Durham Brass Festival is in full swing with a week of spectacular performances, new commissions, free concerts, street bands and community activities.
Durham Brass Festival is taking place across the county, from Durham City Centre to Consett, with an eclectic programme of free and ticketed events taking place in major venues and open-air spaces.
Durham Gala Theatre, Consett Empire Theatre and Durham Town Hall will play host to the festival’s ticketed events, while parks, marketplaces and the streets of Durham City will be filled with the sounds of brass throughout the week.
As part of the festival’s community-led approach, Durham Brass will once again be bringing unique cultural experiences to communities across County Durham. Having engaged with over 40,000 people in 2022, festival organisers are continuing to bring brass music to all corners of the county this week.
Free gigs will be taking palace throughout the week in the region’s public and community spaces, including Wharton Park (Durham), Hackworth Park (Shildon), Glenholme Park (Crook), Trimdon Community College, Town Centre Park (Newton Aycliffe) and Spennymoor Marketplace.
Live music will also be brought to thousands of children and young people, with workshops and mini gigs to take place in schools throughout the week.
CLICK HERE for more information about Durham Brass Festival’s free events and community programmes.
What’s On?
There is something for everyone at this year’s event, from traditional brass bands to contemporary takes on New Orleans street bands.
The festival will see the return of the hugely popular two-day event, Streets of Brass. Featuring old favourites and several Durham debuts, eleven world-leading brass bands will take to the streets of Durham City Centre.
Alongside its free events, Durham Brass will also host a stellar programme of ticketed events featuring an eclectic range of world-leading traditional and contemporary brass music.
Brighouse & Rastrick band will take audiences back in time on Sunday, July 16 at Gala Theatre, performing the score to a new silent film, Echoes of the North, scored by the acclaimed composer Neil Brand.
Regarded as one of the very best brass bands in the UK, the three-time winners of the National Brass Band Championships will perform the soundtrack to the film which consists of over a hundred fragments of archive film. The fascinating montage travels down the highways and byways of northern life a century ago.
The WFEL Fairey Band will perform two events at this year’s festival, both celebrating iconic film music. On Saturday July 15, the multi-award-winning band will take to the stage at Gala Durham at 2pm for a very special celebration of the iconic short film, Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers.
Following on from its performance at Gala Durham, the band will make their way to Consett Empire Theatre for an evening of traditional brass followed by some of the most iconic scores from stage and screen.
On Friday, July 14 a unique showcase event will see some of the region’s brightest new talent team up with professional brass players to give their music a whole new dimension.
Featuring Darlington’s Luke Royalty and Middlesbrough’s Sisi, Brassed On will take place at Durham Town Hall.
The two rising stars will perform their biggest tunes but not like they’ve ever been heard before as two renowned brass outfits - The Original Pinettes Brass Band and Loud Noises - work with the artists to produce brand-new brass arrangements.
Coinciding with this year’s BRASS is the ever-popular Durham City Run, on Friday and Saturday, July 14 and 15. The festival will see hundreds of competitors race through the city centre, accompanied by live music from the Streets of Brass bands.
How to get to Durham Brass Festival:
By car: The A1/A1(M) provides easy access from both the north and south – come off at junction 62 and follow the A690 into the city centre. Durham can also be accessed from the north via the A68 and A691.
Car parking: Walkergate multi-storey car park (DH1 1SQ) and Prince Bishops multi-storey car park (DH1 3UJ) are located centrally.
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By bus: With regular bus services to Durham from surrounding towns and villages, use Traveline North East www.travelinenortheast.info to plan your journey.
By rail: Central Durham is 10 minutes’ walk from Durham Railway Station, which is serviced regularly from both north and south on the East Coast mainline service.
For more information about the full programme and to purchase tickets, visit: https://brassfestival.co.uk
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