Sandvikens Ungdomskorps

Sandvikens Ungdomskorps is an "elite division" amateur wind band in Bergen, Norway.
The band was constituted July 1, 1923 by a group of boys too old to play in the school band in Sandviken, Bergen. The school band is now gone, but Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has grown to be one of the leading wind bands in Norway.
The band is a member of Norges Musikkorps Forbund (the Norwegian band association, ), and participates each year in the for wind bands in Trondheim. In 2011 the band won gold in the Norwegian championships for the first time, conducted by , marginally better than Dragefjellets Musikkorps. Read NRK's winner article here, NMF's winner article here, and BT's winner article here. The band also won 1st place in Jan-Am 2011 in Stavanger, in addition to the price for best soloist to Asbjørn Haukeland on marimba, and the audience reward the same year.
Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has a wide profile, is an active member of the community in Sandviken, marching the streets on May 17 (Norway's constitution day), participates each year in the national championship, holds a flea market each year, and holds social activities with its members.
The members come from all of Bergen, and ages range from youth's in school to ripe adults. The band usually show off their own soloists on concerts, but also have a history of playing with different musical legends in Norway.
Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has close ties to the Bow Corps in Bergen, especially to , and participates on celebrations of their foundation day and other events held by the Bow Corps. Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has also published a cd with the only complete collection of Bow Corps marches from Bergen, named "Buekorpsmarsjene". In many years the band has held concerts in Grieghallen in the autumn, and is active in the cultural life in Bergen playing music and marching the streets. The Grieghallen concert in 2009 was about the best Bergen song, the winner was Utsikt fra Fløyen.
Two very popular groups in the band is "Nikkersgjengen" (Knickerbockersgang) and the bottle orchestra "Bunnen er nådd" (We've reached the bottom). "Nikkersgjengen" received in 1998 the prestigious "Jonnemannprisen" award. "Nikkersgjengen" still exists, and the bottle orchestra comes together when needed.
The band is always recruiting new players, and weighs the professionalism and commitment of their players before admission.
Conductors.
Most recently Thorgeir Thunestvedt has been conducting Sandvikens Ungdomskorps, with Ray Farr stepping in during the Norwegian Championships. The band uses various conductors during different projects, and the list of conductors is getting extensive: , , Helge Haukås, Bengt Florvåg, Ray Farr, Karl Ole Midtbø and Reid Gilje. The last years, the band has cooperated with the Grieg Academy, letting the conductor students conduct Sandvikens Ungdomskorps as part of their final exams.
Repertoire.
Sandvikens ungdomskorps varies the repertoire from year to year. Lately new music has been in focus but also the traditional and march pieces is played. On the national day and special occasions, the band always plays their own march piece Sandviksgutten where the band on occasions sing a verse:
 "Hør trompetsignaler klinge, Sandviksgutter i Giv Akt!"
 "Vi musikken frem vil bringe og om korpset vårt stå vakt!"
 "Stadig fremad vil vi vinne for de nye mål og nå, og i glans vår sak skal skinne."
 "Frem for S.U.K!"
Translation
 "Hear the trumpet signals sound, Sandviken Boys at attention!"
 "We will bring the music forward and stand guard over the band!"
 "Ever forward, we will win and reach new goals, and proudly our cause will shine."
 "Forwards S.U.K!"