Brass band (British style)

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 (still in existence) was formed in 1809 and was perhaps the first civilian brass band in the world. Bands using the British instrumentation are the most common form of brass band in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and are also widespread in continental Europe, Japan and North America. The tradition for brass bands in the UK is continuing, and local communities and schools have brass bands, such as The Ouston and Pelton Community brass band, which draws their new members from more than seven local schools. A selection of brass bands can be experienced at the annual Durham Miners' Gala.

Silver band

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. In the days when 'brass' instruments were not as costly as silver plated ones, the term 'silver band' implied a band that could afford the latter and thus were a more successful band. Now, however, the costs are similar and the distinction between brass and silver bands is generally not made.

Instrumentation

British Brass Bands are limited to specific instruments, which does not include, for instance trumpets or french horns, which are found in orchestras and concert bands.

The standard instrumentation is as follows:

• 1 Soprano Cornet (E♭)
• 9 Cornets (B♭) –
  • Front row: 1 Principal Cornet, 3 Solo Cornets
  • Back row: 1 Repiano Cornet, 2 2nd Cornets, 2 3rd Cornets
• 1 Flugelhorn (B♭)
• 3 Tenor Horns (E♭), sometimes called Alto Horns in the United States and Germany – Solo, 1st, 2nd
• 2 Baritones (B♭) – 1st, 2nd
• 2 Tenor Trombones (B♭) – 1st, 2nd
• 1 Bass Trombone
• 2 Euphoniums (B♭)
• 2 E♭ Basses, also known as E♭ tubas
• 2 B♭ Basses, also known as B♭ tubas
• 2 to 4 Percussion

The above totals 27–29 players, although in practice a band often has fewer than this. Spare seats may be filled for concerts and contests by players brought in from other bands, commonly known as deputising players or deps.

With the exception of percussion, bass trombone and some tenor trombone music, all parts are transposing and written in the treble clef. This means that for every instrument, from the big basses right up to the soprano cornet, the fingering is similar and players can switch more easily between instruments. 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.

Bass Trombone music is written in Bass Clef, and Tenor Trombone music is in Tenor Clef on older scores.

United Kingdom

History

Most of the instruments used in British brass bands had been in use for some time in village, church and military bands, and in the 1840s and 1850s the brass band emerged from these as a popular pastime. Brass bands were a response to industrialisation, which produced a large working class population, technological advances in instrument design, and the mass production to manufacture and distribute the instruments. A major improvement to the old designs was the development of efficient piston valves, which were easier to play and produced a more accurate, consistent sound. Arguably brass bands were an expression of the local solidarity and aspirations of newly formed or rapidly growing communities. This was seen, for instance, in the creation of brass band competitions by the late 1850s. In 1853 John Jennison, the owner of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens in Manchester, agreed to stage the first British open brass band championships. The event was attended by a crowd of over 16,000, and continued annually until 1981. Brass bands probably reached their peak in the early twentieth century, when it has been estimated there were over 20,000 players in the country.

Many UK bands were originally either works bands, or sponsored by various industrial concerns. This was particularly evident in coal mining areas, such as the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, in Yorkshire and Tredegar Town Band in the South Wales Valleys. Bands sponsored by factories include The Black Dyke Mills Band (a wool mill); the Yorkshire Imperial Band, originally the Yorkshire Copperworks Band; the Hammonds Saltaire Band, sponsored by the Hammond Sauce Works (and latterly by the Yorkshire Building Society, changing its name to the YBS Band); Foden's by the truck manufacturer, Fairey by the aircraft manufacturer, and Leyland Band by the vehicle manufacturer. One of the reasons for this was to keep the workers from organizing in radical groups. With the decline of these industries several bands have dissolved and others now draw their membership from other industries and other parts of the community. The Brighouse and Rastrick Band is unique in having operated continually at the highest level without sponsorship, drawing its income from regular concerts, public donations and sales of recordings and merchandise.

The leading bands in Wales are the Cory Band, Tredegar, Tongwynlais Temperance Band The leading bands in Scotland are the Scottish Co-op Band (formally CWS Glasgow), Whitburn Band, and the Kirkintilloch Band. All these bands compete at the highest level in the banding movement.

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. Examples of typical community brass bands are West Chiltington Silver Band in Sussex, and Basingstoke Silver Band [4] located in north Hampshire.

Contesting in the United Kingdom

British banding is highly competitive, with bands organized into five sections much like a football league – Championship section, 1st section, 2nd section, 3rd section and 4th section. Competitions are held throughout the year at local, regional, and national levels, and at the end of each year there are promotions and relegations.

At a national level the main contest is the Besson National Brass Band Championship, and this determines a band's section. For this, the UK is split into 8 regions: London and Southern Counties, Midlands, North, North West, Scotland, Wales, West of England, and Yorkshire. Each year in Spring the bands compete in a regional contest for their section, and the top two or three in each section go on to the "National Finals" in Autumn. Recently (2011), the finals for Sections 1 to 4 have been held in Cheltenham, and the finals for the Championship Section at the Royal Albert Hall in London (as featured in the film Brassed Off).

The bands are awarded points for their result (1st gets 1 point, 9th gets 9 points), and this is added to the previous two years to give a three-year total. Two or three bands with the best total are promoted, and two or three bands are relegated.

Salvation Army

Mainly based in the UK, Salvation Army brass bands have run parallel to the main brass band movement since the 1870s. Salvation Army Bands range from small church bands to staff bands composed of the best Salvation Army bandsmen in the area. 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.

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 Grade National Contests are held each year at Easter, with the location moving from state to state. The current champions are Gunnedah Shire Brass for both the open and junior categories. 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, an own choice, a stage march (march or concert march performed on the stage without marching) and a light entertainment 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 Muso's Media, an Australian company founded and managed by Chris Earl.

Earl published Australia's Band World magazine for 15 years between 1993 and 2008. The magazine's 16 year run was the second-longest duration of any Australian band journal in the previous 150 years. Muso's Media has been recording the National championships on CD since 1998.

Europe

Belgium

In Belgium, there are about 30 brass bands. The best known is the Willbroek band, who were crowned European Brass Band Champions in 1993, 2006 and 2007. The average banding level is still rising, as the brass movement was only 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 four categories going from Championship section to third section. Currently there are seven bands competing in Championship section. These are: Brass Band Willebroek Brass Band Buizingen, Metropole Brass Band, Festival Brass Band, Kortrijk Brass Band, Brass Band Heist, and De Noord-Limburgse Brassband,

Other Belgian bands include: Brass Band Leieland, Brass Band Zele, Brass Band De Kempengalm and 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.

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.