How are top-class bands organised?
The classical organisation of most brass bands in the UK, from a legal stand-point, is that of an association or club where its members have liabilities for the expenditure & debt of that organisation. Some bands have gone ‘limited’ where they limit the debt liability to its members, but not that many. From a personnel stand-point, many bands are run by committee – chairman, secretary, treasurer, and a few other members to make up their full quorum. This committee is normally made up of active players in the band itself. However, many top-class bands have a more focused regime of management, where a full-time band manager is employed or a non-playing management team is put together, often strongly influenced by a leading personality within the band (player or conductor). The Stanshawe & Sun Life Band was run along traditional committee lines, with the addition of a hard working Contest Secretary (non-playing member, removing the stress of organisational duties on, and around, contestin
