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Re: Brass Band Preservation Society

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Brass Band Preservation Society
From: Tom Sheridan <tom_s@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 12:01:29 GMT
Cc: tom_s@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I don't know much about this, but that's never stopped me getting my 
two-penn'orth in before :)

The brass band history I've read seems to indicate that when they 
first started, they contained a very wide spectrum of instruments 
and tonal colours.  The present setup was standardized due to pressure 
from the contesting side of things.  Orchestras manage fine even with 
french horns, violins, bassoons and harps, and most musicians welcome 
the variety.  

I recognize that the contest scene has made an enormous contribution 
to banding, which far outweighs its drawbacks.  Nevertheless I think 
we should attempt to add and retain diversity off the contest platform.  
I don't buy the 'doesn't fit in' argument.

In contrast to the brass instrumentation, the percussion side seems to 
be ever more diverse, with some pieces calling for three or four 
percussionists and a truckful of kit, hand percussion, timps, hand 
drums, mallet instruments and tubular bells. OK, I'd really love to play 
them, but only the top bands can afford to buy them, I think.  I'd just 
like overly enthusiastic arrangers to realise that we couldn't even get 
a 30-inch timp through the door of our bandroom :(

Tom Sheridan
Percussionist, Failsworth Band
Manchester, UK


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