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Composers as adjudicators.

as i am going to be out of circulation for a few days this is probably nit the
best of times to start a thread but it will at least make sure that when I get
back and open my mail box i listen to what people sat before getting involved in
further discussion.

Last week someone suggested that the composer of the championship test piece
should perhaps have been in the box.

I can understand why this might appear to be  a good idea but I think that
perhaps after hearing a composers point of view that people may see that it is
not really the fairest in terms of contests.

When I write a piece I have very firm and exact idea of how I expect it to
sound. I have on a number of occasions conducted premiers of my own pieces but I
have to admit even though I am a very reasonable conductor, I am not always
convinced that the composer is the best person to conduct their own music. There
is a catalogue of disastrous first performances which are very often down to
this happening.

Given that the conductor is not always the best conductor of his own work it
takes only a short step to see that in a contest position that he might not be
the best judge of it's performance. He certainly would be able to say which
performance came nearest to his ideal. But I have to admit that I have heard
other peoples interpretations of my own music and sometimes been left thinking
"what a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

The point is that the compoklser is to close to his own work. Maybe it is better
than, given the instructions on the score, the contest in musical conceptual
terms, rather than in technical and who split the fewest note terms, should
allow for differences ion interpretation. A thing which the presence of the
composer may well inhibit.

Also think in terms of the composers life before the contest. If everyone knew
that he was going to regarded as the ultimate authority for the contest. He
would have a very busy time on the phone and, at the end of the day the
conductor who had the most lowdown on the work and the composers attitude would
be in the best place to win.

I remember many years ago ringing Mr Butterworth  about some very odd
accidentals in a set piece called Blenheim, I seem to remember that he confirmed
my suspicions that "things wewre not as they should have been. But as no one
else had approached him I was left with a very interesting dilemna. Do I play
what is written knowing full well that it is wrong and then risk the adjudicator
taking issue with my bands performance because it's not what was in the score.
Or do I play what I know to be the composers intentions. I can't remember what I
did now. It didn't matter anyway there about thirty bands in the midlands fourth
section (I think it was at derby) on that day and I seem to remember that we
wouldn't seriously hav etroubled the adjudicator anyway. I really thought that
being in thae little box listening to 30 fourth section bands play this
particular piece was probably punishment enough for not putting my band higher
than 12 th position (or whatever it was)

No better leave it as it is Bribery and corruption have a well regarded place in
British Life(-

All the best

Steve Watkins


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