Grimethorpe Colliery Band
Joe Scarborough, 2021
At the heart of this colourful painting is a depiction of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band playing at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The band, which was formed in 1917, has performed at the hall several times, including at the Proms in 1974 and the National Brass Band Championships in 1992. It also appeared as the fictional Grimley Colliery Band playing at the Albert Hall in the 1996 film Brassed Off.
Other scenes in the painting show notable events in the band’s history, including performances in Bradford and Barnsley, as well as depictions of the Sydney Opera House, Mount Fuji and the Statue of Liberty to represent the band’s international tours.
Grimethorpe Colliery Band commissioned the painting from Joe Scarborough, a former coal miner who worked in the pits before becoming a full-time artist in the 1960s. He is best known for his depictions of everyday life in Sheffield and the wider South Yorkshire area.
The painting now joins the National Coal Mining Museum for England, where the collection of art comprises around 1,000 works, including three other depictions of brass bands.
More information
Title of artwork, date
Grimethorpe Colliery Band, 2021
Date supported
2025
Medium and material
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
61 x 75cm
Grant
3,500
Total cost
10,000
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