British Brass Bands Around the World (Americas)

Hello lads! Welcome back to another brass ensemble blog. Today we will continue travelling the globe by looking at British brass band traditions in the Americas! Lets start by looking at one of USA's most famous brass bands having won the North American Brass Band Association championship in 2025, Fountain City Brass Band.

Fountain City Brass Band performing Z 1920 by Peter Graham for the 2025 NABBA Championship

Program notes: Z 1920 is the second work in a planned trilogy of pieces based upon silent movies from the 1920s (the frst in the trilogy being Metropolis 1927). This second work is inspired by the genre-defning 1920 Douglas Fairbanks silent movie The Mark of Zorro, an adaptation of Johnston McCulley’s 1919 pulp fction novel The Curse of Capistrano.

Brass bands in the British tradition are becoming more popular through the efforts of the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA), which organizes an annual brass band convention and set piece style contest. The US Open Brass Band Championships are held in early November and serves as the countries leading entertainment competition. Brass Band Festivals such as The Great American Brass Festival, Ohio Brass Arts Festival, Gettysburg Brass Band Festival, Dublin Festival of Brass, Mid-Atlantic Brass Festival, and Texas Brass Fest occur throughout the year.

Next lets go up north to hear one of Canadas finest brass bands, Hannaford Street Silver Band.

Nine Daies Wonder by Bramwell Tovey performed by Hannaford St Silver Band with Mark Fewer on violin

There are hopes for growth in the education field of brass bands in Canada, and in particular southern Ontario. In 1999, the professional Hannaford Street Silver Band launched the Hannaford Street Youth Band, which is internationally recognized for its success. In 2005, another youth band was created for beginning brass players known as the Hannaford Junior Band. Beginning in September 2006, the Hannaford organization plans to launch a third, intermediate, band known as the Hannaford Community Youth Band.

Thank you travelling with me throughout the globe in search of British style brass bands. See you all soon!