WA Schools' Junior Concert Band Festival
WA Schools' Junior Concert Band Festival
The 44th WA Schools' Junior Concert Band Festival is run in partnership with the Australian Band and Orchestra Director's Association (WA).
Event details
Date: Thursday 11 September to Sunday 14 September 2025.
Venue: Churchlands Senior High School.
Eligibility: The festival is open to any non-government school or public school ensemble, with divisions catering for young or middle school ensembles, unbalanced ensembles and experienced senior ensembles.
Applications: Applications open Week 5, Term 1 on Friday 7 March 2025 and close Week 7, Term 2 on Friday 13 June 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. Access the online application form1.
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at the event only (no presales). Performers and directors will be admitted without charge. Ticket prices for other audience members are:
- $8.00 Adults
- $6.00 Concession
Programs are $3.00 and cash and card facilities are available at the venue.
- Festival aims
- Adjudication and grading
- Music selections list
- Other festival conditions
- Stage plans
- Photographs
- Volunteering
The aims of the WA Schools' Junior Concert Band Festival are to:
- give bands a performance opportunity at an international standard venue.
- give ensemble members an opportunity to hear other ensembles perform.
- provide each ensemble with constructive comments from a panel of informed adjudicators.
- present each ensemble with an adjudication and certificate which recognises its participation and recognised standard of performance.
Ensembles perform within a division with a panel of adjudicators providing written and spoken feedback.
Novice ensembles will not be graded but will receive adjudication comments and a certificate of participation. Directors will receive 2 recordings of their ensemble, including one with spoken adjudicator’s comments superimposed over the music.
Bands can opt into a workshop directly after their performance given by one of the two adjudicators who have just listened to their band. This allows students direct contact with the adjudicators and offers a greater amount of educational value to students’ involvement in the festival.
During each performance, conductors will be filmed if requested and given constructive and confidential feedback on their conducting by an adjudicator. Feedback will be given electronically (no longer face to face). This has proved to be very popular with many directors, and the positive feedback that they have received has been an extremely valuable tool in their professional development.
Adjudications and certificates can be collected (or posted for country schools) at the end of the festival at Instrumental Music School Services, 150 Guildford Rd, Maylands. Individual ensemble results are not posted online or announced as each ensemble can decide whether they want their results to be publicly available.
All ensembles are expected to present an appropriate program of up to 3 pieces. There are no set work requirements this year, which is a change for 2025. However, each piece presented should align with the following publisher-indicated grade levels.
- Novice = no grade requirements
- C Division = grades 1.5 and below
- B Division = grades 2 and 2.5
- A Division = grades 3 and 3.5
- Premier Division = grades 4 and above
If a work you wish to perform does not have a publisher-indicated grade, please email president@abodawa.com.au2.
Ensembles are encouraged to perform a work by an Australian composer or a composer from an underrepresented group, such as women, Indigenous peoples, or LGBTQIA+ people.
For more information or advice on music selection, email president@abodawa.com.au2.
There is an extensive repertoire list for guidance for 2025. Access the Band festival list3. Many of these pieces are available at the Instrumental Music School Services Resource Centre.
In 2025, some pieces on the repertoire list may not align precisely with the stated grade levels. For example, some A Division works may be listed as Grade 2.5 or 4 by the publisher. You may select pieces from the repertoire list for your division, even if their grade level does not exactly match the stated requirement. If you choose a piece not on the repertoire list, it must comply with the stated grade level guidelines.
Disadvantaged ensembles can apply for up to 2 extra players when submitting their application. Extra players can include current students, ex-students or teachers, in special circumstances.
- Access a stage plan for the concert hall4.
- Access a stage plan for the auditorium5.
Photographs of participating bands from the 2023 festival are available for viewing and purchase at ProPhotoBooth6. Use the password 'aboda23'.
One of the reasons for the outstanding success of the festival over the last 40 years is the contribution made by volunteers. Some of the tasks we need volunteers for include stage management, ticket selling and marshalling.
Volunteering is a great way to meet other directors and hear bands from other schools and divisions.
If you are interested in volunteering, register for your preferred session or sessions using the online database7.
Contact us
- Email Instrumental Music School Services at IM.SS.Events@education.wa.edu.au8
- Email Australian Band and Orchestra Director's Association (WA) president at president@abodawa.com.au2.