✨ Introducing ✨

Bristol

Big

Band

Society

Bristol Big Band Society

Bristol Beacon

Old Market Assembly

O2 Academy

Cori Tap

Wills Memorial Building

Mr Wolfs

Royal Marriott Hotel

Anson Rooms

SWX

The Fleece

Goldney Hall

The Canteen

About us

The Big Band Society consists of The Bristol Hornstars, our auditioned group, and Bristol University Jazz Orchestra (BUJO), our non-auditioned ensemble. We perform swing, funk, Latin and pop numbers at regular gigs all over Bristol and beyond, and also provide skilled players with paid opportunities through frequent small group gigs. Any member of the society will testify to the immense enjoyment there is to be had – not only do we get to play some great tunes in amazing places, but the social aspect of Big Band is hard to beat. To top it off, membership is completely free! We hold auditions for Hornstars and the BUJO rhythm/vocal sections at the start of every year, and BUJO welcomes horn players of any ability throughout the year!

The annual Big Band tour is always an unmissable event; previous destinations include La Rochelle, Barcelona, and Amsterdam, and this year we head to Lake Garda in Italy for some more jazz-fueled adventures, including three performances and a day trip into Venice.

Upcoming gigs

Previous

Listen

Recorded live by Jonathon Scott and his team of second-year music students from the Victoria Rooms in early 2020 “I Feel for You” is the first official single released by the Bristol Hornstars since their creation in 2008. Arranged by C Mulvenna from the 1984 version by Chaka Khan, this refreshing Big Band take features funky horn licks, powerful harmonizing vocals, and a top drawer sax solo from Jordan White.

“Tremendous brassy reworking of the Chaka Kahn classic. Makes me want to put on my disco shoes, shirt and pants and hit the dancefloor as soon as possible!” – Chris Arnold (BBC Uploads Track of the Week)

Committee

Hire us

Love what you hear? Let’s make it happen! We recommend giving our guide to hire a quick read before scrolling down and getting in touch to discuss your requirements! See below for FAQs.

Alternatively, get in touch with us using the following email addresses:

Hornstars Managers: thebristolhornstars@gmail.com

BUJO Managers: bujomanager@gmail.com

President: president.bigbandsoc@gmail.com

You’re able to view all our packages on our ‘How to Hire Guide’ – Please click here to view.

The bands are very versatile when fitting into venues however we do recommend these measurements as a guide to our size.
Hornstars: 16ft wide x 12ft deep (5m x 4m)
BUJO: 25ft wide x 16ft deep (8m x 5m)
Small ensemble (4 Players): 8ft wide x 10ft deep (2.5m x 3m)

You will not need to provide any equipment; we will supply all our own equipment for your private booking. All we ask is that we are near plug sockets.
We sadly do not take requests as our set-lists are decided at the beginning of the academic year.

Please click below for Spotify playlists containing setlists from previous years:
Hornstars Setlist
BUJO Setlist

We do play events for charity, events such as these are taken on a case-by-case basis, so please get in touch and we can see what we can arrange.

We can be hired for any private event such as: Student Formals, Weddings, Formal Functions and many more…

Still curious? Drop us a message and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

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