Somerville House, Brisbane, September 2025. Two days, every grade, and a genuine raid across the border: Willoughby City came up from Sydney under Dominic Longhurst and left with a first ever Queensland A Grade title, beating the might of Brisbane Excelsior and Brisbane Brass on their own turf. Brassbanned streamed the lot, live and free, from the sunshine state.
This is the complete record: every grade, the full points, with our broadcast replays so you can watch any performance again. Results sourced from the official championships and the reports at 4BarsRest and the Queensland Band Association. 4BR even gave our broadcast a shout-out in their report. We blushed. Briefly.
Watch the full broadcast
Saturday brought the test pieces and hymns; Sunday the own choice works, stage marches and concert grades. Both days below, settle in.
Saturday
Sunday
A Grade
Adjudicator: Bryan Hurdley Set Work: Dances & Arias (Edward Gregson)
Willoughby’s win, built on Dances & Arias, the sacred item His Provision, the march The Wizard and Derek Bourgeois’ Concerto Grosso, confirmed the band’s surge under Dominic Longhurst: a NSW State title in 2024, fourth in the inaugural Premier Grade at the Nationals, and now a Queensland crown. Brisbane Excelsior’s mighty 98 on the stage march wasn’t enough to close the gap.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Test | Sacred | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willoughby City | Dominic Longhurst | 196 | 93 | 197 | 95 | 581 |
| 2 | Brisbane Excelsior | Howard Taylor | 193 | 95 | 193 | 98 | 579 |
| 3 | Brisbane Brass | Michael Keen | 190 | 91 | 191 | 96 | 568 |
B Grade
Adjudicator: Bryan Hurdley Set Work: The Plantagenets (Edward Gregson)
Brisbane Brass 2 regained the title for the first time since 2022 with a clear five-point win under Elena Katahanas, their program crowned by St James, A New Beginning.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Test | Sacred | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Brass 2 | Elena Katahanas | 193 | 92 | 193 | 92 | 570 |
| 2 | Windsor Excelsior | Dale Hosking | 190 | 91 | 195 | 89 | 565 |
| 3 | Sunnybank Brass | Joshua Sephton | 189 | 89 | 189 | 87 | 554 |
| 4 | Surfers Paradise Brass | Scott King | 187 | 87 | 189 | 88 | 551 |
C Grade
Adjudicator: Bryan Hurdley Set Work: The Pacemakers (Goff Richards)
The kids from the far north did it again. Cairns Brass Youth Band defended their C Grade title in style under Ben Stein, an eight-point margin sealed with Oregon: Fantasy for Band.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Test | Sacred | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairns Brass Youth Band | Ben Stein | 182 | 88 | 193 | 94 | 557 |
| 2 | Capricornia Silver | Jacinta Delalande | 180 | 87 | 189 | 93 | 549 |
| 3 | Sunshine Brass | Heather Aitken | 178 | 89 | 188 | 89 | 544 |
D Grade
Adjudicator: Bryan Hurdley
A debut for the ages: Lutwyche Excelsior, only formed in 2024 and contesting for the very first time, took the D Grade under Cathy Reid with Dream Catchers, holding off Brisbane Brass 3 by a single point.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Test | Sacred | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lutwyche Excelsior | Cathy Reid | 182 | 85 | 186 | 85 | 538 |
| 2 | Brisbane Brass 3 | Emily Matthews & Meg McWilliams | 180 | 83 | 187 | 87 | 537 |
Junior Grade
Another one-point thriller: Cairns Brass Junior, led by Julia Christodoulides, pipped Narangba Valley High School (Jon Adams) 352 to 351, with a program of Lloyd, Haunted and Colonel Bogey.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2025 Queensland Band Championships? Willoughby City, conducted by Dominic Longhurst, won the A Grade, a first ever top-flight Queensland title for the visiting Sydney band, ahead of Brisbane Excelsior and Brisbane Brass.
Where were the 2025 QLD Championships held? At Somerville House in Brisbane, over the weekend of 20 and 21 September 2025.
Who won the other grades? Brisbane Brass 2 (B Grade), Cairns Brass Youth Band (C Grade), debutants Lutwyche Excelsior (D Grade) and Cairns Brass Junior (Junior Grade).
Where can I watch the 2025 QLD Championships? Brassbanned’s full replays of both days are embedded above, free to watch any time.
New to contesting? Read how brass band contests work, meet the instruments, and start at the very beginning with what is a brass band?
More championship replays
- 2025 NSW Band Championships
- 2025 Victorian State Band Championships
- 2026 Australian National Band Championships
- 2025 Australian National Band Championships
Enjoyed the broadcast? Brassbanned streams the world’s best banding free, every year. Support us so we can keep the cameras rolling.
