 The Lochgelly Band, a Scottish colliery band, circa 1890 A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities. The Stalybridge Old Band was formed in 1809 and was the first civilian brass band in the world and is still in existence. Bands using the British instrumentation are the most common[citation needed] form of brass band in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and are also widespread in continental Europe, Japan and North America. A photograph of the Lochgelly Band, a scottish colliery Brass Band, taken in 1890. ...
A photograph of the Lochgelly Band, a scottish colliery Brass Band, taken in 1890. ...
Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ...
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as a player blows into a tubular resonator. ...
Percussion may refer to: A family of musical instruments – see percussion instrument; A method of clinical examination – see percussion (medicine). ...
A brass band a musical group consisting mostly or entirely of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ...
Statistics Population: 22,568 (2001 Census) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SJ963985 Administration District: Tameside Metropolitan county: Greater Manchester Region: North West England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Greater Manchester Historic county: Cheshire / Lancashire Services Police force: Greater Manchester Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: North...
The term 'silver band' is synonymous with 'brass band' in this sense; the vast majority of bands termed either 'brass' or 'silver' incorporate musicians playing both lacquered and silver-plated instruments.
Instrumentation The core instrumentation used in British brass bands is as follows: Bâ™ cornet The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. ...
Bâ™ cornet The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. ...
A standard 3-valved Bb flugelhorn. ...
Known in the US as alto horn, in Germany as althorn, and in the UK as tenor horn, this brass instrument pitched in Eb has a conical bore (gradually widening), and normally uses a deep, cornet-like mouthpiece. ...
Althorn redirects here. ...
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ...
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
The euphonium is a conical-bore, baritone-voiced brass instrument. ...
For other uses, see Tuba (disambiguation). ...
For other uses, see Tuba (disambiguation). ...
Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ...
United Kingdom
 A modern British brass band Brass Bandsin the British tradition are limited to cornets, flugelhorns, tenor horns, baritones, euphoniums, trombones, tubas (known as basses in brass bands), and percussion; but not trumpets or french horns, since they are orchestral and concert band instruments. A brass band File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
A brass band File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Trumpeter redirects here. ...
French horn redirects here. ...
For other uses, see Orchestra (disambiguation). ...
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family. ...
With the exception of the bass trombone and percussion, all parts are transposing and written in the treble clef, which means that for every instrument, from the big basses right up to the soprano cornet, the fingering for the written notes is similar. This system, which is unique to UK-style brass bands, ensures most parts can be covered when there is less than a full complement of players. The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ...
Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ...
A clef (French for key) is a symbol used in musical notation that assigns notes to lines and spaces on the musical staff. ...
Many of the UK's bands originated as works bands or bands sponsored (and long identified with) various industrial concerns and coal mines. Of the leading bands which can be found here at brass bands, the Black Dyke Mills Band was sponsored by a wool mill, The YBS Band was until recently sponsored by the Yorkshire Building Society and originally the Hammond Sauce Works, the Foden, Fairey and Leyland Bands by the respective truck, aircraft and vehicle manufacturers, and the Grimethorpe Colliery Band was composed of miners and members of the associated coalfield community (see also the movie Brassed Off). With the decline of these industries the links between bands and their origins were dissolved, and membership is now drawn from all industries and parts of the community. Sudden loss of sponsorship, however, has caused many a top band to die. The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band have operated continually at the highest level without the aid of sponsorship; the band makes money to survive from their regular concerts, by selling recordings and other merchandise, and from public donations. Wyoming coal mine Coal mining is the mining of coal. ...
The Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands. ...
One of the major UK mutual building societies remaining today is the Yorkshire Building Society, with headquarters in Yorkshire, England. ...
1930 Foden Steam lorry 1959 Foden S20 dropside 1967 Foden S36 flatbed Foden Trucks is a truck manufacturer. ...
The Fairey Band is a brass band based in Heaton Chapel in Stockport, Greater Manchester. ...
The Leyland Band is a brass band based in Lancashire in the UK. It was formed in 1946, as the Leyland Motors Band. ...
Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Selby Abbey, 2000 The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band formed in 1917 as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery. ...
Brassed Off (1996) is a British film written and directed by Mark Herman. ...
The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. ...
The leading bands in Wales are the Cory Band,Tredegar, Burry Port Town Band, Tongwynlais Temperence and allegedly BTMbands. The leading bands in Scotland are the Scottish Co-op Band (formally CWS Glasgow), Whitburn Band and Kirkintilloch Band. All these bands compete at the highest level in the banding movement. This article is about the country. ...
This article is about the country. ...
 Brass banding across the generations There is also a depth of non-contesting "community" brass bands in the UK providing entertainment for audiences and enjoyment for musicians of all ages. A typical community brass band is West Chiltington Silver Band in Sussex, near the south coast of England. West Chiltington or West Chittingdon, as it is known to some (maybe), is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England that was chiefly notable as the home of Peter Steele until his departure for Aberystwyth in mid-to-late 2005. ...
Contesting in the United Kingdom British banding is competitive and there are many local and area competitions held throughout the year. At a National level, the main contest (the one that is used to determine a band's official "section") is the Besson National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.
This competition is split into five sections organized similarly to a football league table (Championship section, 1st section, 2nd section, 3rd section and 4th section). There are five main brass band sections in Great Britain: Championship, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. ...
There are five main brass band sections in Great Britain: Championship, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. ...
There are five main brass band sections in Great Britain: Championship, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. ...
There are five main brass band sections in Great Britain: Championship, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. ...
There are five main brass band sections in Great Britain: Championship, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. ...
For this competition, the UK is split into 8 regions (London and Southern Counties, Midlands, North, North West, Scotland, Wales, West of England, Yorkshire). Each year, in March/April, bands compete in their local regional contest in whichever section they are graded. The top two or three placed bands in each section then go through to the National Finals. These are normally held in September/October and have recently been held in Harrogate (Sections 1-4) and the Royal Albert Hall (Championship) - as featured in the film Brassed Off. , Harrogate is a large town in North Yorkshire, England. ...
Albert Hall redirects here. ...
Brassed Off (1996) is a British film written and directed by Mark Herman. ...
Bands receive points each year in relation to their position (coming first gets 1 point, coming 9th gets 9 points). When the contest is over, the top two or three bands that have the lowest points total over the last three years will be promoted to the next section up from the following year. Likewise, bands with the most points will be relegated.
Salvation Army brass bands -
Mainly based in the UK, Salvation Army brass bands have run parallel to the main brass band movement for almost a century a history of Salvation Army Bands can be found at Brass band Information. Bands range from small church bands to staff bands comprised of the best Salvation Army bandsmen in the area. The finest of them are of comparable standard to the Championship and 1st section bands. Their instrumentation is almost identical except for a minor difference in the cornet section whereby the repiano is dropped and the remainder of the row is made up of parts designated 1st and 2nd (two players each) rather than 2nd and 3rd; and that some major pieces have a split first trombone part, the lower part usually cued elsewhere in the band. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
Shield of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a non-military evangelical Christian organisation. ...
There are five main brass band sections in Great Britain: Championship, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. ...
There are five main brass band sections in Great Britain: Championship, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. ...
Australia The Australian derivation of a brass band is the same as the UK brass band (i.e. standard instrumentation with no woodwind). Contesting bands in Australia are graded from A Grade to D GradeNational Contests are held each year at Easter, with the location moving from state to state. Each state also conducts their own championships. National and state contests are generally of the same format: a set test piece for each grade, a hymn and an olwn choice or concert program. Smaller regional contests often replace the major works with an own choice concert program.
Among the country's most famous brass band identities have been conductor and composer Percy Code; and David King and Frank Wright who made their mark in Britain. In later years, leading composers have included Brenton Broadstock (Winds of Change, Rutherford Variations, Valiant Take All My Sins Away and many more), Barrie Gott (Mumbo Jumbo, Gospel Train, Glasshouse Sketches) and Joe Cook (Taskforce, Keighley Moor)which have been published by Australian company Muso's Media founded and managed by Chris Earl.
Earl also published Australia's Band World magazine for 15 years between 1993 and 2008. The magazine was to be the second-longest in duration of any Australian band journal in the last 150 years. His company has also been recording the National championships on CD since 1998.
Belgium In Belgium, there are about 30 brass bands. The best known is the Willebroek band, who were crowned European Brass Band Champions in 1993, 2006 and 2007. The average banding level is still rising, for the brass movement has only been introduced in Belgium some 30 years ago.
The national brass band Championships are held annually at the Royal Music Conservatory in Brussels. The winner represents Belgium at the European Championships. Participants are divided into 4 categories going from Championship section to 3rd section. Currently there are 6 bands competing in Championship section. These are: Brass Band Willebroek,Brass Band Buizingen, Metropole Brass Band, Festival Brass Band, Kortrijk Brass Band, and De Noord-Limburgse Brassband.
Other Belgian bands include: Brass Band Leieland, Brass Band Zele, Brass Band Heist, Brass Band Province de Liègeand many more.
Some of the brass bands in Belgium are primarily based around recreational music, do not conform to British brass band instrumentation, and therefore do not compete.
Canada Brass bands in the British tradition, sometimes sponsored by employers, existed in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The geography of Canada (e.g. large distances between communities, making regular contests and migration of players difficult) was a key factor among many challenges that led to the demise of most such bands.
Today, excepting the Salvation Army bands (such as the [1] Canadian Staff Band), there are few British-style brass bands (perhaps fewer than two dozen) in Canada, most of which are in Ontario. Most operate as recreational, amateur, "community" bands such as the Oshawa Civic Band. There are some semi-professional groups, like the Intrada Brass of Oakville, Ontario. One of the most successful brass bands in Canada is the Hannaford Street Silver Band. Shield of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a non-military evangelical Christian organisation. ...
This article is about the Canadian province. ...
The Oshawa Civic Band began life in 1870 as the band of the 34th Ontario Regiment, and was a traditional Military band. ...
Oakville (2006 population 165,613[2]) is a town on Lake Ontario in southern Ontario, Canada, midway between Toronto (about 31 km or 19 mi away) on its eastern border and Hamilton (about 20 km or 12 mi away) from its western border. ...
This article is about the Canadian province. ...
There are hopes for growth in the education field of brass bands in Canada, and in particular southern Ontario. In 1999, the professional Hannaford Street Silver Band launched the Hannaford Street Youth Band, which is internationally recognized for its success. In 2005, another youth band was created for beginning brass players known as the Hannaford Junior Band. Beginning in September of 2006, the Hannaford organization plans to launch a third, intermediate, band known as the Hannaford Community Youth Band. These three ensembles target a wide range of youth from ages 11 to people well into their twenties.
Germany Brass bands in Germany are not as widespread as in other European countries like Switzerland or the Netherlands. There are just a few bands (about five) playing in authentic British instrumentation. This is primarily due to the popularity of wind bands, particularly in Southern Germany. A wind band, also called concert band, symphonic band, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, and string bass. ...
The first National Brass Band "competition" will take place as part of the German Festival of Wind Music in Würzburg, from 18th - 20th May 2007.
Ireland There is an existing - though small - brass band movement in the Republic of Ireland.
However, due to the past colonial influence of British Army bands, unlike the United Kingdom, concert bands are more prevalent.
Latin America Brass bands long enjoyed popularity in many parts of Latin America as well. In 19th century Mexico very large bands were formed, such as that of composer Juventino Rosas. In parts of Mexico brass band concerts remain a popular entertainment. Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...
José Juventino Policarpo Rosas Cadenas 25 January 1868 - 9 July 1894) was a Mexican composer, violinist, and band leader. ...
Norway The Norwegian Band Federation is the largest voluntary music organisation in Norway. Through their membership, the 1712 member bands with their 70,318 players (official figures as of 9/1/04) are offered good conditions for their hobby. A network rich in tradition also gives them a strong and influential position in the cultural life of Norway. Many primary schools have their own bands.
King Harald V is the patron of the Norwegian Band Federation. The Federation is granted an annual audience with the King in order to report to him and receive advice for the future. The King has awarded a royal trophy to the championships for adult bands. Harald V, KG (born February 21, 1937) is the King of Norway. ...
United States Brass bands in the British tradition are becoming more popular through the efforts of the North American Brass Band Association, which organizes an annual brass band convention and contest.
Brass bands were very popular throughout the United States in the late 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. Well known bands of virtuoso musicians toured widely, and most towns had their own bands that put on weekend music concerts. Other groups, ranging from benevolent societies to large factories, would often have a band. The brass band movement has undergone a resurgence in the late twentieth century, lead by the North American Brass Band Association. The United States boasts a number of professional brass bands, including the Brass Band of Battle Creek, and the River City Brass Band, as well as several top collegiate brass bands including the James Madison University Brass Band The Benevolent Society is Australia’s oldest charity, although it now prefers to regard itself as a ‘’social enterprise’’. It was founded as the Benevolent Society of New South Wales by Edward Smith Hall in 1813, is and since its earliest days its members have advocated for positive social change...
This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
The River City Brass Band is a modified British-style brass band based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ...
Repertoire Brass Band repertoire is as wide and as varied as one's imagination. For example, a typical brass band could play items from Bach's Air on a G String, to The Bangles' "Eternal Flame", to brand new compositions commissioned for the National Finals held at the Royal Albert Hall. In recent years these have included commissions by Michael Ball - "...All The Flowers of the Mountain..." - and John Pickard - "Eden", which incorporates so-called "irrational" time signatures (where the denominator is not a power of two), a first for band writing. “Bach†redirects here. ...
Air (french for: Aria; also: Ayr, Ayre), a variant of the musical song form, is the name of various song-like vocal or instrumental compositions. ...
For the jewelry item, see Bangle. ...
Eternal Flame was a hit single for The Bangles in 1989. ...
Albert Hall redirects here. ...
John Pickard (11 September, 1963 - ) is a British classical composer. ...
There are several notable composers in the brass band world. The current favourite is possibly Philip Sparke, who has written many pieces, including Music of the Spheres. Philip Sparke is a British composer. ...
Musica universalis or music of the spheres is a medieval philosophical concept that regards the proportions in the movements of the celestial bodies - the sun, moon and planets - as a form of musica (the medieval Latin name for music). ...
A noted Welsh Composer was T. J. (Tom) Powell, described as the Welsh Sousa, who was born in Tredegar in October 1897. T.J.P. composed over 500 pieces of music for brass bands, include many marches (including the Castle Marches), tone poems and suites. It would be fair to say that every brass band in Britain has some of Tom Powell's music in their archive, and most will have at least one march.
Other composers include:
Several classical composers have written music specifically for brass band. These include: Brenton Broadstock is an Australian composer, author of a libretto and music based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451. ...
Kenneth Downie is a composer of brass band music. ...
Sir Dean Goffin (9 July 1916 to 1984) was one of New Zealands first prolific Salvation Army composers who composed not only music for the Army but for non-Army bands as well. ...
Peter Graham (Lanarkshire, Scotland), born 1958, is one of the leading composers for brass band. ...
Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer. ...
Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob (July 5, 1895 – June 8, 1984) was an English composer. ...
William Rimmer (d. ...
Philip Sparke is a British composer. ...
Ray Steadman-Allen was born 18 September 1922 in Muller Road, Horfield, Bristol to Salvation Army officer parents. ...
Martin Ellerby (1957, Worksop) is an English composer. ...
Sir Malcolm Arnold Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. ...
Sir Granville Bantock (August 7, 1868 - October 16, 1946), was a British composer of classical music. ...
Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle, CH (born July 15, 1934) is a British composer, widely seen as one of the most significant modern composers from that country. ...
Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, CH, KCVO (August 2, 1891 - March 27, 1975) was a British composer. ...
Derek Bourgeois (born Kingston on Thames, 1941) is an English composer. ...
Sir Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. ...
Edward Gregson (Sunderland, England 1945) is an English composer. ...
Hans Werner Henze (born July 1, 1926 in Gütersloh, Westphalia, Germany) is a composer well known for his left-wing political beliefs. ...
Gustav Holst Gustav Holst (September 21, 1874, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - May 25, 1934, London) [1] [2] was an English composer and was a music teacher for over 20 years. ...
Joseph Horovitz (born May 26, 1926 in Vienna, Austria) is a British composer and conductor. ...
Herbert Norman Howells CH (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher. ...
John Nicholson Ireland (13 August 1879 – 12 June 1962) was an English composer. ...
George Lloyd (28 June 1913 - 3 July 1998) was an English composer of late-Romantic classical music. ...
William Mathias (November 1, 1934 — July 29, 1992) was a Welsh composer. ...
John McCabe CBE (born 1939) is a British composer and pianist. ...
Edmund Rubbra (23 May 1901–14 February 1986) was a British composer. ...
Robert (Wilfred Levick) Simpson (March 2, 1921 - December 21, 1997) was an English musicologist and composer best known for his symphonies and string quartets. ...
A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ...
Philip Wilby (Pontefract, 1949) is a British composer. ...
Thomas Wilson (1927-2001) was a Scottish composer. ...
Outdoor banding One of the main advantages of the brass band is that it is portable and capable of playing at any time and anywhere, even on the march. Marching and outdoor functions have been the preserve of the brass band for well over a century. Many UK brass bands are closely woven into the local community, performing outdoor civic duties throughout the year. Image File history File linksMetadata Wikijib6. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Wikijib6. ...
Jedburgh (Referred to locally Jeddart or Jethart) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders. ...
Scottish Borders (often referred to locally as The Borders or The Borderland) is one of 35 local government unitary council areas of Scotland. ...
The bandstand became popular in the Victorian era, typically associated with the British brass band or military band. It is a simple construction which not only creates an ornamental focal point, but also serves acoustic requirements whilst providing shelter from the changeable British weather. A bandstand built in 1912 stands in the grounds of the Horniman Museum in London Jedforest Instrumental Bandstand built in 2006 stands in the shadow of Jedburgh Abbey Scottish Borders Eastbourne bandstand opened in 1935 A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, or pier...
The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ...
Band associations
See also The Licentiate Diploma for Brass Band Adjudication is awarded by the University of Salford. ...
External links
Famous bands The Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands. ...
The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. ...
The Buy As You View Band in concert The Buy As You View Band, formerly the Cory Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands in the world. ...
Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Selby Abbey, 2000 The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band formed in 1917 as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery. ...
|
Feeds |
Contact