Band clubs, which date back to the late 1800s, are not immune to the world’s ageing population and the social hotspots are now lacking “new blood”, the president of their association said as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.

“The role of band clubs is very important and still as relevant today as it was in the past,” Malta Band Clubs Association president Noel Camilleri said.

He spoke to Times of Malta about the association’s rich history, its upcoming celebration and the future of band clubs.

In a survey conducted by the association, 60 per cent of the population relate culture to band clubs and consequently to village feasts.

There are new members but are we happy with the numbers? No- Noel Camilleri, president of the Malta Band Clubs Association

Band clubs, he said, tend to be found at the heart of localities.

Yet, when asked if the future of band clubs is bright, Camilleri was not so definite.

Like most voluntary institutions following COVID, band clubs have seen a drop in attendance, but the greater worry for the association is its declining number of new members.

“There are new members but are we happy with the numbers? No,” he said.

Camilleri believes that people, specifically youths, are “losing this sense of belonging, which is imperative not just for the band clubs but also for the communities”.

“We need an influx of youths – new blood – in order to continue to strengthen but also to protect… what I consider to be part of our national identity”.

To combat this shift in perception, the association is trying to instil the idea of “collectivity rather than individualism, this sense of belonging.”

As part of the anniversary celebrations, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Keith Azzopardi Tanti and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, the association is reaching out to youths to show them the benefit of voluntary work and the communal importance of band clubs.

The façade of the Sliema Band Club before it was burnt down and changed in 1983. Photo: Malta Band Club Association

The birth of an association

Founded in 1947, the association promotes band clubs’ culture of music while also looking out for the clubs’ best interests, Camilleri said.

Yet what the association represents runs far deeper.

Band clubs are not just watering holes and clubs in which to play music, rather the clubs and their traditions are an integral part of society and our cultural identity, he said.

“When it was founded, the association was nicknamed as ‘the Society for Societies.’”

“Band clubs teach you how to listen, you learn what democracy is.” The association is constantly debating and encouraging its members to speak their mind.

Band clubs predate the association as the tradition was originally brought to the island by the British late in the 19th century, Camilleri said.

The British forces organised regimental band clubs which sparked a fire among the Maltese to start their own musical and social tradition, which quickly grew into a nation-wide trend, he explained.

“In the early 1900s, it evolved to about 90 band clubs in Malta and Gozo.”

What makes Maltese band clubs so unique is their “mix of culture” as not only do they follow the British in their proud practices but Italy is a “solid influence” in both the clubs’ nature and music.

One aspect is Italy’s “strong tradition” towards wind bands, one that the island has kept from its northern neighbours, Camilleri said.

The association have been celebrating its anniversary since September 17, 2022, the date when it was founded in 1947.

In October, the association held a series of masterclasses conducted by Maestro Giampaolo Lazzeri and other “top Italian musicians”.

“Musicians of all ages and all experiences came and attended these classes,” Camilleri said.