AGM & The History of Harrogate Brass Bands

Sixty members took part in the Annual General Meeting for the period ended 28 February 2022. The meeting followed a very interesting talk on the history of brass bands by Gavin Holman. The highlights of the year were described under headings of Events, Plaques, HODS, History, Newsletters and Planning. The full report is available on our website: https://www.harrogatecivicsociety.org/_files/ugd/ ad2cce_0f66252ff1b44fb3b8c40f7e8a13d605.pdf The existing committee was re-elected with the addition of Andrew Brown. The committee, at their first meeting after the AGM, appointed Stuart Holland as chair and Susan Amaku as vice-chair. The committee is grateful to Susan for her work as co-chair with Stuart during the two covid years. Susan is concentrating on her work and remains a valuable member of the committee, particularly with her architectural knowledge. An important part of the meeting was listening to the views of members on topics such as programme, newsletters and membership subscriptions.

Gavin Holman, an expert on British and American brass bands, gave an illustrated talk at the AGM, and we thank him for this.contribution.

There were seventeen various amateur brass and military bands that entertained Harrogate’s townsfolk and visitors over the last 180 years. These ranged from the Harrogate Brass Band (1842-1861) through to the current Harrogate Band (1970-). These bands, consisting of local musicians, co-existed with the professional
musicians engaged by the town corporation and businesses. Some bands received sponsorship from the townsfolk, others depended wholly on their engagement fees. They performed across the district in many concerts, supporting civic events and parades, and providing music for the visiting tourists and spa clients.