Brass Britain

Another chance to hear Stephen Tompkinson's four-part celebration of brass band music. From the Pennine Hills to the Welsh Valleys, from the Cornish Copper Towns to the Scottish Glens and over the sea to Ireland, the distinctive sound of brass has been a feature of the culture of the British Isles for almost two centuries. In programme two, politician Dennis Skinner, suffragette historian Elizabeth Crawford and international cricket umpire Dickie Bird reflect on how brass bands have often provided the soundtrack to Britain's turbulent history of troubles, tragedies and triumphs. The programme also looks at how the tradition is much more than a hobby for many brass banders in Britain and Stephen finds out how a former mining village in South Yorkshire is home to one of the best brass bands in the world.