Your banding needs you... and Shri Sriram

It was somewhat appropriate that this year’s Brass Band Conference was held in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of London, as Brass Bands England continues to build a readily recognisable organisational structure based on progressive achievements. 

The 120 or so delegates who looked around for a statement of legacy ambition at the City of London School certainly found ample evidence of that. 

However, whereas in previous years they left with sheets of colourful graphics showing stanchion point membership numbers and Arts Council Funding to put in their orange conference bags, this year they were filled with much more meaningful examples of communal creativity and engagement. 

Foundations in place

A decade in the making, the BBEs foundations are now secure; annual funding raised from the precarious ‘recovery mode’ years to well over half a million pounds today. Membership, once hovering around 180 bands is now 530 plus organisations. There are healthy reserves and an increasing portfolio of commercial and grant funded partnerships.

The corporate speak is now centred on ‘collaboration and consultation’ rather than ‘resilience and sustainability’ of influencing policy rather than merely reacting to decisions. 

The corporate speak is now centred on ‘collaboration and consultation’ rather than ‘resilience and sustainability’, of influencing policy rather than merely reacting to decisions made elsewhere. 

Confidence

It has given BBE the confidence to host the 50th European Championships at the Southbank Centre complex further up the Thames Embankment in 2028, knowing that by then it could have gained a further significant boost in core funding from Arts Council England (a new cycle begins April 2026) to finance their ambition to shape banding’s landscape for a generation or more to come. 

BBE offers a wide ranging series of initiatives and projects 

Critics

Critics will still point to a perceived adherence to the ‘tick-box’ approach of the ‘fashionable’ Gen Z agendas that they believe permeates the Arts and Culture sectors in the UK, and which does nothing more lasting than funding internal job creation rather than external grass roots investment. 

However, BBE (on the evidence of this Conference at least) can justifiably retort with the hard facts and figures of their successful diversity and inclusion portfolio of initiatives – from Youth Voice representation and Future Leaders programme to its Brass Foundations and ‘Elevate’ partnerships, Safeguarding links and Youth Championships.

Those who remain to be won over should have then taken the time to attend and listen to an uplifting Keynote speech by musician Shri Sriram (building on that by Gavin Higgins last year) as well as from the main discussion forum hosted by Edward Gregson alongside Ian Pothouse, Jamie Sophia Fletcher and Matthew Swann.

Taken time

Those who remain to be won over should have then taken the time to attend and listen to an uplifting Keynote speech by musician Shri Sriram (building on that by Gavin Higgins last year) as well as from the main discussion forum hosted by Edward Gregson alongside Ian Porthouse, Jamie Sophia Fletcher and Matthew Swann.

The panel for Fundraising for Community Engagement

Realism and optimism 

A balanced mix of realism and optimism also permeated sessions on fundraising for community engagement, breaking down barriers to musical engagement in rural areas, and building inclusive partnerships with schools teaching children with complex educational needs. The ‘Bloco Banger’ session with brass band and samba instruments was ‘inclusion’ in all its musical fun packed glory.

And if there was any further confirmation needed of how BBE has broadened both its appeal and relevance, then the list of nominees (let alone the winners) of its annual awards was equally broad and inclusive in outlook.   

Helping children out of poverty by giving them a constructive outlet of free music making is worth every penny and more of any funding BBE can gain in the future.

Youthful spirit

To hear of the determination of ‘Young Bandsperson’ award winning Jasmine Cosgrove to overcome family homelessness and the sale of her drum kit and still attend her band rehearsals and concerts was both an incredible endorsement of youthful spirit as it was a damning inditement of social housing policy. 

Helping children out of poverty by giving them a constructive outlet of free music making is worth every penny and more of any funding BBE can gain in the future.

Lifetime Achievement Award for Frank Renton

Lifetime Achievement

That power was also touched on by Frank Renton in a short but powerfully passionate ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award address that encapsulated what music has meant to him – from taking his first steps with Black Dyke Juniors to becoming the top man at Kneller Hall and the voice of brass banding across the world. 

That power was also touched on by Frank Renton in a short but powerfully passionate ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award address

Vison too with the National Youth Band’s ‘Green Hero’ award, as well as to the Kathleen Harrison and her commitment to Elland Band, Sarah Woodward to Kirkbymoorside and Shepherd Group for their ‘Brass Roots’ project.

And what of the joy Jock McKenzie has given to countless youngsters through his wonderfully inventive series of education and band pieces?

The Green Hero Award was won by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain's 'Fragile Earth' collaboration

Food for thought

Elsewhere the breakout and main hall sessions offered positive, realistically balanced food for thought.

The partnership between Hitchin Band and BBE in working with children with complex special education needs in their area was one of inspirational inclusiveness.

The partnership between Hitchin Band and BBE in working with children with complex special education needs in their area was one of inspirational inclusiveness.

Its positive impact demands to be replicated and fully funded throughout the country. 

Dinah Birch, Emma Jackman and Deirdre Waller-Box talked about the Hitchin/BBE project with SEND children

Realism

Practical advice and financial realism also came with the session exploring the importance of becoming successful at community engagement fundraising initiatives, as well as using social media as a positive tool (although this could well have been an absorbing topic in itself). 

The ‘Gone in the Air’  approach being used by organisations to overcome the barriers to music making in rural areas of the country showed resilience and inventiveness at its best. 

The panel that discussed bringing brass bands back to the centre of the National music stage

Mic drop moment

All this and the main discussion topic of how to bring back brass bands to the front and centre to the national stage brought a true ‘mic-drop’ moment that encapsulated perhaps BBE’s greatest future challenge.

In noting the exposure created by the likes of Tredegar Band in appearing at the Proms in 2022, Matthew Swann of the BBC Concert Orchestra remarked that he and colleagues at the BBC were then left puzzled to why there had been no discernible response to their ‘open door’ invitation to get more bands in Radio 3 broadcast slots for shows such as ‘Friday Night is Music Night’.

his acute observation about banding’s contesting focus, was as pertinent as it was pointed. 

Pertinent and pointed

Generously he directed no blame, but given that there would be the possibility of five or six bespoke broadcasts on offer each year, and that Radio 3 was currently also looking into commissioning a new 10 part series about the impact of brass banding across the globe, his acute observation about banding’s contesting focus, was as pertinent as it was pointed. 

His email inbox may be about to get a heck of a lot busier in the days ahead.

An intoxicating mix of insight, humour, telling observations and fundamental truths

Intoxicating mix

Being busy was no problem for Shri Sriram, whose Keynote speech was an intoxicating mix of insight and humour, telling observations and fundamental truths.

The positive experience gained through working with Hammonds Band on their ‘Just a Vibration’  musical collaboration still resonated with him – although it was startling to find out that it is now close to a decade since it was first performed.

The passion for music in all its genres (from the glorious bonkerness of Indian wedding bands and Led Zeppelin, to jazz and classical string quartets) ensures that he is someone you cannot help but listen to. 

The passion for music in all its genres (from the glorious bonkerness of Indian wedding bands and Led Zeppelin, to jazz and classical string quartets) ensures that he is someone you cannot help but listen to. 

His personal tap of musical creativity flow is pouring with new ideas every day.  Getting him on Radio 3 with a brass band should be high on the list of someone’s priorities.

The echo makers of a new challenge for BBE 

Echoes

The day closed with a bang – literally with the sound of Kinetika Bloco and participants improvising to create a brass/samba fusion of fun and creative communal music making.

It sent the loudest possible echo of BBE’s intention to reach out and build lasting connections with musical communities far from the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Iwan Fox