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Re: David vs Goliath

Thomas Lee wrote:

> This is my first contribution to the list although i've been reading the
> goings-on for some time. Having played with a championship section band for
> several years I know what it's like to get obsessed
> with contesting.  I admit that I enjoy contesting as there is nothing like
> that winning feeling, but away from brass bands I preach about music being
> made/played for the love of it.  It is a constant inner battle I have with
> myself as, if I was to practice what I preach, I would have given up
> contesting a long time ago.

Welcome to the list, Tom.   You belong to a very select group of us
sinners who openly admit to enjoying contesting as part of a
balanced programme of pleasurable musical activity!   I gave up your
inner battle some time ago when I realised that contests are simply a
form of comparative music making and so (for me) are equally valid,
despite being of greater interest to the specialist who is able to
understand more fully the value of the comparison.  'Away from bands'
there are the BBC Young Musician of the Year, Cardiff Young Singer of
the Year, Leeds Piano Competition, Portsmouth String Quartet
Competition and countless local competitive Music Festivals which
exist for similar comparative and competitive purposes, and it is
important to remember that there have been band contests for as long
as there have been bands - they form a vital part of our heritage.
Despite arguments on the list over a number of years no-one has yet
persuaded me that it is in any way immoral to make music in a
competitive context!

> I have toyed with the idea of joining a
> non-contesting band but to be honest the idea of not contesting just doesn't
> appeal.  Does anybody in a non-contesting band on this list have any
> opinions on this as I would like to know if somebody was (or is) in a
> similar position with their banding.

Show me a non-contesting band (outside of Colleges/Universities and
the SA - they have different roles to play) that includes a decent
percentage of serious/original band music in their repertoire and
plays to a high standard and I might begin to accept that the
non-contesting band has a future!

> Getting back to the point in hand, I think that the buying in of players is
> not in keeping with the spirit of banding.  You can liken it to premiership
> football - the richest clubs end up with the trophies (more often than not).
>   Keep brass bands real, thats what I say.

Agreed, but I prefer to compete in events with lots of bands, and
accept that for some bands the borrowed player or professional ringer
is the only way to make up numbers.   I guess that this thread was
prompted by the success of a particular band in the Midlands for whom
the above might well be true.  For me part of the pleasure comes
form being part of a team who work together to reach higher
standards so I'd gain little satisfaction from playing in that sort
of band, but I'd sooner beat them then ban them!    We also need to
recognise that there are many regular, bona fide bandsmen who also
happen to be pro's or members of army bands, for example, and I for
one feel that they have a great deal to offer us - lets not exclude
them!

David


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