Heineken Brass Band is 20 years old! Jumping Amsterdam Last November marked the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Heineken Brass Band. There were various festivities to celebrate the anniversary and new uniforms were issued. At a gala performance in the Casino, Den Bosch, Mr. Heineken, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors, presented the band with new sousaphones which were at once put to use when the band struck up the Heineken marching tune "Happiness all over the world". The band comprises some 70 staff members from Heineken's Den Bosch brewery in the southern province of Brabant. Although all are amateurs, making music outside normal working hours, their enthusiasm and that of their instructors has enabled the Heineken Brass Band to reach a high standard of musicianship. Its outstanding performances have earned it an extremely good reputation in Holland and elsewhere. The band is now in the Honorary Section of the Royal Dutch Musical Federation. Shortly after the brewery - Heineken's biggest in Holland - was opened in 1958 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the Staff Association, encouraged by management, began exploring the possibility of founding a Heineken Drum Band. Their efforts were successful and 1959 saw the formation of a drum band whose membership soon numbered 40. An adjutant of the Royal Dutch Land Forces was recruited as instructor; a real goat was chosen as mascot - it's a special attraction at every show - and the drum band quickly grew into a complete brass band with over 70 musicians. It wasn't long before highest awards were being won at musical competitions. The Heineken Brass Band has played on many important occasions at home and abroad including European Cup soccer matches, international show jumping events, Christmas carol services. It gives lunchtime performances, performs an annual series of shows for the population of Den Bosch and, at the invitation of Whitbread, has played at the Luton Brewery in England and given several other performances in Great Britain. Heineken beer served at a 'Western' style saloon was a feature of 'Jumping Amsterdam', an annual four-day Dutch show-jumping event held last autumn. For visitors who also like English beer, Whitbread's 'London Bus' pub stood nearby. During the intervals the magnificent Heineken dray horses dragged a harrow to smooth the ring surface. The Heineken trophy, awarded annually at 'Jumping Amsterdam', was presented by Mr. A.H. Heineken to British winner David Broome. 13

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Heineken Contact | 1980 | | pagina 13