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Re: Promoting brass bands

Alec

I don't often contribute to this list because there are so many more
well qualified to speak than I (that is not a sarcastic or patronising
comment, either) but I just had to agree with your sentiments.

Specifically: Navel Gazing, 1812, "send 'em home happy" hits the nail on
the head.  And I also agree with the bit about not precluding the
contests (I also agree largely with your sentiment here) too.

All in all, the sort of non committed, namby-pamby, mimsy-whimsy,
red&gold jacketted response you would expect from a member of a band
who'se slogan is "English Brass Band playing Music to listen to"
really...

Well said that chap!

Steve Larwood
Euph, Trom, Bass Trom - Melbourne Town Band 
www.proactif.demon.co.uk/mtb
Alec Gallagher wrote:
> 
> Clair Tomalin has commented in divers postings about how to attract the
> 'unconverted' audience to brass bands, amongst many other things.  My
> apologies to non-UK listers about the UK-oriented nature of the following
> comments, but hope that they are intelligible to all.
> 
> The brass band fraternity is a notoriously introverted community, spending
> far too much of its time navel-gazing (and if you don't believe that, just
> browse through the archive of this mailing list for starters!), with the
> result that its popularity with the masses has declined greatly over the
> decades.
> 
> Every weekend the listings in the back pages of the quality daily newspapers
> in the UK  carry advertisements for 'Classical Spectaculars' and the like -
> undemanding concerts of popular classics at major venues, played by scratch
> orchestras and directed by conductors from 'Division 2', which include
> things like the Old Spice aftershave music, the bit from the British Airways
> advert, and usually finish up with the 1812 Overture with  'cannon & mortar
> effect' (viz. a couple of thunderflashes in a dustbin).  You know the sort
> of thing. And everyone goes home happy.  And the names which appear
> prominently in these ads are those such as  Raymond Gubbay, Victor
> Hochhauser etc as promoters.
> 
> The point is, these type of concerts play to virtually full houses - every
> week!  Promoters like Gubbay and Hochhauser (actually, I think that the
> latter is dead now) know how to SELL THE PRODUCT, and it is this type of
> entrepreneur who is conspicuous by their absence in current day banding.  It
> wasn't always the case.  Listers with a knowledge of brass band history will
> be able to supply the names of the great brass band promoters of yesteryear,
> and those of course were the days when bands played to the non-banding
> general public at large.   But  we don't have anyone like that now - and
> consequently we don't play to the non-banding general public any more.
> 
> So there we are.  Find a promoter (who knows, perhap even Gubbay himself?),
> convince him that brass bands could make him a tidy sum, and let him get on
> with it.  That's my suggestion for popularising brass bands.  Adopting such
> a popularist policy need not impinge on other activities, such as the more
> important pursuit of serious music, or even on contests (pointless though
> the latter are).  After all, the LSO survived 'Andre Previn's Music Night'
> in the 1970s and the RPO (or was it the LPO?) survived 'Hooked On Classics'
> more recently.
> 
> Just a few thoughts.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Alec
> 
> ________________________
> Alec Gallagher
> alec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
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