This
was a brass and military
band programme which
commenced during the
second world war and
has continued, on
and off, to the
present day. Early
programmes were sometimes
comprised of records but
studio
performances soon
became standard, with
brass bands alternating
with military bands in a
half hour of mainly light
music.
In
recent years brass bands
have been used almost
exclusively, due
to military bands
being required to charge
a fee which is compatible
with professional
Musician Union rates.
During the seventies the
programme was
replaced for a while
by 'Strike Up the
Band' - the only
difference being a
slightly lighter and more
commercial
repertoire.
After
sixty years, the
signature tune of
'Listen to the
Band', Lionel
Monkton's 'Soldiers in
the Park' was
inexplicably dropped by
the BBC a few years
ago. The programme
was finally axed in 2018
and brass and military
band programmes are no
longer broadcast by the
BBC.
Listen
to the Band
played by the Band of the
Women's Royal Army Corps
conducted by Captain
Lynette Hopkin
as broadcast in 1977.
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