Eikanger-Bjørsvik
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Eikanger-Bjørsvik band of Norway (also known as the Eikanger band) is a brass and percussion ensemble located in the county of Lindås, Norway. They are probably the best known brass band in Norway and have won the National brass band championships nine times (1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2005). In 1988 they became the first non-British band to win the European championships for brass band, an achievement they repeated in 1989. The Eikanger-Bjørsvik band have worked with conductors like Elgar Howarth, Howard Snell, Ingar Bergby, Bjarte Engeset and Nicholas Childs.
The name is constructed from the names of two small villages along the Oster fjord, Eikanger and Bjørsvik, which both had their own community bands. Eikanger, being the oldest, was founded in 1949, Bjørsvik in 1952. In 1971, the bands merged and became a British-style brass band.
