Brass band
Encyclopedia
A brass band is a musical ensemble
generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands (particularly in the context of New Orleans-style brass bands), but are usually more correctly termed military band
s, concert band
s, wind bands or 'brass and reed' bands.
when trumpeters in the military
transposed Folk music
during harsh times. It is popular throughout the Balkans
, especially Serbia
, Macedonia
and Bulgaria
. The beats
are usually fast and accompanied by kolo (dance)
. The performers each have their instrument of the orchestra
and are called trubači (трубачи). The best known examples of acclaimed music in this style are from Goran Bregović
and Boban Marković Orkestar
. The Serbian film maker
Emir Kusturica
has, through his films (Black Cat, White Cat
), made the style popular in the international community outside the Balkans.
A brass band in the British tradition with a full complement of 28 players (plus percussion) consists of:
With the exception of the trombones, all of the brass are conical-bore instruments, which gives the British-style brass band its distinctive bright, mellow sound (as opposed to a dark symphonic sound). All parts apart from the Bass Trombone and percussion are now written in Treble Clef.
Brass bands have a long tradition of competition between bands, often based around local industry and communities. In the 1930s brass bands thrived most with around 20,000 brass bands in the U.K. British-style brass bands are widespread throughout Great Britain
, Australia
, New Zealand
, Norway
and continental Europe
and are also found in North America
. Annual competitions are held in these countries to select champion bands at various levels of musical competence.
The Salvation Army
, part of the Christian church, has deployed brass bands since 1878 and they continue to be an integral part of that organisation. The most well-known Salvation Army brass band is The International Staff Band which is based in London. Salvation Army
bands vary considerably in size and complement as they are based on the local personnel available, some being as small as 6-8 members. The cornet section of a Salvation Army
band does not include a 'Repiano' and instead of 2nd & 3rd cornets there are 1st & 2nd cornets. A Salvation Army
band may have 3-6 tenor horns, 2-4 baritones and 2-6 tenor trombones. Salvation Army
bands have a local tradition of training children in brass playing from an early age (starting at 7–8 years old). In larger Salvation Army churches there will often be a Junior Band for children (7–18 years old) as well as a Senior Band for adults.
The tradition of brass bands in New Orleans, Louisiana
dates to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Traditionally, New Orleans brass bands could feature various instrumentations, often including trumpet
s, trombone
s, saxophone
s, sousaphone
s and percussion
. The music played by these groups was often a fusion between European-styled military band
music and African folk music
brought to the Americas by west African slaves and the idiom played a significant role in the development of traditional jazz
. Early brass bands include the Eureka Brass Band
, the Onward Brass Band
, the Excelsior Brass Band
, the Tuxedo Brass Band
, the Young Tuxedo Brass Band
, the Camelia Brass Band
, and the Olympia Brass Band
.
The Treme Brass Band
, while not as old, has members who have been influential throughout New Orleans Brass Band music, as well as being renowned in its own right.
A well-known use of these bands is for the New Orleans jazz funeral
.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the New Orleans brass band tradition experienced a renaissance, with bands breaking away from traditional stylings and adding elements of funk
, hip hop
, and bop to their repertoires. Some notable exponents of this style of brass band include the Rebirth Brass Band
, the Stooges Brass Band, the Soul Rebels Brass Band, Youngblood Brass Band
and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band
. Also, a number of groups outside the United States
have begun playing this style of music.
The style of the music is often characterized by the use of the sousaphone
in place of a bass
to play the bass-line. The sousaphone may play a traditional jazz walking bass-line or groove on a riff. Trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and other horns play melodies and harmonies loosely over the bass-line. Often the lines are greatly embellished with improvisation. A typical setup includes two percussionists, one playing a marching snare drum and another playing a bass drum and a cymbal. Many variations on this exist, including the use of additional percussionists, cymbals, drums and whistles.
The style has moved beyond New Orleans and can now be found in such places as Japan with the Black Bottom Brass Band; the Netherlands with the Happy Feet and the Hurricane
brass bands; Phoenix, Arizona
with the Bad Cactus Brass Band; Boston, Massachusetts with the Hot Tamale Brass Band
; Minnesota
with the Jack Brass Band; Missouri
with the Funky Butt Brass Band; Georgia
with the Half Dozen Brass Band; Cincinnati, Ohio
with The Cincy Brass; and Madison, Wisconsin
with the Mama Digdown's
and Youngblood
brass bands.
is the second oldest and only full-time municipal band in the United States. In recent generations, unique brass band traditions have also developed in Tonga
, Samoa
, and other parts of Polynesia, as well as among the Māori of New Zealand. Some recordings are now available and these styles are beginning to be researched and promoted abroad through band tours.
, in Catalonia, Spain. The organisation programs not only dixieland brass bands but also ethnic or world music brass bands from over the world, including the Dirty Dozen Brass Band
from the USA, Boban Marković
Orkestar from Serbia, the Jaipur Kawa Brass Band from India and Taraf Goulamas from Occitania
France.
In the United States the Great American Brass Band Festival
has been held annually in Danville, Kentucky
for the past 18 years. This event, held in early June, attracts brass band lovers from the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The North American Brass Band Association sponsors an annual convention that provides member bands with the opportunity to compete in a contest format similar to those conducted in the United Kingdom and Europe.
In Boston
, and Seattle a series of festivals called HONK!
bring together Street Brass Bands (and other related ensembles) from the United States and Canada, and some bands from other parts of the world. The groups presented include Balkan Brass Band
s, New Orleans brass bands, Political Action Bands, Klezmer
, and "DIY" Alternative / Radical Community Bands.
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands (particularly in the context of New Orleans-style brass bands), but are usually more correctly termed military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
s, concert band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
s, wind bands or 'brass and reed' bands.
Balkan
Balkan Brass Band is a distinctive style of music originating in 19th century SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
when trumpeters in the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
transposed Folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
during harsh times. It is popular throughout the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, especially Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The beats
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
are usually fast and accompanied by kolo (dance)
Kolo (dance)
Kolo , is a collective folk dance, danced primarily by people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. It is performed amongst groups of people holding each other's having their hands around each other's waists...
. The performers each have their instrument of the orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and are called trubači (трубачи). The best known examples of acclaimed music in this style are from Goran Bregović
Goran Bregovic
Goran Bregović is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Balkans. He currently splits his time between Paris and Belgrade, where he settled down during the Yugoslav Wars.Bregović has composed for such varied artists as Iggy Pop and Cesária Évora...
and Boban Marković Orkestar
Boban Markovic
Boban Marković is a Serbian Romani trumpet player and brass ensemble leader from Vladičin Han, frequently recognized as the greatest trumpet player to emerge from the Balkans...
. The Serbian film maker
Cinema of Serbia
The Cinema of Serbia comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of Serbia or by Serbian filmmakers abroad.Serbia has been home to many internationally acclaimed films and directors.-Serbian theatre and cinema:Serbia has a well-established theatrical tradition with many...
Emir Kusturica
Emir Kusturica
Emir Nemanja Kusturica , is a Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician, recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films...
has, through his films (Black Cat, White Cat
Black Cat, White Cat
Black Cat, White Cat is a 1998 Yugoslav romantic comedy film directed by Emir Kusturica. It won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival....
), made the style popular in the international community outside the Balkans.
British-style
- 1 Soprano CornetSoprano cornetThe soprano cornet is a brass instrument that is very similar to the standard B cornet. It is a transposing instrument in E, pitched higher than the standard B cornet....
in E - 8-10 CornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
s in B (in separate parts for 'Solo', 'Repiano', 2nd and 3rd cornets; there are 4/5 players on the 'Solo' part, one 'Repiano', two 2nd, and two 3rd) - 1 FlugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
in B (notated on the same part as the 'Repiano' in some older music) - 3 HornAlto hornThe alto horn is a brass instrument pitched in E...
s in E (called Solo, 1st and 2nd) - 2 BaritoneBaritone hornThe baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
s in B (Each with separate parts) - 2 Tenor Trombones (notated in B, playing separate parts)
- 1 Bass Trombone (the only brass instrument in the band notated in Concert PitchConcert pitchConcert pitch refers to the pitch reference to which a group of musical instruments are tuned for a performance. Concert pitch may vary from ensemble to ensemble, and has varied widely over musical history...
(C), rather than in B or E) - 2 EuphoniumEuphoniumThe euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
s in B (Usually playing the same part with divisi sections) - 4 TubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
s (2 in E and 2 in B; often called Basses) - 2 or 3 percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
players (with 2 or more timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, snare drumSnare drumThe snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
, triangleTriangle (instrument)The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...
, cymbalCymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, a drum kitDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and more)
With the exception of the trombones, all of the brass are conical-bore instruments, which gives the British-style brass band its distinctive bright, mellow sound (as opposed to a dark symphonic sound). All parts apart from the Bass Trombone and percussion are now written in Treble Clef.
Brass bands have a long tradition of competition between bands, often based around local industry and communities. In the 1930s brass bands thrived most with around 20,000 brass bands in the U.K. British-style brass bands are widespread throughout Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
and are also found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Annual competitions are held in these countries to select champion bands at various levels of musical competence.
The Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, part of the Christian church, has deployed brass bands since 1878 and they continue to be an integral part of that organisation. The most well-known Salvation Army brass band is The International Staff Band which is based in London. Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
bands vary considerably in size and complement as they are based on the local personnel available, some being as small as 6-8 members. The cornet section of a Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
band does not include a 'Repiano' and instead of 2nd & 3rd cornets there are 1st & 2nd cornets. A Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
band may have 3-6 tenor horns, 2-4 baritones and 2-6 tenor trombones. Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
bands have a local tradition of training children in brass playing from an early age (starting at 7–8 years old). In larger Salvation Army churches there will often be a Junior Band for children (7–18 years old) as well as a Senior Band for adults.
New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
dates to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Traditionally, New Orleans brass bands could feature various instrumentations, often including trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s, sousaphone
Sousaphone
The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried...
s and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. The music played by these groups was often a fusion between European-styled military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
music and African folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
brought to the Americas by west African slaves and the idiom played a significant role in the development of traditional jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. Early brass bands include the Eureka Brass Band
Eureka Brass Band
The Eureka Brass Band was a brass band from New Orleans, active from 1920 to 1975.The group was founded by trumpeter Willie Wilson, and its early members included clarinetists Willie Parker, John Casimir, and George Lewis...
, the Onward Brass Band
Onward Brass Band
The Onward Brass Band was the name of two brass bands active in New Orleans for extended periods of time.-Onward Brass Band :This incarnation of the Onward Brass Band played often in its early history at picnics, festivals, parades, and baseball games...
, the Excelsior Brass Band
Excelsior Brass Band
The Excelsior Brass Band was a brass band from New Orleans. It was one of the earliest recognized brass bands on the New Orleans jazz scene.The Excelsior was founded in 1879 by Théogène Baquet, who led it until 1904; following this it was led by George Moret and then Peter Bocage, who led it from...
, the Tuxedo Brass Band
Tuxedo Brass Band
The Tuxedo Brass Band, sometimes called the Original Tuxedo Brass Band, was one of the most highly regarded brass bands of New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1910s and 1920s....
, the Young Tuxedo Brass Band
Young Tuxedo Brass Band
The Young Tuxedo Brass Band is a brass band from New Orleans, which was influential on the New Orleans jazz scene in the years after World War II....
, the Camelia Brass Band
Camelia Brass Band
The Camelia Brass Band was a brass band from New Orleans, founded by Wooden Joe Nicholas around 1917 or 1918....
, and the Olympia Brass Band
Olympia Brass Band
The Olympia Brass Band is a New Orleans jazz brass band.The first "Olympia Brass Band" was active from the late 19th century to around World War I...
.
The Treme Brass Band
Treme Brass Band
The Treme Brass Band is a marching brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana led by snare drummer Benny Jones, Sr. The band, which plays traditional New Orleans brass band music, features a shifting lineup that has included trumpeters Kermit Ruffins and James Andrews, tenor saxophonists Elliot Callier...
, while not as old, has members who have been influential throughout New Orleans Brass Band music, as well as being renowned in its own right.
A well-known use of these bands is for the New Orleans jazz funeral
Jazz funeral
Jazz funeral is a common name for a funeral tradition with music which developed in New Orleans, Louisiana.The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New Orleans musicians and practitioners of the tradition...
.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the New Orleans brass band tradition experienced a renaissance, with bands breaking away from traditional stylings and adding elements of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and bop to their repertoires. Some notable exponents of this style of brass band include the Rebirth Brass Band
Rebirth Brass Band
The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans brass band. The group was founded in 1982 by tuba/sousaphone player Philip Frazier, his brother, bass drummer, Keith Frazier and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, and other school marching band members from Joseph S. Clark Senior High School in New Orleans’ Tremé...
, the Stooges Brass Band, the Soul Rebels Brass Band, Youngblood Brass Band
Youngblood Brass Band
The Youngblood Brass Band is a brass band from Oregon, Wisconsin, United States that was started by students at Oregon High School in 1995 when they were known as the One Lard Biskit Brass Band with the name changed to the current name in 1998.-History:...
and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a New Orleans, Louisiana, brass band. The ensemble was established in 1977 by Benny Jones together with members of the Tornado Brass Band...
. Also, a number of groups outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have begun playing this style of music.
The style of the music is often characterized by the use of the sousaphone
Sousaphone
The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried...
in place of a bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
to play the bass-line. The sousaphone may play a traditional jazz walking bass-line or groove on a riff. Trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and other horns play melodies and harmonies loosely over the bass-line. Often the lines are greatly embellished with improvisation. A typical setup includes two percussionists, one playing a marching snare drum and another playing a bass drum and a cymbal. Many variations on this exist, including the use of additional percussionists, cymbals, drums and whistles.
The style has moved beyond New Orleans and can now be found in such places as Japan with the Black Bottom Brass Band; the Netherlands with the Happy Feet and the Hurricane
Hurricane Brass Band
The Hurricane Brass Band was a brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana. Established by Leroy Jones in 1974 when the Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band was disbanded, the group included Jones and Gregory Davis on trumpet, Darryl Adams on alto saxophone, and Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen on sousaphone...
brass bands; Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
with the Bad Cactus Brass Band; Boston, Massachusetts with the Hot Tamale Brass Band
Hot Tamale Brass Band
Hot Tamale Brass Band is a brass band that plays traditional New Orleans jazz, dixieland, jazz funeral and funky second line music. The band is based in the Boston area...
; Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
with the Jack Brass Band; Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
with the Funky Butt Brass Band; Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
with the Half Dozen Brass Band; Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
with The Cincy Brass; and Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
with the Mama Digdown's
Mama Digdown's Brass Band
Mama Digdown's Brass Band is an eight-piece American brass band from Madison, Wisconsin.-History:Mama Digdown's Brass Band was formed by two former University of Wisconsin-Madison music students, Eric Jacobson and Christopher Ohly. The group played its first shows in Madison, Wisconsin in 1993, at...
and Youngblood
Youngblood Brass Band
The Youngblood Brass Band is a brass band from Oregon, Wisconsin, United States that was started by students at Oregon High School in 1995 when they were known as the One Lard Biskit Brass Band with the name changed to the current name in 1998.-History:...
brass bands.
Polynesia
Founded in 1836 by King Kamehameha III, the Royal Hawaiian BandRoyal Hawaiian Band
The Royal Hawaiian Band is the oldest and only full-time municipal band in the United States. At present a body of the City & County of Honolulu, the Royal Hawaiian Band has been entertaining Honolulu residents and visitors since its inception in 1836 by Kamehameha III...
is the second oldest and only full-time municipal band in the United States. In recent generations, unique brass band traditions have also developed in Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, and other parts of Polynesia, as well as among the Māori of New Zealand. Some recordings are now available and these styles are beginning to be researched and promoted abroad through band tours.
Festivals around the world
One festival featuring brass bands is the Tarragona international dixieland festivalTarragona international dixieland festival
The Tarragona International Dixieland Festival was born in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1994, where since the restoration of democratic local governments jazz had been recovered as a stable form within the different cultural programmes during the year...
, in Catalonia, Spain. The organisation programs not only dixieland brass bands but also ethnic or world music brass bands from over the world, including the Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a New Orleans, Louisiana, brass band. The ensemble was established in 1977 by Benny Jones together with members of the Tornado Brass Band...
from the USA, Boban Marković
Boban Markovic
Boban Marković is a Serbian Romani trumpet player and brass ensemble leader from Vladičin Han, frequently recognized as the greatest trumpet player to emerge from the Balkans...
Orkestar from Serbia, the Jaipur Kawa Brass Band from India and Taraf Goulamas from Occitania
Occitania
Occitania , also sometimes lo País d'Òc, "the Oc Country"), is the region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken, and where it is sometimes still used, for the most part as a second language...
France.
In the United States the Great American Brass Band Festival
Great American Brass Band Festival
The Great American Brass Band Festival is a music festival held annually in Danville, Kentucky since 1990. The open-air festival features a wide variety of brass bands, a hot air balloon race, a picnic, and other activities...
has been held annually in Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
for the past 18 years. This event, held in early June, attracts brass band lovers from the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The North American Brass Band Association sponsors an annual convention that provides member bands with the opportunity to compete in a contest format similar to those conducted in the United Kingdom and Europe.
In Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Seattle a series of festivals called HONK!
HONK!
HONK! is a series of music festivals held in various cities across North America. These festivals showcase ambulatory, acoustic bands playing music in public spaces.-Description:...
bring together Street Brass Bands (and other related ensembles) from the United States and Canada, and some bands from other parts of the world. The groups presented include Balkan Brass Band
Balkan Brass Band
Balkan Brass Band or Chochek is a distinctive style of music originating in 19th century Serbia when trumpeters in the military transposed folk music during harsh times. It is popular throughout the Balkans, especially Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. The beats are usually fast and accompanied by...
s, New Orleans brass bands, Political Action Bands, Klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
, and "DIY" Alternative / Radical Community Bands.
See also
- Bestwood Welfare Black Diamonds Brass BandBestwood Welfare Black Diamonds Brass BandThe Bestwood Welfare Black Diamonds Brass Band, colloquially the Bestwood Black Diamonds , is an old and well-known brass band based in the village of Bestwood in the north of Nottingham....
- Black Dyke Mills BandBlack Dyke BandThe Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best-known brass bands in the world. The band has won many prizes and competitions over the years...
- Brass Band BuizingenBrass Band BuizingenBrass Band Buizingen are based in the town of Halle outside of Brussels in Belgium and was founded in 1975.Brass Band Buizingen became a traditional brass band after the switch from fanfare band. In 1997 their achievements were recognised with their nomination as Cultural Ambassador of Flanders...
- Brass quintetBrass quintetA brass quintet is a five-piece musical ensemble composed of brass instruments. The most common instrumentation is two trumpets or cornets, one horn, one trombone or euphonium/baritone horn, and one tuba or bass trombone....
- Brighouse and Rastrick Brass BandBrighouse and Rastrick Brass BandThe Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. It is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.-History:The Brighouse and Rastrick Band is regarded by many as the best and most consistent ‘public subscription band’ in the world...
- Foden's BandFoden's BandFoden's Band is a brass band from Sandbach in Cheshire. The band derives its name from the Foden manufacturer of trucks in Sandbach...
- Grimethorpe Colliery BandGrimethorpe Colliery BandThe Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band, based in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, England. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band...
- The Harrogate BandThe Harrogate BandThe Harrogate Band are a brass band based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England and were formed in 1970. They perform regularly in the local area and compete nationally in the 1st Section. The band are one of North Yorkshire's premier brass bands and are seen as a progressive and versatile band...
- International Staff BandInternational Staff BandThe International Staff Band is the premier brass band of The Salvation Army.-History:The Salvation Army history generally acknowledges 7 October 1891, the date on which Commissioner Bramwell Booth brought the 'International Headquarters Staff Band' into being, as the official starting point for...
of the Salvation Army - Leyland BandLeyland BandThe Leyland Band is a brass band based in Lancashire in the UK.-History:The Leyland Band was established in 1946 in the heart of industrial Lancashire as the Leyland Motors Band, taking its name from the world famous truck and bus company...
- Maidenhead Citadel BandMaidenhead Citadel BandMaidenhead Citadel Band is a Salvation Army Band and part of the Maidenhead Corps of The Salvation Army. For over 120 years the band has consistently contributed to the worship and evangelical outreach promoted by the Maidenhead Corps in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.-Brief...
of the Salvation Army - Marching bandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
- Reg Vardy BandReg Vardy BandThe Reg Vardy Band is a brass band based in North East England.-Craghead Colliery Band:The Band was formed in 1910 as the Craghead Colliery Band to provide recreational activity for the miners in the village of Craghead, County Durham. In the early early 1950s a young gentlman named Eric Cunningham...
- North York Temple Band of The Salvation Army
- Silver bands in County Fermanagh
- Tapton Youth Brass BandTapton Youth Brass BandTapton Youth Brass Band is a brass band formed in 1994 in Sheffield, England as the Tapton School band. Its musical director is Pat Phillips. It now attracts interest from outside the School and is known as Tapton Youth Brass Band....
- Music of TongaMusic of Tonga- History :Tonga was discovered by European explorers in 1616. Early visitors, such as Captain Cook in the 1770s, and William Mariner in the 19th century, describe traditional dance performances featuring singing and drumming....
- Music of SamoaMusic of SamoaThe music of Samoa is integral to life in the country. The most important and essential avenue has always been the voice. Singers mourn, rejoice, and reflect every emotion. The past, present, and sometimes the near future are put to song...
- Music of PolynesiaMusic of PolynesiaPolynesia is a group of island chains spread across much of the Pacific Ocean, and includes many countries and territories. Internationally, Polynesian music is mostly associated with twinkling guitars and grass skirts, Hawaiian hula and other tourist-friendly forms of music...
- Māori musicMaori musicTe Pūoro Māori or Māori Music is music composed or performed by Māori, the native people of New Zealand, and includes a wide variety of folk music styles, often integrated with poetry and dance, as well as modern rock and roll, soul, reggae and hip hop....
- BurabanBurabanBuraban is a popular Japanese slang term for wind ensemble or concert band. Historically, the term is derived from the English "brass band", which is pronounced "burasubando" in Japanese...
- Chalk Farm Band of the Salvation Army
- The City of Wolverhampton Brass BandThe City of Wolverhampton Brass Band- A Brief History :The City of Wolverhampton Brass Band Was formed in 1972 and initially based at Wolverhampton Grammar School, in Wolverhampton, UK. The Wolverhampton Brass Band was organised and conducted by Mr. A Power who was then a brass instrument tutor based at the grammar school...
- Lanner and District Silver BandLanner and District Silver BandThe Lanner & District Silver Band is a brass band based in Lanner, Cornwall, United Kingdom, and an important part of village life.-History:The original Lanner & District Silver Band was formed in the Cornish village of Lanner in the mid 1890's...
- Banda MusicBanda musicBanda is a brass-based form of traditional music. Bandas play a wide variety of songs, including rancheras, corridos, cumbias, baladas, and boleros. Bandas are most widely known for their rancheras, but they also play modern Mexican pop, rock, and cumbias...
- Onchan Silver BandOnchan Silver BandThe Onchan Silver Band is a community-based fourth section band based on the Isle of Man.- Early years :The formation of the Onchan Silver Band was first proposed on Monday 4 January 1937 at a public meeting held in St Peter's parish hall, Onchan. The essential components required were a keen...
- Helston Town BandHelston Town BandHelston Town Band is a brass band in the Cornish town of Helston.-History:Helston Town Band has a rich history, which can be traced back to the turn of the century; there are members of the current band whose family connections extend back four generations...
- Vena Mills Band
- Hungry March BandHungry March BandThe Hungry March Band is a brass band with approximately 15 active musicians and performers. In performance, the group's size can vary from five to fifty: from an intimate quintet to a giant entourage of musicians, dancers, baton twirlers, hula hoopers, and second-liners...
- HONK!HONK!HONK! is a series of music festivals held in various cities across North America. These festivals showcase ambulatory, acoustic bands playing music in public spaces.-Description:...
- Brass Instruments
- Eastern Iowa Brass BandEastern Iowa brass bandMade up of dedicated, amateur musicians the Eastern Iowa Brass Band is dedicated to the performance of brass band literature in the style and tradition of the British brass bands which date back to the early nineteenth century and still flourish today....
- Tarragona international dixieland festivalTarragona international dixieland festivalThe Tarragona International Dixieland Festival was born in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1994, where since the restoration of democratic local governments jazz had been recovered as a stable form within the different cultural programmes during the year...
in Catalonia, Spain. - Central Park BrassCentral Park BrassCentral Park Brass is a performing Quintet formed in 2002 to play an annual series of brass chamber music concerts in New York City’s Central Park....
- Flowers Brass BandFlowers Brass BandThe Flowers Band is an English brass band, based in Gloucester-History:The Flowers Band, based in Gloucester, is now in its 40th year. It was formed as a result of the disbandment of the Royal Gloucester Hussars Brass Band. After negotiation with the Ministry of Defence, the instruments were...
- Triangle Brass Band
Brass band composers
- Adrian Drover
- Alan Fernie
- Bram Tovey
- Brian Bowen
- Bruce Fraser
- Darrol Barry
- Dean Goffin
- Dean Jones
- Derek Bourgeois
- Derek Broadbent
- Edward GregsonEdward GregsonEdward Gregson is an English composer of international standing, whose music has been performed, broadcast, and recorded worldwide. He was born in Sunderland, England, in 1945. He studied composition and piano at the Royal Academy of Music from 1963-7, winning five prizes for composition...
- Eric BallEric Ball (composer)Eric Walter John Ball was an English composer and conductor of brass band music.-Selected compositions:*The Triumph of Peace*The Kingdom Triumphant*The Eternal Presence*Journey Into Freedom*The King of Kings...
- Erik Leidzen
- George Allen
- Goff RichardsGoff RichardsGoff Richards , sometimes credited as Godfrey Richards, was a prominent English brass band arranger and composer. He was born in Cornwall, studying at the Royal College of Music and Reading University. Between 1976 and 1989, he lectured in arranging and at Salford College of Technology. He was the...
- Gordon LangfordGordon LangfordGordon Langford is an English composer, arranger and performer. Although well known in the brass band community as a composer and arranger, he is less well known as a composer of orchestral music, despite winning an Ivor Novello award for his March from the Colour Suite in 1971.Born in Edgware,...
- Henry James MetcalfeHenry James MetcalfeHenry James Metcalfe was a bandmaster, composer and publisher of music for Brass band . He served in Ireland in a Depot Battalion of the 3rd Regiment of Foot, 'The Buffs', becoming bandmaster of its Bugle, Fife and Drum band...
- James McFadyen
- John McCabe
- Kenneth Downie
- Leslie Condon
- Marcus Venables
- Martin Cordner
- Martin EllerbyMartin EllerbyMartin Ellerby is an English composer. He was educated at the Royal College of Music, London, where he was taught by Joseph Horovitz....
- Nigel ClarkeNigel ClarkeNigel Clarke is a British composer and musician. He is a former head of composition and contemporary music at the London College of Music and Media....
- Norman Bearcroft
- Ørjan Matre
- Paul Lovatt-CooperPaul Lovatt-CooperPaul Lovatt-Cooper is "Composer in Association" of the Black Dyke Band of which he was also formerly a percussionist.Coming from a Salvation Army family, he studied music at the University of Salford...
- Peter Graham
- Peter Meechan
- Philip Harper
- Philip SparkePhilip SparkePhilip Sparke is a British composer and musician. He is noted for his concert band and brass band music.- Music for Winds :* 1973/1976 Gaudium* 1975 The Prizewinners for Brass-Band* 1978/1995 Fantasy for Euphonium...
- Philip WilbyPhilip WilbyPhilip Wilby is a British composer.Educated at Leeds Grammar School and Keble College, Oxford, he joined the staff at the University of Leeds in 1972...
- Ray Steadman-Allen
- Robert Redhead
- Rodney Newton
- Ted Huggens
- Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
- William Himes
- William Rimmer
- William F Saunders
Brass band publishers
- Adios Music
- Band Press VOF
- De Haske
- Devilish Publishing
- Elms Publishing
- Faber Music
- Gramercy Music
- JAGRINS
- Kantaramusik
- Kirklees Music
- Maverick Music
- PLC Music
- Prima Vista Musikk
- Salvationist Publishing and Supplies
- SJS Music
- Studio Music
- Wright & Round
Brass band instrument manufacturers, historical and present
- C.G. Conn, Ltd. and ConnConn-SelmerConn-Selmer, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of concert band, marching band, and orchestral instruments. It is a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments and was formed after Steinway bought musical instrument manufacturers The Selmer Company and C.G. Conn.-Founding:In the late 1800s,...
- Boston Musical Instrument CompanyBoston Musical Instrument CompanyThe Boston Musical Instrument Company was an American manufacturer of brass band instruments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries located in Boston, Massachusetts.- Corporate History :...
- Graves and Sons
- E.G. Wright and Company
- Hall and Quinby
- E.A. CouturierE.A. CouturierErnst Albert Couturier was a cornet player, feature soloist/headline act on cornet, composer, inventor and brass band instrument manufacturer.- Life :...
- The Standard Band Instrument CompanyVega CompanyThe Vega Company was one of an illustrious group of musical instrument manufacturers trading in Boston, Massachusetts at the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries. The company first took shape in 1881 under the guidance of Swedish-born Julius Nelson, his brother Carl, and a...
- Boosey and Hawkes
- BessonBessonEtymology:In central France dialects the word "besson" or "bisson" means "twin" and comes from Latin adverb "bis" .Besson may refer to:* Besson , a manufacturer of brass instruments...
- Willson
- Hirsbrunner
- Antoine CourtoisAntoine CourtoisThe Antoine Courtois company was founded in Paris in 1789. The company's current name comes from the name of one of the founder's children who created the brand name in 1803. The company has been a leading manufacturer of brass instruments ever since, particularly saxophone, trumpet, cornet,...
- F.E. Olds
- J. W. YorkJames Warren YorkJames Warren York was a musician, businessman, business owner and musical instrument innovator. The "York tuba sound" is considered by most tubists to be the defining timbre of a quality instrument...
- F.A. ReynoldsF.A. Reynolds-Life:Foster Reynolds was born December 29, 1884, was married twice and had three children. His first Marriage to Frances Dean at the age of 18 lasted 31 years before ending in divorce. His second marriage to Myrtle Rozelle in the late 1940s lasted the remainder of his life...
- The Martin Band Instrument CompanyMartin Band Instrument CompanyThe Martin Band Instrument Company was a musical instrument manufacturer in Elkhart, Indiana.-John Henry Martin and the first Martin company:This company was actually the reappearance of a previous company. John Henry Martin The Martin Band Instrument Company was a musical instrument manufacturer...
- The Frank Holton Company
- The H.N. White Company (King Musical Instruments)
- Vincent Bach CorporationVincent Bach CorporationThe Vincent Bach Corporation was an American manufacturer of brass musical instruments that began early in the twentieth century and still exists as a subsidiary of Conn-Selmer. The company was founded in 1918 by Austrian-born trumpeter Vincent Schrotenbach .-Vincent Bach:Vincent Schrotenbach was...
- Blessing
- Jupiter Band InstrumentsJupiter Band InstrumentsJupiter Band Instruments, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. Jupiter was established by its Taiwanese parent company KHS in 1980.-History:...
- Yamaha Musical Instruments
- Smith Watkins
External links
- Brass Bands- Services for contacting bands and players worldwide
- 4barsrest- Up to date news and articles on the brass band scene
- IBEW- The complete information resource for brass bands worldwide
- British Bandsman magazine
- Brass Band Tube - All the latest Brass Band videos on the internet
- BrassBand.co.uk-Brass Band Sheet Music Search Engine
- Matt Sakakeeny-Tulane University musicologist has written extensively on New Orleans brass bands
- The Australian Newcastle Steelworks Band's London recordings, including the 'Honest Toil March' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia Registry in 2009
- The Newcastle Steelworks Band playing W. Rimmer’s 'Honest Toil March' on australianscreen online
- Stonehouse (Gloucestershire) Brass Band 1898