British Brass Bands

[ubq]

Dear Netters!

I'm a big fan of the British Brass Band "system" or tradition. I think the level they play is incredible high. However I dont know how bands works. Are all the players professional musicians (or music is "only" their hobby?) ? I'm relly courios how they can hold a such a high level of performance and winning competitions. For example I've recently checked out a youtube video of the Desford Colliery Band from 1985-86 (Steven Mead playing first euphonium!!!!) playing West Side Story, and its just fantastic.... What makes people work so hard (if they arent professional musicians), and how do they have the time, etc.. needed to reach such a high level of playing?

Please if you know more about the British Brass Bands share your knowledge with me! Very much appreciated!

Thank you!

[peter birch]

there are some, but not very many professional players in brass bands in the UK. Banding is an amateur pursuit, there are several explanations around for the brass band, one of which is that it was one of the mechanisms for the social control of men in industrial Britain - if you were at band practice, you were not out drinking or chasing other women. if you missed practice, your mate would tell his wife, who would then tell your wife and you then faced the consequences.
Some bands were sponsored by large employers, most notably the coal mines or cotton mill in Northern England, and that link is remembered in the names of some of the bands today, despite the passing of the industries. In the Salvation Army, membership of the band depends on being a member of the church, and being able to finance the costs of uniforms instruments and music. Tuition is passed from one generation to the next, and as playing has improved so more professional instruction is on offer, up to and including university level and beyond.
Speaking for myself, I started learning when I was 7 years old, and have continued learning for over 40 years, my career has been in nursing, and latterly in the healthcare industry, I have helped to raise a family in the time and maintaining a level of musicianship has involved some dedication, quite a bit of compromise and a determination to do it with the support of people around me.

[ken k]

There is a growing movement in the US for this type of band.

See http://www.NABBA.org" target="_blank" target="_blank for more info.

North American Brass Band Association

I play in a BB from Lancaster PA and I know thre are many others on this site who play in brass bands

http://www.lancasterbbb.org" target="_blank" target="_blank

lots 'o fun and challenging music

ken k

[Steve Marcus]

What makes people work so hard (if they arent professional musicians)...needed to reach such a high level of playing?

It is, in fact, the challenge of the music and the opportunity for tuba and euphonium players to master parts that are much more sophisticated than those composed for other ensembles that constitute the real joy and satisfaction of playing in a brass band.

Philip Sparke, Martin Ellerby, Peter Graham, and many more fine composers have written music specifically for brass band that is fascinating. The test pieces essentially are 12-17 minute "tone poems."

For BBb Bass players, brass band parts can exploit the extreme low range of the tuba more than any other ensemble.

For some, there are extra-musical elements that attract them to brass banding: the competitions, the social element, the elbow bending with appropriate brew...

[Carroll]

It is becoming much more prevalent in the states... and not just North and Mid-West. There is a new pro brass band in Crossville (I get to play my baritone - not euphonium - in that one), one that was in the Chattanooga area, one in Asheville, one in Lexington, one in North Georgia, one in Huntsville, and one trying to form in Nashville. There are also very fine bands in Central Florida and the Carolina Triangle region. Those are just the ones that immediately come to mind. Go check one out!

[imperialbari]

Who sponsor the professional brass bands? Which are the obligations for the bands?

Klaus

[peter birch]

Who sponsor the professional brass bands? Which are the obligations for the bands?

Klaus

brass bands in the UK are mainly amateur (some may use that word in the same way that Olympic athletes are "amateur").
Other can probably speak to the history better than me, but in the 1920s the St.Hildas colliery band decribed itself as a professional band after the coal mine closed and was barred from competitions, and finally disbanded in the late 1930s.

the main obligations are to turn up to rehearsals and concerts, pay your subscriptions, and practice, practice,practice

[Alex C]

It is, in fact, the challenge of the music and the opportunity for tuba and euphonium players to master parts that are much more sophisticated than those composed for other ensembles that constitute the real joy and satisfaction of playing in a brass band.

The most technically challenging music I have ever played on tuba was in brass band championship competition music. No other performing venue comes close. You can compare some of the parts to the John Williams Tuba Concerto in technical demands... God knows what the cornets had to contend with.

The biggest disadvantage to brass band is the rigid adhearence to tradition. Composers are limited, some would say "challenged," to write for the traditional brass band of 26 musicians with traditional instrumentation.
The Brass Band of Battle Creek is really carrying the banner for brass band into this century. For example, they are not afraid to use trumpets when the music calls for it, don't limit the size of the band and, most importantly, they would rather have an audience than win a contest. Their operation must seem radical to the traditional brass banders.

[iiipopes]

A great article from another forum, brass-forum.co.uk :

http://www.brass-forum.co.uk/Articles/B ... story.html" target="_blank

[tubiker]

Greetings

All of the above responses are directed towards high end Brass Banding - we have underneath this highly crafted pinnacle a huge pyramid base which begins for most players in childhood one way or another. It could be that you are from a Brass Band family, you might begin to play in school - or as has been mentioned you may take the Salvationist route. In the same way that Stateside its a cultural thing that you learn to play in a Concert Band via the School Band Method - we take our own route that in a lot of cases is determined by our culture.

And

In the same way that Band Programmes are under threat in the States from School District Administrators, Brass Bands are under (and have been for some time) threat from financial pressures and a changing cultural mix - we have a lot of pressures to provide "Multi-cultural" music making for our children at the expense of more traditional music making activities.

Food for thought

Andrew M

[iiipopes]

The good news: I live within 200 miles, an afternoon's drive on good multilane limited access highways, from the current NABBA reigning open champions, who are invited to tour the UK and elsewhere.

The bad news: with my personal schedule, I have yet to get to a concert.

One essential element of the UK brass band culture is the contesting aspect, which is facilitated by the close proximity and ease of travel among the various bands in the UK, which may not be the case in the USA.

[Dan Schultz]

It is, in fact, the challenge of the music and the opportunity for tuba and euphonium players to master parts that are much more sophisticated than those composed for other ensembles that constitute the real joy and satisfaction of playing in a brass band.

The most technically challenging music I have ever played on tuba was in brass band championship competition music. No other performing venue comes close. ......

This is quite true. However, I quit a local brass band because I'm just not nuts about playing the same three pieces from Christmas until the NABBA Championships. I did it for two years. A challenge is fun.... to the point where it becomes quite boring. Enough is enough.

[imperialbari]

Posaunenchor

[eupher61]

http://www.fcbb.net/

the British powers that were actually relaxed the requirements for BBb and Eb tubas for Fountain City last year. I never thought I'd hear of that happening!

[Alex C]

The most technically challenging music I have ever played on tuba was in brass band championship competition music. No other performing venue comes close. ......

This is quite true. However, I quit a local brass band because I'm just not nuts about playing the same three pieces from Christmas until the NABBA Championships. I did it for two years. A challenge is fun.... to the point where it becomes quite boring. Enough is enough.

Although that was not my experience in brass band I would absolutely agree with you on that point. However I think playing the same music from Christmas until the Champoinship is an outgrowth of the approach many of the bands in the UK have.

It is worth stating again, the Brass Band of Battle Creek's approach is to win an audience rather than win a contest. They are a special case but they have their priorities right. IMO the brass band movement will grow faster with that list of priorities rather than concentrating on winning contests.

[David Richoux]

Tony Clements has started a BBB in the San Jose, CA region - they have been around a while, but the much older Watsonville/Salinas Pacific Brass Band has been playing since 1990. Another fine tuba (and Bone) player Howard Miyata is associaete bandmaster of the PBB.
http://www.siliconvalleybrassband.com/ and http://davejohnsondesign.com/pacificbrass.html

[imperialbari]

The instruments listed by Bob all may be found in the Posaunenchöre of the German Lutheran Church, but of course the way of writing is far different from the BBB style.

Klaus

[Dan Schultz]

Posaunenchor

??

[windshieldbug]

Posaunenchor

When presented with a part you cannot play, play dead.

[Allen]

What is striking about the British Bbras Band tradition is how serious it can get. It seems that the notion of competitions puts a lot of pressure on people for orthodoxy (following the rules, only using the specified instruments, tubas as transposing instruments, etc.) and for pursuit of winning as the main goal.

TubaTinker's post made me remember: I was going to audition for BBB-style organization. I figured that since I already read trable clef, I could learn to deal with un-transposing as I played from the BBb Bass part. Then, I found out that I would be expected to play a BBB-style BBb tuba (I play CC and F tubas). [They were nice people; I could have the use of the band-owned BBb 3+1 compensating tuba. ] That was too much for me. I didn't have the dedication. It was clear that playing in that organization involved something more than just making music as best as I can. I declined to take the audition.

This is something each of us has to decide -- how much are we interested in music-making or how much do we want to participate in competitions? There's room in the world for each of these activities, we have to know ourselves and what we really want to do.

By the way, I've been told that the Brass Band of Battle Creek not only deviates from the strict instrumentation and repetoire of the traditional BBBs, the tubas play from cancert pitch bass clef charts. Will wonders never cease!

Cheers,
Allen