SBBA Speaks

By Iona McVicar and Laura Carter

Hosted by Iona McVicar and Laura Carter, this is a podcast for anyone who is interested in Scottish Brass Banding! We will be playing games, talking to some famous faces and keeping you up to date wit... more

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FAQs about SBBA Speaks:

How many episodes does SBBA Speaks have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.

SBBA Speaks episodes:

October 18, 2022 Episode 11 - Tenor Horns!
This episode is another instalment of our instrument focus series! This time we uncover the secrets of the Tenor Horn, and embarrass Iona about how little she knows about her own instrument!
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34min
September 18, 2022 Episode 10 - Band Around The World!
In this episode, join us as we embark on an ambitious world tour showcasing the differences in brass banding across the globe!
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29min
August 14, 2022 Episode 9 - NYBBS!
In this episode, we reminisce on our time at NYBBS, and Laura even goes back to NYBBS herself to chat to some of the young people there and find out what this years course is all about!
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45min
July 02, 2022 Episode 8 - Tubas!
This episode continues our Instrument Focus series, this time covering Laura’s favourite instrument, the tuba! We chat to some tuba professionals to get their advice, and even invite Iona’s brother Archie on to chat about his tuba skills!
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40min
June 04, 2022 Episode 7 - Gala Days!
This episode is all about Gala Days! Laura and Iona recall funny stories from their own Gala Day experiences, and talk about this history of these fun events. They also quiz listeners on their knowledge of classic gala day tunes, featuring their less than brilliant kazoo playing once again!
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23min
April 30, 2022 Episode 6 - The Europeans!
Laura and Iona talk about all things ‘Europeans’ in this episode, in preparation for the 2022 European Brass Band Championships! From chatting to the Scottish representatives of the European Youth Brass Band, to interviewing Paul Hindmarsh about his role in the contest, this episode is sure to get you in the mood for 3 days full of brass banding in Birmingham!
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39min
March 26, 2022 Episode 5 - Percussion!
This episode marks the first of our instrument feature episodes, and we decided to start off with PERCUSSION! Join us as we talk to Amy Gray about what people misunderstand about the brass band’s rhythm section and then test Laura’s knowledge of obscure instruments!
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25min
February 26, 2022 Episode 4 - Brass Bands in Film and TV!
In this episode, Laura and Iona talk through their favourite brass band movies and tv shows, giving listeners top recommendations, and even quizzing them on their knowledge of brass band media!
Sources for shows mentioned:
Battle of the Bands (Sky Arts) https://www.sky.com/watch/title/series/8e448e8b-c492-451d-9c76-dea29be46fad/battle-of-the-brass-bands
Eikanger Documentary (Korpsfiksert - Brass Obsessed) https://tv.nrk.no/serie/korpsfiksert-english-subtitles/sesong/1/episode/1
Mr Bean Christmas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SunFVVwAVH8&t=13s
Two Ronnies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZqZgmpq1nw
Brassed Off (1996)
Pride (2014)
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21min
January 29, 2022 Episode 3 - Beginnings!
In this episode we are focusing on Beginnings - both how we begin playing our instruments, as well as the beginnings of the brass band music in Scotland! We speak to Alistair Gibson from big noise about his work and practice tips, and reminisce on some of our own stories from when we first started to learn a brass instrument.
References for the historical section:
French, G. (2014) ‘Follow the band: community brass bands in the Scottish Borders,’ Doctoral Thesis, Edinburgh College of Art, available online at: https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/9482
Herbert T. (1990) ‘The Repertory of a Victorian Provincial Brass Band’, Popular Music, 9(1), pp. 117-132
Herbert, T. (1992) ‘Victorian Brass Bands: The Establishment of a 'Working Class Musical Tradition’’, Historic Brass Society Journal, 4, pp. 1-11
Holman, G. (2019) Brass Bands of Scotland: a historical directory, available online at: http://www.ibew.org.uk/GH035-bbscotland.pdf
McLaren, A. (No date) ‘A brief history of brass bands in Scotland’, SBBA Website, available online at: https://www.sbba.org.uk/music-score-library/collection (this one is a bit tricky to read as its in the sidebar on the page!)
Newsome, R. (2006). The Modern Brass Band: From the 1930s to the new Millennium. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
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44min
December 18, 2021 Episode 2 - Holiday Special!
In this festive episode, we explore brass banding festivities of past, present and future! With special guest Ian Porthouse, we talk Christmas concerts and traditions, and provide you with a cheeky gift guide for all your brass band friends and family! Finally we bring in the New Year with some musical New Years resolutions, sent in by our dear listeners! 🎄✨
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21min

FAQs about SBBA Speaks:

How many episodes does SBBA Speaks have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.