about

Representing 55 brass bands in the South of England

scaba is a very active Association representing a current membership of 55 brass bands throughout the counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, London Boroughs, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire and has done so for one hundred and seventeen years with the aim of raising musical standards and fostering good fellowship amongst its members achieved by organising and / or supervising brass band contests in these areas striving to obtain all possible advantages and privileges for the Association’s member bands.

First-class Contest Venues with leading brass band Adjudicators

A number of contests are organised annually commencing in January with a Solo, Quartet and Ensemble Contest held at Ringer Community College. In April the Association holds a Spring Contest at Hove Town Hall which includes an own-choice test piece, which is the format for all scaba contest’s, in addition there is a Contest for the best played march. Two superb venues, The Hawth, Crawley and The Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone attracting some of the finest brass bands in the South of England and beyond as far as Belgium and Switzerland (!) The Hawth is the home to scaba’s Entertainment Contest and The Leas Cliff Hall, the Association’s Autumn Contest, which is the pinnacle of the scaba contesting calendar, which typically includes a Hymn Tune Contest.  Recent adjudicators at scaba contests have included Stan Lippeatt, Phillip Harper, Colin Hardy and David Hirst.  The Hawth has it’s own Brass Band Concert Season attracting top brass banding names such as Grimethorpe Colliery, Fodens, Black Dyke and The British Army Brass Band to name but a few. scaba band members benefit from reduced priced tickets available direct from The Hawth’s Box Office.

Workshops with respected Tutors

The year ends in November with a Workshop organised by scaba Chairman, Andy Wilson and this year it is the turn of the Cornets to seek expert guidance and tuition from “one of the finest cornet players of his generation”, Richard Marshall, Principal Cornet of the world famous Black Dyke Band.

A progressive organisation

scaba is a progressive organisation with a dedicated team who constantly seek new opportunities for the benefit of the Association’s member bands and the wider brass banding community.