Breage is a civil parish and village three miles west of Helston
Unknown formation date.
1840: Breage Teetotal Band at the feast-day in this parish. (RCG 13 March 1840)
Did Breage Teetotal Band disband I wonder?
1858 circa: Breage Churchtown Band formed. (John Brush)
1858 – June: “Breage Churchtown Band’s first known engagement was at St Keverne Church Sunday School tea treat. (John Brush) The band performed many favourite pieces in a manner far exceeding the merits of any county brass band that we have heard for a very long time.” (Falmouth Post) Probably an exaggeration suggests John Brush.
1859 to 1868: Jack Bartle, Breage Churchtown Band MD. (John Brush)
1863: Breage Churchtown Band at the local celebrations for the marriage of the then Prince of Wales. (John Brush)
1863: Breage Brass Band in a procession to the church. (RCG 6th March 1863) Was Breage Brass Band the same as Breage Churchtown Band I wonder?
1865: Breage Band … (Royal Cornwall Gazette 21 December 1865)
1868: Breage Brass Band in a procession. (RCG 16 July 1868)
1869: Breage Band was in attendance… (RCG 7th August 1869)
1869 or later: Breage Churchtown Band disbanded. The Churchtown name returned here!
1891: Likely date of the formation of Breage Brass Band. (John Brush) Re-formed, I imagine.
1891: Breage band at a Breage Church Sunday-school event. The leader of the Helston Rifle Band is also master of Breage’s musicians. (Cornishman 16th July 1891)
1891: Amos Blight, Breage Band MD. (John Brush)
1891-1894: There may have been a band called St Breage Church Brass Band during this period or it may have been a case of bad reporting.
1892: Breage Band at the first Constantine Cottage Garden Society exhibition. (4 August 1892 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1893 to 1901: Tom Polglase, Breage Band MD. (John Brush)
1901: Breage Brass Band possibly disbanded. (John Brush)
1904: Breage & District Silver Band formed. (Band website)
WWI: Breage & District Silver Band possibly suspended playing.
1926: Breage & District Silver Band probable date of resumption of playing. (John Brush)
1928 to 1931: H L Young, Breage & District Silver Band MD. (John Brush)
1928 to 1931: Breage & District Silver Band contesting under H L Young. (Contest archive)
1929: Breage Band (under Mr H L Young) at Breage Carnival. (Cornishman 12th September 1929)
1929: Breage Brass Band AGM. President, Canon H Coulthard; chairman, Mr R Trend; treasurer, Mr F Pryor; secretary, Mr C King; bandmaster, Mr H Young. (Western Morning News 11th October 1929)
1931: Breage Band at Breage Carnival. (Cornishman 27th August 1931)
1931 to 1937: unknown, Breage & District Silver Band MD.
1932: Porthleven Band headed the procession, and Marazion and Breage combined bands also assisted at Breage British Legion. (Cornishman 15th September 1932)
WWII: Breage & District Silver Band possibly suspended playing. (John Brush)
1958: Breage & District Silver Band suggested year of resumption of playing. (John Brush)
Circa 1970: Ashton Chapel Anniversary – Breage Band playing at Tregonning Preaching Pit. Robert Jewell, marked with an ‘X’ playing Tenor Horn, said that Breage Band played there every year during the 1960s and 70s for the Chapel Anniversary: at the Tregonning Hill pit in the afternoon and in the same evening either outside the Public House if dry, or in the Chapel if raining. (Photo: courtesy Jonathan Warner, Robert’s son-in-law)
1977: Breage & District Silver Band contesting under J Stone. (Contest archive)
1995: Breage & District Silver unplaced (Mexican Fiesta) in the Fourth Section at the SWBBA Contest under W King.
G W King Breage & District Silver Band MD.
1995 to 2002: Breage & District Silver Band contesting under G W King. (Contest archive)
Breage & District Silver Band in 2002 at St Michaels Mount (Photo: courtesy John Brush)
2009 – 17th April to 2017 – 30th Jan/19th November, 2021: Terry Reed, Breage & District Silver Band MD. (Ian King)
2017 – 1st Feb: William Brian Moyle, Breage & District Silver Band MD. (Ian King)
2021: Reuben Hesser, Breage & District Silver Band MD.
Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)
This collection is a part of the Cornish National Music Archive (CNMA) project to Collect, Preserve and Share our Cornish Heritage and Culture.
It is based on location as each may have had more than one band.
Our thanks go to all of the organisations and individuals, whether named or not, who have provided information and photographs for this archive.
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