The Lancaster British Brass Band follows the path first laid down in the smoky mill and mining towns of mid-nineteenth century Britain. Gradually evolving into a fixed instrumentation of 28 players (and 1 conductor), the brass band flourished under the sponsorship of mill and mine owners bent on "morale and spiritual uplift". Thus laying the groundwork for a later time when the Salvation Army began capitalizing on the success of the bands by establishing brass bands as part of their outreach through music.

For concert programs brass bands borrow from virtually every musical genre.  A typical program consists of transcriptions of the classics, marches, hymns, popular music arrangements, solos and, last but not least, original compositions written for the medium.  In keeping with the democratic spirit of the brass band movement, a small committee with the approval of the conductor selects all programs.  A balanced program that attempts to please a wide range of tastes and interests is the goal.