Brass Bands Business: 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 many more correctly termed military bands concert bands or “brass and reed” bands.
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1. Balkan
Balkan-style Brass Bands (Serbian Труба, trumpet) play a distinctive style of music originating in 19th century Balkans when Roma trumpeters influenced by Turkish marching bands transposed Folk music into brass.
It is popular throughout the Balkans especially Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Northern Greece.
The beats are usually fast and accompanied by kolo.
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.
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2. British-style
A brass band in the British tradition with a full complement of 28 players including percussion consists of:
- 1 Soprano cornetin E♭
- 9 Cornetsin B♭ (in separate parts for ‘Solo’, ‘Repiano’, 2nd and 3rd cornets; there are 4 players on the ‘Solo’ part, one Repiano, two 2nd, and two 3rd)
- 1 Flugel horn in B♭(notated on the same part as the ‘Repiano’ in some older music)
- 3 Tenor hornsin E♭ (called Solo, 1st and 2nd)
- 2 Baritone hornsin 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 Pitch (C) on Bass Clef
- ) 2 Euphoniumsin B♭ (usually playing the same part with devise sections)
- 4 Tubas(2 in E♭ and 2 in B♭, both notated in Treble Clef; often called Basses)
- 2 or 3 percussionplayers (with 2 or more timpani, glockenspiel, snare drum, triangle, cymbals, a drum kit and more)
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With the exception of the Trombones and Baritones.
All of the brass are conical-bore instruments.
Which gives the 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.
Note that despite its musical range, the alto horn in E♭ is traditionally called the tenor horn in any brass bands.
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 and Northern Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Norway.
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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 organization.
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.
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3. Low Countries
Fanfare orchestras are a type of brass band mainly found in Belgium and the Netherlands.
While several ensembles exist in Germany, France and Luxembourg.
Unlike British bands, they also sport saxophones.
There are fanfares affiliated to the military and civil fanfare orchestras which are an important element of cultural tradition in some areas.
In the second part of the 20th century, many British-style brass bands have been founded in the Low Countries as well, often as part of a musical association also including a fanfare orchestra or a concert band.
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4. New Orleans
The Spirit of New Orleans Brass Band performs at the French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, Louisiana, 11 April 2008.
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 trumpets, trombones, clarinets, saxophones, sousaphones, 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
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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 and second line parades.
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5. Hip-Hop and Funk
In the 1970s and 1980s, the New Orleans brass band tradition experienced a renaissance, with bands breaking away from traditional styling and adding elements of funk, hip hop, and bop to their repertoires.
Some notable exponents of this style of brass band include the band Def Generation.
Members of the next generation of Neville who created hip hop over live brass bands influencing,
Soul Rebels Brass Band,
Rebirth Brass Band,
The Stooges Brass Band,
The Hot 8 Brass Band,
The Lil Rascals Brass Band,
Youngblood Brass Band.
And the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
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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 Double bass to play the bass-line.
The sousaphone may play a traditional jazz walking bass-line or groove on a riff.
Trumpets
Trombones
Saxophones
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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 bass drum and a cymbal mounted on the drum.
And another playing a snare drum (the snare drummer often switches to a drum kit when not marching)
Many variations on this exist, including the use of additional percussionists, cymbals, drums, whistles and Scratch DJ’s.
The style has moved beyond New Orleans and can now be found in such places as Japan with the Black Bottom Brass Band
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Belgium with Brazzmatazz
The Netherlands with the Happy Feet
And the Hurricane brass bands
Scotland with the Criterion Brass Band
England with the Renegade Brass Band
Australia with the Horns of Leroy Brass Band
Phoenix, Arizona with the Bad Cactus Brass Band
Boston, Massachusetts with the Hot Tamale Brass Band
Hartford, CT with the Funky Dawgz Brass Band
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Tennessee with Half brass Minnesota with the Jack Brass Band
And the Dirty Shorts 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
Richmond,VA No BS! Brass brass bands.
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6. Polynesia
Founded in 1836 by King Kamehameha III, the Royal Hawaiian Band 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.
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7. Festivals and contests
One festival featuring brass bands is the Tarragona international dixieland festival 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, and 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 Vintage Band Festival occurs in Northfield, Minnesota every three years, with the next one scheduled for 1–4 June 2016.
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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.
The contest is typically late March to early April every year.
In Boston Seattle and Austin a series of festivals called HONK! Brings 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 Bands
New Orleans brass bands, Political Action Bands, Klezmer.
And “DIY” Alternative / Radical Community Bands.
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Check out the naming Lists
- Bestwood Welfare Black Diamonds Brass Band
- Black Dyke Band
- Brazzmatazz
- Brass Band Buizingen
- Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
- Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
- Central Park Brass
- Chalk Farm Band of the Salvation Army
- City of Oxford Silver Band
- Dublin Silver Band
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- Eastern Iowa Brass Band
- Foden’s Band
- Grimethorpe Colliery Band
- Helston Town Band
- Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
- Hot 8 Brass Band
- Hungry March Ban
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- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
- International Staff Band of the Salvation Army
- Kaohsiung Jin-Zan Brass Band
- Lanner and District Silver Band
- Lewis-Merthyr Band
- Leyland Band
- Maidenhead Citadel Band of the Salvation Army
- Mama Digdown’s Brass Band
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- Rebirth Brass Band
- Reg Vardy Band
- River City Brass Band
- Rode Hall Silver Band
- Soul Rebels Brass Band
- Stooges Brass Band
- Tapton Youth Brass Band
- The City of Wolverhampton Brass Band
- The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
- The Harrogate Band
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- The Ohio State University Marching Band
- The Original Pinettes Brass Band
- To Be Continued Brass Band
- Treme Brass Band
- Vernon Building Society (Poynton) Brass Band
- Virtuosi GUS Band
- Wellington Brass Band
- Worcester Concert Brass
- Youngblood Brass Band
- Yorkshire Imperial Band
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Brass Bands Business
Get to know the Brass bands names
- Bestwood Welfare Black Diamonds Brass Band
- Black Dyke Band
- Brazzmatazz
- Brass Band Buizingen
- Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
- Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
- Central Park Brass
- Chalk Farm Band of the Salvation Army
- City of Oxford Silver Band
- Dublin Silver Band
- Eastern Iowa Brass Band
- Foden’s Band
- Grimethorpe Colliery Band
- Helston Town Band
- Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
- Hot 8 Brass Band
- Hungry March Band
- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
- International Staff Band of the Salvation Army
- Kaohsiung Jin-Zan Brass Band
- Lanner and District Silver Band
- Lewis-Merthyr Band
- Leyland Band
- Maidenhead Citadel Band of the Salvation Army
- Mama Digdown’s Brass Band
- Rebirth Brass Band
- Reg Vardy Band
- River City Brass Band
- Rode Hall Silver Band
- Soul Rebels Brass Band
- Stooges Brass Band
- Tapton Youth Brass Band
- The City of Wolverhampton Brass Band
- The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
- The Harrogate Band
- The Ohio State University Marching Band
- The Original Pinettes Brass Band
- To Be Continued Brass Band
- Treme Brass Band
- Vernon Building Society (Poynton) Brass Band
- Virtuosi GUS Band
- Wellington Brass Band
- Worcester Concert Brass
- Youngblood Brass Band
- Yorkshire Imperial Band
Brass Bands Business
Know the Brass band composers
- Alex Lithgow
- Edward Gregson
- Eric Ball
- Goff Richards
- Gordon Langford
- Frederik Magle
- Henry James Metcalfe
- Herb Alpert
- John Philip Sousa
- Martin Ellerby
- Meredith Willson
- Nigel Clarke
- Paul Lovatt-Cooper
- Peter Graham
- Philip Harper
- Philip Sparke
- Philip Wilby
The brass banding tradition dates back to the early nineteenth century and England’s industrial revolution.
With increasing urbanization and shorter working hours, employees had more time to themselves.
Employers began to finance factory bands in an attempt to decrease the political activity with which the working classes seemed preoccupied during their leisure time.
Thus, the brass band tradition was born.
Since the founding of the brass band tradition, improved mechanical skills in the production of brass instruments and the rise in the number of music conservatories have helped fuel the expansion of the brass banding.
In Great Britain the rivalries of businesses and towns led to contests, now a large and formal series of annual contests culminating in The British Open. By 1860 there were more than 650 brass bands in England.
Brass bands in Great Britain today number in the thousands, many founded prior to 1900.
Two of the earliest bands survive to this day.
Bessies O’th Barn Brass Band and Black Dyke Brass Band.
In 1996 the British movie Brassed Off introduced brass banding to new audiences throughout the world.
Originally in Great Britain, bands were funded by coal mines, mills and factories.
Many bands retain their business sponsorship to this day.
The bands were comprised of non-professional musicians who were employed at the sponsoring company.
Today brass bands in Great Britain and across the world follow the tradition of being all-volunteer.
Some bands have corporate, business or private sponsors but most rely on donations, fees, grants and fund-raising events.
Brass bands are popular in Japan, Australia and New Zealand; and in recent years have gained a renewed popularity in Europe.
Although brass bands were an important part of nineteenth century life in America.
They were superseded by larger concert and marching bands, and the popular drum and bugle corps.
In the United States the Salvation Army was primarily responsible for maintaining the brass band tradition through the years.
Outstanding American brass bands can be found functioning as the New York Staff Band, Chicago Staff Band, Southern Territorial Band, National Capital Band, Pasadena Tabernacle Band, and Tustin Ranch Band.
Lately there has been a resurgence of interest in brass banding.
Today there are dozens of brass bands developing and performing in America.
In 1983 the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) held its first brass band competition, and that the contest continues to this day drawing bands from all over the nation.
What makes the brass band unique is the instrumentation.
The scoring of the parts only in treble clef (with the exception of the bass trombone)
And the wide repertoire which ranges from orchestral works and featured solos to marches, jazz, big band, blues, novelty numbers and hymns.
The instrumentation has evolved over the years to the current composition of cornets, flugelhorn, tenor horns, baritones, euphoniums, trombones, B-flat and E-flat basses plus percussion.
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