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Contests and clefs

1. Clefs.
     As a BBb bass player, treble clef music is not a problem in the comfortable world of
brass bands (speaking form UK experience).  Stray from the path into orchestral or jazz
and irrespective of your instrument, your a musician first and a dot reader second.

Having moved to Canada where the defacto standard is bass clef for all instruments from
baritone and down. Being a treble clef reading BBb bass player makes me unusual and harder
work at rehearsals for me to join in.  I've had to start from scratch but the benefit of
knowing both clefs is inescapable.

Like I said, the purists would have it that your a musician first and  a dot reader
second.  So to follow on to the "inspirational conductor" theme, I think it was Di
Maplestone at Bankss' who once had us play from our hymn books first and then get us to
repeat the hymn, with books closed.  That idea lasted all of one warm-up at a rehearsal
but it was an interesting experiment.  If we had the time to learn the thing it wouldn't
have been a problem. Its the usual lack of time and there just seems to be an inherent
fear in straying from the normal routine. If conductors started suggesting that we play
from memory or even the deadly 'transpose what your reading up a tone or two' during
rehearsals, there would be riots, rather than a forum to learn.

2. Contest Vs Concerts
     If I had one regret with Stourport BB it would be suggesting that we played at the
Aylesbury contest rather than the West Midlands Brass Band Association in the mid 1990's.
It wouldn't have been a problem if these areas didn't have contests on the same day but
inevitably, they clashed and in moving to Aylesbury, it just wasn't the same as the Sunday
afternoons at the Leamington Spa Centre, that we had known as a band.

   What's to regret?  I missed the familiar.  The cohesion that the association brings
with local bands on contest day.  Where else can you see so many other bands and bandsmen,
bandswomen, bandspersons, trade stands and the same friendly faces propping up the bar,
denouncing the results as "we was robbed".  (If I had a pint for every time that I've
heard that phrase, I'd be bigger than Mr Morley.)

Concerts are a great platform to showcase the bands talents.  Contests are just great
because in this age of dwindling membership, we should cherish the sense of occasion,
sense of competition and tradition that contesting brings to the movement as a whole.

If your band has a no contesting policy, then your missing a lung for no reason.  Get
involved and have fun.

John F.


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