G'day IanC,

You'll find that A = 454 Hz is just over a quarter tone (or half a semitone) sharp of modern A = 440 Hz pitch. This is old British Philharmonic pitch ... and I suspect a great number of Sally bands had a lot of "Old Pitch" brass instruments.

Since they only played together, there was no pressing need to buy new instruments in modern pitch and some of the old pitch bands persisted into the 1960s (and, probably, beyond).

Incidentally, I reckon that every Indian flute and whistle I have ever had is in "old pitch"!

Regards,

Bob Bolton