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Re: Songs for BL (was National Test Piece)



In message <199806101950.UAA31077@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Alec Gallagher
<alec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kevin Williams <willi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Date: 10 June 1998 07:39
>Subject: Re: Songs for BL (was National Test Piece)
>
>
>>In message <E0yj6CS-0007F2-00@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Alec Gallagher
>><alec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Peter Younghusband <monkey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>Date: 05 June 1998 23:55
>>>Subject: Re: National Finals test - piece
>
>>Sorry Alec, you're on your own here about BL. Rarely have I wasted as
>>much time and effort as I did on that piece of junk.
>
>I don't mind people saying they don't *like* a particular piece of
music or
>particular composer, but it really is out of order to describe it as
'junk'.
>Mr Howarth is, after all, an internationally respected musician in the
big
>wide world of music beyond brass bands and didn't get there by writing
>'junk'. To use such language about the work of a bloke with more
musical
>talent in his little finger than you and I put together is ever so
slightly
>insulting!
>
I wouldn't disagree with that Alec, but BL was composed for the National
Finals, an event which people travel from all over the world to hear. I
was "lucky" in that I didn't had to pay hard earned money to listen to
it. I would have felt very bad if I had. Now, if the piece had been
aimed at a South Bank concert or such like, then at least as a listener
you would be able to pre-guess what might be on the programme. It was
just the wrong piece for the occasion, thats all. There's nothing wrong
with contemporary music at all, but it's outlet has to be very carefully
chosen.
>

I'm not overkeen on Mozart, to the extent that I don't have a single
>recording of his music in my collection - it all sounds a bit 'samey'
to me
>(and I'm sure that will provoke some comments!) - but I wouldn't for
one
>minute call it 'junk', when it so obviously isn't.  Likewise with
Edrich
>Siebert - his arrangements aren't particularly inspiring, in my
opinion, but
>it's not 'junk' - plenty of bands still play his pieces.  There is no
such
>thing as good or bad music - only music you like or music you don't
like, to
>whatever degree.
>Also, what about Berne Patrol and Mr. Lears Carnival - both very
entertaining compositions.
>Inevitably, the more challenging examples of contemporary music require a
>greater degree of concentration from the listener, and for some, even most,
>people, it is easier to discard it as 'junk' rather than make the effort to
>apply their mind to it and try to understand and, yes, even enjoy it.  For
>those who do make the effort, however, a whole new world of sound opens up.
>It isn't as if this type of music is new - Schoenberg, Webern and all that
>crowd were doing far more radical things eighty-odd years ago.  But sadly
>such activities impinged little upon the
>conservative world of bands. Closed ears, closed minds - the important thing
>was the contest!
>
>I might be on my own in this small brass world (well, apart from Adrian R),
>but outside of it I am in good company -  there is no shortage of people
>willing to pay hard earned cash, week in, week out,  to listen to exactly
>this type of music in orchestral concert halls around the world - the
>concerts admittedly tempered with more conventional repertoire in many
>cases - and, of course, on CD.
>
>>Mem RK - Brilliant. Lets get that one out too.
>
>I AGREE!!!
>>
>>Cheers
>>
>>" I survived BL - just " Kev.
>
>Best wishes
>
>Alec
>
>________________________
>Alec Gallagher
>alec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
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-- 
Kevin Williams


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