About us

Welcome to The Brass Herald, a publication for all brass musicians. The magazine is published in February, May, August, October and December and contains articles by perhaps the most authoritative team of writers in the world of brass.

Philip BiggsThe Brass Herald was launched in August 2003 and covers the whole range of brass. From Brass Bands to Orchestral brass, Salvation Army bands to Big Bands and Military Bands to Jazz.

Since the launch of The Brass Herald the feedback has been an overwhelming ‘we want more of this’. From Delhi to Dobcross, Black Dyke to Birdcage Walk, and Regent Hall to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Brass Herald has been read and digested.

I invite you to subscribe today and enjoy this scintillating publication which is full colour, written by experts and has at least 92 pages.

Happy reading!

Philip Biggs, Editor

Philip Biggs Biography

Philip was born into a brass band family and started to play the cornet at the age of five. The following 30 years saw him play with bands in the South of England before retiring as a player in the late 1980s. From this point Philip pursued a career in promotion and marketing, taking this up full time in 1996.

Philip’s first notable foray in this new direction was in 1989 when he teamed up with Richard Franklin to be the founders of the All England Masters Contest in Cambridge. Since then “the Masters” has grown in stature and has become an permanent international fixture in the brass band calendar.

In 1996, Philip was appointed by the London Symphony Orchestra as Event Manager for the 1997 European Brass Band Championships held at The Barbican Centre in the City of London. In the same year he was appointed Administrator for The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and has been instrumental in ensuring the very best tutors are used on their courses to teach and inspire the next generation of brass players. He expanded his role and was appointed administrator of the National Children’s Brass Band – highlighting his commitment to the future brass bands. Philip was appointed Contest Controller of The British Open Brass Band Championship in 1991 by the late Harry Mortimer C.B.E. In August of 1998 Philip was appointed Administrator of The Brass Band Summer School, succeeding Gordon Higginbottom.

Philip has since become the administrator for such prestigious events as the Spring British Open Festival in Manchester, the Brass Arts Festival at Regent Hall, London, the 2002 International Trumpet Guild Conference at the Royal Northern College of Music and the RNCM Festival of Brass.

As well as his work within the Brass Band field, Philip takes pride in presenting brass playing in all its forms. His company, Philip Biggs Brass Festivals (PBBF) has engaged world class acts such as Canadian Brass, Boston Brass, The Wallace Collection, Fine Arts Brass Ensemble, Hallé Brass, London Brass and The Don Lusher Big Band in addition to renowned conductors and soloists including Bramwell Tovey, Elgar Howarth, Maurice Murphy, Allen Vizzuti, John Wallace, Vince DiMartino, James Watson, Nicholas Childs, Jens Lindemann, Robert Childs, Roger Webster, Rex Richardson, David Daws, David Childs, Phillip McCann, James Shepherd, Sheona White and Steve Sykes. In recent times Philip has also very much enjoyed working with London Symphony Orchestra Brass.

In August 2003 Philip launched The Brass Herald, a five times a year, 92 page all-colour magazine covering all aspects of brass playing, from Salvation Army Bands to Big Bands, Conservatoire Brass to Brass Bands. The all-encompassing nature of the magazine is helping to create a better understanding across the boundaries of brass playing – to the benefit of all.

Philip was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians of the City of London in April 2003, and in June of the same year the Freedom of the City of London was also afforded to him. In 2004 he was appointed a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians of the City of London.

Philip launched the Great Northern Brass Arts Festival at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester in September 1998 and such has been the success of this annual festival, it is now generally recognised as the foremost non-competitive festival in the brass world today. Building on its success, Philip launched the Great Northern Spring Brass Arts Festival at The Bridgewater Hall in May 2010.