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British Brass Band History
[see also Smoky Mountain Brass Band History]
[see also Brass Band History]
Brass Bands originated in England during
the last half of the 19th Century when conical
bore instruments such as the cornet were
developed into a full-voiced family. The
first brass bands were sponsored by companies
such as mills, factories, and mines to provide
a social outlet for their employees. As more
companies began to sponsor bands, friendly
rivalries evolved leading to the institution
of competitions between bands. Competitions
remain popular in England today and an annual
National Championship contest is held each
fall in London for top bands which advance
through regional contests. The popular 1996
movie "Brassed Off" offers an excellent
example of the British brass band competition
system. Corporate sponsorship continues in
England. Many bands there have evolved to
a semi-professional status where outstanding
brass musicians are employed by a company
with the full extent of their contract being
that they perform with that firm's band.
The Salvation Army first introduced brass
bands to North America. These bands play
works written or arranged by Salvationist
composers only as an extension of their commitment
to the work of the Salvation  Army. The development of community and university
bands began thirty-some years ago when Perry
Watson founded a brass band at North Carolina
State University.
Since that time brass bands have spread throughout
North America representing communities as
far east as Nova Scotia, as far south as
Florida, and as far west as California. The
United States Army Band program fields a
brass band and there are notable professional
brass bands representing Battle Creek, MI
(Brass Band of Battle Creek) and Pittsburgh,
PA (River City Brass Band).
Brass bands are very healthy in North Carolina
where, in addition to the Smoky Mountain
Brass Band and the North Carolina State University
Brass Band, there are brass bands in Charlotte
(the Queen City Brass Band) and Durham (Triangle Brass Band and Triangle Youth Brass Band).
For more information about competitions,
check out the North American Brass Band Association.
 Or, if you just want to plan a great music
filled weekend getaway in June, see the Great American Brass Band Festival, which is held each year in Danville, Kentucky.
Imagine a lazy summer day on a picture-perfect
college campus in a Norman Rockwell small
town, listening to the world's best brass
band musicians playing patriotic tunes and
favorite popular standards on three stages.
Add to that four days of family fun rounding
out a magical, musical experience consistently
called the nation's foremost festival of
brass band music. Year after year, the Great
American Brass Band Festival attracts more
than 40,000 visitors from around the globe.
Don't miss out on the fun! |
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