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RE: Masters Test Pieces - Wilfred Heaton

To: <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Masters Test Pieces - Wilfred Heaton
From: "GYoung" <gyoung@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:10:48 -0500
Importance: Normal
In-reply-to: <NCBBJOLMNLDBKAHFGDHDGEMGCNAA.gas@lineone.net>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Heaton is one of the few "original voices" for brass band.
I would love to play Contest Music. Remember that
Beethoven was once thought to be too modern with his 2nd
Symphony being criticised as a monstrosity that was too long.
Contests are really not public events but for the "in"
crowd of banding. It is to banding's credit that new works
are commissioned by creditable composers. This has left us with a legacy
of great works that wind bands must surely envy. Arnold, Rubbra,
Holst, Vaugn-Williams, etc. Lets toss the clothe caps on the fire once and a
while
and play for music's sake. At public events you have to
play caca arrangements of Barry Manilow but at contests
the goal should be artistic both in performance and
in the level of the compositions. Lets not slide back to
the "William Tell Overture" days.
It's not surprising that Heaton's Concert Music
received a hard reception. SA composers frequently have to
add spurious titles  to get published. This is not new.
Beethoven had titles added to pieces as well.
What does too modern mean? Stravinski's Firebird was once
"too modern"
 I have been told that people did not like
Morley Calvert's "Introduction, Elegy and Caprice"
because it's "in a minor mode". Morley once told me how
he hated when the SA would alter parts of his music
during publication. In the early 1950's he added some
"jazzy" chords in a Christmas Carol suite which
the published removed. Later he received the printed
copies of a March and while rehearsing it found that someone had
"added" 16 bars so the music would "fill the page".
If we restrict composers creativity we will be left
with tired repetition. While a new work may take time
to become standard repertoire it should have a hearing.
The practice of commissioning new works is one of the artistic strengths
of the brass band.

Graham Young
gyoung@xxxxxxxx
Symphony Hamilton
Weston Silver Band
Celebration Brass








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References:
- RE: Masters Test Pieces - Wilfred Heaton
  - From: Gordon A Simpson

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