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Re: The ISB

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: The ISB
From: Raymond Sturge u <stur9630@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 12:30:31 -0500 (EST)
Cc: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In-reply-to: <9701051138.AA02514@fm3.facility.pipex.com>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

First of all, 'hello' to all of those SA bandsmen on the mailing list.

It's been a couple of days now since I have seen any 'top 10' lists 
regarding SA bands (playing ability only), here is my top 10 in no 
particular order:

1)  International Staff Band
2)  Canadian Staff Band
3)  Enfield Citadel Band, UK
4)  New York Staff Band
5)  London Citadel Band, CANADA
6)  Chicago Staff Band
7)  Amsterdam Staff Band
9)  Melbourne Staff Band
10) Hendon Citadel Band, UK

I don't have many corps. bands on the list because not many corps bands 
make recordings.  I can't say I've heard any recordings by Regent Hall 
band, Chalk Farm, Bristol Easton, Peterborough, Staines etc. lately.  Do 
any of these bands have recent recordings available?

I will say that at this moment, ISB are #1.  I was very disapointed to 
see that someone had placed NYSB ahead of the Canadian Staff personally.  
Their live recorded performance of 'Resurgam' on 'A Gala Concert with 
Canadian Virtuoso Trombonist, Alain Trudel' is by far the best I've 
heard.  Even better than the ISB's recording of 'Resurgam' on Partita.
When a band is live and pumped, nothing can beat them.  A recording studio 
just doesn't easily create the atmosphere for a piece like that.

The one comment I would like to make about vibrato is that I feel the 
term 'vibrato' and 'warm sound' are un-related, eg.  Ian Bousfield has 
amazing sound, a very warm sound, yet he achieves this without vibrato.
Vibrato can be nice and very nasty.  David Dawes, Derek Kane, Phil Smith 
would be a good examples players with nice vibrato, bad.......well I   
don't think it would be nice to bash anyone in particular.  I do feel  
that playing euphonium requires more vibrato than any other brass 
instrument.  It seems to be the nature of the instrument.  The one thing 
that is true, vibrato and its use is very opinionated.  Lets leave it at 
that.

Here is my list of top non-SA brass bands only to name a few:

1) Yorkshire Building Society
2) Black Dyke
3) GWS Glasgow
4) Grimethorpe
5) Williams Fairy

To rank these in any order is virtually impossible as far as I am 
concerned.  It depends who is playing in what band on what day.  The 
turn-over in non-SA bands seems to be far greater than any SA band (and 
for obvious reasons too).

There's my 2 cents worth.  Any bands planing on visiting CANADA any time 
soon?  

	    |  _________/|	 |      Mark Sturge     | 
	    | (*____|___\|________ | stur9630@xxxxxxxxxxxx|


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References:
- Re: The ISB
  - From: Gregor Spowart

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