The Brass Band receives an Annual Grant for the next Five Years

The Hafnarfjörður Brass Band will receive one million krónur annually in funding from the town for the next five years. The aim is to support the band’s regular activities and to strengthen brass band work and cultural life in Hafnarfjörður. The mayor and the chair of the brass band signed the agreement in the presence of the band, which then performed a piece. The atmosphere was very good.

“This changes everything. The grant gives us predictability,” says Finnbogi Óskarsson, the band’s treasurer. “It means we can take more risks and think bigger than we have dared. We are really pleased about that,” he says.

Important to the cultural life

Valdimar Víðisson, the mayor, welcomes that support for the Hafnarfjörður Brass Band has now been formalized in this way. “The brass band is an important part of our cultural life. The brass band tradition in Hafnarfjörður is long and remarkable. With this agreement, we strengthen that heritage.”

Finnbogi says that the last time the band received a three‑year grant, which was before Covid, they were able to hold a concert with Pollapönk, for example.

“Usually we buy ready-made sheet music for about 400,000 krónur a year, or about 10–15 thousand per piece, and then we put on our concerts. But with the grant we can have an entire program specially arranged. The Pollapönk concert cost a little over two million, and with a grant like this we can afford to hire someone to arrange music specifically for us,” Finnbogi explains.

Around 45 members in the brass band

About 45 people rehearse regularly with the band, which meets once a week. “We rehearse in Tónkvísl, which is part of the music school. We moved there around the turn of the millennium and have a good working relationship with the school,” he says. The members now range from their twenties to their eighties.

“We accompanied our oldest member to the grave a month ago, at 78 years old. We also have members over seventy, and as long as people are in good health they can continue to play,” he says. He adds that it is wonderful to be able to join the brass band after graduating from music school and continue enjoying music. “Yes, you can keep playing as long as you draw breath.”

But no grant comes without commitments. The brass band will maintain regular rehearsals and active brass band work throughout the agreement period. It will perform at events organized by Hafnarfjörður or in collaboration with the town’s culture and tourism committee. There is plenty to do, even though most people know the band best from the procession on the national holiday.

“Yes, June 17th would feel empty without the brass band,” says Finnbogi. “There are 700 children in the music school and they are all learning something. Many are learning wind instruments and play in the brass bands. It would be sad if people had no platform to continue after they graduate. It’s a fantastic hobby.”

Congratulations to everyone. We will enjoy.