National Championships of Great Britain - Qualifying Bands - Championship Section

[brassintheed]

I can't agree that playing in octaves is generally easier than playing in unison. Maybe for specific cases, but really not in general. Many of the hardest parts in banding are unison in octaves, and that duet mentioned above provides a good example.

I think that something written in octaves CAN be a very difficult part (usually because it's a duet which has been written in a test piece). But the basic concept of two instruments playing at their natural levels in octaves with each other is much less dangerous and much easier to play musically than two instruments playing in unison. This is down to intonation issues, tonality, harmonics etc. basically it's easier to keep in tune, and differing tones and styles can potentially work as an advantage musically. The advantage of unison to the players is that neither of them feels as exposed, but I would say this would only ever be an advantage if musicality is not among the players strong points!

[Blagger]

Philip -
Firstly apologies to mods as this may be a little off topic - but still relevant in regards to the "making the music hard for the sake of it" argument .
This is a question I have always wanted to ask you ( never had the nerve to at college ) -

Harmony Music - what was your thinking/musical reason ( for want of a better term) behind the extreme register of the Euphonium solo ?
AND by writing that famous top "E" did you ever think how it would (in my opinion) open the the door for other composers to follow?
I'm open to stand corrected but it was the first instance of such an extreme register - and BTW my favourite 6 or so bars of Euph writing ever ......

[Anglo Music Press]

Well, firstly, it was where I wanted the music to go, but I was unsure how wise it was. I took the cadenza down to my band and showed it to my euph player (who had just got her instrument out of the case) and she played it first time.

So I left it in - and it was about 10 years before it was successfully played again! So blame her!

[brassneck]

So blame her!

- she wasn't a Scot by any chance?

(... if it's who I think it was, her hubby was also Scottish and played 2nd euph at Hillingdon Band too!).

[Anglo Music Press]

Yes, 'twas Shirley!

[brassneck]

Yes, 'twas Shirley!

- and Campbell Wilson was her hubby. I (& three others) used to compete against her school quartet from Tayport years ago and Campbell was solo euph at Cowdenbeath during the '70s. Memories! (... and that's how I knew about you before I knew about your music! I stopped playing during the '80s!).

[Blagger]

Well, firstly, it was where I wanted the music to go, but I was unsure how wise it was. I took the cadenza down to my band and showed it to my euph player (who had just got her instrument out of the case) and she played it first time.

So I left it in - and it was about 10 years before it was successfully played again! So blame her!

Thanks - thats a great story
That's why I love the Desford performance so much - hearing Steven Mead "struggle" to get up there ( and - according to the 2nd Euph who was a college mate of mine- the only time he did have to reach for it) just made it even more exciting. I have other recordings with Euph players who make it with ease - but they lack something of that Desford performance IMHO.