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RE: Classical composers & brass band

>
> I'll take this to mean 'Composers respected outside of brass bands'. :)
>

This is exactly what he means.

Last Monday the Black Dyke Band played a spectacular concert in Toronto.
The programming was outstanding. The first half featured original music for
Brass Band. Queensbury March, Downland Suite, Journey Into Freedom
and Year of the Dragon.
The second half featured transcriptions, swing arrangements and solos.

The concert was reviewed by the Toronto Star's "Classical" reviewer who
obviously had never heard a top level band.
I would have thought he would have preferred the original brass band music
but his comment on it was that the only purpose of the composer's
Ireland ,Ball and Sparke. was to provide difficult music for the
band to play. This is curious since he remarked on how surprised
he was to hear brass played extended musical lines sensitively
and elegantly. (middle movement of the Year of the Dragon.)

I do not think he could see the forest for the trees.
Yes the outer movements of Y of the D are difficult to play
but they are also exciting music easily the equal of the wind band and brass
band music of Vaughn-Williams etc. Its just a different style.

The transcriptions of orchestral music were superbly done and give this
type of listener the warm fuzzies of familiarity.
The virtuosity required to play these works can blind
some to the music contained by them.
As James Watson related Ball wrote many compositions for brass
that are the equal of any compositions for wind bands etc.
It is just that they are contained within the "narrow"
world of banding. The idea of a National and Professional
brass band that is not required to play contests and that
can have works written that do not have to be confined to
the contest format seems attractive.

The answer really is that there is a great deal of music
written for Brass band by "classical "
composers. Unfortunately most of these composers
are not known outside the brass band world but they should be.
Graham Young
gyoung@xxxxxxxx
Symphony Hamilton
Weston Silver Band
Celebration Brass


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