Our Members

Brass Band Instruments

A standard British brass band consists of a number of players and types of instrument ranging from soprano to bass, including:

Cornets
Tenor, baritone and flugel horns
Euphoniums
Tenor and bass trombones
Basses (Eb and Bb tubas)
Percussion

What gives the British style band its own distinctive sound is the set configuration of ‘conical bore’ instruments used. Conical bore refers to the shape of the instrument, where the width increases linearly with the distance from the end of the instrument, similar to an ice cream cone. A trumpet, in comparison, is cylindrical bore, meaning the diameter remains the same along it’s entire length. This shaping has a huge impact on the sound made, known as it’s timbre. Trumpets are more predominant in orchestras, jazz and big bands whereas a traditional British Brass Band will use cornets.

As the shape of the instrument is fixed, the sound is produced by the vibrating column of air passing through it, so it is the player’s ability to manipulate that stream of air that controls the pitch within a set series of notes, along with three valves. It is this that allows players to be more flexible in moving from one instrument to another as preference or as needs arise.

Percussion also plays an important role as although not brass, it helps members of the band to keep time. Using cymbals, snare, bass drum and tom-toms along with triangle, chimes and timpani, they punctuate the rich brassy sound and add some extra sparkle. In outdoor events and marches, the big bass drum helps keep time. 2nd or 3rd percussionists play tuned instruments such as glockenspiel.

Fancy giving it a try?

Current band positions available

We are currently looking for players to fill the following positions:

Solo Cornet

3rd Cornet

Flugal Horn

2nd Euphonium

2nd Baritone

Tuned Percussion

Interested?

Please drop in to a rehearsal or contact us if you are interested in joining the band or in finding out more. We do have some instruments available for loan and we welcome new and experienced players alike.

We rehearse on Saturday mornings at Whittle Methodist Church near Chorley. Also check our Calendar to see when we'll be playing in a location near you.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you. You can contact us through our website or on social media. We try to respond to all messages as quickly as possible.