Wind Band] Recommended for Beginners! A Collection of Classics and Popular Pieces Perfect for Practice
- [Wind Band] Guaranteed to hype up the school festival! Recommended pieces the brass band will want to play
- [Wind Ensemble] Wind band pieces that men like. Masterpieces of wind band music recommended for men.
- A collection of video game music I want to perform in a wind ensemble
- Masterpieces for flute. Recommended pieces where the flute shines.
- A Collection of Pop Hits for Wind Band: From Classics to Popular Medleys
- Songs with cool trumpet. Introducing famous pieces from wind ensemble and jazz.
- To you who are thinking about quitting the brass band club: You shouldn’t quit for reasons like these.
- Wind Ensemble: Brass Band Pieces Popular with Girls. Masterpieces of Wind Music Recommended for Women.
[Historic] Summary of Popular Set Pieces from the Wind Band Competition (31–40)
March “Best Friend”Matsuura Shingo
It’s a cheerful piece that conjures up an image of walking arm in arm with friends and comrades.
Selected as the No.
4 set piece for the 2003 All-Japan Band Competition, this work is by Shingo Matsuura, a Kyoto native who teaches as a lecturer at Osaka College of Music and Kobe Gakuin University.
A hallmark of the piece is how the phrases for each instrument are structured like a call-and-response, and that sense of unison makes it really fun to perform.
It’s one of those wind band classics that instantly brings a smile to your face when you listen.
Memories of Sorrow — for Wind Ensemblemaekawa tamotsu
Selected as the 2022 set piece V—a higher-difficulty selection for high school division and above—“Memories of Sorrow: for Wind Ensemble.” With a performance time of about five minutes, the piece was composed by Yasushi Maekawa, a Kyoto native who began teaching himself composition and arrangement in junior high school and now coaches wind ensembles and marching bands at junior and senior high schools in Kyoto.
The work also took first place in the 13th All-Japan Band Association Composition Competition.
It’s a piece brimming with tension and urgency that draws listeners in irresistibly.
Prelude for a Mythical Legend, 2006 Required Piece (I)Horiuchi Toshio
A piece whose powerful, dramatic sound stirs the listener’s heart, as if heralding the beginning of a grand tale.
It is a work by Toshio Horiuchi, who teaches in Hiroshima Prefecture and has composed numerous band pieces.
From the delicate interplay of sounds in the quiet sections to the breathtaking build toward a climax where the full ensemble charges forward as one, the piece offers a deeply immersive experience—like living through the prologue of a legend in music.
Composed in 2006 as a set piece for the All Japan Band Competition, it is featured in the album “Reference Performances of Set Pieces for the All Japan Band Competition 2005‑2008.” Demanding not only individual technique but the expressive power of the entire band, this masterpiece is one you’ll want to perform when you and your ensemble wish to weave a single, sweeping story together.
In conclusion
We presented a comprehensive selection of set pieces from the All-Japan Band Competition, from the latest to classic masterpieces.
There was a wide variety, from ballads showcasing the ensemble charm unique to wind bands to lively marches.
We hope this helps you choose this year’s set piece, and that timeless favorites from the past will also serve as inspiration when selecting repertoire for your regular concerts.