brass band

American  

noun

Music.

1. a band made up principally of brass wind instruments.

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brass band British  

noun

1. See band 1

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brass band Cultural  

1. A musical group composed of brass and percussion instruments. Sometimes called marching bands, brass bands often play at athletic events and military exercises and in parades.

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Etymology

Origin of brass band

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Alongside the orchestra was a brass band, 120 strong.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

The audience rose as a brass band began to play upon the arrival of the royal family, who sat in their box in the famous concert hall.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

A brass band cracks the calm, something between ska and Basque tradition, loud and local.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

To accompany her flamboyant sermons, she employed a brass band, an orchestra and a 100-person choir.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025

They strolled around the lake, bought tea at a stall, and rented deck chairs to listen to elderly men of the Salvation Army playing Elgar adapted for brass band.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan