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Lurking

David Williams wrote: "Although we have some of the best in the world in all
sections I fear the public and all parts of the media don't recognise this.
Newspapers don't even cover the major contests, popular radio programmes
rarely play a brass or military band, and T.V. just ignores our music."

I was touched by his words, as even in the NW, where banding has always been
most popular, the trend is a depressing one. My Head of Department at school
seems to think that brass bands are the lowest of the low on the musical
scale. Never mind the fact that it encourages people to work together, never
mind that youngsters can learn to read and write music better than in a dry
class situation - with keyboards, (Yuck!). Forget the fact that banding is a
major part of the musical heritage of the working class communities. We are
being forced to teach everyone to be 'Middle English'!

I can't imagine what my life would have been like without bands. The sense
of community, the pleasure of creating those unique sounds, the joy and
pleasure of sharing those things with an audience. Nothing can compete with
that.

I suspect this is another example of the North-South divide syndrome,
(apologies to southern bandspersons). Brass bands are not highbrow enough,
(so they say), and when they are, they're not entertaining enough, (I say).


However, all is not lost. There are enough of us out here to make an
impression. If we were all to lobby our local and/or national radio
stations, they might just be persuaded to play more brass band music. Get
E-mailing!


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