Illinois Brass Band

Inspired by the 1990 tour of the Desford Colliery Caterpillar Band, George Foster and William Homer founded the Illinois Brass Band in 1991. The band was formed in the tradition of British brass bands and concentrates on bringing the finest brass band music available to audiences throughout Chicago and the Midwest.

Band members include volunteer musicians from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Under the present leadership of Colin Holman, the band has been named winner of the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Championship Division in 1996 and 1997. In 1999, the band hosted the championships in Chicago.

In 2000, the group plans to travel to Great Britain to show that the brass band tradition has exponents as fine as many on the ``other side of the duck pond.'' Holman received his bachelor's of music degree from the University of Birmingham, England, before coming to the United States to continue his studies.

The brass band movement began in England in the early 19th century during the Industrial Revolution. English employers began to finance work bands to keep workers off the street at the end of the work day. By 1860, there were 750 brass bands in England. To this day, most brass bands are made up of amateur musicians, following the British tradition of organizing bands from factories, mines, labor groups and even temperance organizations. Brass bands all but disappeared in United States after 1914 and were revived again in 1982. The number of North American brass bands has grown. More than 90 are affiliated with the NABBA.