International Brass Band A'Live Aid' Week

19-28 May

This week brass bands from all around the world will be contributing to Brass Band Week - another fundraising initiative of Brass Band Aid.

What is Brass Band Aid?

Brass Band Aid started in the UK. Acting on an initial idea by Stanhope Silver Band's, conductor Steve Robson (a long-time supporter of the charity World Vision) had an idea to record a fund-raising CD featuring four bands from the Durham area, namely Stanhope Silver, Ferryhill Town Band, Barnard Castle Band and Broughtons Brass Band. Steve had three initial aims for the project:

1. To give the bands a challenge,
2. To raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign and
3. To raise moneys for his chosen charity, World Vision.

Well he has certainly done that!

Briony Thompson, the band's 15-year-old trombonist, took it upon herself to add that something extra to the project. Her idea was to form a Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band, featuring the UKs finest banders, to record a brass band version of the Band Aid track "Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed The World)" for inclusion on the CD.

Roger Webster and Ian Porthouse, who Briony knew from a Summer School in Swansea, offered tremendous support for the concept and pointed Briony in the right direction in enlisting other brass band stars for the line-up. Briony spent the next few weeks tracking down telephone numbers and e-mail addresses for the top players in the land then contacted them in person to enlist their support for the poject.

The response she received was overwhelming – so much so in fact that when word of the project began to spread, players from all over the country were contacting Briony directly asking to take part in the project!

Obviously key to the project was finding a date that was suitable for the majority of the players – particularly considering the amazingly busy schedule these players have. The date eventually settled on was the 15th of May 2005. The enigmatic Richard Evans was then approached and was delighted to have a space in his diary and agreed to conduct the band. Richard was very excited about the project, and in addition to the Band Aid track, Richard was asked to select several other pieces for the celebrity band to feature on the CD.

Sign up for International Brass Band A'Live Aid' Week 19-28 May

Bands can sign up for Brass Band Week by e mail to: brassbandaid@stanhopesb.org Details required will be: date of event, venue, name of band, conductor, event title,details of the event including ticket prices and a picture if required.

In addition to the prize being offered to the band making the most significant contribution to Brass Band Week 2006, this does not mean financial contribution, the best contribution by a youth band will be rewarded by a day with euphonium virtuoso, Glyn Williams (courtesy of Fred Rhodes Ltd.), in which he will perform as a guest soloist at the winning band's concert anywhere in the UK.

The best contribution by an overseas band will receive a newly commissioned piece by a leading international composer, a prize provided courtesy of the Internet forum, theMouthpiece.com. 4barsrest will make its own award to the band staging the most original event presented during International Brass Band Week.

Every band taking part is asked to buy a set of Alan Fernie's work, African Funk – a piece playable by any band, which can be bought from Just Brass or from the Brass Band Aid website. Every penny of the £12.00 per set will go directly to Brass Band Aid. In addition, we would encourage bands to try and sell the BBA CD at a cost of £10.00 each (sale or return if necessary), at events, as well as any other fund raising ventures that they can think of that will help this most worthy cause. If one hundred bands raised £200 pounds each for BBA can you imagine what we could do, I will let you do the sums,
Brass Band Aid has raised over £20,000 so far. Everyone in banding will benefit if we can double that during the last week in May!

For more details check out the Brass Band Aid site:

http://stanhopesb.org/bba/BrassAliveAidGetInvolvedNow