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Description
Cornetas y tambores (“cornets and drums”) is a devotional, martial style of Spanish processional band music heard most prominently during Holy Week (Semana Santa), especially in Andalusia. It is performed by brass-and-percussion ensembles whose historical core was the military bugle (corneta) and snare/bass drums accompanying Catholic processions.
The idiom blends solemn religious character with bold, fanfare-like gestures and a steady march pulse. Melodies are often minor or modal (with Andalusian/Phrygian color), arranged in call-and-response between cornet choirs and drums, and shaped with dynamic swells to match the ritual drama of the pasos (floats) in procession.
History
Cornetas y tambores grew out of Spanish military bugle-and-drum traditions that were invited into Catholic processions as devotional escorts. In Andalusia—especially Seville—cofradías (brotherhoods) began formalizing these ensembles in the early 1900s as processional bands distinct from full wind bands, emphasizing cornet/bugle calls and martial drumming for penitential rites.
By the mid-century, the style had a recognizable profile: compact brass forces centered on cornets/bugles with snare, bass drum, and cymbals, performing solemn marches at a slow processional tempo. Repertoires expanded from simple fanfares and traditional hymns to composed processional marches written specifically for Holy Week.
From the late 1970s, leading Sevillian bands professionalized the sound, refining intonation and arrangement practice and—crucially—adding lower brass (trombones, euphoniums, tubas) to enrich harmony while keeping the cornet-led identity. This period standardized the distinction between three Holy Week band types: (1) bandas de cornetas y tambores; (2) agrupaciones musicales (larger brass ensembles with broader harmony); and (3) bandas de música (full wind bands).
Cornetas y tambores remains a hallmark of Andalusian Holy Week, with renowned ensembles touring widely and recording dedicated march repertoires. While the core language stays martial and devotional, contemporary composers incorporate richer harmonies and Andalusian melodic turns, keeping the genre vibrant across Spain and among diaspora communities.
