Modern Brass Band

Following Roy Newsome's highly acclaimed study "Brass Roots: One Hundred Years of Brass Bands and their Music", this book takes up the story of bands and their development from the end of the Second World War to the start of the new millennium. Brass Band contests continued to play a significant role in the twentieth century, and this new book begins with a detailed consideration of both local and regional contests and larger-scale national events such as the British Open and the National Brass Band Championships. As in previous times, the repertoire of bands has been greatly influenced by these contests. Newsome explores competition works, but also the development of an increasing number of concerto-style works intended for concert performance. One of the keys to the continuing popularity and success of the banding movement has been the creation of school and youth brass bands. A chapter devoted to younger generations of band players examines the changes that have taken place in teaching methods, and this is followed by an overview of the spread of interest in brass bands overseas. The book concludes with an investigation of the impact of the radio, television and in particular commercial recording on the brass band industry, and what the future holds for the genre.