Guestpost from John Barber – Courtesy of Brass Band World Magazine Whilst the musical rewards can undoubtedly be plentiful, playing in a brass band also takes time, effort, costs money, allows you the opportunity to dress in outsized uniforms, be occasionally disappointed by contest results and, if you’re unfortunate enough, get stuck regularly in an […]
10 quick fire quiz questions on Eric Ball to test your brass band knowledge (Answers at the foot of the page) Eric ball arranged Suite Gothique but who wrote it? Which lower section test piece has 4 movements called Parade, Pas Seul, Menuet and Ensemble. Which test piece takes its title from the ‘Book of […]
The purpose of a metronome is to provide a musical timer for beats and to keep you exactly in time and there are two basic types. The traditional and larger pyramid shaped mechanical metronome and more recently the electronic multifunction device which is highly portable and the usual choice of conductors. Who invented the metronome? The […]
David Collins Recorded June 2016 In this episode Nezzy chats with David Collins, composer with a brass playing background based in Manchester. David has achived a first class honours music degree at Durham university and is currently studying for his masters Degree at Salford. He has built up a considerable portfolio of compositions and arrangements […]
After qualifying for the first section finals this year with Ebbw Valley Brass at the Welsh Area I was delighted to find out that ‘Ballet for Band’ by Joseph Horovitz had been chosen as the set piece for the UK first section finals. I first heard the piece when I travelled over to Cory bands […]
I have been in several bands but never one where there is no ‘tea break’ in the middle…until I joined Ebbw Valley Brass. Because we have only have one band rehearsal a week the maestro, Gareth “do you reckon’ it’s hot in here or is it me?” Ritter, gives us a damned good thrashing with […]
After setting up the Nezzyonbrass website I started to get very itchy feet. At first I assumed it was a horrific dose of athletes foot but then it dawned on me I needed to play in a band again. I last played in 2007 for Newbridge conducted by Paul Holland and have since been taxiing […]
Adrian Evans Recorded April 2015 Nigel Seaman talks to the founder and owner of Ev-entz, Adrian Evans who turned his passion for percussion into a hugely successful business. Ev-entz stage manages many brass band events and prestigious venues throughout the UK such as the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert […]
For those of you who have stumbled upon this web site and are wondering what is a Brass Band?, I will do my best to enlighten you and put in it layman’s terms. A brass band consists of groups of brass instruments of various sizes and tones. At the top and squeaky end is the […]
10 quick fire quiz questions to test your brass band knowledge (Answers at the foot of the page) Cloudcatcher Fells, composed by John McCabe for the 1985 National Finals of Great Britain comprises of four movements, played continuously. The piece describes several mountainous places in the Lake District in north West England. ‘Angle Tarn’ is […]