Glastonbury Brass is tuning up for one of the biggest events in the brass band calendar as it prepares to compete in the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain next month.

The band earned its spot at the prestigious contest after securing third place at the West of England Brass Band Regional Championships earlier this year. Now, it's heading to Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday 13 September to take on the top bands from across the country in the Section 1 final.

This year's competition marks 50 years since the death of Sir Arthur Bliss, whose ballet piece Four Dances from 'Checkmate' has been selected as the test piece for the Section 1 bands. The dramatic 1937 ballet imagines chess pieces coming to life and acting out human emotions, with a doomed romance between the Red Knight and the Black Queen at its heart.

Leading the band into the finals is musical director Liam Grunsell, former Bandmaster of the Grenadier Guards. He said: "We are well underway with our preparations for Nationals and are particularly enjoying bringing this incredible ballet music to life, though it has certainly kept us on our toes. The band is performing well, and I'm confident we will make all the right moves on the day."

For those who can't make it to Cheltenham, Glastonbury Brass will be back on stage locally with a concert in Bridgwater on 28 September. The group can be contacted via [email protected]