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List Chit Chat

Hi there folks,

Had an enjoyable day on Sunday at the North West Area Brass Band
Association contest held in that beautiful town of Buxton in the High
Peak district of North Derbyshire - what a cracking place to hold a band
contest - acoustics of the hall considered!  I was there in  a non
playing capacity with my home town band Bedworth Brass who were
competing in the 2nd. section.  We arrived just in time to catch a
couple of performances in the 4th.section.  I was quite surprised to
hear a band in this section playing Oceans by Goff Richards - I've
always thought of this piece as a 1st. section piece.  To be honest - as
you would expect from a 4th section band - the performance wasn't always
technically secure and the balance in the louder sections wasn't always
even - but nonetheless their performance was enjoyable.  So enjoyable in
fact that the adjudicator - Trevor Halliwell - was so impressed that not
only did he award the band, Parr (St. Helens), 1st. place - but he also
awarded them 198 points!!!!   4th. section band - 1st. section test
piece - two points off a maximum score - Hmmm.

This contest - along with many others now around the country - is an own
choice contest, and there were some interesting test pieces chosen by
the bands in the 2nd. section.  I actually heard 7 out of 10 bands in
this section, nature calls and all that, and would you believe it, I
missed the winning performance by Silk Brass Zeneca (Macclesfield) who
played Land Of The Long White Cloud.  I did hear however performances of
Symphonic Suite, Kenilworth, Culloden Moor as well as a very creditable
performance of Variations On A Ninth by Moston & Beswick Band who were
to come 3rd.  Perhaps the most interesting choice - some might say a
brave choice - was Prometheus Unbound which was played I think by
Walkden Band who gained 4th. place.  I remember conducting this piece at
a contest a few years ago, again an own choice affair, and my band were
not to convinced of its merits - but we eventually agreed to play it and
I like to think they finally enjoyed it. It is a brave conductor indeed
who chooses a piece that finishes in such a quiet prolonged manner at an
own choice contest but they played it well and deserved their placing.
I actually researched the mythology to the story of Prometheus and found
it a fascinating tale which puts the music into context and makes sense
of the ending.  There are bound to be, amongst the members of this list,
someone who is a classical scholar and who can recount the story in far
greater detail than wot I can(sic) so I'll leave it to them.  Of course
it's always good fun to place the bands in order that you personally
think - and on this occasion I had 4th. and 3rd. the same as the
adjudicator - again Mr. Halliwell.  However - one performance that I did
hear was that of BMP Europe Goodshaw who played - IMHO - an excellent
performance of Fantasy For Brass Band by Malcolm Arnold and didn't
figure at all in the prizes.  If I was a player in that band I think I
would feel more than a tadge bewildered.

Steve Sykes writes that he is surprised that Three Figures has been
chosen as the finals test piece for the 2nd section.  I'm not surprised
- I agree with him.  I played that piece at the Open in the early
eighties and it was so tricky that after weeks of rehearsal the only
complete run through we had of it was on the stage at the Free Trades
Hall in Manchester!  Second section bands are quite good  as they are
now playing Variations On A Ninth and Fantasy For Brass Band and
suchlike - but they will have their hands full with this.  Perhaps we
can ask Steve, as an adjudicator, would he be prepared to award 198
points to a fourth section band no matter how well they played or would
he give points relevant to the section involved.  For instance top
section between say 193 - 198, 1st.section around 187 - 195ish. and so
on.  Or would you give every section 200 start?

Various list members I can see are into arranging music for brass band
as indeed I am.  I was interested to see J. Davies from Riddings band,
(what a good band Mr. Davies - but why do all your postings appear in
small case?  :-) ), make those telling comments about copyright
permission - as well as various others who think that copyright isn't
necessary for "Fun" arrangements.  I know from experience that it is
always better to check with the Performing Rights Society, (0171
5805544),  before spending hours doing an arrangement that you might
find you are unable to perform!  Even then, if it is a good arrangement
that you fancy publishing and you do have copyright permission you may
find that copyright holders have "Deals" with a particular publishing
house that have first refusal on your work.  I am in this situation at
the moment with two of my arrangements with one of the movements best
know publishers who are not exactly hurrying themselves to make a
decision as to whether they will publish them or not.

Glad to see the women in bands thread - after proper discussion of
course - is fading away!

Remember Arthur Pryor and the trombone solos?  Thanks to list member
Dave Buckley I have received a list from Robert King Music Sales and on
it is a trombone solo called Razzazza Mazzazza which is listed for 1 to
3 trombones.  Has anyone ever heard this piece - is it okay?  (Nice
write up on your trombone convention Dave - you certainly move in august
circles).

All for now,

Colin Randle.


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