The London Stedfast Association Brass Band
The Brass Band is the youngest section of the London Association, having been formed less than five years ago in February 2006.
Having a thriving Bugle & Drum section the Association identified a need to widen the music available for various events, which required seated, concert style music and a band capable of providing the sacred music required at various church services.
Brass band music has always been a core activity of The Boys' Brigade, and still is today, as evidenced by the BB National Brass Band Association of which I am now the Administrator.
I hope to encourage other Stedfast Associations to form similar sections and, in time, perhaps to form a National Stedfast Brass Band under the umbrella of the Federation of Stedfast Associations.
Our brass band is now an Associate Member of the BB NBBA and, via this organization; we have been able to carry out one of our main objectives when formed in 2005 i.e. to support the current BB whenever, and wherever, possible.
We have had a great deal of success in this, playing with the current BB at St. Paul's Cathedral and St. Brides Institute to celebrate 25 years of the London BB Massed Bugle bands, at the Historic Docks, Chatham, to celebrate 125 years of the BB and 25 years of the London Stedfast Association. At Chatham we were able to provide a band of 80+ musicians from all over the UK and Republic of Ireland, We play annually at the Royal Hospital Chelsea to support the London District BB at its Presentation of Queen's Men, which includes playing the Sunset Retreat Ceremony. We have completed at a number of training weekends at RAF establishments such as Cosford and Uxbridge.
We take our role of supporting the current BB very seriously and we have played at the joyful celebration of a newly formed BB Company in London District. Also at the 120 years anniversary of the oldest BB Company in England, the 5th London Company. Celebration concerts for 70 years of BB work in the community by the 16th West Kent Company. Just three weeks ago we gave a concert to raise funds for the 155th London BB Company in South East London, which is ‘rich in boys but poor in funds'.
On a sadder note we played at the Closing and Laying up of the Colours Ceremony for the second oldest English BB Company, the famous 6th London Company who had also celebrated 120 years of continuous service to the boys of West London. This Company provided more winners and finalists in the Devonshire Cup Bugle Band Competition than any Company in the history of the competition so it was particularly sad to witness their demise.
Our band has entered the BB NBBA Music Festival in Hampshire for the past two years and I can see evidence of a number of adult former BB players who, I'm convinced, could be persuaded to form similar Brass Bands as ours within their local Stedfast Associations.
I feel that there are numerous former BB Brass players in the country who would jump at the chance to begin playing again if they were shown that it was possible through the Stedfast family.
We thoroughly enjoy ourselves although we only meet once a month, or perhaps twice if a particularly important engagement is imminent.
We currently undertake an average of six engagements annually although we are asked to do more. We have 25 musicians but, as working adults, they are not always available at the same time. We welcome any former players to join us so please contact me on lsabrassband@hotmail.com for any information.
Whilst I have emphasized our support of the current BB I should also mention the healthy relationship we have with the London Stedfast Association Bugle and Drum Section.
These excellent players regularly join us at concerts and engagements, most recently at the Association's AGM Concert and the previously mentioned concert for the 155th London BB Company.
The LSA Brass and LSA Bugles and Drums joined together with, and were augmented by, the Chandlers Ford BB Band and the Bugles of the Brighton Stedfast Association at a Memorial Concert in Brighton.
We regularly support the BB outside of London and we have played at Liverpool Cathedral, the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, and in Derby, all with the local BB.
Nearer to home I'm hoping to resurrect engagements, previously undertaken by the defunct London District Central Brass Band, at Tower Bridge for the London Marathon, Southwark Cathedral for the Blind Association and the playing of Christmas Carols around the Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square.
Terry Roper
LSA Brass Band Co-ordinator
