I’ve been a bander for over 22 years. During that time, I’ve been lucky enough to have taken part in, what I would have called, ‘bucket list’ performances. As grand as they were, they pale in comparison to the weekend I had the utmost privilege to spend in Normandy and Ypres with The Massed Band of the Pegasus Memorial.

How the Value of Brass Bands Extends Beyond Music The scene in Brassed Off where the band gathers outside of the hospital, donned in their miner’s headtorches, to perform Danny Boy is one of the most memorable scenes from the iconic film. It’s a moving moment for all, whether you’re a brass bander or not. However, speaking as a brass bander, the reason I end up sobbing uncontrollably is because it is a microcosm of what brass banding truly is. The band’s performance isn’t j

Progress. Charles Darwin said it best: in order to survive, you must adapt and evolve. He’s right. Whether we’re talking about penguins or brass bands, adaptation and evolution is vital to avoid extinction.

An Exploration of Un Vie De Matelot for Brass Band The set work for the 2026 Senior Trophy is Robert Farnon’s charismatic Un Vie De Matelot (A Sailor’s Life). It’s a difficult work with plenty of challenges for the soloists, as well as tricky technical sections that are sure to put a band through its paces. Let’s take a deeper look into the piece and what it has in store for the bands performing it. Who was Robert Farnon? Robert Farnon was born in Toronto in 1917 and is reg