Brass Weekend 2026

Friday 23 October – Sunday 25 October 2026

Ellesmere College

Cancellation notice: EOS Brass Weekend 2026

The Easter Orchestral Society regrets to announce that the upcoming Brass Weekend scheduled for October 2026 at Ellesmere College has been cancelled.

Due to unavoidable player unavailability across key sections, it has not been possible to secure the instrumentation required to run the weekend to our usual standard. To provide adequate notice to both participants and Ellesmere College, the committee has taken the decision to cancel the event.

The EOS committee will review options with Ellesmere College regarding future brass courses. Any subscriptions or deposits already paid will be refunded in full.

We thank you for your understanding and look forward to welcoming you to future EOS events.

EOS Brass Weekend

Musical director: Shaun Matthew

A high-standard, friendly weekend of ensemble playing for experienced orchestral brass players with good sight-reading skills.

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Course details and subscription

• Dates and times: Starts at 5:00 pm on day 1; finishes at 4:00 pm on day 3.
• Venue: Ellesmere College (full board and residential accommodation included).
• Subscription: £225 (payment details are sent upon successful application).

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Programme and repertoire

• Main ensemble: Rehearse three major works culminating in a final play-through.
• Octets: Sight-reading sessions across a wide range of repertoire (music details circulated in advance).

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Instrumentation

• 6 trumpets (including doubling on piccolo, D/E-flat, and flugelhorn)
• 4 French horns
• 3 trombones
• 1 euphonium (doubling trombone)
• 2 tubas
• 1 timpani / percussion

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Applications

Demand is high and section places are competitive. Applications are assessed in the order received, so early booking is strongly recommended. The musical director’s decision on section allocations is final.