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109-877: Principal Cornet VACANCY Solo Cornets Stuart Hook Oliver Dawson Callum Mellis Soprano Cornet Teresa Campbell Repiano Cornet Judith Wood 2nd Cornets Trevor Gay Nikita Gilbert-Ovens 3rd Cornets Oliver Scales VACANCY Flugel Horn Vacancy Solo Horn Julie Lymath 1st Horn Alison Lockheart 2nd Horn Vacancy 1st Baritone Aubrey Crowe 2nd Baritone Lorna Price Principal Euphonium David Griffith Euphonium Karen Snaith 1st Trombone Ben Dovinson 2nd Trombone Amy Murdoch Bass Trombone John Thomas E♭ Bass Vacancy Kevin Wilson BB♭ Bass Peter Barker Tom Wood Percussion Tiger Wu Backworth Colliery Band are

218-431: A crab step when moving sideways. During a crab step, the musician crosses one leg over the other, either marching on the toes or rolling the foot sideways. Percussionists may also substitute roll step when their instruments would interfere with performing the high step. A true direction change involving the feet moving in a new direction requires either a prep step or a pivot , both of which are sometimes referred to as

327-424: A drill book (also known as a dot book). Drill books, or drill charts, show where each person stands during each set of the show. The drill charts include yard lines and hashes as they would be on an actual football field, which shows the band members where to stand relative to the yard lines and hashes. There are many ways of getting from one formation to the next: Players may point the bells of their instruments in

436-419: A flank or “stab”. To perform a prep step, on the last count of movement in the first direction a marcher plants the foot with the heel turned outward at half the angle of the turn desired, with the upper body still facing forward. On the next count, the other foot snaps into position completing the turn. The upper body may or may not turn with the lower body. Some bands plant the heel on the prep step rather than

545-526: A 1- to 5-line stave using standard percussion notation , though some older scores may use bass and/or treble clefs. Most of the instruments used in British brass bands had been in use for some time in village, church and military bands, and in the 1840s and 1850s the brass band emerged from these as a popular pastime. Brass bands were a response to industrialisation, which produced a large working class population, technological advances in instrument design, and

654-584: A Division I athletic program." Granata further pointed out, "Performers are constantly moving, and often running, at velocities that reach 180 steps or more per minute while playing instruments that weigh up to 40 pounds." Performers’ metabolic rates matched those of marathon runners halfway through a marathon, while the heart rate was more along the lines of someone who was running a "400 or 800-meter dash." Performance styles range from traditional block marching to elaborate productions with evolving drill patterns. WAMSB (World Association of Marching Show Bands)

763-559: A Youth Champs' non-competitive section offering the opportunity for young people new to brass to take part and contribute a performance without the pressure of competition. Bands of all standards play in the Debut Section and join in the fun. In the UK, the brass bands of The Salvation Army have run parallel to the main brass band movement since the 1870s. Bands of The Salvation Army range from small church bands to staff bands composed of

872-400: A brass band are cornet , tenor horn , baritone horn , euphonium , trombone , tuba (bass) and percussion . The band operates a strict Child Protection policy and Equal Opportunities policy. The band is run by a committee and is a volunteer-led, self funding organisation. The training band was formed in 2003 as an independent body to the senior band. Backworth Colliery Training Band

981-502: A brass band until the 1840s. Bands using the British instrumentation are the most common form of brass band in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and are also widespread in continental Europe, Japan and North America. The tradition for brass bands in the UK is continuing, and local communities and schools have brass bands. British band contests are highly competitive, with bands organized into five sections much like

1090-426: A complete halt when not marching. Traditionally, the drumline would put their feet in a V-shape and lift their feet fully off the ground a few inches. This is to avoid hitting the drums. Even when marking time, it is considered good form for all band members to stay in step —that is, step with the same foot at the same time. A large majority of bands step off with, or start marching on, the left foot. Staying in step

1199-561: A day, my players think I’m a helluva lot easier.” In his presentation to the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in 2009, researcher and exercise physiologist Gary Granata presented research after studying members of the Avon High School Marching Black and Gold , noting "At the top levels of marching band and drum corps, you get a level of competition and athleticism that is equal to

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1308-580: A football league. Competitions are held throughout the year at local, regional, and national levels, and at the end of each year there are promotions and relegations. The 2019 holder of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain was the Cory Band from South Wales. A selection of brass bands can be experienced at the annual Durham Miners' Gala . There are also hotly-contested annual events held on Whit Friday in

1417-439: A marching band creates sound waves . The waves from each musician, traveling at the speed of sound, reach the other musicians, field conductors, and listeners at slightly different times. If the distance between musicians is large enough, listeners may perceive waves to be out of phase . Typically, in this case, listeners perceive that one section of the band is playing their parts slightly after another section. This delay effect

1526-416: A more fluid appearance, allowing for better control of more difficult formations and various styles of music. With this control also comes the ability to perform a much broader range of tempos . Proper execution of a roll step gives a player marching at 40 beats per minute the same smooth tone as a player marching at 180. The roll step allows for much better control of the upper body, and thus better control of

1635-545: A national level the main contest is the National Brass Band Championship , and this determines a band's section. For this, the UK is split into 8 regions: London and Southern Counties, Midlands, North of England, North West, Scotland, Wales, West of England, and Yorkshire. Each year in Spring the bands compete in a regional contest for their section, and the top two or three in each section go on to

1744-489: A traditional British Brass Band based in Backworth , Newcastle-upon-Tyne , England . The band consist of 27 senior members and 15 junior members, all of whom play brass or percussion instruments fitting the traditional brass band instrumentation . The early history of the band is something which is by no means clear. The date of around 1886 for the formation of the band has been deduced from Durham League material. It

1853-1176: Is Brass Band Willebroek, who were crowned European Brass Band Champions in 1993, 2006 and 2007. The average banding level is still rising, as the brass movement was only introduced in Belgium some 30 years ago. The national brass band Championships are held annually at CC Zwanenberg in Heist-Op-Den-Berg. The winner represents Belgium at the European Championships. Participants are divided into four categories going from Championship section to third section. Currently there are seven bands competing in Championship section. These are: Brass Band Willebroek Brass Band Buizingen, Metropole Brass Band, Festival Brass Band, Kortrijk Brass Band, Brass Band Heist, and De Noord-Limburgse Brassband, Other Belgian bands include: Mercator Brassband, Brassband Kempenzonen Tielen , Brass Band Leieland , Brass Band Zele, Brass Band De Kempengalm , Brass Band de Thudinie and many more. Some of

1962-408: Is a committee-led organisation, which provides the opportunity for people of all ages in the area to learn and perform brass band music. The band is divided into two sections; a band for the more proficient players, and individuals who are just starting to learn instruments and require one-on-one tuition. Many of the training band members also play with the senior band, and are often heard playing at

2071-432: 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, for example, first performed in 1815 and is still in existence, although it did not become

2180-491: Is an international organization holding many competitions throughout the world. Its World Championships are held annually in the summer in a different country. Past host nations include Canada, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, & Australia. WAMSB sanctioned events happen in 32 nations. In the United States , there are two national competition circuits in which bands can compete: Bands of America and

2289-403: Is as follows: The above totals 27–29 players, although in practice a band often has fewer than this. Spare seats may be filled for concerts and contests by players brought in from other bands, commonly known as deputising players or deps . With the exception of percussion , bass trombone and some older tenor trombone music, all parts are transposing and written in the treble clef with

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2398-418: Is called an 8-to-5 step because the marcher covers five yards (about 4.6 m ) in eight steps. A step size of 30 inches is called 6-to-5 because five yards are covered in six steps. Because yard lines on an American football field are five yards apart, exact 8-to-5 and 6-to-5 steps are most useful for field shows. A drum cadence , sometimes called a walk beat or street beat, is usually played when

2507-426: Is even more important during backward marching. When a band is not moving, the members may mark time , or march in place. The step used usually resembles the step that is used for marching forward, though mixing a high step mark time with a roll step march (or vice versa) produces an interesting visual effect. For a typical mark time, the foot is raised to the ankle bone of the opposite leg. The toe should not come off

2616-465: Is generally easier when the band is playing music or when the drums are playing a marching cadence. When the band and percussion are not playing, rhythm may be maintained in a variety of ways: a drummer may play taps or rim shots, the drum major may clap or use a woodblock, a drum major or band member may vocalize a sharp syllable like "hit," "hut," or "dut," or band members may chant the military call of "left, left, left right left." Band members may count

2725-582: Is hosted at a college or professional stadium. Bill Clinton , 42nd President of the United States , was a member of a marching band in high school. He attended Hot Springs High School in Arkansas and performed as a saxophone player while later serving as drum major for the band . He is the only U.S. President to have been a member of a marching band . Most marching bands in Canada are organized by

2834-417: Is informally referred to as ensemble tear or phasing (not to be confused with the music composition technique of the same name ). Many marching bands serve as entertainment during American football games, which may also be known as pep band. For college and high school marching bands, this is the primary purpose of the ensemble. Three National Football League teams designate an official marching band:

2943-538: Is most common in the U.S. among secondary school bands and drum and bugle corps. Competitions at the national level, such as the Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships. Although its legitimacy is often called into question, competitive marching band is sometimes considered a sport, due in large part to the physical exertion required in combination with teamwork. Many HBCU marching band fans refer to marching band as marching sport. Sports Illustrated considered

3052-427: Is on the wrong foot, for instance, odd on the right foot and even on the left, this is referred to as being out of step . When a band member is completely off tempo, it is referred to as being out of phase . In parades , bands usually line up in a marching block composed of ranks and files . Each member tries to stay within his or her given rank and file, and to maintain even spacing with neighboring musicians. It

3161-580: Is possibly Philip Sparke , who has written many pieces, including Music of the Spheres . A noted Welsh Composer was T. J. (Tom) Powell, born in Tredegar in 1897, also known as "The Welsh Sousa ". Powell composed over 500 pieces for brass bands, including marches (such as "The Castle Marches"), tone poems and suites. Other notable composers include: Several classical composers have written music specifically for brass band. These include: An advantage of

3270-410: Is traditionally the responsibility of the people at the end of each rank and the front of each file to be in the correct location; this allows other band members to use them as a reference, also known as guiding . Band members also try to keep a constant pace or step size while marching in parade. Step sizes usually vary between 22 and 30 inches (56–76 cm ) per stride. A step size of 22.5 inches

3379-445: Is typically led by one or more drum majors , also called field commanders, who are usually responsible for conducting the band (sometimes using a large baton or mace ) and are commonly referred to as the leader of the band. Commands—such as vocal orders, clapping, or a whistle—may be used to issue commands as well. The following overview is heavily focused on the U.S. marching band tradition. The glide step , also commonly known as

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3488-461: Is usually confined to competitive marching bands. Drum Majors , the field commanders and band directors, usually do not wear the regular band uniform, to better distinguish them from the rest of the band. Some wear more formal outfits or costumes that match the theme of the music, or most commonly a differently designed version of the regular band uniform, often employing different colors (especially white) or features such as capes. Some (especially at

3597-410: Is usually in treble clef like the other instruments in the band, though older scores or marches sometimes use tenor clef . Bass trombone music is written at concert pitch in bass clef. This was historically due to this part being taken by a G bass trombone, rather than the modern B♭ bass trombone. As instrument technology modernized, the need for a bass trombone in G diminished, with the introduction of

3706-606: The Cory Band , Tredegar Town Band and Tongwynlais Temperance Band The leading bands in Scotland are The Cooperation Band (formally Co-operative Funeralcare), Whitburn Band and the Kirkintilloch Band. All these bands compete at the highest level in the banding movement. In Northern Ireland the Brass Band League currently has 26 members. There are also many non-contesting or 'community' brass bands in

3815-1034: The James Madison University Brass Band , the Mansfield University Brass Band , the Slippery Rock University Brass Ensemble , the Pennwest-Clarion University Brass Ensemble, and the University of Georgia British Brass Band; and various youth brass bands, including the Triangle Youth Brass Band and the Fountain City Youth Brass Bands also exist. There are several notable composers in the brass band world. The current favourite

3924-603: The Malaysian Armed Forces , however, in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of show bands and drum corps in the country. Although the Ministry of Education organizes most school marching bands, other organizations have made consistent efforts to organize local marching bands. In Russia , there are not many school or local marching bands in existence, with most being government-sponsored military and police bands, as well as several bands operated by

4033-464: The Saddleworth area of Greater Manchester in which hundreds of bands compete. The terms brass band and silver band are synonymous in that the vast majority of bands termed either brass or silver incorporate musicians playing a mix of lacquered brass and silver-plated instruments. However, in the days when plain or lacquered brass instruments were not as costly as silver-plated ones,

4142-582: The Singapore Armed Forces Bands soon inspired the creation of the Singaporean marching band tradition. By the 1960s, school and college marching bands, corps of drums and drum and bugle corps began to be commonplace (the latter in cadet units), as well as bands of youth uniformed organizations and universities, all following the armed forces pattern and British and Malayan (later Malaysian) precedence. The People's Association became

4251-610: The Toronto Signals Band , have military roots and were formerly Canadian Army bands. In the case of the aforementioned bands, their lineage is shared with the bands of The Ontario Regiment , the 6th Northumberland Militia and the 2nd Armoured Divisional Signals Regiment respectively. In the early to mid-20th century, the Canadian Forces maintained drum and bugle corps, which were similar in instrumentation and organization to civilian marching bands. In Taiwan ,

4360-664: The United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA, more commonly referred to as USBands), involving over 700 high school bands compete during the Fall season with bands of similar size and talent. Each competition provides approximately 40 professional judges who give feedback on the show's programming and design. At the season's end, the top 50 bands are invited to compete in the US Scholastic Band Championship, which

4469-548: The Washington Commanders , Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens . Marching bands are otherwise uncommon at the professional level. Nearly all marching band personnel wear some kind of uniform . Military-style uniforms are most common, but there are bands that use everything from matching T-shirts and shorts to formal wear. The school or organization's name, symbol, or colors are commonly applied to uniforms. Uniforms may also have substantially different colors on

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4578-624: The Whit Fridays , Durham Miner's Gala , CISWO Mineworkers Contest and the National Brass Band Finals . The band changed name in 2000 to Five Rivers Brass due to a sponsorship with the Five Rivers Group. However the sponsorship only lasted for one year, and the band has reverted to being Backworth Colliery Band. The bands draw their membership from a variety of sources throughout the community. Although

4687-419: The roll step, involves bringing the heel gently to the ground with the toe pointed up, and then rolling forward onto the toes before lifting the foot to continue forward. While marching to the rear, the weight is placed continually on the ball of the foot with the heel elevated. This style is used by both marching bands as well as drum and bugle corps. The style, in comparison to high step, gives drill formations

4796-722: The "National Finals" in Autumn. Recently (2011), the finals for Sections 1 to 4 have been held in Cheltenham , and the finals for the Championship Section at the Royal Albert Hall in London (as featured in the film Brassed Off ). The bands are awarded points for their result (1st gets 1 point, 9th gets 9 points), and this is added to the previous two years to give a three-year total. Two or three bands with

4905-478: The 1712 member bands with their 70,318 players (official figures as of 9/1/04) are offered good conditions for their hobby. A network rich in tradition also gives them a strong and influential position in the cultural life of Norway. Many primary schools have their own bands. Crown Prince Haakon is the patron of the Norwegian Band Federation. The Federation is granted an annual audience with

5014-564: The Big Ten. Four primary sub-variants of the high are used: An integral part of this style of marching is known as stop action, meaning that all movement ceases momentarily at the apex of each step. This requires a band to have a great deal of stamina, though is effective visually. High step marching is often accompanied by a horizontal swing of the player's body or instrument. When band members are marching in one direction but want to focus their sound on another, they may rotate their bodies at

5123-828: The Brass Band of Battle Creek, the River City Brass Band , and the Orchid City Brass Band (West Palm Beach, FL); community brass bands such as the Central Ohio Brass Band, Dublin Silver Band , Motor City Brass Band, Atlantic Brass Band, Nebraska Brass Band, Imperial Brass, Brass of the Potomac, Chesapeake Silver Cornet Brass Band (Delaware), Five Lakes Silver Band , Allegheny Brass Band , The Brass Band of Central Florida,

5232-582: The British brass band or military band. It is a simple construction which not only creates an ornamental focal point, but also serves acoustic requirements whilst providing shelter from the changeable British weather. Marching band Marching bands are generally categorised by affiliation, function, size and instrumentation. In addition to traditional military parades , marching bands are frequently seen at events as varied as carnivals , parades , sporting events , trade union events and marching band competitions . Instruments have been frequently used on

5341-638: The British brass band tradition and was influenced by it in its early days. In 19th century Mexico very large bands were formed, such as that of composer Juventino Rosas and in parts of Mexico brass band concerts remain a popular entertainment. Brass bands in the British tradition are becoming more popular through the efforts of the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA), which organizes an annual brass band convention and set piece style contest. The US Open Brass Band Championships are held in early November and serves as

5450-538: The B♭ bass trombone with F rotary valve. The larger bore and open wrap of the F valve gave the B♭ bass trombone a lower available playing register than the straight G bass trombone. Tuned percussion is written in concert pitch (with the appropriate octave transpositions) with the appropriate clef for the instrument – e.g. bass clef for timpani, treble clef for glockenspiel (sounding two octaves higher). Unpitched percussion parts (including drum kit) are written in neutral clef on

5559-562: The Canadian Band Association or by Canadian universities: Although many bands have still retained the British tradition for marching bands, most have also adopted the style utilized by their American counterparts. Canadian military bands are often associated with civilian marching bands. Many of the civilian marching bands that exist today, such as the Oshawa Civic Band , The Concert Band of Cobourg and

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5668-726: The Commonwealth (for example Fiji 's Military Forces ) and many ex-Soviet nations (with the USSR inheriting the tradition from the Kingdom of Russia). Many bands perform a wide selection of both traditional styles of music such as marches, with film scores, or adaptations of contemporary music. The goal of each band's performance is different. Some aim for maximum uniformity and precision; others aim to be as entertaining as possible. Some show bands also involve comedic elements, such as Scramble bands which generally do not march in time with

5777-475: The Crown Prince in order to report to him and receive advice for the future. The King has awarded a royal trophy to the championships for adult bands. Brass bands in the British tradition, sometimes sponsored by employers, existed in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The geography of Canada (e.g. large distances between communities, making regular contests and migration of players difficult)

5886-1000: The Drummers Group of the Boarding School for Girls of the Ministry of Defense of Russia and the Moscow & District Pipe Band. The country has hosted many marching band tattoos within the last 70 years, including the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in Moscow and the Amur Waves International Military Bands Festival in Khabarovsk . The traditions of both the Singapore Police Force Band and

5995-678: The Frisians nowadays continue to set the standard of brass bands in the Netherlands. Brass Bands in Friesland include "De Wâldsang" Buitenpost, "Pro Rege" Heerenveen, "De Bazuin" Oenkerk and "De Spijkerpakkenband" Opsterland. Other well known brass bands across the country are Brassband Rijnmond (Rotterdam) and Brass Band Schoonhoven . The Norwegian Band Federation is the largest voluntary music organisation in Norway. Through their membership,

6104-779: The German Festival of Wind Music in Würzburg 2007 and 2008, in Duisburg 2010, in Coesfeld 2012 and in Bad Kissingen 2014. Brass bands in Ireland can primarily trace their origins to the past influence of British Army bands during the period between 1801 and 1922. As well as military bands however, community led groups were also in existence around this time. While concert bands are more prevalent today, possibly due to

6213-760: The Intrada Brass of Oakville , Ontario and the Weston Silver Band of Toronto . One of the most successful brass bands in Canada is the Hannaford Street Silver Band. There are hopes for growth in the education field of brass bands in Canada, and in particular southern Ontario. In 1999, the professional Hannaford Street Silver Band launched the Hannaford Street Youth Band, which is internationally recognized for its success. In 2005, another youth band

6322-678: The National Marching Band Association is the main organizer of local marching bands in the country. It is currently located at its headquarters in the Neihu District of Taipei City . The Taipei First Girls' High School currently sports one of the most acclaimed marching bands in the country. The first marching bands were introduced in Malaysia during the British colonial period and has since grown and increased its importance. The most common are found in

6431-1146: The Sheldon Theatre Brass Band (Red Wing, MN), the Lake Wobegon Brass Band (Anoka, MN), the Twin Cities Brass Band (Bloomington, MN), the Fountain City Brass Band , the Triangle Brass Band , the Smoky Mountain Brass Band the River Brass , and the Mission Peak Brass Band (Fremont, CA), and the Rockville Brass Band (the oldest competing American band in Maryland, founded in 1976); several collegiate brass bands, including

6540-435: The South Marching Band wear traditional Trojan helmets. It is also common for band uniforms to have a stripe down the leg and light-colored shoes, or spats over dark shoes to emphasize the movement of the legs while marching. Similarly, uniforms may feature additional components which highlight movement of the upper body, such as the "wings" worn by the University of Minnesota 's marching band to highlight flanking movements on

6649-437: The UK providing entertainment for audiences and enjoyment for musicians of all ages. British banding is highly competitive, with bands organized into five sections much like a football league – Championship section , 1st section , 2nd section , 3rd section and 4th section . Competitions are held throughout the year at local, regional, and national levels, and at the end of each year there are promotions and relegations. At

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6758-733: The United States and largely parallel modern drum and bugle corps . Many marching bands are Military bands which often derive from instrumentation generally consists of brass, woodwinds and percussion and they typically march forward with consistent straight lines and a constant tempo to facilitate the steady marching of the military unit. Field music units include drum and bugle corps , fanfare bands , pipe bands and fife and drum corps . Military styled marching bands are present in many European countries due to its historical origins in 18th Century European field armies and are present in many other nations due to colonial influence, including Latin America and South America, South and South-East Asia and

6867-466: The activity a sport in 1987, describing the Drum Corps International World Championships “one of the biggest sporting events of the summer.” In the same article, Sports Illustrated quoted basketball coach Bobby Knight , "If a basketball team trained as hard as these kids do, it would be unbelievable. I like to take my players [to watch drum corps] to show them what they can accomplish with hard work and teamwork. Besides, once they see them practice 12 hours

6976-443: The air support needed for playing. Some bands, and a select few drum and bugle corps, use a bent-knee variant of roll step, usually known simply as bent knee, in which the members roll from heel to toe but lead the next step with the knee instead of the foot, then planting the heel of the next foot by straightening the leg. The high step is a style of marching used by many colleges and universities, including most bands of HBCUs and

7085-487: The association of brass bands with British rule, brass bands are still popular, especially on the east coast. Dungarvan , Arklow and Drogheda are all examples of towns with brass bands of note. Dublin has a number of Brass Bands. The oldest is the Blanchardstown Brass Band (Blanchardstown) formed in 1826, St.Georges Brass Band Formed 1936 (in Dublin City Centre) and the Stedfast Brass Band (Blackrock) Brass competitions take place annually, both regionally and nationally. In

7194-444: The audience to emphasize the dynamics of the music. Auxiliaries can also add to the visual effect. Backdrops and props ( scrims ) may be used on the field that fit the theme of the show or the music being performed. In comedic shows, particularly for university bands, an announcer may read jokes or a funny script between songs; formations that are words or pictures (or the songs themselves) may serve as punch lines. Each musician in

7303-482: The band has a core membership from Backworth , Shiremoor and nearby towns such as Whitley Bay and North Shields , the bands also attract members from further afield such as Jarrow , Durham and Northumberland . Membership is open to any player with the desire and ability to play a brass or percussion instrument. The band supplies most instruments on a loan basis and the band also provides tuition to any member requiring such assistance. The main instruments of

7412-403: The band is marching, oftentimes alternating with a song, and is typically how a band keeps time while not playing music. Alternatively, a drum or rim shot may be given on the odd beats to keep the band in step. Between songs and cadences, a roll is usually given to indicate what beat in the measure the band is at. Cadence tempo varies from group to group. While playing music during a field show,

7521-402: The band makes a series of formations, called drill, on the field, which may be pictures, geometric shapes, curvilinear designs, or blocks of musicians, although sometimes it may be pure abstract designs using no specific form. Typically, each band member has an assigned position in each formation. In many show bands and most drum corps, these positions are illustrated in a handheld booklet called

7630-480: The battlefield (for example the Iron Age carnyx and the medieval Ottoman military band ) but the modern marching band developed from European military bands formed in the Baroque period , partly influenced by the Ottoman tradition. 17th-century traveler Evliya Çelebi noted the existence of 40 guilds of musicians in Istanbul . In the 18th century, each regiment in the British Army maintained its own military band. Until 1749 bandsmen were civilians hired at

7739-471: The best bandsmen of The Salvation Army in the area. Their instrumentation is almost identical except for a minor difference in the cornet section whereby the repiano is dropped and the remainder of the row is made up of parts designated 1st and 2nd (two players each) rather than 2nd and 3rd; and that some major pieces have a split first trombone part, the lower part usually cued elsewhere in the band. Bands of The Salvation Army can be found in most countries around

7848-497: The best total are promoted, and two or three bands are relegated. There are also separate contests for university brass bands, including the annual UniBrass contest, founded at Lancaster University in 2010 and hosted in 2023 by the University of Warwick . The Cambridge and Oxford University brass bands also compete against each other in annual 'varsity' contests. The National Youth Band Brass Championships held annually has

7957-456: The brass band is that it is mobile and capable of playing at any time and anywhere, even on the march. Marching and outdoor functions have been the preserve of the brass band for well over a century. Many UK brass bands are closely woven into the local community, performing outdoor civic duties throughout the year. The bandstand became popular in the Victorian era , typically associated with

8066-752: The brass bands in Belgium are primarily based around recreational music, do not conform to British brass band instrumentation, and therefore do not compete. Brass bands in Germany are not as widespread as in other European countries like Switzerland or the Netherlands. There are just a few bands (about 40) playing in authentic British instrumentation. This is primarily due to the popularity of wind bands , particularly in Southern Germany, and brass groups (composed of soprano to bass instruments) known as "Posaunenchöre" (trombone choirs) related to churches. National Brass Band "competitions" took place as part of

8175-423: The chaotic environment of the battlefield, musical instruments were the only means of commanding the men to advance, stand or retire. In the mid 19th century, each smaller unit had their own fifer and drummer, who sounded the daily routine. When units massed for battle a band of musicians was formed for the whole. In the United States , modern marching bands are often associated with American football games, with

8284-405: The college level) still employ the tall wool-lined shako or much larger bearskin (both often derisively referred to as a "Q-Tip hat"). Sousaphone players may use a military-style beret or entirely forgo the use of a head covering, as most hats may be in the way of the bell. Some auxiliary groups use uniforms that resemble gymnastics outfits: Often, these uniforms are themed, drawing inspiration from

8393-679: The countries leading entertainment competition. Brass Band Festivals such as The Great American Brass Festival, Ohio Brass Arts Festival, Gettysburg Brass Band Festival, Dublin Festival of Brass and the Mid-Atlantic Brass Festival occur throughout the year. Brass bands were very popular throughout the United States in the late 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. Well known bands of virtuoso musicians toured widely, and most towns had their own bands that put on weekend music concerts. One notable example of this

8502-439: The direction they are moving, or slide (also called traverse) with all the bells facing in the same direction. They may also point it towards the center of the field. Bands that march in time with the music typically also synchronize the direction of individuals' turns and try to maintain even spacing between individuals in formations (called intervals). Sometimes bands specifically have wind players turn their instruments away from

8611-454: The expense of the colonel commanding a regiment. Subsequently, they became regular enlisted men who accompanied the unit on active service to provide morale enhancing music on the battlefield or, from the late nineteenth century on, to act as stretcher bearers. Instruments during the 18th century included fifes, drums, the oboe ( hautbois ), French horn, clarinet and bassoon. Drummers summoned men from their farms and ranches to muster for duty. In

8720-420: The field. Competitive bands, however, many times opt for matching uniforms, especially pants and shoes (usually white or black) to hide the visual effect of members who are out of step as seen from a distance. Occasionally, a band forgoes traditional uniforms in favor of costumes that fit the theme of its field show. The costumes may or may not be uniform throughout the band. This kind of specialized uniform change

8829-470: The first civilian organization to form a dedicated marching band in 1965-66, and the Ministry of Education followed suit with a teachers' band made up of band instructors. Today the Ministry of Education is responsible for overall control over the school, college, university and polytechnic bands within Singapore, with two dedicated cadet bands. Some of Singapore's oldest high school marching bands are from

8938-418: The front and back, so if band members turn suddenly ( flank ), the audience sees a striking change of color. Band members at many Ivy League schools wear a jacket and tie while performing. The Southern Methodist University band wear a different combination of jackets, vests, ties, shirts, and pants for each half (changing before halftime) of each game and no clothing or uniform combinations are repeated during

9047-423: The ground and the knee should not come out much past the still-straight leg. Some bands mark time by bringing their feet up to their knee—known as high-mark time . Some bands practice marking time during concert arch with the toes coming off of the ground to give the marcher a greater sense of marching while standing still. The heel should hit the ground on the beat. Some bands forgo marking time and instead come to

9156-537: The instrument's lowest open note (B♭ or E♭) notated as middle C. This means that for every valved instrument, from the basses to the soprano cornet, a given note on the stave corresponds to the same valve fingering, enabling players to move more easily between parts. This system is unique to UK-style brass bands, though historically the North American drum and bugle corps activity followed the brass band convention of all-treble-clef writing. Tenor trombone music

9265-637: The late 1850s. In 1853 John Jennison, owner of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens in Manchester , agreed to stage the first British open brass band championships. The event was attended by a crowd of over 16,000 and continued annually until 1981. Brass bands reached their peak in the 1890s, when there were around 5,000 brass bands in the country. Today, there are 1,200 brass bands in Britain with around 30,000 players. Many UK bands were originally either works bands or sponsored by various industrial concerns. This

9374-806: The local governments. The marching bands of the Russian Armed Forces are organized by the Military Band Service in the Ministry of Defence . Also known as Marshiruyushchiye orkestr (loosely translated to Марширующие оркестр, which means Marching Orchestra in Russian), notable Russian marching bands include the Band and Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music College , whose cadets are famous for setting

9483-451: The marching season. The Alma College Kiltie Marching Band is famous for wearing kilts made of the official Alma College tartan . The components of a band uniform are numerous. Common design elements include hats (typically shakos , pith helmets , combination hats or other styles of helmets) with feather plumes, capes, gloves, rank cords, and other embellishments. The USC Spirit of Troy Marching Band and Troy University 's Sound of

9592-431: The mass production to manufacture and distribute the instruments. A major improvement to the old designs was the development of efficient piston valves, which were easier to play and produced a more accurate, consistent sound. Arguably brass bands were an expression of the local solidarity and aspirations of newly formed or rapidly growing communities. This was seen, for instance, in the creation of brass band competitions by

9701-526: The music, but, as their name implies, scramble from design to design. Many bands have auxiliaries that add a visual component to the performance such as a color guard or even dance lines and majorettes . In the USA, these auxiliaries may even perform as independent groups (such as winter guard ). While military color guards were typically male, band color guards tend to be primarily female, though for both, mixed groups are becoming more common. A marching band

9810-402: The music. Many auxiliary groups change the outfits they use from season to season based on the needs of the band, although some that do also have a "base" uniform for occasions such as parades or other ceremonies. Bands may compete on criteria such as musicality, uniformity, visual impact, artistic interpretation, and the difficulty of the music and drill. Competition exists at all levels but

9919-584: The name silver but not necessarily the instruments. Nowadays, the only real difference is that silver bands are located mainly in the south of England and brass bands in the north, although some silver bands do still exist in the North and many brass bands exist in the South. British brass bands are limited to specific instruments, excluding, for instance, trumpets and French horns , which are found in orchestras and concert bands . The standard instrumentation

10028-635: The oldest (the University of Notre Dame Band of the Fighting Irish ) first performing at an American football game in 1887. After World War I , the presence and quality of marching bands in the American public school system expanded as military veterans with service band experience began to accept music teaching positions within schools with developments such as Precision Drill , a disciplined geometric march, based in part on military-style drill. Today, marching band competitions remain popular in

10137-542: The pace for the annual Victory Day Parades on Red Square . These types of bands only came into existence after 1991 when the Soviet Union ceased to exist. During the Soviet era, civilian like marching bands were extremely rare, with one of the only non-military bands having been employed in the late 1930s and early 1940s during National Sports Day parades in the capital of Moscow . Other Russian marching bands include

10246-488: The same events as the senior band. As well as performing as a traditional 27-strong brass band, the band sometimes performs as a smaller group when the occasion demands. The band also perform as a marching band for parades. The band performs at many concerts and contests throughout the North East. Brass band (British style) In Britain, a brass band (known regionally as a silver band or colliery band )

10355-884: The same format: a set test piece for each grade, a hymn, an own choice, a stage march (march or concert march performed on the stage without marching) and a light entertainment concert program. Smaller regional contests often replace the major works with an own choice concert program. Among the country's most famous brass band identities have been conductor and composer Percy Code ; and David King and Frank Wright who made their mark in Britain. Early Australian brass composers include Thomas Bulch , Alex Lithgow and Charles Trussell . In later years, leading composers have included Brenton Broadstock ("Winds of Change", "Rutherford Variations", "Valiant Take All My Sins Away" and many more), Barrie Gott ("Mumbo Jumbo", "Gospel Train", "Glasshouse Sketches") and Joe Cook ("Taskforce", "Keighley Moor"). In Belgium, there are about 30 brass bands. The best known

10464-400: The steps of the move out loud to keep the entire band together. Typically, most moves consist of any number of steps that are a multiples of two or four, due to most marching band music being in even numbered time signatures . Even-numbered time signatures aid in staying in step because they assign odd-numbered counts to the left foot, and even-numbered counts to the right foot. If a band member

10573-402: The term silver band implied an ensemble that could afford the latter and were thus perceived to be more successful. With the cost of each type now being similar, the distinction between brass and silver bands is generally not made. There are, however, some brass bands which carried the name silver prize band as a result of their successes in contests and competitions. As time went on, some kept

10682-412: The toe but preserving the angle of the foot. To perform a pivot, the marcher pivots between directions over the ball of the foot on the last count instead of using a prep step. A back march may be used when the band wishes to move in the opposite direction from where it is projecting its sound. There are several ways to back march, one of which is to walk backward, putting each foot down and rolling from

10791-493: The toe to the heel (the exact reverse of the roll step). Another variation involves marching on the platforms of the feet, dragging the toe of the moving foot on the ground. Backward marching usually employs the same preference for leg straightness as forward marching (if the band marches with legs completely straight while marching forwards, they also do so while marching backward, to preserve uniformity of style). Using peripheral vision to align oneself to formations or field markings

10900-579: The vehicle manufacturer. One of the reasons for this was to keep the workers from organizing in radical groups. With the decline of these industries several bands have dissolved and others now draw their membership from other industries and other parts of the community. The Brighouse and Rastrick Band , is unique in having operated continually at the highest level without sponsorship, drawing its income from regular concerts, public donations and sales of recordings and merchandise. The leading bands in Wales include

11009-452: The waist, so that only the upper portion of the body faces in the direction of play. This is known as lateral marching , but is more commonly known as either shifting , traversing , or sliding . A lateral march is not a change in the direction of march, only in the direction the upper body faces. Percussion players, whose large drum harnesses often prevent them from twisting their torsos, and sometimes tuba and sousaphone players, instead uses

11118-630: The world in which it operates. The Australian derivation of a brass band is the same as the UK brass band (i.e. standard instrumentation with no woodwind). Contesting bands in Australia are graded from A Grade to D Grade. National Contests are held each year at Easter, with the location moving from state to state, and often including bands from New Zealand or other locations around the Asia Pacific region. Each state also conducts their own championships. National and state contests are generally of

11227-545: The years 1870–1900 the Salvation Army spread out their missionary activities in the Netherlands, at first the main port city Amsterdam , and then to the then still important northern seaport of Harlingen , Friesland around the 1900. Brass Band contesting began in Friesland after World War II. The Frisian conductor Sierd de Boer made a great effort to develop the British Brass Band standardisation, and

11336-429: Was The Ohio State University Marching Band which formed in 1879 and still performs with only brass and percussion instruments. Other groups, ranging from benevolent societies to large factories, would often have a band. The brass band movement has undergone a resurgence in the late twentieth century, led by the North American Brass Band Association . The United States boasts a number of professional brass bands, including

11445-494: Was a key factor among many challenges that led to the demise of most such bands. Today, excepting the Salvation Army bands , there are few British-style brass bands in Canada. Most operate as recreational, amateur, "community" bands such as the Oshawa Civic Band , King Street Brass from Kitchener, and the Whitby Brass Band, who celebrated their 160th anniversary in 2023. There are some semi-professional groups, like

11554-778: Was created for beginning brass players known as the Hannaford Junior Band. Beginning in September 2006, the Hannaford organization plans to launch a third, intermediate, band known as the Hannaford Community Youth Band. These three ensembles target a wide range of youth from ages 11 to people well into their twenties. Brass bands long enjoyed popularity in many parts of Latin America as well. Mexican banda music has similar origins to

11663-477: Was definitely formed out of the workforce from the surrounding pits, and sponsorship was won from the National Union of Mineworkers before the nationalisation of the coal companies in 1947. The band has continued to perform at local concerts throughout its life. Of note too are the number of competitions the band has participated in, both locally and nationally. The band has performed as such events as

11772-716: Was particularly evident in coal mining areas, for example, bands such as the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band in Yorkshire. Bands sponsored by factories include The Black Dyke Mills Band , Yorkshire Imperial Band (originally the Yorkshire Copperworks Band), Foden's sponsored by the truck manufacturer, Fairey sponsored by the aircraft manufacturer, and Leyland Band sponsored by

11881-407: Was set up around the same time as what is now Backworth club was built. It started life as a military band , but the band became wholly brass in 1920. The problems stem from the records of the early minutes of the band being missing, possibly lost when they moved rehearsal rooms, as they originally rehearsed in a drinking establishment which is now just across the road from their present base. The band

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