Of the many brass bands that have flourished in Britain and Ireland over the last 200 years very few have documented records covering their history. This directory is an attempt to collect together information about such bands and make it available to all. Over 19,600 bands are recorded here, with some 10,600 additional cross references for alternative or previous names. This volume supersedes the earlier “British Brass Bands – a Historical Directory” (2016) and includes some 1,400 bands from the island of Ireland. A separate work is in preparation covering brass bands beyond the British Isles. A separate appendix lists the brass bands in each county
9th edition, 2019. A comprehensive list of books, articles, theses and other material covering the brass band movement, its history, instruments and musicology; together with other related topics (originally issued in book form in January 2009)
An account of provincial theatre activity during the years 1915-65, which was to be found, at some time, in 400 towns between Plymouth and Dundee. This book is told mainly in the words of actors, producers, technicians, managers and members of the audiences.
The Catholic Church is one of the few institutions that have survived since the inception of the British colony. She has contributed much during its development. As early as 1841, she set up a mission in Hong Kong. She and her various religious orders and congregations engaged in charitable works for the poor and the elderly in the early days of Hong Kong, greatly relieving the burden on the newly established colonial government. Today, apart from religious services, the Catholic Church still plays an important role in providing Hong Kong with diversified and professional services in medical care, education and social welfare. Historical studies on the Catholic Church in Hong Kong of a comprehensive nature are rare in comparison with other religions. The reasons of this may include the complicated organizational structure of the Catholic Church and the multiple languages used in the archival documents, such as Latin, French, Italian and Portuguese. As a Catholic clergy, the author of this book, Fr Louis Ha, is knowledgeable about the internal operation of the Church. He is also familiar with many European languages which help him master the original records and guarantee the credible result of his research. The contents of this book are based on the large number of documents provided by the Hong Kong Diocesan Archives Office, by archives in the Vatican and in various religious orders in Europe. As an objective and impartial historian, Fr. Louis Ha honestly pointed out the power struggle in the Church, the confrontation with the government, the competition between Chinese and foreign clerics. In fact, a candid description of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong is shown in front of the readers. Definitely, it is a precious reference book for the study of the local society, religion, education, and charitable work in early Hong Kong.
Taking up the story of bands and their development from the 1930s to the start of the new millennium, Roy Newsome discusses the contest tradition of brass bands, the Youth banding movement, repertoire, instrumentation and the impact of the media on bands and their music.
