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Marches + more twaddle

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Marches + more twaddle
From: David Taylor <dtaylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 18:19:52 +0100
In-reply-to: <37F11031.D37DBDC4@technologist.com>
Priority: low
References: <115932@smsltd.demon.co.uk> <6anVfDAaj473IwDF@grove4.demon.co.uk> <37F11031.D37DBDC4@technologist.com>
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In message <37F11031.D37DBDC4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Steve Larwood
<larwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>What a load of pretentious twaddle.  

A bit guilty, I think. Sorry - I'm doing a Maths degree - they teach you
to think and talk like that:) But the point I was making is still valid
- when you're marching to something, you don't want something complex or
musically too distracting going on, you want a two-in-the-bar left right
left right thing. In a concert, you're not hampered by this.

>IM<very>HO this sort of misguided
>nonsence is why brass bands are having great difficulty with filling
>concerts.  People want to hear music to listen to - we have had it
>confirmed time and again this summer by audiences seeing our MD or end
>chairs after our concerts and telling us that despite the fact there
>have been MOST prestigious bands playing in the same venue over the
>preceeding weeks, they MUCH prefer our band because we play them music
>they want to hear.  Not music that we want to play (although life's a
>compromise aint it?)
>

I refuse to follow this up! If I do, then I can see myself being forced
to defend the position of running down the general musical taste, which
isn't at all what I was saying. Still, are you really saying that people
don't like more complex music? You can hardly accuse brass bands of
selling out to the avant-garde.

Also, Nigel - yes, sonata form on it's own is not inspiring, but people
like Beethoven et al took it and did something inspiring with it. Who's
done this for the march? Sonata form also allows a bit more leeway from
the composers point of view (assuming you stick rigidly to the form -
which almost all march writers do)

>
>As long as we maintain the brass band structure from the turn of the
>century, we are destined to play music created in the "golden years"
>of brass banding. 

Are they gone then?!

>  And I include the
>current "greats" in this very sweeping statement.  But they (Disney
>Pro's) werent a brass band and they were able to play and present
>music in a style that the Brit Brass band format could not
>contemplate.

Could the world's great orchestras contemplate it? Every ensemble has
it's own style, and the brass band has it's own unique beautiful sound -
a band playing big band stuff, for example, might be superb and well
worth listening to in it's own right, but it wouldn't be a big band.

Dave Taylor
(not just pretentious but patronising):p

>
>Steve Larwood
>Euphonium, Melbourne Town Band
>http://www.mtb-brassband.com
>
>
>--
>
>       unsub brass-band
>       end

-- 
David Taylor


--

Follow-Ups:
- Re: Marches + more twaddle
  - From: David Lancaster

References:
- Re: March definition
  - From: Nigel Horne
- Marches
  - From: David Taylor
- Re: Marches
  - From: Steve Larwood

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