The Cooperation Band is one of Scotland’s leading brass ensembles and a registered
Scottish charity, with roots in Glasgow stretching back to 1918. Made up of volunteer
musicians, the band combines the strong traditions of community brass music-making with
an increasingly ambitious artistic outlook, seeking to act as a proud Scottish ambassador
for the arts at home and internationally.
Recent years have seen the band place increasing emphasis on imaginative
programming, collaboration and the creation of new music. It has worked with composers
including Errollyn Wallen, Andrew Duncan, Lucy Pankhurst and Simon Dobson, while
developing large-scale music-theatre projects that combine brass band, narration, theatre
and visual storytelling.
In 2026, its artistic activity has included appearances at the St Magnus International
Festival in Orkney, the Edinburgh International Festival, the World Music Contest in
Kerkrade and the British Open Championship, alongside performances across Scotland
and further collaborative projects.
The band has a long and distinguished history of working with leading artists. Past
collaborations have included Howard Snell, Joseph Horovitz, Steven Mead, James
Gourlay and Professor John Wallace CBE, while its extensive recording legacy includes
albums devoted to Scottish repertoire, major original works for brass and music by Joseph
Horovitz.
Competitive success remains an important part of the band’s history, including a record
number of Scottish Championship titles and two victories at the National Brass Band
Championships of Great Britain. In 2025, the band became the first Scottish band to win
the Brass in Concert Championship.
Today, The Cooperation Band continues to look outward: commissioning new repertoire,
collaborating across genres, introducing new audiences to brass music and representing
Scotland with energy, imagination and artistic ambition.
For more details, please visit our ‘contact us page‘.
