In Britain, a brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardized 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 communities and local industry, with colliery bands being particularly notable. The Stalybridge Old Band was formed in 1809 and was perhaps the first civilian brass band in the world.
The 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. Along with the Black Dyke Mills Band, the band became the first to perform at the Proms. Grimethorpe Band achieved worldwide fame after appearing in the film Brassed Off.
The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band is a British brass band formed in 1881. The band is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. The band is known across the world, and is regarded by many as the best and most consistent "public subscription band" in the world. They were the 2022 British Open champions, the current Brass in Concert, and Saddleworth Whit Friday champions, and were voted 2022 4Barsrest Band of the Year. The band are regarded as one of the finest brass bands in history, and are in high demand across the globe.
David Thornton is a British solo euphonium player for the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band.
Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen is a Norwegian contemporary composer.
The Family Way is a soundtrack album composed by Paul McCartney, produced and arranged by George Martin, and credited to "the George Martin Orchestra". Released on Decca Records in January 1967 under the full title The Family Way , it is the soundtrack to the 1966 film The Family Way, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Hayley Mills. It consists of Martin's arrangements of music composed by Paul McCartney of the Beatles especially for the project. The record was preceded by a non-album single, again credited to the George Martin Orchestra, issued on 23 December 1966 by United Artists Records and comprising "Love in the Open Air" backed with "Theme from 'The Family Way'".
Harry Mortimer was an English composer and conductor who specialised in brass band music, one of the foremost cornet players of his era.
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting primarily 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, but may be more correctly termed military bands, concert bands, or "brass and reed" bands.
Rothwell Temperance Band (RTB) are a Championship Section brass band in Yorkshire. Although they do not rehearse in Rothwell itself, they have strong connections with the town and hold many concerts for the local community.
Roger Webster is an English cornetist and psychologist. He has been acclaimed as one of the world's best ever "Rogers Mum"cornetists. He also teaches performance at the Royal Northern College of Music as well as giving lectures on psychology. Webster has played with some of the world's best brass bands.
The euphonium repertoire consists of solo literature and parts in band or, less commonly, orchestral music written for the euphonium. Since its invention in 1843, the euphonium has always had an important role in ensembles, but solo literature was slow to appear, consisting of only a handful of lighter solos until the 1960s. Since then, however, the breadth and depth of the solo euphonium repertoire has increased dramatically.
The Georgia Brass Band was conceived by co-founders Joe Johnson and Christopher Priest in the spring of 1999. It is a traditional British brass band. The band performed its first concert in September of that year and has maintained a very busy schedule ever since. Band members are selected by audition or invitation and include some of the finest musicians in the Atlanta area.
Since its establishment in 1885, The Salvation Army's Brisbane City Temple Corps has used music to convey its gospel message and attract new people to its meetings. At the forefront of this ministry for 130 years has been the Brisbane City Temple Band. Having toured nationally and internationally as well as performing on ABC Radio, the Temple Band has served its corps, community and city well.
The Vernon Building Society (Poynton) Brass Band is a brass band from Poynton in Cheshire, England. As one of the North–West's premiere brass bands, Vernon Building Society (Poynton) Band is well known for its original and entertaining concert programmes, as well as being a prize–winner at contests throughout the country.
The Harrogate Band is a brass band based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England and was 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 with strong community links who can provide music for any occasion. The Band have appeared on television many times on programmes such as Heartbeat, Escape to the Country, The One Show. Grayson Perry All Man (2016) Season 1 Episode 1. In 2016, the band was presented with the Sash award.
Callender's Cableworks Band was an amateur brass band made up of members employed by and under the patronage of Erith Works at the Callender Cable & Construction Co. Ltd, later British Insulated Callender's Cables, in Belvedere, Kent, and performing in London and south-east England. They were prolific broadcasters in the early years of BBC Radio, and won 25 brass band competitions.
Nicholas John Childs is a Welsh musician, conductor, composer and brass educator.
Alexander Owen was an English brass band conductor, arranger and cornet player. It was said that he "bestrode the banding world for over 50 years."
Peter Aloysius Meechan is a British composer, conductor, and music publisher.
James Shepherd was an English cornet player from Northumbria, described as one of the world's most respected players of the instrument, having won the Championship Soloist of Great Britain Prize in three consecutive years (1962-4). He was principal cornet of Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band from 1960 to 1963, then the Black Dyke Band from 1963 to 1973, before forming a brass ensemble, James Shepherd Versatile Brass, which he led until 1989. He was also principal cornet of the Virtuosi Brass Band, a recording ensemble assembled by Eric Ball.
