Q and A with Brazen
22 January 2025
We catch up with Brazen for their all female Brass Band performance at Encounter Festival 2024
In the lead up to Encounter 2024, we issued a call-out to female brass players, in the hopes of creating an all-female brass band to lead the Torchlight Procession.
The call-out was championed by Sally Edwards, a trombone player and project producer for Mr Wilson's Second Liners, a brass band that has taken part in the Torchlight Procession on a number of occasions.
The call-out received a fantastic response, and Brazen was brought to life! We caught up with Band Manager, Sally, and Trumpet Player, Isabel...
Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about the application process to join the group? There seemed to be a lot of interest in the formation of an all-female brass band, how did you decide?
Sally: We put out an invitation on social media for female brass and percussion players to get in contact with me if they were interested in the project. The response was overwhelming, highlighting a real need and desire for this type of band to exist.
Women from all over the UK got in touch, from all musical backgrounds including jazz, brass band & orchestral players, and these women ranged from hobbyists to professional musicians. In the end, the choice I made for the first line up was a real mix of amateur & professional, taking players from all the different genres and from all over the UK.
Q. What was it like performing together for the first time?
Isabel: It was such an enjoyable experience performing with Brazen for the very first time! Meeting and collaborating with other like minded female musicians from around the North and beyond was amazing, and the group did a super job in only a short rehearsal too!
Q. What did you enjoy the most about leading and performing in the Torchlight Procession at Encounter Festival?
Isabel: I loved getting to perform the fun pieces for the first time to a crowd, which were arranged especially for Brazen by one of our trumpeters Grace Harman. Being able to interact with the audience in the streets whilst playing made the experience even better.
It was particularly exciting when there were large crowds the further we got into the centre of Preston, everyone was singing and dancing along to us!
Q. Why do you think people should attend Encounter Festival?
Isabel: It's a great way to see live arts and music, and experience the community spirit in Preston. The creatives have all come from different backgrounds but work together to create a positive and exciting atmosphere across the weekend.
Q. Has Brazen got anything exciting lined-up for 2025?
Sally: Absolutely! We have a really great programme of gigs lined up, including performing and delivering workshops as part of Durham International Brass Festival in July, which is incredibly exciting for us. We are playing at the prestigious Manchester Folk Festival club in
March, This Here Festival in June, and we will be joining the fabulous Mr Wilson's Second Liners for a joint gig in Huddersfield in September. We have secured Arts Council England funding to help us to grow the BRAZEN family and to invest in women performers!
