Reading as a town has a rich brass band heritage. It was once home to the now defunct Reading Borough, Reading Excelsior, Reading Temperance and Reading National Union of Railwaymen band’s.
Further to this, Reading played host to a major annual competition in the brass band calendar with Reading Band Festival. In its earliest form, the first brass band contest in Reading was held in 1897 and its last in Reading Town Hall in November 2001.
The band would welcome hearing from you at contact@readingband.com if you have any history you would like to share with us about our organisation and / or the wider brass band heritage of our town.