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: Promoting brass bands
Alec I don't often contribute to this list because there are so many more well qualified to speak than I (that is not a sarcastic or patronising comment, either) but I just had to agree with your sentiments. Specifically: Navel Gazing, 1812, "send 'em home happy" hits the nail on the head. And I also agree with the bit about not precluding the contests (I also agree largely with your sentiment here) too. All in all, the sort of non committed, namby-pamby, mimsy-whimsy, red&gold jacketted response you would expect from a member of a band who'se slogan is "English Brass Band playing Music to listen to" really... Well said that chap! Steve Larwood Euph, Trom, Bass Trom - Melbourne Town Band www.proactif.demon.co.uk/mtb Alec Gallagher wrote: > > Clair Tomalin has commented in divers postings about how to attract the > 'unconverted' audience to brass bands, amongst many other things. My > apologies to non-UK listers about the UK-oriented nature of the following > comments, but hope that they are intelligible to all. > > The brass band fraternity is a notoriously introverted community, spending > far too much of its time navel-gazing (and if you don't believe that, just > browse through the archive of this mailing list for starters!), with the > result that its popularity with the masses has declined greatly over the > decades. > > Every weekend the listings in the back pages of the quality daily newspapers > in the UK carry advertisements for 'Classical Spectaculars' and the like - > undemanding concerts of popular classics at major venues, played by scratch > orchestras and directed by conductors from 'Division 2', which include > things like the Old Spice aftershave music, the bit from the British Airways > advert, and usually finish up with the 1812 Overture with 'cannon & mortar > effect' (viz. a couple of thunderflashes in a dustbin). You know the sort > of thing. And everyone goes home happy. And the names which appear > prominently in these ads are those such as Raymond Gubbay, Victor > Hochhauser etc as promoters. > > The point is, these type of concerts play to virtually full houses - every > week! Promoters like Gubbay and Hochhauser (actually, I think that the > latter is dead now) know how to SELL THE PRODUCT, and it is this type of > entrepreneur who is conspicuous by their absence in current day banding. It > wasn't always the case. Listers with a knowledge of brass band history will > be able to supply the names of the great brass band promoters of yesteryear, > and those of course were the days when bands played to the non-banding > general public at large. But we don't have anyone like that now - and > consequently we don't play to the non-banding general public any more. > > So there we are. Find a promoter (who knows, perhap even Gubbay himself?), > convince him that brass bands could make him a tidy sum, and let him get on > with it. That's my suggestion for popularising brass bands. Adopting such > a popularist policy need not impinge on other activities, such as the more > important pursuit of serious music, or even on contests (pointless though > the latter are). After all, the LSO survived 'Andre Previn's Music Night' > in the 1970s and the RPO (or was it the LPO?) survived 'Hooked On Classics' > more recently. > > Just a few thoughts. > > Cheers > > Alec > > ________________________ > Alec Gallagher > alec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > -- > unsubscribe or receive the list in digest form, mail a message of 'help' to > listserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- unsubscribe or receive the list in digest form, mail a message of 'help' to listserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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