The Barry Horns
The Barry Horns are an eleven-piece brass band, made up of fans of the Welsh national football team. Formed in 2011, the band's name is a homage to retired Welsh footballer Barry Horne. The band has a five-point mission statement called the Barryfesto, which notes that the band exists in order
- to unite Welsh football with the power of horns
- to put tunes on the terraces
- to bring hope where there is mathematical impossibility
- to replace plastic hooters with brass ones
- to win at life when we can't win at football.[1][2]
Musically the band play a variety of songs, many of which are associated with Wales and/or football, including "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Just Can't Get Enough" and "Pick Up the Pieces".
The Barry Horns' first public appearance was outside the Wales v England World Cup Qualifying match in Cardiff on 26 March 2011. They also appeared at the Welsh Cup Final in the same year,[3] which was broadcast on S4C.
Their other media appearances include performing on BBC1's flagship football programme Football Focus,[4] BBC Radio Five Live and in a short promotional campaign for BBC Wales' coverage of Welsh national football.[1] In December 2011, they were the house band on the Jamie and Louise programme on BBC Radio Wales, playing a variety of Christmas related songs including an interpretation of East 17's 'Stay Another Day'.[5]
In February 2012, The Barry Horns released a video for their version of the Rocky theme, which they recorded as the anthem for Wales's World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign.[6] The video featured members of the band in various training scenarios as a parody of the training montage from the film.
In December 2013, the band released a cover of the song "Only You", 30 years after the cover by The Flying Pickets had earned a Christmas Number 1. The recording failed to make the UK charts but proceeds were donated to the charity Prostate Cymru, with a dedication made to the Flying Pickets' lead vocalist, Brian Hibbard, who died of prostate cancer in 2012. A music video released on YouTube paid homage to the original Pickets video from 1983.
References
- 1 2 "Spotlight: Cardiff's Barry Horns | Cardiff | The Guardian". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ↑ "The Barry Horns - The Barryfesto". web.archive.org. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ↑ "Football Association of Wales: Miss Wales and Barry Horns to entertain at Welsh Cup Final General News". web.archive.org. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ↑ "BBC - Dan Walker: Focus heads up the hills of Wales". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ↑ "BBC Radio Wales - Jamie Owen and Louise Elliott, 23/12/2011". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ↑ "Supporters band Barry Horns gear up for Wales' World Cup 2014 qualification - Wales Online". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
External links
- The Barry Horns on Twitter
- The Barry Horns' channel on YouTube
- Official website of Barry Horns member Gavin Fitzjohn