Posted: 03/09/26
Today, we are proud to unveil a new identity for Derwent Brass.
It is a new look, certainly, but the thinking behind it goes much deeper than that. Our story stretches back to 1860. More than 160 years of music-making, people, performances and memories; of change, ambition and a band continually finding its place in the world around it.
We are incredibly proud of that history, but we have never wanted to be defined by our past. Heritage is not just about preserving the past. It is about deciding what you do with it next. That thought became the starting point for the new Derwent Brass.
Tradition Reimagined
Over the years, Derwent Brass has evolved considerably. We have challenged ourselves musically, explored new ideas on and off the concert stage and continued to think differently about what a modern brass band can be. At the same time, we remain fiercely proud of the traditions, people and values that have shaped the band we are today.
For us, those things have never been in conflict.
Tradition does not have to mean standing still. The strongest traditions endure because successive generations take ownership of them, add something of their own and pass them forward. That is what we mean by Tradition Reimagined.
It is more than a strapline. It is an expression of how we see Derwent Brass: rooted in our history, but never constrained by it.
Built from our history
Our new identity deliberately draws upon the world from which Derwent Brass emerged.
The band's origins can be traced back to 1860, to an industrial Derbyshire being shaped by engineering, manufacturing and the railway. Those influences gave us an interesting place to begin, not by reproducing Victorian imagery or creating something nostalgic, but by looking at the ideas behind it: structure, engineering, craft and construction.
At the centre of the identity is our new dB monogram. Rather than simply placing two letters alongside one another, the mark is constructed. Individual forms come together around a strong central structure to create something that only becomes complete when viewed as a whole.
There is an intentional architectural quality to it. Its geometry takes inspiration from engineering drawings, railway structures and the built environment of our industrial heritage, while its curves retain something altogether more expressive and musical.
Within the mark itself there is also a sense of direction: forms that look back towards our heritage, a strong central spine representing stability and foundation, and forms that look forward to what comes next. It is a mark designed to look backwards and forwards at the same time, and that balance became fundamental to the whole identity.
An identity with character
Typography was just as important. We have deliberately embraced serif typography as a defining part of the new Derwent Brass. At a time when so many contemporary identities have moved towards increasingly similar, stripped-back sans-serif type, we wanted something with greater character and permanence.
Something established without feeling old-fashioned; artistic without becoming ornamental; confident without needing to shout. There is something enduring about it, and something that could belong as naturally on the programme of a major concert hall or within the identity of an arts organisation as it does to a brass band.
That distinction matters to us because, while we are immensely proud to be a brass band, our ambitions have increasingly extended beyond simply being a performing ensemble. More than a brass band. Derwent Brass strives to be a musical and artistic organisation. We perform and compete, but we also create, collaborate and educate. We commission new music, develop new projects, work within our communities and continually explore different ways of presenting brass music and connecting it with people.
We want to respect what a brass band is, while remaining curious about what a brass band could be. We wanted an identity capable of carrying that ambition.
The new monogram, typography and palette of Derwent Gold, black and white give us a visual language that is distinctive and recognisably Derwent, while giving us considerably more freedom to be creative in how the band presents itself.
Because this was never simply about designing a new badge for the front of a stand banner. It was about creating an identity that better reflects the organisation Derwent Brass has become and gives us room to continue developing it.
Moving forward
Speaking about the new identity, Derwent Brass Band Manager Chris Leonard said: “I actually designed our previous logo too, so I’ve got a lot of affection for it. It has served the band incredibly well and became a really recognisable part of Derwent Brass, but things move on. As the band has developed, we’ve become increasingly aware of some of its limitations, particularly in how it could be used graphically and across different formats.
“This gave us an opportunity to think much more broadly about what Derwent Brass is and what we want it to become. We’re incredibly proud to be a brass band and of the traditions that come with that, but we’ve never wanted those traditions to limit our ambition.
“I think the new blueprint captures that balance really well. There are references to our history, to Derbyshire, industry and the railway, but it also feels artistic, confident and contemporary. We wanted something distinctive that gives us much more creative freedom and feels representative not just of a brass ensemble, but of Derwent Brass as a wider musical and artistic organisation.
“Ultimately, Tradition Reimagined sums up how we think about the band. We know where we’ve come from, we’re incredibly proud of it, but we’re always interested in what comes next.”
The next chapter
This year, Derwent Brass will walk onto the stage of the Royal Albert Hall for the first time in our history, competing at the National Finals of Great Britain. The timing for our launch therefore feels particularly appropriate.
That milestone follows an extraordinary period for the band, including recent recognition from the Royal Philharmonic Society, Brass Bands England, Making Music, Community Awards and others, alongside some of our most ambitious performances and projects to date.
But as proud as we are of those achievements, this new identity isn't intended to mark an arrival. It reflects where Derwent Brass is today, but more importantly gives us an identity that can grow with us as we continue to develop the band, explore new ideas and find new ways to share what we do.
There is plenty more we want to achieve, and plenty more of the Derwent Brass story still to write. Our history will always be an important part of who we are, but our focus remains firmly on what comes next.
We are Derwent Brass. Tradition Reimagined.
