The Brass Bands Archive will open to the public in just two months’ time at its new home at the University of Huddersfield.
Heritage Quay, the university’s award-winning archive service, is putting on a special exhibition: Brass Bands: History and Culture, celebrating the collection. The exhibition, wich will open with a special weekend on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 March, is open to all and will be free to visit, running until 23 April.
The exhibition will include some of the gems from the archive, including trophies, scores and photographs, many of which will have never been displayed before. The weekend will also offer an opportunity to present questions about the archive and its contents to its custodian, Brass Bands England, and its group of dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers.
David Smith, Public Engagement Officer at Heritage Quay, commented: "It has been a fascinating journey assembling this exhibition from the interesting and varied collection of brass band memorabilia and historic items, and I'm thrilled that highlights of the collection will now be available for public viewing. It's a great opportunity to showcase everything that brass bands have achieved, as well as a chance to learn something new about their history. If you love brass bands, you won't be disappointed."
The exhibition opening coincides with the Yorkshire Brass Band Championships, also taking place in Huddersfield on 4 and 5 March at the Town Hall, a short walk from the Heritage Quay site. Anyone attending the Championships is welcome to visit the archive as part of their day or weekend.
Over 75% of the archive’s contents has now been catalogued and a recent grant from TownsWeb Archiving has allowed the process of digitising the collection to begin. These records, including items from the archive’s extensive sheet music collection, will be available to access online from 4 March. In addition, further exhibitions and events will allow bands and the general public to celebrate and connect with brass band heritage. The physical archive at Heritage Quay will be available by appointment from 6 March during research room opening hours of Mon, Tue and Fri 09:00 – 16:30.
For information on visiting Heritage Quay please visit their directions page. To find out more about the Brass Bands Archive information page.