The Italian Brass Band led by conductor Giuseppe Saggio recently made a hugely significant debut appearance at one of the nation's most prestigious symphonic band festivals.
The band, which earlier this year performed at the European Brass Band Championships in Malmo in Sweden, participated in the Bandalarga Puglia Festival which takes place in Conversano, a beautiful small town in the south-east region of Italy.
Major performances
Held in association with the Associazione Culturale Musicale Gioacchino Ligonzo and a wide variety of major sponsors, the festival was being held for the 28th time, and consisted of a series of high profile performances from leading symphonic bands and wind orchestras from early July through to mid August.
The festival celebrates a form of wind band musicianship that can be traced back to the early part of the 19th century and was made popular through the performance of opera music by symphonic 'Banda da Giro' ensembles.
Much like the brass band tradition in the UK, it flourished in even small towns and villages and became a hugely respected form of both amateur and professional music making.
Cross over
In what has been seen as one of the most important 'cross-over' performances in the short history of the Italian brass band movement, the Italian Brass Band performed to a large audience in the magnificent churchyard of the Cathedral Basilica in Conversano.
Their programme included works that paid musical respects to the festival with the overture to 'Ruslan and Ludmilla' and Verdi's 'Masnadieri', as well as showcasing original brass bands compositions from Philip Sparke and Peter Graham and a number of arrangements well known to the wind band audience from Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Ennio Morricone.
This has been a historic occasion for the brass band movement in Italy. It is recognition of our musical excellence as well as our desire to reach out to new audiencesItalian Brass Band
Historic occasion
Speaking to 4BR, band spokesperson Giovanni Celestino said: "This has been a historic occasion for the brass band movement in Italy. It is recognition of our musical excellence as well as our desire to reach out to new audiences.
It brought together two musical forms that are traditions that have never before been linked. Now we have and we are now united in our desire to work together and explore so many exciting possibilities.
We hope to build on this acclaim for the future and to inspire other Italian brass bands to seek cooperation with other wonderful musical forms."
