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Re: 4th Section Finals Contest (1995) at Wembley


>The limit of players on stage in NABBA contests is 30; The Brass Band
>of Columbus has about 40 members, not 80.  So, between numbers, 
>perhaps as many as 10 new players would rotate in (including a 
>percussionist,hardly in need of "fresh lips.") This would be about 
>33% of the band, not 70%.

...sorry...I didn't count exactly how many players there were: 
however, there was movement of more than 10 people off the stage at 
the end of a piece (and sometimes the end of a suite movement, which 
is kind of tacky).


>The BBC could easily take any 30 of its membership, leave them on 
>stage,and play every bit as well as with people rotating. But what 
>then to do with the other ten people? Say "Thank you very much for 
>playing concerts all year, but you can't come with us to contest"?

...I think as far as the students go, appearing in "the band that 
will attend NABBA" should be something that is strived for by the 
students (i.e. "I should really practice so I can make it into that 
band...").


>BTW, no one seems to complain that the various All-Star Bands from
>Columbus and other non-championship bands take advantage of this 
>rule. My advice to other bands is: Recruit. If you think rotating 
>players gives such a tremendous advantage, and winning contests is 
>your reason for being, then go out and find yourself another soprano 
>player or an extra bass or an assistant solo tenor horn.

...does this mean it's alright to have an entirely new band playing a 
piece?  That there will be some people that only know and only 
practice one piece of music.  This is what I don't find exactly 
fair...the chance that this group was comprised of players who 
studied only the one piece: where's the sport in that? Where's the 
challenge????  If you wish to call it a "contest", then "winning" will 
play a part.  You also have to wonder who you are playing for...do 
you want to play for somebody who listens to music all the time? Is 
one willing to concede that art is only for artists?


Darrell

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