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Re: [Re: To BL or not to BL]

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Re: To BL or not to BL]
From: Murray Aitken <murrayaitken@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 19 Jan 00 12:59:12 GMT
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few thoughts I have managed to muster on this topic:

1. Harrison Birtwistle sounds like a v. nice bloke but I wonder how he ev=
er
had the time to write any music as it seems he spent all of his time taki=
ng
people out to ethnic restaurants.

2. So called "modern music" is one of those things you like or you don't
and
one camp is unlikely ever to persuade the other to change opinion.


3. Not many people like it.

4. Those who do (Alec) compensate for this by reassuring themselves that
everyone else is an ignoramus (or is it anus) and delight in telling them=
 so.

5. Those who don't are compensated by not having to listen to the gut-ach=
ing
nonsense.

6. When I was a student (not of music obviously) I played in the Universi=
ty
orchestras and a brass quintet. I will never forget a piece which was wri=
tten
for our quintet by an unfeasibly large-breasted oboist from the music dep=
t
(obviously I have never forgotten the breasts either).
The piece was called "Stinking Fish and Sugar Candy" or some similar
pretentious twaddle and the parts we had to play from consisted largely o=
f
pieces of coloured paper stuck to the manuscript to indicate the style in=

which we should play. How we laughed and mucked about, much to Chesty's (=
not
her real name) annoyance. Against our better judgement we performed the p=
iece
as part of an end of year concert in the music dept. aimed at displaying
the
creative prowess of the inmates. Amongst other delights on the programme
was a
greasy haired viola player strumming the strings of a grand piano with a
shoe
horn (in Bb ?) accompanying a sandled weirdo on jaws harp. They were bett=
er
than us. Derek Bourgious was a lecturer in the music dept. I don't know w=
hat
any of this proves.

7. In case I come over as bigoted or prejudiced I should mention that if
there
is one thing worse than the modern rubbish it is people who insist on pla=
ying
prehistoric music on "authentic instruments". Can't these people understa=
nd
that these instruments became obsolete for a very good reason ie that the=
y
sound like a goose farting in the fog. They should not be allowed out to
torture unsuspecting members of the public.

8. I like "Contest Music", "Cloudcatcher", "Songs Of The Quay", "Phil The=

Fluter's Ball" and lots of other modern pieces.


9. Am looking forward to playing Contest Music at the Masters although my=
 band
contreversially voted for "Hootenanny" as the test piece (and Little and
Large
and Lulu as the adjudicators).

10. Sorry this submission to this thread is late but Elgar Howarth's dog
ate
Frank Renton in my living room and I have had a devil of a job clearing u=
p
after them.

Thats all, I'm off to fly my whippets.

Murray Aitken
Eb sackbut
Aveley and Newham Contemporary Music Society









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