The Works Brass Band – a Historical Directory of the Industrial and Corporate Patronage and Sponsorship of Brass Bands
The works brass band – a historical directory of the industrial and corporate patronage and sponsorship of brass bands Gavin Holman, January 2020 Preston Corporation Tramways Band, c. 1910 From the earliest days of brass bands in the British Isles, they have been supported at various times and to differing extents by businesses and their owners. In some cases this support has been purely philanthropic, but there was usually a quid pro quo involved where the sponsor received benefits – e.g. advertising, income from band engagements, entertainment for business events, a “worthwhile” pastime for their employees, corporate public relations and brand awareness - who would have heard of John Foster’s Mills outside of the Bradford area if it wasn’t for the Black Dyke Band? One major sponsor and supporter of brass bands, particularly in the second half of the 19th century, was the British Army, through the Volunteer movement, with upwards of 500 bands being associated with the Volunteers at some time – a more accurate estimate of these numbers awaits some further analysis. However, I exclude these bands from this paper, to concentrate on the commercial bodies that supported brass bands. I am also excluding social, civic, religious, educational and political organisations’ sponsorship or support. In some cases it is difficult to determine whether a band, composed of workers from a particular company or industry was supported by the business or not. The “workmen’s band” was often a separate entity, supported by a local trade union or other organisation. For the purposes of this review I will be including them unless there is specific reference to a trade union or other social organisation.
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