BrassFestUK Wants Your Band This Summer

If your band have an engagement over the weekend of the 7th to 9th July, then BrassFestUK want to know about it!

BrassFestUK is a project designed to encourage 100 brass bands (or more) across the UK to ‘go out and play’ to the public over the weekend of Friday 7th to Sunday 9th July. This could be a concert on the village green, a few pieces of music played in the local pub garden or the band setting up in the local park and playing to the passers bye. If your band already has an event that weekend – event better, all you need to do is sign up!

There are currently 56 bands across the country signed up to play over the featured weekend. Further information is available to see at http://www.brassfestuk.com/bands-that-are-taking-part. It is also fantastic to see so many Training and Youth bands getting involved.

To make the event special, BrassFestUK has commissioned composer and arranger, Gavin Somerset to write a new piece of music for the event for the participating bands to play.

Organiser of the event, Rob Tompkins, told A4B: ‘I am delighted to announce that The Cory Band have agreed to record the BrassFestUK commissioned piece, ‘The Spirit of Brass’ by Gavin Somerset. BrassFestUK hopes for as many bands as possible across the country to be involved and having the world’s best brass band recording the commissioned piece gives a huge boost to the project. This really is excellent news and I would like to thank Philip Harper and the Cory Band for agreeing to do this.’

‘The Spirit of Brass’ will be published and distributed by Pennine Music. Two versions of the work will be available, the main title and a training band version. Both will work side by side, or as standalone concert pieces. The titles will be available as a digital download for just £7.00 or if you band prefers a fully printed and bound copy, this can be purchased for only £10.00 (plus P&P) from www.penninemusic.com (title available soon).

Rob continued: ‘If prompted, the band may wish to do a collection and give the money to a local charity (please ensure the correct licence is obtained from your local council or by agreement of the landowner), but it would be nice if the bands would consider performing these concerts for free, so the public have access to brass music and the wonderful sound of brass at no cost.’

So if your band has an event that weekend, please do sign up. If not, why not put a concert on for your locals? For more information about BrassFestUK please visit www.brassfestuk.com or email [email protected]