Q1 What was the advert for?
Answer: Hovis bread
Q2 What piece of music is being played?
Answer: The New World Symphony by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, written during his stay in USA in 1893
Q3 Which brass band played on the original advert and in which year?
Answer: Ashington Colliery Band in 1973
Q4 Which brass band played on the remastered advert and in which year?
Answer: Ashington Colliery Band in 2019, and two of our tutors Nicola and Natalie are playing on it!
Q5 Where do the band come from and what else is the place famous for?
Answer: Ashington is a town in Northumberland, famous for coal mining, and the home of World Cup winning brothers Jackie and Bobby Charlton, and their famous footballing uncle Jackie Milburn who played for Newcastle United and England; England cricketing brothers Steve and Ben Harmison; and golfer Kenneth Ferrie, among others.
Q6 Where was the advert filmed?
Answer: No, it wasn’t filmed in Ashington! I don’t think even the most ardently passionate Geordie would claim that Ashington is that picturesque! It was filmed on Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset (“Doon sooth”).
Q7 Who directed the filming of the advert?
Answer: Famous film director Ridley Scott. It was his first directing job in 1973, and being from Tyneside, he asked a local brass band to record the music. He went onto direct such films as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, and The Martian.
Find out more about the advert here.
Return to Hovis Advert
Return to our selection of Brass Music