Brass Bands

In May 1952, Mary Simm, who played cornet with the Kearsley Silver Band, started her second scrapbook of brass band memories.  She collected press cuttings, programmes and photographs of events she attended or took part in through 1952. Items from her scrapbook have been scanned, more or less in the order she pasted them in. They cover not only the events of the Kearsley band, but also others in the area, providing a brief look at the banding aspects of a year in her life.

Thomas Raistrick became the principal cornet player of the Shipley Brass Band at the age of 13 in 1905 and established himself as an accomplished soloist in his own right. He went on to direct the Band of the 6th West Yorkshire Regiment during WW1.

The band celebrated its founding in 1854 (although it was actually 1859) with the publication of two booklets, for its centenary in 1954 and its 125th anniversary in 1979. This document extracts relevant sections from these publications with an introduction covering some other aspects of the band’s history.

In December 1937, James Southern, band manager of the famous St Hilda's Professional Band, announced it would be disbanding. In an article he outlined the history of the band from its earliest days in South Shields attached to the local colliery to its outstanding successes in the 1920's, subsequently turning professional and its decline in the 1930's. I have illustrated his "swan song" with various pictures of the band through the years.

Playing a brass instrument is thirsty business. All that pneumatic effort, spit and water vapour will leave the average player needing a good drink after a rehearsal or a concert – possibly the reason that brass bands, in particular, have been renowned for enjoying a tipple or two – though hopefully not before their performances. Nevertheless, brass bands have had a long association with the temperance movement, which advocated abstinence from alcohol, helping to promote the teetotal message to the public. The 19 th century saw the rise of the fight against alcohol and the parallel increase in the popularity and availability of bands led to brass bands being adopted or established by various temperance organisations. This paper gives a brief overview of the temperance movement and brass bands associated with it, together with some contemporary portraits of temperance bands, drink-related band tales, and lists of the temperance bands over the last 200 years

During the 19th century, many travelling entertainment shows criss-crossed the country as they thrilled audiences with their various acts. Circuses, menageries, waxworks and minstrel shows usually had a band attached to them to provide exciting music, drawing in the punters and emphasising the acts themselves. In addition to these bands, other static entertainment venues also engaged professional bands to supply musical entertainment to their clientele - these included pleasure gardens, theatres and museums.

Joseph Tyler, an accomplished clarinettist, had thirteen children with his two wives, and formed two Family Bands which toured the British Isles and France over a period of nearly half a century. In addition to performing in their own concerts, they took part in pantomimes and other music hall revues, were engaged as the 'town band' in Aberystwyth in 1873, 1874, and 1885; had six seasons at Harrogate, in 1845, 1846, 1872, 1877, 1880, and 1885; and also had the privilege of being the first known instance in the UK of a band's performance being transmitted remotely to an audience, during a concert at the Bradford Technical School's Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition, in July 1882.

A collection of information about brass bands in Scotland over the last 200 years. Over 1,360 bands are recorded here (95 currently active), with some 731 additional cross references for alternative or previous names. This volume is an extracted subset of my earlier "Brass Bands of the British Isles – a Historical Directory" (2018)

Of the 762 brass bands I have records of from County Durham, around 130 were colliery bands (and more of them would have been directly connected to the local colliery, even if not specifically named after the mine or mining company). This article looks briefly at the history of the Durham Miners' Gala and the colliery bands that performed at it.

Of the many brass bands that have flourished in Britain and Ireland over the last 200 years very few have documented records covering their history. This directory is an attempt to collect together information about such bands and make it available to all. Over 19,600 bands are recorded here, with some 10,600 additional cross references for alternative or previous names. This volume supersedes the earlier “British Brass Bands – a Historical Directory” (2016) and includes some 1,400 bands from the island of Ireland. A separate work is in preparation covering brass bands beyond the British Isles. A separate appendix lists the brass bands in each county.

From the early 17th century large numbers of institutions were established to provide for various segments of society which did not fit into “normal” life. These included orphans, the sick, criminals the destitute, paupers, and those, that today, we would refer to as physically and mentally handicapped. From the mid 19th century onwards brass and other bands were often set up in these institutions to help educate the children (mainly boys it has to be said), to provide another aspect of discipline, recreation and also, potentially, to give access to a musical career once they left the school. Adult bands were also formed in prisons and asylums among the inmates.

Brass bands have been a musical force across the world over the last 200 years. Mainly concentrated in Europe, North America and Australasia, they were predominantly male, and the members were largely working class. The female brass band is a somewhat rare beast, even today, though it did enjoy a “golden era” during the late 1800s and early 1900s in the USA. In this paper are details of some 408 female brass bands - a very small number compared to their male equivalents. [updated December 2020]

From the earliest days of brass bands in the British Isles, they have been supported at various times and to differing extents by businesses and their owners. In some cases this support has been purely philanthropic, but there was usually a quid pro quo involved where the sponsor received benefits – e.g. advertising, income from band engagements, entertainment for business events, a “worthwhile” pastime for their employees, corporate public relations and brand awareness - who would have heard of John Foster's Mills outside of the Bradford area if it wasn't for the Black Dyke Band?

A contribution to National Poetry Day 2017. [updated July 2021] Several brass bands have been immortalised in poetry over the years. From those lauding their heroes to the ones which are critical or even insulting. From the earliest days poets have found something in the music of the bands and the people who play in them to inspire their muse. I think it is fair to say that most of the writers would not have made a career out of their works - some are certainly more William McGonagall than William Wordsworth – but nonetheless they are priceless views of the bands and bandsmen. Here are 99 examples of odes to the bands and bandsmen.

Family bands were not uncommon in the later 1800s and early 1900s. They were most prevalent in the USA but other countries had their fair share, including the UK and Germany. Some bands were amateur in their activities, and remained resident in their local area. Others adopted the professional mantle and travelled the country giving concerts, appearing at shows, circuses and on the stage. Although the various family bands had different line-ups and instrumentation, they were quite popular as entertainment troupes, sometimes singing, dancing and performing sketches in addition to their, often, multi-instrumental abilities. This paper gives details and pictures of more than 160 such named bands. [Updated December 2020]

Charles Godfrey, bandmaster of the Royal Horse Guards, was a prolific arranger of music for brass and military bands, and also adjudicated many brass band contests. However, an unpleasant experience at the British Open contest, in September 1888, led him to refuse to judge any further band contests - a decision which would last until 1897.

The paper deals with the music repertoire of traditional instrumental ensembles and solo musicians in the border region of Slovakia and Moravia in the western tip of the White Carpathians (the area of Myjava region, Horňácko, Moravské Kopanice and the border area of lower Trenčín and Uherský Brod regions) before the 1960s. The basic criterion in the classifying the repertoire is its connection to dance. In addition to the musical parameters of individual repertoire segments , attention is also paid to their cultural and social cont ext, and also to the process of building the music repertoire and the differences that depend on the type of instrument ensembles (string bands, brass music).

Over the years the brass bands in the UK, and elsewhere, have appeared numerous times on screen, whether in feature films or on television programmes. In most cases they are small appearances fulfilling the role of a “local” band in the background or supporting a musical event in the plot of the drama. At other times band have a more central role in the production, featuring in a documentary or being a major part of the activity. This is a list of 450 such appearances, from 1931 to 2019.

Travelling musicians and entertainers had been a part of European life for centuries. In the German speaking countries of Europe during the German Empire there arose a large number of “Damen Kapellen”, troupes of musical and variety entertainers consisting largely of women, usually led by a man, and occasionally including males as players. This papers looks at the the brass ensembles which made up a significant proportion of these touring entertainment groups.

The musical contributions at the two international exhibitions in Scotland, at Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1886 and 1888 were detailed in two books written by Robert Marr. Both exhibitions featured many musical events and groups which were engaged to entertain and educate the thousands of people that streamed through the doors each day. From Marr's copious descriptions about the wider musical performers and events I have extracted the details of the visiting and competing brass bands, using his notes, and have included roughly contemporary pictures of those that are available. In addition to bands, orchestras and choirs performing concerts throughout the Exhibitions, there were a series of contests, including two at each exhibition for brass bands – one limited to Scottish bands, the other open to all. The contest results in Marr's books have been expanded using contemporary newspaper reports.

Nettie Goff was an African-American trombone soloist and actress who toured the eastern and southern USA with a number of different minstrel shows in the 1890's and 1900's. With her husband, Will Garland, she also undertook various European tours.

The South Street Mission was located in Macbeth Street, Hammersmith, Middlesex and was founded in 1901 by Sister Lizzie (d. 1949). The band was founded in May 1909, and was active through to the mid-1950s, competing in a few contests in its later years.

Since Ottoman times, Romani musicians in the Balkans have monopolized the professional performance of music Silverman 2007). Despite the historical stigma surrounding this profession in the region (Sugarman 2003), Roma have used musical performance to enhance their economic and sociocultural status. Romani entertainers through the centuries have developed, maintained, and spread musical repertoires of diverse ethnic and confessional communities, and as such popular stereotypes and discourses in the Balkans even today strongly link Roma to musical performance. Specifically, stereotypes of the inherent abilities and genetic predisposition of Roma for musical performance both reinforce their domination of this musical niche and reproduce the specific power relations that inform patronclient relations in performance contexts van de Port 1999). As Romani musical skills become increasingly famous on the World Music market, the connections between Romani identity and musical performance are imbibed with even more complex meanings as musicians attempt to expand their economic and social prospects in new potential performance contexts (Silverman 2007). Romani brass music from southern Serbia and Macedonia, in particular, is at the center of the growing craze for Balkan Romani beats on a global scale.

From 1852 to the end of the 19th century, this band was one of a number of successful initiatives providing education, training and recreation for the employees of the Press. It was one of a small group of brass bands associated with the publishing industry.

During the Second World War various civil defence forces were established, in particular the Home Guard. Many of these had brass bands associated with them, with members partially or entirely from local bands. This paper gives details of more than 150 such bands that supported the Home Guard and other forces during parades, various military engagements, and also entertained the local population.

Brass bands in the Africa have been in existence since the 19th century after the various colonial powers had established their presence across the continent. The history of such bands is very sketchy and limited, and the small amount of information I have collected so far is presented here. I hope that future researchers will be able to open up much more of this hidden history.

Professor Nicolae Gheorghiță's Musical Crossroads examines a series of diverse and wide-ranging musical topics that takes us from the sacred to the secular and back again. Accessible, engagingly written and well illustrated, the book provides a fascinating cultural cross-section of carefully chosen topics that present familiar subjects from a novel perspective. For Western readers, Gheorghiță introduces us to the cultural richness of a neglected part of the world. All in all, Musical Crossroads is a welcome and auspiciously timed contribution to musical scholarship. It is a must-read for those who wish to broaden their horizons and will be an essential acquisition for every library collection.

| pages 695 à 706 Pour citer cet article : — Prévôt N., La Macédoine en fanfare, Ethnologie française 2001/2, Tome XXXVII, p. 695-706. Distribution électronique Cairn pour les Presses Universitaires de France. © Presses Universitaires de France. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays. La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.

En las últimas décadas se ha observado un aumento del interés por
los efectos del sonido en el espacio urbano y su población. Notas
discordantes lleva esta investigación en una novedosa y esencial
dirección al analizar los modos en que la música callejera y el
mapa sonoro de Madrid supusieron un reto al orden social y
económico, promoviendo el desarrollo de nuevas formas de control
social. Llano sostiene que, «lejos de ser un epifenómeno social,
la música popular y la música callejera han jugado un papel
fundamental en la modernización y refinamiento de la legislación
y el control social de las modernas sociedades urbanas».

Madrid experimentó turbulentos cambios socio-políticos durante el
siglo xix y principios del xx debido al rápido crecimiento urbano
y al desarrollo de nuevas clases sociales. Los intentos oficiales
por controlar ese desarrollo a través de una legislación que,
bajo la bandera de la asistencia al pobre o el freno a la
delincuencia y el alcoholismo, privilegiara la conformación de
una ‘clase media’, llevó a la aplicación de una ‘higiene
auditiva’ en la que ciertas manifestaciones sonoras comenzaron a
considerarse peligrosas mientras otras se consideraban garantes
del orden. Desde este punto de partida, Samuel Llano analiza, por
ejemplo, los ataques al flamenco que supusieron iniciativas como
el Concurso de Cante Jondo de Granada (promovido por Lorca y
Falla) o la obra ‘antiflamenquista’ de Eugenio Noel, la
criminalización del organillero o las tareas de ‘inserción
social’ a través de las bandas de música de las instituciones de
confinamiento que eran los asilos.

A partir de un exhaustivo expurgo en archivos municipales, prensa
y revistas políticas y culturales, así como de varios
análisis (como el del Concurso de Cante Jondo de Granada) que en
muchos aspectos resultan muy provocadores, Notas discordantes
proporciona una esclarecedora perspectiva sobre los efectos del
sonido en la formación de la ciudad moderna, así como de la
estratificación social que hoy día es ya dominante.

Delirium's rendition of the Bollywood song "Choli ke Peeche" (1993), as crescendoing screams accompany the drummers to the final hit. But occasionally there is a South Asian audience member that seems to register a look of surprise and appreciation to see a predominantly white band in San Francisco interpret one of the most risqué and most controversial songs in Bollywood history. On tour in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2015, mass euphoria ensued during Mission Delirium's reprise of "Feira de Mangaio," a classic Brazilian forró from the northeast, beloved throughout the country. Though predominantly a party band, our band's choice to support immigrants' rights rallies in Los Angeles with cumbia and salsa tunes at the height of Trump's policy of separating immigrant children from parents seemed well appreciated by the mostly Latinx protestors.

There have been many estimates of the number of brass bands over the years. These have ranged widely and, in most cases, were greatly exaggerated. My research to date has identified nearly 20,000 distinct brass bands which existed in the British Isles between 1800 and the present. This is not a final figure and, although there are many bands still to unearth, I would be surprised if there were more than 2,000 to 3,000 to be added, based on my research experiences.

During the 1890s and early parts of the 20th century a type of band arose using kazoo-type instruments. Zobo instruments, based on kazoo principles, were invented and developed in the USA in the early 1890s, rapidly becoming a new craze for a while. When the instruments spread to the UK the bands that were formed using them were largely "comic" bands, created ad hoc for galas and festivals, and occasionally having a more long-term existence, to entertain the public and raise money for charity.