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Historical performance by Newtongrange Silver Band

Ray Farr with Newtongrange Silver Band on the steps of Edinburgh university

Entitled Making the British Sound the conference, jointly run by The Galpin Society and the Historic Brass Society, comprised a day of academic presentations, including one from Ray Farr on the Distin Family and Newtongrange Band gave a short concert of early brass band music using period instruments.

The programme included items from the Crystal Palace contest and concert of 1862 such as Robert Le Diable (Meyerbeer), Volunteer Artillery & Rifle Corps March (Enderby Jackson), and Tidwell’s General Jackson’s Schottische (Henry Farmer).

Angus Edmund excelled in the demanding Cavatina from Robert Le Diable, Toi que J’aime, which he played on a Distin cornet from 1880, whilst the talented euphonium/trombone player, Neil Phillips, performed The Pilgrim of Love (Sir Henry Rowley Bishop) on a Courtois instrument made in 1910.

Scholarly editions of several pieces from this important era in brass band development have being made by Ray Farr (pictured above), which will soon be published and available for modern band performances.

The National Brass Band Championships and Durham Music Enterprises gave financial support, and the instruments (itemised below) were loaned by the Music Department of Durham University.

Antique instruments used:

Cornopean in C 1833c
Distin cornets in Bb 1880c
Distin cornet in Bb 1860c
Keyed bugle in C 1810c
Ventil horn in Eb by De Lacy 1860c
French Horn in F by William Brown 1860c
Ophicleide 1820c
Distin duplex euphonium 1880c
Tenor trombones by Courtois 1910c
Circular bass in Eb 1840c