Photo: Jason Borg

My work as councillor in charge of culture within the Balzan local council often brings me into direct contact with the band clubs of the locality. As such, I have come to realise how important is the role of these clubs and their contribution to Maltese culture.

Although the origin of band clubs in Malta goes as far back as the 16th century, it was in the 19th century that they became established, mostly as a result of the influence of the British regimental bands during the heyday of colonialism in Malta. Through the passage of time, band clubs became an integral part of social life in all the Maltese towns and villages.

Band clubs today play important roles in the daily life of a town or village. Their primary role remains a musical one. They provide a band to play at local events such as the religious feast of the locality as well as at feasts in other localities. They also serve as a training ground for aspiring young musicians.

Furthermore, several of these band clubs have excellent contacts with their peers overseas. Some of the clubs send their musicians to play abroad and even invite foreign bands to come and play in Malta. All this has a beneficial effect on the tourist industry as bringing foreign musicians to Malta as guests of local band clubs means promoting Malta as a potential holiday destination for these people and their families.

Meanwhile, Maltese bands, which give excellent performances abroad, help to uplift the name of our country and the capabilities of its people.

A secondary but still important role of local band clubs is the organisation of social events not related to music.

For example, at Balzan, the two local band clubs, the Marija Annunzjata Philarmonic Society and the Saint Gabriel Band Club, both organise social events all the year round and over and above those strictly connected to music. These events include, among others, family lunches and dinners, cultural outings, seminars and philanthropic activities.

It is sad that rivalry between band clubs leads to incidents which are certainly not edifying

One need hardly stress the social relevance of such events. The message being imparted is a crucial one: band clubs belong to the local community and are an integral part of it. Indeed, I cannot fail to note the pride that many members of these clubs feel in forming part of their organisation. For many, their fellow members of the band club are almost a second family to them.

Meeting for a drink at the bar of the local band club is still a favourite pastime of many Maltese and serves as a catalyst of social integration at a local level. Although one looks back with nostalgia to the days when the bar of the band club was for many the prime site of social interaction in a town or village, today it still serves this purpose, although to a much lesser extent than in the past.

A relatively new but laudable initiative is that of researching the history of a band club as part of the history of a locality.

Citing Balzan once again as an example, both band clubs publish a commemorative booklet on the occasion of the feast of the locality. In it one finds researched articles of a high academic level providing valuable insight into the history of the band club which in turn paints an interesting picture of social life in the village in former times. Such initiatives are to be encouraged as they are a valuable addition to the literature available to researchers on local history.

Another very positive aspect of band clubs is the number of women who participate in their activities. I am not only referring to female musicians but also to female members of band club committees as well as female activists. It is heartening to see women in the forefront of activities by several Maltese band clubs.

The advent of local councils has further strengthened the social contribution of band clubs. Indeed, a good number of such clubs participate on a regular basis in several activities organised by the local council of their town or village.

I have always believed that local councils should do their utmost to support the band clubs of their locality and help them to further develop and expand.

On a negative note, it is sad that, sometimes, rivalry between different band clubs leads to incidents which are certainly not edifying. I think that this is perhaps the only negative aspect of the history of band clubs in Malta. Surely, today, when the Maltese are among the most educated people in Europe, we should be mature enough to eradicate this remnant of days gone by when ignorance reigned supreme in the Maltese islands.

I applaud all members of band clubs for their contribution to Malta’s culture and social life.