Brass Bands England revisit Beethoven

Around 150 musicians representing 14 bands recently joined forces in Sheffield to play their part in the high profile Beethoven Revisited Festival. The event was co-ordinated by Brass Bands England's Liaison Officer, Rachel Veitch-Straw, and following a short rehearsal which saw the players perform amid the fantastic acoustics of the foyer of the famous Crucible Theatre, they performed in Sheffield's Tudor Square.

A mix of players of all ages and abilities delivered an uplifting selection of music, with a large crowd gathering to enjoy the summer sounds which included Pop Looks Beethoven's Disco Grooves, the familiar sounds of the march Slaidburn, and some Michael Bublé.

The band was conducted by the Musical Director of Oughtibridge Gavin Somerset who said, "Having arranged and composed so many things for brass band from simple hymn tunes to full orchestra concert works, the sound of the 150 strong players belting out my arrangement of Haven't Met You Yet has to go up there alongside other proud moments. Yes, it's cheesy music, but it brings so many smiles!"

Many in the audience were regular classical concert-goers, unused to brass bands, and told Brass Bands England that they were astounded by the high-quality of the musical performance. Brass Bands England officers will be making the most of the success of the event to build further partnerships and new musical collaborations.

The Sheffield area bands, supported by Brass Bands England, have been linking together over the last two years to build connections with each other and with creative partners in the city. More activities have been planned around the BBC Music Day on June 3rd and discussions are underway regarding a brass band city centre concert season.

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