Gavin Holman
IBEW owner
About IBEW
What?
- An information resource for brass bands world-wide.
- All entries completely free.
- The world's most comprehensive collection of links to brass band related web sites, contacts, addresses and reference information.
- A complete directory of brass band web sites across the world, brass ensembles, other bands, people, suppliers, music, books, CDs, instruments, recordings, services, organisations, contest, concert and festivals details and diary, vacancies, history, championships, humour, vintage pictures, brass band genealogies, extinct bands, and much more.
- Serving the brass band community since 1997
Aims
- To house a comprehensive directory of links to brass band related websites, pages and online resources, covering all products, services and organisations that relate to the world of brass bands (this even includes our kin in the world of brass ensembles, concert, wind and military bands)
- To provide an online reference resource for information about the world of brass bands in addition to the web links. This includes details of organisations and individuals, information about music, recordings, events, brass bands genealogy
- To provide a range of services to bands and individuals - the events diary, vacancies notices, professional cards, deputies list, mini web pages and more - [note: these services have now been discontinued. From 2000 to 2017, the IBEW provided a free diary of brass band events which, at its peak, exceeded 6,000 discrete brass band events per year]
- To collect together in one online archive as much material and information relating to the history of brass bands. This includes the vintage band photos, vintage people pictures, historical band figures, extinct brass bands, vintage recordings and more
Origin
- The Internet Bandsman's Everything Within (IBEW) started life in June 1996 as a set of links in the Harrogate Band website. Over the next two years the links grew until it was worthy of a separate existence, and the IBEW was born in June 1998.
- It's name pays homage to the various compendia of reference material published in the 1900s, and particularly Kenneth Cook's 1950 book - The Bandsman's Everything Within.