An innovative musical link that brings together Birmingham's local Polish community, city workers and families will be launched this autumn.

The Birmingham New Millennium (Metropole) Brass Band will aim to provide a city-centre based non-contesting band, a training brass band and night classes for local workers and families. It will launch on 8th September and will meet every Friday evening at the city's popular Polish Centre.

Collaborative

It is believed to be one of the first brass bands to form in the city centre in over a century, as well as being the first Polish/UK collaborative brass band community project in the UK.

Local people of any age will be able to learn to play brass and percussion in the heart of a busy city, either individually or in small groups.

The venue on Bordesley Sreet includes a restaurant, bar, teaching areas and a stage for in-house concerts and is just a short walk away from the future home of the proposed high speed New Street rail station.

Friday night

It is hoped that players will be able enjoy a great musical and social experience close to where they work and where they can also go on to enjoy the bustling, lively nightlife.

The long term aim is to see the band eventually offer Friday Club Concerts, benefit nights linked to the live comedy circuit, open rehearsals, intercity concerts and appearances around the city.

Opportunities

The founder of the project is Iain Masson, an Honorary Member of Birmingham Conservatoire. He told 4BR: "My goal is to readdress the opportunities for people working and living in a busy city centre who wish to explore and enjoy brass band music making.

By working together with our friends in the Polish Centre, we hope to transform the local musical landscape to help develop a thriving independent brass band for local people and city centre workers. There's nothing we can't achieve when we work together.

It's a new beginning, and it will be a great way for people and families to finish off their busy weeks."

He added: "We are moving forward the progress for such an exciting collaborative project. This is a new way to bring people together."

Bringing people together

Ewa Kadziolka, the Manager of Polish Millennium House and the Polish Centre Birmingham, is also delighted to be involved. "We are so excited that a new brass band will be based here at Polish Millennium House.

British brass bands are simply amazing in bringing people together through music. It will be fantastic to have a brass band here. We are really looking forward to it!'

British brass bands are simply amazing in bringing people together through music. It will be fantastic to have a brass band here. We are really looking forward to it!Ewa Kadziolka, the Manager of Polish Millennium House

Business links

The project is now looking to secure donations of musical instruments, no matter what the condition, and is saving for the purchase of music. Iain is also hoping to secure funding help from local city centre businesses and will be inviting employers to come along see the benefits of the initiative for themselves.

He is also inviting local and national businesses to sponsor city centre employees to learn a musical instrument outside their job — earmarking to them the benefits that collaboration, partnership and community involvement brings.

Find out more

Local brass or percussion players who would like to take part, and those who wish to learn an instrument from scratch can sign up or download a membership information pack at: www.iainmasson.com/metropole or e-mail Iain at metropole@iainmasson.com or call 07949 089 319.