Festival ensures 'brass heritage will survive'

A festival which is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary must continue to grow to ensure the heritage of brass survives for generations to come, a band manager has said.

Durham Brass Festival returns next year, marking two decades of bringing performances, street bands and community activities to the region.

Tony Thompson, band manager and player for the NASUWT Riverside Brass Band, has been involved with the festival since it began in 2006.

The 69-year-old, from Chester-le-Street, said it helped to ensure the brass band movement "does not dwindle".

"Brass bands where there for a recreation outlet for the miners, and most mines closed in the mid-1980s and that's when brass bands started to dwindle because there wasn't any support for them," he said.

"Over time, the brass festival has helped to fill in that gap and helped to explore different avenues for brass bands."

The event, run by Durham County Council, features performances in streets, parks, historic venues, care homes and schools from 12 to 19 July.

Karen Allison, cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said the first Durham Brass Festival in 2006 was "inspired by the tradition of brass bands at the Durham Miners' Gala".

"Since then, it has grown into a celebration of music, heritage, culture, and community," she added.

Mr Thompson said it helped to combine the old with the new, while showcasing the county's historic roots with brass music.

"We have got very few brass bands now compared to what we had, so it is important we continue with the heritage we had," he said.

"Normal brass bands, what people in the general public see, is people playing in the park or at the Durham Miners' Gala, but this festival brings a different perspective."

The festival has seen the likes of traditional brass bands team up with headliners such as Simon Armitage, LYR, Fat Freddy's Drop, Richard Hawley, and Public Service Broadcasting.

The NASUWT Riverside Band, consisting of 25 brass players and three percussionists, has been involved for the past 16 years.

Founded in 1875, the band is one of the oldest in the north of England, and rehearses in the former mining village of Pelton Fell.

Mr Thompson, who used to play the principal cornet for the band but now takes a different position, said the festival had given the band a plethora of opportunities.

These have included performing with singer and guitarist Richard Hawley and Public Service Broadcasting at Durham Cathedral, the latter of which won a North East Culture Award for the best performance in 2024, a live broadcast with a band in Copenhagen and a part in The Miners' Hymns, a 2010 film about the Durham Coalfield.

Despite these experiences, Mr Thompson said he simply just enjoys playing.

"Playing in a brass band is good for your mental health, and great for your physical health, it can get mentally tiring and it is quite a challenge but very rewarding," he added.

The council is searching for acts to take part in the festival's Brassed On event, which showcases emerging artists.

Musicians and artists interested are being invited to fill out a form online.

Headline acts for the 2026 Durham Brass Festival are set to be announced in spring.

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