A century of music to our ears

100 years of the “Trachtenmusikkapelle (Brass Band) Eben im Pongau” – is a reason to celebrate! What would local events, church festivals or weddings be without a brass band? Music is simply part of life in Eben. Bernhard Prieler has been a member since 2015, plays the trumpet and is deputy bandmaster and conductor as well as youth officer. He looks with us into the past and future of the Eben village band.

The best way to delve into the history of the association is through the chronicles of the municipality and the band. The first Eben ‘band’ was the ‘Mooslechnerische Tanzlmusi’, founded in 1918 under Rupert Mooslechner. The people of Eben wanted a larger band, and so the Trachtenmusikkapelle Eben im Pongau was finally founded on 10th August 1925. The first musicians were taught in the Rosegger Cottage, where the first May festival was also organised in 1927. This was followed by the first rehearsals in Eben and the neighbouring communities, for which the band rehearsed 61 times in 1937, for example. The band disbanded during the Second World War and was reactivated in 1951.

The first concert after the reformation followed in 1953 - since then Eben has had its own band again. The association also received its traditional costume in the 1950s. In the 70s, the organisation began to promote young talent, and interest continued to grow. ‘Due to the many new additions, the rehearsal room in the community's basement soon became too small. In 2001, we moved into the new music hall, which was modernised in 2023,’ mentions Bernhard. Today, the band has 63 members and, with an average age of 30.37, is one of the youngest brass bands in the Salzburg region. In addition to the joint excursions and the many outings, the ‘TMK Eben’ will particularly remember its performance in 2023 at the ‘Woodstock of Brass Music’, one of the largest brass music festivals in Europe. ‘Playing music together in front of 15,000 people is something very special,’ recalls the musician.

If Bernhard had to describe the TMK Eben in three words, they would be ‘fun, friendship and volunteering’. The latter in particular plays a major role in the life of the organisation. The brass band provides the backdrop for special occasions throughout the year and organises a number of highlights in Eben's calendar of events, such as the spring concert and the May festival. The band rehearses diligently throughout the year for these events: a total of 49 rehearsals and 34 outings were organised in 2024. These include rehearsals for church festivals such as First Communion, Thanksgiving or the annual mountain mass on the Gerzkopf, weddings and funerals. The band also plays at numerous festivals organised by other clubs in the village and the surrounding area or at one of the summer village evenings.

The whole band doesn't always take part in every event: ‘For events that take place during the week, a small delegation often turns up,’ explains Bernhard. No matter how small or large the delegation: ‘We always do it voluntarily and in our spare time’. In total, the association puts in 302,204 hours of work a year, not including the set-up and dismantling work at their own events, where they receive a lot of support from family and friends. ‘We really appreciate the help. In return, the appreciation of the public is very important to us,’ emphasises Bernhard.

The band has come up with something very special for the anniversary year: the musicians want to celebrate this special year with a mix of familiar and new events. The first date marked in the calendar is the spring concert on 29th March in the Eben Festival Hall. Next up is the traditional May Festival on 1st May. To celebrate the anniversary in style with bands from the surrounding area, TMK Eben is organising a human foosball tournament (i.e. table football with real players) in the summer.

On 15th August, the brand celebrates a ceremony as part of the Church holiday with a festive church service. Also in August, the association brings the well-known music group ‘Viera Blech’ to the Eben Festival Hall. In October, the Austrian musical cabaret artists ‘Flo & Wisch’ accept the invitation of the jubilarians and also perform their programme in the Festival Hall. Tickets for these two event highlights will be available from 30th March on the band website. To round off the big anniversary year, the Trachtenmusikkapelle will perform a St. Cecilia Mass for the first time on 15th November in the Eben Parish Church. So, get your diary out and save the dates!

The Eben brass band is always happy to welcome new members. There are trends: ‘Saxophone and flute, for example, are particularly popular with young women,’ says the youth officer. However, the band takes care to strengthen the individual sections equally - and prioritises the instruments required. In addition to sheet music and uniform, the instruments themselves are very cost-intensive. This is where donations and sponsors come into play. In addition to the financial challenges, the association also has topics such as digitalisation on its agenda. The band uses an app to manage appointments, information and participation in rehearsals and parades. ‘Tools like this app make organisation much easier,’ explains Bernhard, who also invests a lot of time in the band's online presence.

In any case, despite some challenges, the community is very important. Whether it's at rehearsals, the outings or the big ‘music excursions’ every two years - regardless of whether you've been part of the band since 1967 or 2024, coming together and making music together is what brings people together. ‘Friday rehearsals are always a great start to the weekend for me,’ says the 27-year-old trumpeter. With a good community, an important foundation stone has been laid for the next (at least 😉) 100 years of the Trachtenmusikkapelle Eben im Pongau, don't you think?

photo credits: TVB Eben - Angi Pfuner, TMK Eben