Brass band
A Brass Band includes some of the standard orchestral brass instruments
(trombone,
tuba and
French Horn) together with several other non-orchestral brass instruments. These include cornets (instead of trumpets), flugelhorns, and euphoniums.
The photo at left shows a small family brass band, with two cornets, two
trombones, one flugelhorn and one tuba.
In the UK, brass bands began to emerge in the 1830s, often attached to
factories and sponsored by their owners. With railways making transport easier
cheaper and quicker, competitions between town and factory bands became very
popular. At one stage, attendances at brass band performances in the rotunda of
the local park were so huge, that people said that brass band contests have
become the only serious rivals to football matches.
Amateur Brass bands are today very popular in most countries of the
English-speaking world, and competitions between village and town bands are
still extremely popular. They play in the open air and in halls. There is much music
written for the brass band, and they also play arrangements of
classical
and romantic music, and
popular
tunes. They often also play on the march, accompanied by a big bass drum.