Hebden Bridge Junior Brass Band
The Band has recorded a new CD, more details on the CD page
Over the summer of 2003 the band enjoyed a successful tour to the Mosel Valley in Germany.
A
quote from Harry Mortimer, and whilst it does not refer directly to our
band, it shows the atmosphere of the town perfectly!
"...it was at Hebden Bridge that my life started.
There is something about the Pennines which encourages music. The majority
of bands of all grades come from the geographical area surrounding this
great line of hills, and Hebden Bridge is as typical as any. Perhaps it is
the sheer beauty of these hills which encourages men and women to get
together to make music. Despite the noise and the rush of the modern world
the Brass Band still holds its place in the lives of these people. You can
still hear, on practice nights, the notes of the band on the night air:
the warmth of the euphoniums, the insistence of the cornet and the steady
throb of the bass. The quality of music and playing has improved almost
beyond recognition in my lifetime, but the spirit has always remained the
same. To be a member of the local band is as much an honour now as it has
ever been."
We practice twice a week,on monday and thursday nights; and when you consider that the average age of the members is 13, and in some bands it is 50, we are doing well!
The band have been to many countries, including America, France, Germany, Austria, and more recently Norway, Portsmouth (to the Royal Marines School of music) and Italy.
2001 saw the band visit St Pol in France for a weekend, to play at a special concert to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the two towns (Hebden Bridge and St Pol) being twinned. The band also spent a week in Holland in October, with the main aim to play with Drents Jeugdorkest, a Dutch youth band. For more information see the Tours page.
2003 has so far been a successful year, with tour to Germany, new Musical Director appointed, and lots of new music in the pipeline.
The band was formed on 19th October 1971, and gave its first concert 2 months later. They have been going strongly ever since! They take musicians between 7 and 19 of any standard, and have a B-band for the learners. The band is non contesting, so we rarely get a chance to prove how good we really are :-)
If you want to listen to some music whilst you browser, and have a browser which supports frames, click here!
The band have made many recordings, including CD's.
If you would be interested in attending a concert then view our engagement list!
Last Updated: December 26, 2004
Launched: January 17th, 2001
©2005 Hebden Bridge Junior Band
NB: This page is likely to rarely be updated as the webmaster has left the band to go to university, so please get in touch with the band directly for up to date information.