Brassband
Brass band ( also brass band ) is a band music lineup that developed in Britain from around 1830, and could in the past decades and in continental Europe, particularly in Switzerland and the Benelux countries, establish. In Germany and Austria, however, very few brass bands exist. In North America and Australia, the Brass Band movement has undergone its own development. The name derives from brass (English: brass) from which is used as a collective term for brass instruments.
History and social position
In contrast to the brass ensembles, which were formed from the sheet set of symphony orchestras around the world, the brass bands originated in the British coal mining areas. For many workers in the early industrialization of the interaction with colleagues was a change of pace. In addition, it was assumed that in this type of music particularly intense stress on the respiratory system work-related lung disease preventive. The factory owners were soon to promote this music groups financially. Thus, plant chapels were out with which workers were attracted and served as advertising for their own products. Even today there are in the UK a number of company-owned brass bands with a more than 150 -year tradition.
In addition to industrial enterprises, the Salvation Army has played a role in the development of brass bands: From 1880, all officers and soldiers had to learn a wind instrument, and so there was only six years later about 400 bands of the Salvation Army.
Parallel to the development in industrial enterprises and private Salvation Army Brass Bands were established mainly in the period 1860-1880, so that the total number of bands is estimated to have about 1890 in England alone between 15,000 to 20,000.
With the annually held since 1850 competitions in different leagues not only the musical level was maintained or improved, but on such occasions, the musicians also learned colleagues know and came out of their daily routine. For the contest strict guidelines were developed that were not only for the groups, but also for the jurors and apply. The latter sit at the performance in a shed, so they can not tell which band is playing.
Occupation
History
The early work of bands and forerunners of Brass Bands were occupied not only with brass instruments, but also with woodwinds. Thus, the following line-up is called for the second decade of the 19th century: 4 flutes, 4 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 1 trumpet, 2 horns, one flugelhorn flaps, 1 bass horn, 1 Ophicleide, 1 Serpent and drums.
After 1857, the British military music was transformed by the Prussian model and uniformly studded with brass instruments, this had an impact on the civilian bands, most of which were conducted by military musicians. Was made possible pure tin cast the one hand by the development of the valves, thanks to which the brass instruments were fully chromatically playable. Secondly, the formerly standard cornets, trumpets and horns were supplemented by the newly developed instruments of Adolphe Sax of Saxhornfamilie and thus a closed sound body are developed.
Due to the onset of early and broad-based competition system and the British concept of " fair play" rules were set up to standardize the cast soon. Around the turn of the century allowed a maximum of 24 band members include.
Today usual occupation
Today's traditional occupation of a Brass Band consists of the following parts and tools:
- Soprano Cornet ( in Eb)
- Four solo cornets ( in Bb )
- Repiano Cornet ( in Bb )
- Two 2 Cornets ( in B)
- Two 3 Cornets ( in B)
- Flugelhorn ( in B)
- Three horns ( in Eb) ( Solo, 1st, 2nd horn)
- Two Baritone ( in B) ( 1st, 2nd Baritone )
- Two Euphoniums ( in B)
- Two trumpets ( in B) ( 1st, 2nd Trombone )
- Bass trombone ( in C)
- Two tubes ( in Eb)
- Two tubes ( in B)
- Three drummer
In the brass band literature all wind parts are traditionally except for the bass trombone transposed and recorded in treble clef.
Repertoire
The Brass Bands played in their early days as well as a wide continental brass band music groups in particular arrangements of famous themes from operas. On the other hand pieces were very early composed for brass band, such as Tydfil Overture by Joseph Parry, which is still played today. However, characteristic adaptations are more popular operas and operettas, for example, from Verdi's Il Trovatore ( 1857), or I Vespri Siciliani (1880 ) or Meyerbeer's Le A Prophet (1869). In many cases different melodies by composers were processed in a single piece ( " Potpourri" ).
In the contest bands could choose their pieces themselves, which meant that a group of 1884-1892 a composition aufführte 22 times. The first piece was composed especially for the contest Orynthia of James Melling (1855 ).
In the first half of the 20th century, well-known composers created pieces for brass band, so among other Percy Fletcher: Labour and Love (1913 ), Arthur Sullivan: The Absent Minded Beggar (after Rudyard Kipling's poem ), Cyril Jenkins: Coriolanus (1920 ) and Life Divine ( 1921 ), Hubert Bath: Freedom ( 1922), Henry Gheel: Oliver Cromwell (1923 ) and on the Cornish Coast ( 1924), Percy Fletcher: An Epic Symphony (1926 ), Gustav Holst: A Moorside Suite (1928 ) and Edward Elgar: Severn Suite ( 1930). These pieces are still played today.
Of considerable importance were the compositions of the bassoonist Gilbert Vinter, on the back the Arrangement modern pieces for brass band essentially.
The most famous brass band composer of the 20th century was born in 1903 in Bristol and died in 1989 Eric ball from his hand come a number of impressive works of all levels of difficulty. Special recognition gained three compositions from the 1960s, where he worked themes from Negro spirituals.
The film Brassed Off - Sound and Fury (1996 ) by Mark Herman has discussed a brass band and their current problems.
Regular Brass Band competitions in Montreux ( Switzerland; national championship ) organized and Amboise ( France).