That is the question that I need an answer to :!: When you play a march with a DC, is it correct practice to play the repeats or not :?:
If a composer doesn't want the repeat's played on a DC, the parts or score will probably say so, otherwise I would personally play the march as written. I suppose at the end of the day it's down to the personal choice of the MD. On some of the marches I've written and arranged I've left the DC as 'optional' purely for this reason. :wink:
Standard practice is to omit the repeats on the DC. You might choose to play the repeats if the section of music was quite short (eg. the start of Mephistopheles). Marches share this procedure with the classical minuet and trio - a similar musical structure - where repeats are never used on the DC. In most musical forms the recapitulation of earlier material is ussually condensed in some way. But it would be a brave adjudicator who criticised a band for either observing or failing to observe this 'rule'! D
Related to the question of repeats in the DC, what do people think about the DC itself? I know that it does bring you back to finish in the original key, but it does make some marches rather long on the concert stage. Composers' views on this seem to vary - Ray Steadman Allen has often made a point of writing his out in full to ensure it ends as he intended it, but others don't seem too bothered.
In the Salvation Army the DC is also the Divisional Commander. Thus it adds a whole new meaning to "Shall we do the D.C."
I believe the standard practice at the Whit Friday March copmetitions is to do all the repeats on the DC
I thought you would take the no-repeats option after the TMP Whit Friday rehearsal where I was worried that blows might be exchanged over this subject!! :hammer :wink: For what it's worth, I'm with the no repeats on a DC camp, just because that's what I was always taught when younger!!
There are some exceptions - examples being Radetsky - depending on which version you have (one has the repeats properly written out, the other doesn't) and of course, from my army days (British, not Salvation!), then when on the march, you keep going until you get the instruction to stop! So, I would suggest it a) depends on the march and b) depends on where you are playing it.
I was taught that you should always assume you will NOT do the repeats after a DC, as that is "correct". Not just in Brass Band marches, but in all music. Doing the repeats is at the discretion of the conductor, of course, who may give the appropriate hand-signal ( :shock: ) when approaching the end of a repeated strain.
I put my foot into the no repeats on DC camp, Although i've never been aware of a hrd and fast rule! We do tend to cheat on Concerts with longer marches and "stop at the bottom"!!!
Whit Friday Marches Its almost a rule at Whit Friday to play the d.c. and all repeats to the end. But occasionally a march is printed out in a way that means u play a phrase that cuts to the end before u get to the repeat markings. Simon B&R
