The Brass Band Story

"Trevor Herbert reveals the story of brass bands, from their working-class origins and the enormous popularity of Victorian contests to modern times. It is a tale of the survival of tradition and the embrace of change. Victorian brass bands solidified communities and promoted shared local identities. As new modes of popular culture posed existential threats in the twentieth century, they reinvented themselves. The model British bands created is now replicated throughout the world. This is a fascinating and revealing history of a much-loved aspect of Britain's musical heritage"--