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Re: American "English" Style Brass Bands

I agree with the posts so far, American low brass players, at least the 
amateur sort, are more comfortable in bass clef. I used to direct/manage 
a brass band, and would spend HOURS rewriting low brass parts in bass 
clef because my guys (nothing sexist intended, they just WERE all guys) 
couldn't read treble clef. 

Also, someone posted yesterday about a Shostakovich piece that 
started--Bah, bu bu bu bah, etc. (that's similar but not verbatum). He 
called it Folk Festival and commented that he hadn't heard an orchestra 
play it. I am pretty sure that it's (in English) called both Festive 
Overture and Festival Overture. I have done it in a few symphonies but it 
doesn't get programed a lot. I think one of the reasons it doesn't get 
programed is that it's somewhat short for the amount of work a symphony 
has to do to play it. With only 4-5 rehearsals, and a lot of time to fill 
on the average symphony concert, trying to get everybody to competently 
buzz through the "tempo-de-tear-ass" stuff at the end takes too much 
rehearsal time. Also, as an overture, there aren't a whole lot of solos 
that can gracefully follow it.  It, um, "kicks."  :-)  :-)  :-)  :-)  
Great piece, though. Is the brass band arrangement anywhere NEAR as good 
as the orchestral original?  Beth in the Soo

Beth Hronek <bhronek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>	  100% DEET -- 
Lake Superior State University Library     The perfume of choice
Sault Sainte Marie, MI  49783	     for the Upper Peninsula

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