Influences On Secular Brass Bands
The Salvation Army kept itself apart from the secular brass band world. They did not enter contests or play music other than their own - which had been specifically written or arranged for them. Secular tunes were used, but arranged to reflect the spiritual work they supported. Many of the bands developed into highly competent ensembles equal to or exceeding the proficiency of their secular counterparts - being respected and even envied by those that heard them.
Around the same time that the Salvation Army bands were forming the temperance movement was also using brass bands to promote its message. These, however, were integrated with the other amateur brass bands - and the vestiges of their influence can still be seen in the names of some of the bands today.
Happily the Salvationist movement in recent years has opened up its doors to its colleagues in the secular brass band world. A rich resource of music has been made available for other bands to play and new relationships between the Salvation Army band movement and their counterparts in ordinary life are being made.
Read more about this topic: Salvation Army Brass Band
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