Charles Godfrey, bandmaster of the Royal Horse Guards, was a prolific arranger of music for brass and military bands, and also adjudicated many brass band contests. However, an unpleasant experience at the British Open contest, in September 1888, led him to refuse to judge any further band contests – a decision which would last until 1897.

Hazel was a trombonist and saxophonist who, after touring with Helen May Butler’s Ladies’ Brass Band, joined a vaudeville brass sextet on the theatre circuit for a further six years

One of the many institutions set up in the late 18th and 19th centuries to cater for sick, orphaned, destitute, and criminal children. This Reformatory was established in 1856 and the education and training activities for the boys included the school’s brass band. This was active from the late 1880’s through to the late 1920’s.

Nettie Goff was an African-American trombone soloist and actress who toured the eastern and southern USA with a number of different minstrel shows in the 1890’s and 1900’s. With her husband, Will Garland, she also undertook various European tours.

Rothesay, the main town on the Isle of Bute, became a popular tourist destination in the Victorian era. Tourists wanted entertainment and the town council initially provided professional bands for the summer season from the mainland. A local brass band was established in 1875, which took on some of the musical duties required, and a successor band…[Read more]

Awarded as the 5th prize for the 1926 National Championships Junior Cup (A) contest, the identity of the band which received this Vincent Bach trumpet is unknown, at present. As is the case with some of these contests, the prizes for lower placed bands occasionally were ‘worth’ more than the higher placed cash prizes. In the Grand Shield that year…[Read more]

A look at the touring performances of ‘Lynn and Lynda’, who gave multi-instrumental concerts and turns, with their various brass instruments, on stages across the British Isles during the 1920’s.

The anecdotal tale of the pig which was placed on a wall to observe a band marching by, is attributed to various locations and bands across the country. Just one of several ‘humorous’ accounts of the trials and mishaps of brass bands that seem to be linked to multiple bands.

Roller skating was a pastime that became very popular in Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century. The initial skating rinks were established in London in the 1850’s and, with the introduction of the ‘modern’ roller skate in the 1870’s the craze took off, with rinks being opened in all the major towns and cities. Many of these…[Read more]

When a band official resigns or retires, they are often presented with something to show the appreciation of the members of the band for their work and service. In some cases, this takes the form of an object – perhaps a clock, or watch – usually something that relates to their position (conductors often received engraved batons). In other cases,…[Read more]

Flockton Brass Band was a typical Yorkshire mining village band. The local colliery employed many of the menfolk and, although the pits were shallow, unlike the deep pits of other regions, the work was still hard and dangerous. The Band was established in 1838 and produced a small Centenary Booklet in 1938. The wider history of the band is…[Read more]

The acquisition of a single faded photograph, certainly the only example I have seen, sparked an investigation into the life and times of the Lamberhurst Brass Band, which kept this Kent village entertained from the early 1870’s through to the 1930’s. Their first conductor, Walter Bailey, remained with the band in various roles, including cornet,…[Read more]

a listing of commercial recordings made by brass bands from the era of the wax cylinder to the compact disc

Of the many brass bands that have existed in the USA over the last 200 years very few have documented records covering their history. This directory is an attempt to bring together information about some such bands and make it available to all. It is an expanded extraction from my earlier “Brass Bands of the World”. Over 8,700 bands are recorded…[Read more]

From the middle of the 19th century Royal Navy warships, especially the larger vessels, often had bands aboard. These were generally brass, with occasional woodwind instruments and/or fiddles. Their ongoing upkeep was usually the responsibility of the individual ship’s officers with a modicum of support from the Admiralty. This paper lists some of…[Read more]

A receipt for the hire of oil lamps and an account sheet for a charitable concert, in the Bath Record Office, led me to the Bath Post Office Band leading me to dig further into the story of this band. Over the years there have been some 50 or so bands associated with the British Post Office – from Aberdeen to Exeter. The Bath Post Office Band…[Read more]

During the 19th century, many travelling entertainment shows criss-crossed the country as they thrilled audiences with their various acts. Circuses, menageries, waxworks and minstrel shows usually had a band attached to them to provide exciting music, drawing in the punters and emphasising the acts themselves. In addition to these bands, other…[Read more]

The story of the first recipient of a gold medal for a cornet soloist at the 1900 National Brass Band Championships, in the Royal Albert Hall.

The British police forces have been protecting the population for over 200 years. What is not so well known is that some of them have also been entertaining audiences through their brass and concert bands. Originally established in the late 1850’s, some 75 police bands are documented here, including the nine which are still active today.