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.
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