Brass Band Logo

NJH Music Logo

Some of the contents of the pages on this site are Copyright © 2016 NJH Music
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Contest Music by Wilfrid Heaton

Alan Morrison wrote:

> I have been interested to read the recent discussion about test-pieces,
> Contest Music and `modern` music in general. However, it seems to be a
> popular mis-conception that Contest Music was disregarded in 1973 for the
> National because it was deemed as `too modern`. This is not strictly the
> case.
>
> Wilfred Heaton was commissioned, I believe, by the National Championships to
> compose the 1973 test-piece. At that time the National was run by Geoffrey
> Brand. Geoffrey conducted Grimethorpe in 1985 at the Area on the same piece
> and we had a brief discussion as to why it was turned down 12 years earlier.
> It has to be said that Geoffrey and I have not always seen eye to eye, but I
> have no doubt whatsoever that he has more musical integrity than to turn any
> commission down on the grounds it was too modern - even in 1973. More to the
> point, he explained to me that on his intial perusal of the score it looked
> rather bare, with particular underscoring of the 2nd and some of the 3rd
> movements, which meant that many players in the band didn`t have enough to
> play. We now have the benefit of knowing this masterpiece, and surely one of
> its characteristics that makes it such, is the exposed scoring and
> tantalising 2nd movement for those involved. However, try taking a step
> backwards - put yourself in GB`s position in 1973 and you may be able to
> understand his predicament with the brand new score. I can - although I
> don`t think it necessarily warrants condemning the score to the dustbin.

This is fascinating, and I'm sure that you are absolutely correct in
terms of what GB told you, but it doesn't entirely tally with
Wilfred Heaton's recollection.  I was chatting to him about this
some twelve months ago and he felt very strongly that they had found
his work 'despicably modern' and loathsome'; he still remembers the
rejection with some bitterness, it would seem.

Certainly WH's scoring is very thin in places - it's a characteristic
of his style that he doesn't write a note which is not absolutely
essential - no 'padding' whatsoever!

>


--

[Services] [Contact Us] [Advertise with us] [About] [Tell a friend about us] [Copyright © 2016 NJH Music]