July 9, 2013
Day of Music Artists Share Their Stories: The Houston Brass Band
This summer, we have planned a very special event in honor of our 100th year: Day of Music on July 13, 2013! This FREE 12-hour festival will showcase Houston’s diverse musical landscape. Attendees will spend the day at Jones Hall listening to dozens of free performances, beginning with a family concert in the morning and ending with a concert of favorite symphonic works in the evening. In between, on several different stages jazz groups, rock and blues bands, ethnic ensembles, choral ensembles and classical music groups will fill the air with a diverse range of sounds. Plus, attendees will have the chance to sample some of Houston’s finest food truck fare next door at Jones Plaza at The Day of Music Food Truck Fair, sponsored by Houston First. Leading up to the event, we will post several stories by our participating artists so that you can have a chance to learn some background information on the music you’ll be hearing at the festival!
Day of Music: July 13, 2013, 9:00 AM-10:00 PM
Featured Artists: The Houston Brass Band
Founded in the year 2000, the Houston Brass Band is becoming one of the region’s premier musical ensembles, sharing the unique spirit and beauty of British-style brass band music through concerts of the highest quality and educational outreach.
The British brass band tradition dates from the 1840s and 1850s when industrialization created a newly-urbanized working class with access to the mass-produced brass instruments. Large employers, such as foundries, mills, and mines, supported bands for the Victorian goal of “improving” the working classes, not to mention competing with each other. The goals may be different now, but the brass band movement has since spread world-wide.
The Houston Brass Band, the only British brass band in Southeast Texas, started as a group of friends and enthusiasts. Under the leadership of Houston Symphony trumpeter Robert Walp, the ensemble has grown to draw members from among Houston’s professional performers, music educators, and talented amateurs. The band now offers a full season of performances and educational opportunities to audiences throughout the region.
The Houston Brass Band performed to a sold-out crowd at Zilkha Hall in 2010, and has toured to cities throughout Texas, performing at Round Top and for the Texas Bandmasters Association. In addition to traditional brass band compositions, the Band’s performance repertoire includes orchestral transcriptions, film scores, and jazz. In pursuing its educational mission, the Band regularly holds “Brass Only Band Camps,” offering young musicians the opportunity to spend the weekend learning and performing with the professionals and educators in the Houston Brass Band.
The Houston Brass Band will perform at 5:00 p.m. on the main stage.
