Click to hear Eric Balls 'Ceremony' CLICK PICTURE OF ERIC BALL TO HEAR HIS PIECE 'CEREMONY' Eric Ball, 1903-1989 Without a doubt, Eric Ball is the father of the Brass Band. Born on October the 31st, 1903, he was given music and harmony lessons from a private teacher who was alot the local church organist. After World War I he went on to study the organ at Staines and Dartford Churches, writing for mobile organs and voices. However, from a background with strong Salvation Army ties, Eric was drawn to the sound of the brass band from an early age. As well as a supreme master in writing melodies built on simple melodic blocks he uses innovative harmonies and careful orchestration to create different timbres and sounds within the brass band. Eric Ball's music is clearly influenced by the likes of Brahms and Elgar, and his melodies often extremely lyrical, whether they are simple Salvation Army tunes or test pieces for the National Championships, such as 'Ceremony'. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.