THE connection between two talented “sons of Shildon” who made a significant contribution to the Victorian brass band movement has been unearthed.

Thomas Edward Bulch and George Allan were born in New Shildon 15 months apart in 1862 and 1864 respectively.

They went on to have success as players, bandmasters, composers and adjudicators in the brass band world - George at home and Thomas in Australia - before their deaths just eight months apart in 1930.

A collective of history and music enthusiasts has now formed the Friends of The Wizard and The Typhoon, named after the pair’s compositions, to preserve and promote the heritage of their mark on the first 100 years of the brass band movement.

One of the group’s founders, Shildon Town Cllr Dave Reynolds, said: “Overall it’s a tale of triumph, adventure and heartbreaking tragedy punctuated with coincidences right through to the deaths of the pair in 1930.

“What we have to tell is a fantastic story of two men showing that there are different ways to achieve great things irrespective of being of humble origin.”

Sparked by a commemorative stone in Shildon town centre naming the composer, Cllr Reynolds’ interest led him to musician and teacher Steve Robson last year.

More than a decade earlier Mr Robson investigated the life and work of George as part of a thesis for his music studies.

He was invited to see the old band room in Shildon, where the town’s brass bands had rehearsed, and uncovered a collection of unsold works.

Some were damaged beyond use, but many were salvageable and Mr Robson arranged to have some recorded for posterity by local brass bands as part of a CD to celebrate George’s work.

In September 2017 the pair set to work on digging deeper - Mr Robson focusing on the music and Mr Reynolds on the story.

In doing so he found George was not the only respected brass composer to be born in New Shildon, and set away researching Thomas Bulch.

It was found the two men were schooled together and learned the art of making brass music together under the guidance of Thomas’s uncle and grandfather.

As young men, after working together as blacksmiths at the North Eastern Railway wagon works at New Shildon, destiny led them in separate directions.

Young George took over running the New Shildon Saxhorn Band, whereas Thomas, inspired by the growing Temperance movement, became the master of the New Shildon Temperance Band until he emigrated in 1884, aged 22.

George saw through his days close to his Shildon roots till his retirement in 1925, when he moved to Leeholme for the final five years of his life.

He is credited for creating some of the finest brass band music of the day, including Senator, Knight Templar and The Wizard, which are still played by bands today.

Meanwhile Thomas, with an armful of compositions, headed down under where he was soon in great demand.

His best known and most often misunderstood contribution to Australian culture is through a song created by someone else.

Thomas penned a tune he called Craigielee which, according to record, was later overheard by music hall artist Christina Macpherson who played it from memory to ‘Banjo’ Patterson who used it to accompany his lyrics for Waltzing Matilda.

“It became clear that the two men were two sides of a single story,” added Cllr Reynolds. “Two lads, born a couple of streets apart, around the same time, taught together in the same band, working briefly together; seemingly on parallel journeys and with similar goals but very different plans to achieve them."

It is now thanks to The Wizard and The Typhoon, and the recruitment of Felling Brass Band, the composers' works will be heard once more - including some recently discovered in archives that may not have been heard in more than a century.

A concert will take place at Ushaw College at 7.30pm tomorrow (Saturday).

Cllr Reynolds said: “We’ve learned so much of the story we want to share.

"Our next step is to better understand more of the music that underpins it, some of which may not have been played to an audience for over a century.

"There are logistical challenges in getting to hear brass music in its full glory.

"Despite a drop in numbers there are still many bands, but they are often fully committed to concert and contest schedules and rehearsals.

“We’re thrilled to bits that Felling Band have stepped up, and offered their time to help us breathe new life into this rediscovery.”

Tickets for the concert are £7 for adults and £2 for under 18s. They are available at ushawboxoffice.com

For more information about the group and the two composers visit wizardandtyphoon.org