August 2008

We have hardly had the weather for it so far this summer but one of the best ways to spend a sunny summer afternoon is in a deck chair listening to a good brass band.  I love brass bands.  There you are I’ve admitted it.  Brass bands are an important part of our musical and cultural heritage.  Whether it’s a colliery band, a Salvation Army band or a community band there’s something unique and special about the sound of a brass band.

There are more than 600 brass bands in the United Kingdom and more than 20,000 people are involved either as players or volunteers.  Members and supporters come from across the age range and for that matter across social barriers.  But keeping a brass band playing is not cheap.  A full set of instruments costs around £60,000 with further running costs for transport, rehearsals, music and uniforms.

It’s a pity then that brass bands receive so little financial support for the role they play.  In the last five years the Arts Council of England gave opera £156 million. Ballet received £70 million.  Brass bands got just £140,000.  That means for every £1 brass bands get in support opera gets £1,100 and ballet £500.  There is little prospect of things getting better soon.  Quite rightly the Arts Council funds groups over three years and to do that has identified 950 Regularly Funded Organisations, with a further 80 to come.  But not one is a brass band despite the fact that we have the best bands in the world.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am not against opera or ballet but I am for a better deal for brass bands.  So my message to the Arts Council is come on, look at the way you fund music in this country and recognise the important part that brass bands play in the music heritage of our communities.