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85-642: The North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) is a governing body for British-style brass bands hosted in North America. In addition to promoting the development of brass band in North American, NABBA sponsors a yearly national competition. The Brass Band Bridge is the official publication of the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA). The first issue was in 1980 and since then, it has been roughly

170-482: A silver band or colliery 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, for example, first performed in 1815 and

255-526: 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

340-559: 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

425-618: A defined season at all. They practice and perform as they deem necessary or possible. Occasionally such corps make exhibition appearances at DCI or DCA shows. While on tour, junior corps travel mainly at night after leaving the performance venue. Members sleep on the buses and in sleeping bags on gym floors when the next housing destination is reached. Housing for the entire tour is secured in advance through local schools, churches, or other community facilities. Corps practice their shows for as long as possible each day before getting ready to leave for that night's competition if scheduled. Not every day

510-580: 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

595-436: A fraction of the corps that existed in the 60s and 70s remained, although several new corps, some of which have become very successful, did start up along the way. Freed from the traditional and more-restrictive judging rules of the late 1960s, corps began making innovative changes such as the use of B ♭ brass instruments, wide-ranging tempos, intricate asymmetric drill formations, elaborate guard costumes and props, and

680-545: 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

765-483: A new show each year, approximately 8–12 minutes in length, and refine it throughout the summer tour. Shows are performed on football fields and are judged in various musical and visual categories, or "captions". Musical repertoires vary widely among corps and include symphonic , jazz , big band , contemporary , rock , wind band , vocal , rap , Broadway , and Latin music , among other genres. Competitive junior corps usually spend between 10 and 15 weeks on tour over

850-419: A quarterly publication. As part of the annual competition, 11 different categories of solo contests are also held: Although each section is individually scored and winners are announced accordingly, the overall winner each year typically wins a brand new instrument donated by its manufacturer. A list of the member bands as of 2024: British brass band In Britain, a brass band (known regionally as

935-398: A single composer's material is featured. Corps have performed virtually every genre of music that can be fit for on-field adaptation, including jazz, new age, classical, and rock music. It is becoming increasingly common to hear the corps performing original music, composed specifically for the corps by their musical staff or consultants. The exclusive use of bell-front brass instrumentation

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1020-618: A single harmonic series. Until 1999, drum and bugle corps horn lines within DCI were required to be pitched in the key of G. That year, the DCI rules congress passed a rule change to allow "brass bell-front valve instruments in any key with the exception of sousaphones and trombones." In World Class, the rule did not go into effect until the 2000 season, while Open Class opted for a two-year moratorium prior to implementation in 2002; DCA followed suit in 2004. Hornlines are now most commonly pitched in B ♭ , with mellophones pitched in F. In 2014,

1105-404: A weekend. For this reason, and to boost audience attendance, large competitions are more frequently scheduled on weekends. A typical regular-season contest consists of fewer than 10 corps, with corps from one or more classes competing together but scored separately. In North America, DCI and DCA corps occasionally perform at the same shows. DCI also schedules larger contests interspersed throughout

1190-414: A well-run corps is just like a well-run business. It requires many people to handle fiscal and operational responsibilities. There are four levels of staff operating a drum corps: Executive Management , Executive Staff , Instructional , and Volunteer . Each plays an essential role in creating a well-run corps. The executive management consists of the board of directors and the executive director. Often

1275-402: A wide variety of other auxiliary instruments such as hammered dulcimer . Since the keyboard instruments do not project as well as brass or marching percussion, they are often amplified to produce adequate sound. Due to the size of these instruments, the pit typically remains stationary, positioned directly in front of the field and centered on or around the 50-yard line. However, some groups use

1360-1176: 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

1445-448: Is a defining musical element of drum corps. Throughout the years, the horns used in drum corps have been changed from true, single-valved bugles to B ♭ brass instruments. While brass bugles in these competitive drum corps began as military signaling devices, successive modifications made them capable of greater ranges of music. These traditionally valveless, key-of-G bugles evolved to include pistons and rotors, gaining notes beyond

1530-459: Is a performance day; many days on tour are spent simply traveling to a distant location or entirely on the practice field. A full-sized, adequately funded junior corps will have a fleet of vehicles, including three or more coach buses for members and staff, a truck or van to carry souvenirs that are sold at shows, and two semi-trucks, one for show equipment and one that serves as a kitchen on wheels. Most meals for all members and staff are provided by

1615-415: Is another technique used, most often at slower tempos. As an alternative, there are four major groups which utilize a bent leg technique ( Santa Clara Vanguard , Madison Scouts , Pacific Crest , and Guardians), in which the feet come off of the ground and move in a bicycle type motion. Marching technique programs have largely been inspired by dance technique. Terminology from ballet and high school band

1700-403: 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

1785-517: Is divided by two is divided by two The timing and organization of contests varies significantly from circuit to circuit. Only large DCI corps typically have the funding and time commitment from members to participate in DCI's touring circuit, where corps spend the majority of the summer traveling around the continent performing at different local and regional contests. In other circuits, and for smaller DCI corps, competitions are usually scheduled to allow corps to travel, perform, and return home within

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1870-580: 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

1955-488: Is still in existence, although it did not become 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

2040-551: Is used to describe foot placement and positioning, and members of the color guard and hornline often jazz run in order to maintain upper body stability when moving at fast tempos with large step sizes. While performances and competitions only occur during the summer, preparation for the next season starts as soon as the last one ends. Corps activity of some sort goes on year-round. Months in advance of next season's first camp, corps begin assembling their staffs, choosing their musical repertoires, writing drill, etc. For junior corps,

2125-410: 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

2210-464: The American Legion . Owing to many of these groups' roots, corps were traditionally militaristic. By the late 1960s, many corps wanted more creative freedom and better financial compensation than was offered by their sponsoring organizations. Some felt the prize-money structures, based on competitive placement, were not fairly compensating all corps for their appearances. Additionally, some felt

2295-606: 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

2380-513: The Fourth of July weekend, corps often locate themselves in large metro areas so they can participate in more than one parade. Competitions are usually held at college or high school football stadiums or similar venues, and are scored by circuit-approved judges. Most circuits follow the three-caption system of General Effect (GE), Visual, and Music, with GE carrying the most weight. This is the scoring system currently used by DCI (others are similar):

2465-1034: 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

2550-464: 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,

2635-722: 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

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2720-478: 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

2805-828: 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,

2890-452: 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. Drum and bugle corps (modern) Competitive summer drum corps participate in summer touring circuits, such as Drum Corps International (DCI) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) [Now recognized as DCI All-age ] Corps prepare

2975-638: 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

3060-538: 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

3145-528: 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)

3230-465: The DCI Board of Directors passed a rule change that changed their definition of a bugle to allow the entire brass family, including trombones and concert French horns. The percussion section consists of two subsections: the front ensemble (also known as "pit") and the battery (also known as the "drumline"). Front ensemble members perform on orchestral percussion , electronic instruments , and

3315-678: 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,

3400-779: 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

3485-760: 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

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3570-1146: 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

3655-437: 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

3740-706: 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

3825-471: 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

3910-497: 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

3995-477: The board are unpaid volunteers. This group is almost always long-standing within successful corps. They create the long-term vision and strategy for the organization, handling the financial, operational, and organizational issues to keep the corps running. The board of directors may be composed of alumni and other closely affiliated people. They hire the Executive (operational) Director who is responsible for hiring

4080-456: 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

4165-752: 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

4250-478: The center of attention, and visually reinforce the choreography. As visual programs have increased in complexity, corps have developed and formalized various movement techniques, the goal of each being the achievement of fluid, consistent movements that allow for precise musical technique at all tempos, step sizes, and directions. Given that instrument-wielding members most often face toward the audience (for maximum sound projection), marching technique must not affect

4335-443: The championships are often the only time all corps in a class compete together. Some circuits also organize optional individual and ensemble (I&E) competitions for individuals or groups from corps to showcase members' skills outside the field performance environment. These are usually held only once or twice per season at championships or a major regional contest. Members practice their routine(s) in their scant free time throughout

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4420-431: The color guard has become a crucial part of each group's visual and thematic program. Standard equipment includes silk flags, non-functioning rifles, and sabres, and other objects like bare poles, hoops, balls, windsocks, and custom-made props are sometimes used to create visual effects that enhance the show. The primary role of the color guard is to complement the corps' musical program by creating visual interpretations of

4505-448: The cook truck, but occasionally corps have scheduled free days where there are no rehearsals or performances and the members are free to see some local sights and procure their own meals. Competitions are not the only performances that corps partake in while on tour. Most corps also participate in parades and standstill performances throughout the summer to gain further public exposure and to supplement their budget with performance fees. On

4590-405: The corps that remained, longer travel times were necessary to attend the shrinking numbers of contests, further adding to the financial and time demands on the organizations and their individual members. At the same time costs for the increasingly complex field shows mounted and creative and instructional demands rose leading many competitive corps to falter and become inactive. By the late 1990s only

4675-742: 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

4760-659: The current judging rules were stifling musical and theatrical possibilities. At the peak of North American drum corps participation (with perhaps a thousand active corps in the U.S. and nearly as many in Canada), several corps decided to "unionize", as stated by Don Warren (founder of the Cavaliers ). They formed their own organizations, which ultimately led to the formation of Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 1965 and Drum Corps International (DCI) in 1972. By this time, many corps had already lost their church or community sponsors. For

4845-520: The end of World War I, advancements in radio technology rendered using drum and bugle corps for communication obsolete. When the war concluded in 1918, there was no longer a need for these instruments. The instruments were sold to veteran organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the newly founded American Legion (AL) . These veteran organizations would become the first sponsors of civilian drum and bugle corps. The veteran's initial goal

4930-403: The executive staff, the instructional staff, and recruiting volunteers. The executive staff usually includes the operational office staff, the program director(s) and tour director(s) who run the day-to-day operational needs of the organization. The instructional staff puts the show on the field. They create the concept of the show, choose and arrange the music, write the drill, and instruct

5015-449: The formations made by the performers on the field. Modern drill formations are much more complex and dynamic than the drill formations of early drum corps. Traditional blocks, company fronts, and symmetrical formations — while still utilized occasionally for impactful moments — have largely given way to more abstract and artistic designs. Drill writing at large is meant to keep instrumental sections together, put featured members at

5100-567: The front ensemble in creative ways by moving them around the field or putting them in different locations. A full-size front ensemble typically features 10 to 15 members. Members of the battery perform on marching percussion instruments, including snare drums , tenor drums (also known as "quads", "quints", or "tenors"), tonal bass drums , and cymbals. A full-size battery typically features 7–10 snare drummers, 3–6 tenor drummers, 5-6 bass drummers, and sometimes cymbal players, which tends to be 4-6 players in size. In modern drum corps,

5185-447: The hornline. Being visually oriented, guard members are not as bound to facing the front sideline, and may face any direction at any time as dictated by choreography. The most common backward marching technique requires balancing on one's platform (visually seen as the 'toes' and keeping the heels off the ground), which is especially effective at faster tempos. The reverse the heel–toe roll step, allowing for heel–ground contact

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5270-473: 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

5355-637: 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

5440-408: The latter half of its season. These are restricted to corps in specific classes and feature many (if not all) of the corps within each class. European circuits, such as DCUK, operate on a "minimum performance and lot" system: appearance at the first two shows of the year is determined by lot, and then the corps must appear in a minimum number of shows before the circuit's championships. In such a system,

5525-431: 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

5610-469: The members have been chosen and camps are held more frequently as the beginning of the summer touring season approaches. Most junior corps require their non-local members to secure temporary housing (often with local members or a vacant dormitory) near the corps' rehearsals facilities around Memorial Day weekend. For most of May and into June (as college and high school classes end), full-day rehearsals are held virtually every day so members can finish learning

5695-402: The members on their technique. The staff consists of brass, percussion, guard, and visual instructors who are most often alumni of the corps or other corps. A well-funded World Class corps usually has 15-20 full-time instructors. Just as members, they attend winter camps and travel with the corps all summer long. Volunteers are the lifeblood of any corps. Parents, alumni, friends, and fans make

5780-823: The music and marching drill of the show. This pre-season "spring training" is usually 3–4 weeks long. It is not uncommon for members to rehearse 10–14 hours a day, 6–7 days a week throughout the entire pre-season. In mid to late June, corps leave to begin their summer tours. For all-age (formerly senior) corps, the process is not quite as grueling. Since most members have lives outside of drum corps, senior corps rehearse on weekends and occasionally on weekday evenings. Rather than extensive tours, senior corps usually take weekend trips to perform in shows, and make longer trips only to regional championships and finals. Many smaller DCI corps and foreign corps have similar itineraries. Non-competitive corps, such as classic-style corps, alumni corps, or newly aspiring corps might not have

5865-422: The music through choreographed dance. The color guard can also enhance the overall drill design by marching in formations that integrate with the rest of the corps. However, the color guard most often performs as an ensemble that frames the rest of the corps or performs within the drill formations of the corps proper. Like all other sections of the corps, the guard often features solo work. Drill formations refer to

5950-584: 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

6035-415: The rigidity of members' upper torsos. Although most horn players are able to follow this technique, members of the battery must keep their entire bodies facing forward at all times due to the nature of their equipment. This has led to the invention of the "crab walk" or oblique, where the legs cross over one another to facilitate sideways motion; the technique is used mostly by battery, but in rare instances by

6120-884: 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

6205-418: The season is a very intense process. Most corps begin having camps on or around Thanksgiving Day weekend and continue having monthly weekend camps throughout the winter. Potential members travel far and wide—literally from around the world—to attend the camps of their favorite corps. Membership in the top corps are highly competitive and are generally determined during the first few camps. By spring,

6290-469: The season. Most corps are operated as or by dedicated non-profit organizations; very few are associated with schools or for-profit entities. Some corps are even parts of larger non-profit performance arts organizations, which might also include theater groups, winter guards , winter drumlines , and other various musical or visual activities. In Europe, many are also registered charities, assisting with their fundraising aims. Despite their non-profit status,

6375-461: The summer, practicing and performing full-time. The term "modern" is used for the purposes of this article to differentiate it from classic drum and bugle corps , using the time period of the establishment of Drum Corps International as a dividing point in the timeline of the two types of drum and bugle corps. Modern drum and bugle corps stems from a rich American and Canadian military history, separate from other marching musical activities. Towards

6460-402: 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

6545-465: The use of stationary orchestral percussion instruments. A few corps still utilize the traditional G bugle which is very rarely found in DCI marching units. A typical show usually revolves around one genre of music, or sometimes melds separate genres together. Modern corps' programs have become increasingly conceptual and programmatic, with overarching show themes rather than loosely related musical selections. Often, especially within classical selections,

6630-579: 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

6715-630: 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

6800-545: 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

6885-429: 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

6970-561: 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

7055-778: 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

7140-546: Was finding ways to engage with their communities while maintaining a connection to military traditions and values. Drum and bugle corps became the perfect vehicle for adapting military musical traditions to civilian life. Beginning after World War I through the 1970s, corps and competitions were often sponsored by the VFW, Boy Scout troops , churches, fire departments, Rotary clubs , the Royal Canadian Legion , and

7225-716: 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

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