Bands or Orchestras-who has the most fun?

[Rambo Chick]

having never played in orchestras, but knowing how much of a social occupation banding is and probably why it is soooo addictive, i wondered do orchestras have the same kind of world as us banders and is it as exciting??

maybe this is a weird thread but opinions would be good all the same! :lol:

 

[Dave Payn]

Tricky one to call as the demands from the brass players' point of view would be different. Musically, I get similar satisfaction from both, depending on the piece I'm playing. Sure, in orchestras, the brass can get a multitude of bars' rests. By the same token, there are certain brass band pieces we have to play where I'd rather be counting bars rest or indeed, hitting the nearest bar! (See the Brass Band Brie thread in 'Rehearsal Room'!)

Socially, though, bands are much better for me personally.

 

[Accidental]

I was more or less forced to choose between them at 14 by my tenor horn and french horn teachers, because each said the other instrument was mucking up my embouchure and I'd end up pants on both (encouraging huh!). At that age it was a very easy choice - band was more musically challenging, more fun, and I had more friends there. (I learnt some good card games at orchestra while the violins got rehearsed all the time though :wink: ) I've never picked a french horn up again, and have only played in an orchestra a couple of times since then, and I really don't miss it at all. Ended up a pants t. horn player anyway though... not sure what went wrong there! :lol:

 

[brasscrest]

It's band for me. However, participating in a really good orchestra playing a classic work can be exhilarating, even if the brass only plays a quarter of the time

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

Band for me...

the only good thing about Orchestras is the amount of colour that there is in the music... but I dont think you can really beat the atmosphere and social life and stuff in brass banding

 

[Trigger]

Ended up a pants t. horn player anyway though... not sure what went wrong there! :lol:

Whatever are you talking about?? Your not pants!! :roll:

For me it's BANDS BANDS BANDS !!! I have never actually played with an orchestra but I have done joint concerts with them and they always seem sooo stuck up!! Perhaps I am wrong? Don't know about the musical side of it- but socially it's got to be bands all the way!!!

 

[Dave Euph]

I play in a wind orchestra, and it's great fun, very different to playing in a brass band. It provides new and different challenges that are great to take up!

 

[cornetgirl]

I play in both and have an equally good time - probably because us violas are generally mocked and looked down upon, as are the brass, so we all tend to migrate to the pub!

Rach x

 

[David Robinson]

I have to go with band. Our school orchestra is terrible. I played for about a month, but the people behind me kept hitting me with their instruments >.<
In jazz band we have alot of inside jokes we talk about all the time, which is where half our practice time goes.


GO BAND!

 

[lynchie]

well you can't beat playing one note, heading to the bar, having a pint, then playing your second note, but I still think the overall social life of bands is better... i think the sound of all those violins causes too much stress anyway...

 

[Steve]

Generally the brass section stick together in an orchestra anyway in my experience, and the result is pretty much the same as in a brass band!!! I do prefer banding though, how can you get a symphony orchestra in the local after rehearsal, and then not feel embarassed ordering that many G&T's and Babychams??

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

Generally the brass section stick together in an orchestra anyway in my experience, and the result is pretty much the same as in a brass band!!! I do prefer banding though, how can you get a symphony orchestra in the local after rehearsal, and then not feel embarassed ordering that many G&T's and Babychams??

See you're making the classic mistake - You don't have to get embarassed about the string players!! :lol:

I play in both and I'd say the banding is much more close-knit, but I play in a student orchestra so we're all drunkards anyway.

 

[Dawnys_flug]

Band for me. The whole band package is much better than that of being in an orchestra i feel. Everyone in the band talk and are good friends whereas in orchestras, i find the strings stick with the strings etc. and they don't all mingle.
Although saying that, it is quite good fun playing for 8 bars then resting for 54! lol.
And i do have a great time at orchestra- when else do i get the chance to screech above the top stave!! :lol: And the brass section are all in the brass band anyway.
I play in a youth orcestra and so i have a lot of friends in it that i know out of orchestra and it isn't as bad, but there isn't as much incentive to get to know the 2nd violin, 4th desk player as there is to get to know one of the cornets in a brass band.
Brass band players are miles more sociable coz there's less of us i think!

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

I think you have to be lucky with an orchestra (and I guess I am) in that all the players in the orchestra appreciate each other (very rare). Unfortunately a lot of brass players suffer from stereotyping in orchestras especially at an amateur level. Sometimes the trombonist jokes go a bit too far...

 

[drummergurl]

i play in merseyside youth orchestra and i have to say that i find youth band much more enjoyable from a percussionsists point of view.

but band wins anyway it has always been a part of my life and probably always will be.

 

[jambo]

Its got to be Bands!

Done both and I got sooo fed up of being told to play quieter. I know its a balance thing however, I often got the feeling they were taking it too far just because it was brass.

Long live the brass band. Both lungs please!

 

[big_benthomson]

got to be in an orch 4me. the highlight of my life was playing Mahler 8 with Sir Simon Rattle to a sold-out RAH (plus on live BBC TV) with the national youth orchestra of GB. there was however many u can squeeze into the RAH (Plus all the prommies) and a recorded 21,000 watching on TV (i was surprised too!)
you can still have the same social life of a bander in an orch (well, im often found hugging the toilet after many a gig) just without the contests. theres still sackings,auditions but namely the concentration put into performances. one may say u cant concentrate harder than in a band, but u shud try playing with a pro orchestra (otherwise, you're out of a job

dont knock it till uv tried it

 

[Aidan]

well bocced..
but i disagree.. some of us have to concentrate more to tie our shoelaces.
dunno about the jobs thing.. im not aiming for a job in an orchestra (btw did you see simon razzin his arse off with BBC scottish on proms t'other day??)

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

dunno about the jobs thing.. im not aiming for a job in an orchestra

Yeah they might make you play trombone :shock: .

 

[Phoenixhorn]

Personally Orchestras are too full of different people i mean from my experience the brass stayed with the brass, strings with strings ect. Whereas a Brass band has only brass so you get on better with them.

Easy for me Bands RULE