New study challenges belief that Britain's brass bands originated with coal miners

Britain’s brass bands are older than previously thought and were invented by soldiers from the Napoleonic Wars, a new study has found.

The findings challenge the belief that brass bands originated with coal miners and other industrial communities in northern England and Wales between the 1830s and the 1850s.

New evidence now suggests that Britain’s earliest brass bands were founded by military musicians in the 1810s.

Dr Eamonn O’Keeffe, the National Army Museum junior research fellow at the University of Cambridge, said: “These findings illustrate just how deeply brass bands are embedded in British history and culture.

“We already knew about their relationship with industrialisation. Now we know that brass bands emerged from Britain’s wars against Napoleon.”

Wartime bands included woodwind instruments such as clarinets and bassoons, but the 15th Regiment of Foot had already organised a bugles-only band by 1818.

Taking advantage of new instrument designs developed at home and in Continental Europe, a number of other regiments had established all-brass bands by 1830.

According to Dr O'Keeffe, the Napoleonic Wars led to a proliferation of British military bands - and founded many of Britain's earliest non-military brass bands.

By 1814, more than 20,000 people who played instruments were serving in uniform, in the regular army and militia, as well as a host of part-time home defence formations.

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Dr O’Keeffe analysed press reports, memoirs and regimental records, and found that after they had been demobilised, men and boys who honed their instrumental skills in uniform pursued a variety of civilian musical careers, becoming instructors, wind performers, composers and even opera singers.

He said: “It is widely assumed that brass bands were a new musical species, distinct from their military counterparts.

“But all-brass bands first appeared in Britain and Ireland in a regimental guise.

“As well as producing a large cohort of band trainers, the military provided a familiar and attractive template for amateur musicians and audiences.

“This coincided with expanding commercial opportunities and a growing belief in the moralising power of music.”

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