South Bank Brass Band continue a Middlesbrough musical tradition
which is over 150 years old. The band was formed in the 1860s, as
one of five different bands – each representing a specific part of
the iron and steel works along the river Tees. Out of these five
bands, South Bank Brass Band is the only one still performing
today.
The band hold regular rehearsals on Tuesday evenings at St.
John’s Church, Normanby Road, South Bank. This book documents a
rehearsal on Thursday 3rd September 2019. They perform across the
region at events both small and large. They do not charge for their
performances, only excepting donations towards new pieces of music
for the band to learn.
Band leader Roger Manley notes, ‘we are playing extremely well
at the moment. We play music that isn’t difficult to play, but
music that people want to listen to. We do not play at people, we
play to people. There is a great camaraderie between all of us,
there is no one in South Bank Brass Band who rows in a different
direction. We might pull each other’s legs, but we have a great
respect for each other. There is a great atmosphere in this band.
We are a family band. Any event, within reason, that people want us
to perform at, we will try our best to do’.
The current members of South Bank Brass Band are James Haggath,
David Mackin, Gillian Furr, Rory Sharkey, Marie Upton, Rima Deford,
Alison Manley, Phillip Wardle, Megan Furr, Arthur Long, Frank
Bowman, Nicola Robson, Paul Haggath, Tony Mercer, Graham
Brocklesby, Susan Mercer, Peter Woodcock, Roger Manley.
Black Path Press is a community publishing project, producing
books with people in South Bank, Middlesbrough; an area surrounding
the historical route known as the ‘Black Path’. The publications
made will explore subjects big and small, past, present and
future.
Together, these books will form a collective document of the
area – given out to local libraries, museums and individuals. They
will also serve as a research and design tool for a public artwork,
led by artists Foundation Press, on the site of the Black Path in
Autumn 2019.
This book documents a rehearsal by South Bank Brass Band held on
Tuesday 3rd September 2019 at St. John’s Church on Normanby Road in
South Bank. Our sincerest thanks to all the members of the band for
allowing us to document and share their work. If you want to
listen, join or invite the band to play – you can find South Bank
Brass Band on Facebook.
