Tag Archives: FinnBrass

VBF International Bands: FinnBrass and Original Drachenfelser Musikanten

FinnBrass is a “project ensemble” that was formed to do tours and performances. They are made up of players from two communities in Finland, Kokkola and Kronoby. They specialize in performing traditional Finnish brass music from earlier decades. They represent a wide range of professions (from education, to medicine, to technology and engineering). Their instrumentation is based on the traditional village brass band of the 1800s. This is FinnBrass’s first appearance at Vintage Band Festival.

 

Coming from Germany is Original Drachenfelser Musikanten, a folk music brass band reflecting the Rhineland tradition of the Drachenfels Mountains. Masters of polka, the band features a tenor horn, trumpet, tuba and accordion. Their leader, tuba player Erhard Schwarz, was at the VBF for the first time in 2006 and is a noted specialist on such exotic instruments  as the ophicleide and helicon. Drachenfelser have been regular participants in the Vintage Band Festival in recent years and have a dedicated fan club among the locals of German and Czech traditions. Original Drachenfelser Musikanten has previously played at Vintage Band Festival in 2010, 2013 and 2016.

Vintage Band Festival Seeks Homestay Volunteers

Vintage Band Festival 2019 takes place August 1-4, 2019 in Northfield, Minnesota. During that time we provide housing for all of the bands that travel to Northfield from outside the state of Minnesota. This is particularly important for our international musicians who are the first to arrive in town. We will be welcoming bands from Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Finland for the 2019 festival week.

This year we need to find housing for approximately 25 musicians for five nights (July 31-August 5) That means we are looking for families to offer homestays for 1-4 musicians depending on available space in their homes. The German and Belgian groups are quartets, the Swedish band has seven members and the Finnish band has ten members. We are looking for housing only as the musicians will eat meals elsewhere during the day wherever they are performing.

The households that offered homestays for our festival in 2016 reported having a marvelous time with their guests and our musicians told us how grateful they were for the hospitality provided by Northfield families. This is a wonderful cultural exchange opportunity for everyone.

If you are willing to be one of our host families for 2019, please send us a message at vintagebandfestival@gmail.com and let us know how many people you have space for. We will be in contact with you promptly and begin making plans for the musicians’ arrival on July 31.