The John Gillam Young Composers' Competition 2027 - The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain

Competition Details

The NYBBGB is looking for the next generation of composing talent in The John Gillam Young Composers’ Competition 2027, supported by the Garrick Charitable Trust.

Now in its third edition, the competition invites composers aged 30 or under on 1 January 2027 to create an original work of up to five minutes for brass band. Entries will be considered by a distinguished judging panel comprising Errollyn Wallen CBE, Master of the King’s Music; internationally renowned conductor and NYBBGB President Maestro Martyn Brabbins; and award-winning composer and conductor Philip Harper, who becomes The NYBBGB’s Director of Artistic Planning in 2027.

Three compositions will be shortlisted for the next stage of the competition. The shortlisted composers will work directly with The NYBBGB at a dedicated workshop at the Elgar Concert Hall, University of Birmingham, on Sunday 16 May 2027, before having the opportunity to revise and resubmit their scores for final judging.

The winning composer will receive a £900 cash prize and mentoring opportunity. Their work will be rehearsed during Philip Harper’s inaugural NYBBGB Youth Band Summer Course as Director of Artistic Planning and performed by the Youth Band at its two Summer Concerts on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 August 2027, under his baton.

The summer concerts will have a nautical theme, which entrants may choose to draw on for inspiration, although this is not a requirement of the competition.

A runner-up will receive a £300 cash prize and a one-to-one coaching call with a member of the judging panel.

Entries close on 31 December 2026.

Highlights from the 2025 competition

The second Young Composers’ Competition attracted 29 aspiring composers from around the world, with three winning works receiving their world premières at The NYBBGB’s 2025 Summer Concert at the Royal College of Music in London.

Will Everitt – Variations on an Enclosure

Will Everitt’s composition Variations on an Enclosure is, as the name suggests, developed out of a single four-note cell. This cell was derived from Will’s explorations into the use of ‘enclosures’ in jazz melody and improvisation. Throughout the work, Will explores a wider palette of expression by balancing the lyricism that is so idiomatic to brass band writing with a more jazz-orientated harmonic language.

Meet the composer: Watch Will talk about his winning composition here.
Watch the performance: Watch Variations on an Enclosure performed by The NYBBGB.

Nina Martin – Betws-y-Coed

Nina Martin’s composition Betws-y-Coed is Nina’s first piece for brass band and was inspired by her first solo backpacking trip to Betws-y-Coed in Wales. Whilst exploring, she wrote musical ideas based on the bubbling of the river, the contour of the surrounding hills and the feeling of joy when immersed in the natural habitat. The theme of the work can be considered to represent both a tragic romance and a battle between the human race and the natural world.

Meet the composer: Watch Nina talk about her winning composition here.
Watch the performance: Watch Betws-y-Coed performed by The NYBBGB.

Samuel Thackray – Nocturnal Dances

Samuel Thackray’s composition Nocturnal Dances started life as a collection of energetic yet slightly eerie dance-like ideas, representing a kaleidoscope of imagined scenes in a nocturnal cityscape. Samuel uses an unusual structure, with the most energetic writing gradually subsiding as the stillness of night slowly takes over.

Meet the composer: Watch Samuel talk about his winning composition here.
Watch the performance: Watch Nocturnal Dances performed by The NYBBGB.

Discover more: Read about the 2025 Young Composers’ Competition, its finalists and winning compositions

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Competition Rules

The John Gillam Young Composers’ Competition 2027 offers young composers a blank canvas for creative expression, inviting them to explore a wide range of musical styles and genres.

Participants are invited to create an original work for brass band lasting up to five minutes, capturing their own artistic vision.

The NYBBGB Youth Band Summer Concerts 2027 will have a nautical theme, which entrants may choose to draw on for inspiration if they wish, although this is not a requirement of the competition.

Instrumentation

The work should be written for standard brass band instrumentation:

1 Soprano Cornet (in Eb)
4 Solo Cornets (in Bb)
1 Repiano Cornet (in Bb)
2 Second Cornets (in Bb)
2 Third Cornets (in Bb)
1 Flugel Horn (in Bb)
3 Tenor Horns (in Eb)
2 Baritones (in Bb, reading treble clef)
2 Euphoniums (in Bb, reading treble clef)
2 Tenor Trombones (in Bb, reading treble clef)
1 Bass Trombone (bass clef in C)
2 Tubas (in Eb, reading treble clef)
2 Tubas (in Bb, reading treble clef)
3–4 Percussion (any instruments within reason are permitted)
1 Timpani (brass band timpanists also play percussion when required)

Young composers writing for brass band for the first time may find the following resources useful:

Brass band scores submitted for the competition should be transposed (see samples here).

The work must be new, unpublished and not previously publicly performed.

Shortlisting and workshop

A shortlist of three compositions will be selected by the competition judging panel: Errollyn Wallen CBE, Master of the King’s Music; internationally renowned conductor and NYBBGB President Martyn Brabbins; and award-winning composer and conductor Philip Harper, who becomes The NYBBGB’s Director of Artistic Planning from Easter 2027.

The three shortlisted works will be workshopped by The NYBBGB on Sunday 16 May 2027 at the Elgar Concert Hall, University of Birmingham.

Shortlisted composers will be required to attend the workshop in person. All entrants must therefore be available to attend on Sunday 16 May 2027 should their work be shortlisted.

Each shortlisted work will receive a dedicated 45-minute workshop. The conductor will rehearse and explore the piece with the Band, with the composer encouraged to contribute, experiment and interact with the musicians on practical, technical and musical matters.

The workshop will take place in front of an invited audience, including composers, students and families of NYBBGB musicians.

Following the workshop, shortlisted composers will be asked to resubmit their scores, together with a short explanation of any changes they have made as a result of the workshop session.

Final judging will take place later in May. NYBBGB musicians will also have an input into the process, with the final decision resting with the official judging panel.

The winner will be announced by 31 May 2027.

Prizes and performance opportunities

The winner will receive:

a cash prize of £900
a mentoring opportunity
the opportunity for their winning work to be rehearsed during Philip Harper’s inaugural NYBBGB Youth Band Summer Course as Director of Artistic Planning
performances of the winning work by The NYBBGB Youth Band at its two Summer Concerts on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 August 2027, under the baton of Philip Harper.

The runner-up will receive:

a cash prize of £300
feedback through a one-to-one coaching call with a member of the judging panel.

If a suitable opportunity arises, The NYBBGB may also perform one or more of the other shortlisted works.

Performance and recording

By entering the competition, entrants consent to their submitted work being performed, filmed and streamed online by The NYBBGB should it be selected for rehearsal or performance.

All rights in any performance and recording made by The NYBBGB will be owned by The NYBBGB in perpetuity.

Entries

To enter The John Gillam Young Composers’ Competition 2027:

Your entry must be submitted by 31 December 2026.
You must be aged 30 or under on 1 January 2027.
You must be available to attend the shortlisted composers’ workshop in person at the Elgar Concert Hall, University of Birmingham on Sunday 16 May 2027, should your work be shortlisted.
You must upload a scanned image of the information page of your passport or your UK driving licence for age and identity verification.
You must submit a short biography outlining your experience and ambitions, including your recent place(s) of study and/or the name of your teacher(s), together with a concise list of any recent and forthcoming commissions.
You must submit both an audio file and a score of your composition.
The audio file must be submitted as a standard MP3 file and the score as a PDF. The score must be presented in a clear, fully legible and performance-ready format. The quality and clarity of the score’s presentation will form part of the judging process, reflecting the importance of professional score preparation as part of a composer’s craft.
To upload files through the competition’s Google Form, you must have and be logged in with a Google account.

By submitting an entry, you confirm that you meet the competition eligibility and entry requirements and agree to the Competition Rules above.