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: Enjoying Contests (long)
David, you make some good points yet no-one has mentioned the clout of the publishers. The publishers have more than a vested interest in all this and to change the line-up would make s (with an S) of the stocks they currently hold. It's very difficult to change any culture, especially one that is so entrenched in the psyche of a few. Bandies are very protective and defensive of their ensembles. To suggest change is akin to blasphemy. Brass bands are *elitist* now 'cos they cater to the tastes of so few members of the general public. Norm David Read wrote: > Cameron Mabon wrote: > > However, I was referring to > > the whole brass band movement when I was talking about it being > > evolutionarily stable. > ... > > As long as more people like contests than don't, and as > > long as more people like > > what they hear at contests than don't, then contesting will survive. > > As a bird living in a tree (for example), to make the best music I want > the best environment to enable me to do that. In the contest tree I will > sing like all the other birds. In the bandstand tree I'll sing marches > and Floral Dance the best. In the third tree I would find lots of > different birds making wonderful music in fresh and individual ways. > > The contest tree has free chocolate ego bars so is popular. The > bandstand tree is often used in the summer to raise a bit of money to > buy extra chocolate. And unfortunately the third tree is mostly in the > shade with no chocolate. > > > the varieties of band that included French Horns (or other > > peculiarities) were found wanting compared to what is now considered to be > > the standard brass band. Since no new brass instrument has been invented > > recently (with the exception of silly things like flumpets), there is no > > alternative variety to challenge the evolutionary supremacy of the > > traditional brass band. > > Tools do jobs. The trad. band might have been good 100 years ago, but > the jobs of today are different (see music changing in my last post) and > so a different tool *might* do it better. The french horn might be the > shuttle to bring us into the space age. If it is pants then fair enough. > But should we not try it out? > > The fact is you can't try it out because banding is about contesting > which doesn't allow french horns. So the only way it might get a foot in > the door would be if a top band did some concerts with some. Unlikely > perhaps for a number of reasons. But you have to admit, such variation > is rather stultified in banding. > > I'm not questioning whether banding is about to die. Of course not, but > I am a little worried about the huge emphasis that is put on contesting > and where it leaves us musically. I want to see more of festivals, > commissions, interesting interpretations, music not rated on how > challenging it is technically or even pats on the backs of bands from > the federations for playing great music. Any other ideas or thoughts? > > Respectfully, > > Dave > > -- > David Read Queens' College > dtr20@xxxxxxxxx Cambridge CB3 9ET > > -- > unsubscribe or receive the list in digest form, mail a message of 'help' to > listserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- Music is my first love, after Jan and the billies. -- unsubscribe or receive the list in digest form, mail a message of 'help' to listserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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