A Bournemouth Suite (2005) is a three‑movement test piece inspired by the composer’s school holidays in Bournemouth: Balloon Ride, The Pier at Night and The BIC. Linked by a recurring syncopated motif, it combines vivid programme music, demanding solos and lyrical writing for D Grade / 4th Section. Used at Australian Championships (Junior B Grade, 2025), Victorian and WA State Championships (D Grade, 2024), Butlins (2020) and Pontins (2009). Digital, immediate‑download PDF.
$115.00
A Bournemouth Suite was written by Benjamin Tubb‑Hearne in 2005, when the composer was just 17. After spending many school holidays with his grandparents in the coastal town of Bournemouth, those experiences became the basis for this three‑movement test piece: Balloon Ride, The Pier at Night and The BIC. Each movement has its own character, yet they are linked by shared ideas, including the opening syncopated motif that returns at the end of the work.
Balloon Ride depicts a journey on “The Bournemouth Eye”, a tethered hot air balloon that rises 500 feet above the town centre, offering views of the surrounding countryside for up to 20 miles. The movement opens rather ominously as the balloon lifts from the ground, then moves into a more lively section driven by repeating quavers in the lower brass and woodblock. It ends much as it began, signalling the return to terra firma.
The Pier at Night describes an evening spent on the beach in deckchairs, watching summer firework displays light up the night sky over the pier. With demanding solos for horn and cornet and exposed writing spread throughout the band, this slow movement tests a band’s expressive and lyrical playing to the full.
The BIC refers to the Bournemouth International Centre, one of the town’s most visited attractions and a regular host of shows such as Riverdance and pantomimes. The third movement captures the buzz of activity around the BIC, and the entire suite concludes with the same syncopated motif from the opening, bringing the work full circle.
A Bournemouth Suite has been used as a set test piece at D / 4th Section level in both the UK and Australia, including:
This is a digital, immediate‑download PDF (full score and parts), ideal for D Grade / 4th Section bands and junior ensembles looking for a well‑crafted, programme‑driven test piece with strong musical substance.
