Brass Pocket Feeding the world isn't just the domain of wealthy rock stars. Alan Jenkins looks at how the brass world is effecting global change Two thoughts became deeply embedded in 15-year-old Briony Thompson's mind as she watched a documentary on Bob Geldof's Band Aid 20 project in 2004 – the first being that there was a moral obligation of all people living in comfortable circumstances to do something to ease world suffering; the second was that any one person can actually make a difference.

Thus when Steve Robson, conductor of Stanhope Silver Brass Band and long-time supporter of the charity World Vision, had the idea of producing a fund-raising CD featuring four bands from the Durham area, Thompson came up with her own concept.
Robson's initial idea was threefold – to provide local bands with a challenge, to raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign and to raise money for World Vision. Thompson was a great deal more ambitious however: She wanted to form the Brass Band Aid (BBA) Celebrity Band – an ensemble of the best brass players in the country – to record a new version of Band Aid's Do They Know it's Christmas (Feed the World). Although acknowledging it was a good idea, many considered it a long shot given the jam-packed timetabling of Britain 's elite brass band musicians. Briony's father, Bob Thompson, nevertheless encouraged his daughter to give it her best shot.

She first turned to cornet stars Roger Webster and Ian Porthouse whom she had met at a summer school in Swansea . They gave her further encouragement and pointed her in the direction of other leading lights in the brass-band profession – Richard Evans was invited to conduct the band and Alan Fernie was asked to arrange the music.
By this time, Briony had made a good deal of progress. With the assistance of her father, she had managed to track down Geldof and Midge Ure's management team on the internet. After just three days and a 300-mile round trip to one of Geldof's concerts, copyright issues were resolved. The CD is now on sale at all major brass band events as well as the BBA Shop, 4BarsRest, Just Music and World of Brass.

Next on the agenda was to establish precisely where the money raised from the sale of the CD would be distributed. In discussion with World Vision, they learned of the desperate circumstances afflicting the town of Adet in northern Ethiopia. Following the drought of 1984/85, simply staying alive was out of reach for many Ethiopians.
Education programmes had also wilted leaving two thirds of the population unable to read or write. In Adet, more than 350,000 people have just one derelict secondary school to serve their needs. Youngsters have to walk 80 kilometres to reach the facility where they are left to fend for themselves before returning home at the end of the school week. As there is no adult supervision, many of these young students have had to endure intolerable physical assault. Rebuilding the school in Adet is, therefore, of the essence and World Vision is committed to the project. And so it was decided that all the proceeds from BBA would go to the building of a new, fully equipped library on the site. ‘As Band Aid helped to save lives and give people a chance of a future, so BBA is now helping to improve the lives and build that future,' Annette Humphrey from World Vision explains.

On 21 January 2006 at the Mineworkers Contest in Skegness, £20,000 was handed over to World Vision to enable building work to begin. That was just the beginning. There is no intention of allowing BBA to become a one-off event. Phase two of the project aims to provide funds for additional classrooms, a toilet block and sporting equipment. Since making the original CD, bands across the globe have been involved in concerts for BBA. There is a sense of real belief that players, conductors and composers great and small can make a difference and there is a determination to do just that.

In April, Bob and Briony Thompson travelled to northern Ethiopia to see exactly what has been accomplished already and what still needs to be done. Alas, the need stretches into infinity yet there is no sign of anyone becoming weary of well-doing. In Ethiopia , a little goes a long way. The sale of 1,000 CDs is enough to build a school library and equip it satisfactorily; the sale of one CD will buy a school uniform; two CDs purchases a buddy desk, which seats two pupils; 30 CDs will train a new teacher and hundreds of children will benefit. BBA is the most important and worthwhile initiative to come out of our movement in decades. There are thousands of brass bands of all different levels throughout the world and each of them now has the opportunity to be part of something very special,' David Childs, one of BBA's trustees says.

‘Briony, Bob, Steve and all involved with the conception of Brass Band Aid have given us brass musicians the chance to make a difference by doing what we love to do, performing music,' For Childs, the real reward is, ‘knowing that by giving up a little time to do what we enjoy, we were all collectively moving one step closer to making a difference to the lives of those who really do need our help.'
The BBA Celebrity Band will now make a second CD featuring music especially written by a selection of famous composers – among them John Williams. Williams donated two autographed scores of the Star Wars and Harry Potter film soundtracks plus a message of support for BBA for auction.

A further blockbuster event, the Big Blow – the brainchild of Jon Handley of R & J Handley Uniforms – is planned for next January's Mineworkers Contest, when the largest brass band ever to perform in public will be unveiled. Andrew Duncan has composed a special piece for the concert and a DVD of the event will also be released with all proceeds going to BBA. Roger Webster's admiration of Thompson's project is evident. ‘For a 15-year-old to motivate so many cynical banders (myself included) is in itself a result,' he says. ‘I really hope that many, many more within the international brass band world feel sufficiently motivated to join in and help.'
Registration forms and further information can be found on www.thebigblow.co.uk

GET THE CD - The Brass Band Aid CD costs £10 and can be obtained from:
www.brassbandaid.org
www.justbrass.co.uk
www.4barsrest.com
www.worldofbrass.com