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Horns aplenty
They are part of a bygone era but unlike coal mines brass bands are thriving and nowhere more so than in Yorkshire. Neil Hudson asked why they can rightly blow their own trumpets.
Brass bands are an enigma. Certainly, they are not part of mainstream culture in the sense that if you were to ask your average man in the street to name a few, several would trip effortlessly off his tongue.
On the other hand, he would most certainly be familiar with their work, because it regularly features in everything from TV show theme tunes to musical scores for big budget Hollywood blockbusters.
It took Pete Postlethwaite and Ewan McGregor to give credence to the underdog story that was the UK brass band scene in the early 1990s. The 1996 hit film Brassed Off, like other tales of the working class triumph 'up north' – The Full Monty and Billy Elliott – described a desolate Thatcherite landscape in which people strived to re-establish a sense of community and direction which had not so much been lost as totally annihilated.
The film told the story of Grimethorpe Colliery Band, which went on to win the national championships.
Since then, the brass band scene has found its feet again and experienced a resurgence, of sorts, although new challenges lay ahead.
At the weekend, Yorkshire band Black Dyke won the National Brass Band Championship finals at the Royal Albert Hall, London. It was the second year running they had scooped the coveted trophy and the 22nd time in their history.
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Rothwell Temperance Band, from Leeds, came fourth and two other Yorkshire brass bands, Carlton Main Frickley Colliery and Hepworth Band finished sixth and 13th, respectively.
Black Dyke, which is sponsored by Leeds Metropolitan University, has an Oscar nomination under its belt, for its performance of That'll Do, from the 1995 film Babe and, among other things, it played the theme tune to long-running gardening programme Groundforce, with Alan Titchmarsh.
Retired information technology director Michael Shelton, 55, secretary of the band, said: "Brass bands do not just play marches, it's not the village marching through the mining town leading a demonstration.
"Brass bands have a huge repertoire of music and can perform to such a standard that almost every event we do is fully booked. When we performed on Saturday it was a piece of music which was specially written. There is also a huge range of music, from light to serious, solo pieces and we always try to have a bit of fun as well. People go away with smiles on their faces."
That might well be the reason brass bands have weathered the storm of being separated from their traditional working class roots.
Where before their ranks were filled mainly with miners and mill workers, nowadays you are more likely to find teachers, company directors, even plumbers.
Mr Shenton added: "Many years ago band members would have all worked for the mill and lived within walking distance of it. Nowadays, people now travel up to 100 miles to come to band rehearsals and you will find all kinds of people. We have a maths teacher, IT teachers, a hairdresser, a plumber and two company directors in our ranks."
The modern brass band varies enormously. Some, like Black Dyke, are lucky enough to have sponsors backing them, providing money for new equipment, uniforms and travel costs.
Others have no such backing and rely entirely on their own members putting in time, effort and money to keep going.
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band is one which exists purely by the efforts of its members.
Cost
Band manager and former miner John Kendall, 58, said the financial cost of attending events like the national championships was staggering.
He said: "You're talking about 3,000 just for this weekend and that's only on accommodation. We recently replaced two B-flat basses at a cost of about 4,000. Percussion equipment can cost another 2,000. Uniforms will cost about 70 per head, then there's the music. We were lucky enough to have some money donated to the band last year, which allowed us to replace some of our instruments.
"In 2002, this band was down to just six players. I joined about four years ago when they had managed to build it up again, so to go to the national championships and come sixth is a real achievement."
Mr Kendall, who is also assistant principal cornet player, used to play for the Grimethorpe. He said: "I started playing when I was at school in the 60s and played with them for 30 years but then got out of it for about ten years. I was then dragged kicking and screaming back into the brass band world. I think it's one of those things that once you're in it, it's in your blood."
"It's a sense of camaraderie, of achieving something with friends. Everyone goes to the same pub. It's a great hobby but at the same time, it becomes more than that."
Ron Massey, 86, is a recognised expert on brass bands. He said: "Yorkshire excels in brass bands. It's a tradition that seems to have grown over the years. Like Lancashire, with whom there is always great rivalry. The fact that two bands from Yorkshire made it into the top four at the national finals means that next year, Yorkshire will have four brass bands in the competition, because the top four are guaranteed a place the following year. That is excellent for the region and shows just how strong a tradition we have."
FACTFILE
l There are hundreds, if not thousands of brass bands in the UK and around 250 in Yorkshire, about 80 of which compete regularly.
l Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band sold half a million copies and reached Number 2 in the UK single charts in 1977 with a reworking of the Floral Dance. It remained at Number 2 for six weeks and was only kept from the top spot by Paul McCartney's Mull Of Kintyre.
l Bands compete in regional finals in one of five different leagues, or divisions, which includes a championship section - the top two bands from each regional final go forward to the national finals. There are six separate regions in England and one apiece for Scotland and Wales. The Yorkshire regional contest will take place on March 6 and 7, 2010 at St George's Hall, Bradford.
l Traditional brass bands have 28 members, plus percussionists.
l Brass bands have their origins around the beginning of the 19th Century. Traditionally, buglers were used on the battlefield to co-ordinate troop movements but as this was gradually phased out, ceremonial bands became commonplace.
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