Best SA piece

[Ross Berry]

It's been a few years now since the SA released its music to non-SA groups (although some pieces such as 'Praise' appeared to crop up on the black market before then).

As someone who has grown up with SA music, it would be interesting to know what pieces other groups were most pleased that they now have in their repertoire. Also what pieces, if any, they play because their MD likes them but the band can't stand.

 

[brassneck]

..... such a difficult question to answer, but I'll stick my 'neck' out and give my vote for Ray Steadman-Allen's 'The Holy War'. Granted many will go for Heaton, Ball, Graham, Condon etc. for their favourite SA works, but the music of Steadman-Allen excites me as he writes so skillfully and with so much passion. Up-to-date works by others include 'Rhapsody' by Brenton Broadstock (one of my favourite contemporary SA composers) and Ultrachrome (William Himes). But there are so many more to discover.... Kevin Norbury, Thomas Rive, Dudley Bright, Bruce Broughton (... whatever happened to the Open promise of his 'The Masters Of Space And Time'? Used at the American Championships but what about here?) and many more! I'm still on a learning curve exploring this area of brass band music.

 

[L J]

Favourite S A Piece -

This is a difficult question to answer due to the fact that there are so many different types of music that can be classified
e.g. marches, selections, festival marches, tone poems .....
Some pieces are transcriptions, some are original compositions.
My fav March would probably be Under Two Flags or Anthem of The Free - for street marhces
Selections - Goffin's Arise my Soul, Arise -
Meditative - The Light of The World
Transcription - Ray Steadman Allen's Sanctus -

Then there is Resurgam! -

Can't stop!

 

[PeterBale]

For me, a couple that would be up there with the best would be Eric Ball's "Song of Courage" and Les Condon's "Song of the Eternal", and I've also got a soft spot for Ken Downie's "Rhapsody: Through the Blood of the Lamb" and our own Brian Bowen's "My Comfort & Strength".

 

[Tony Toon]

One piece - among many - that does it for me - "Call of the Righteous" Leslie Condon.

Tony Swainson

 

[al74]

At the Edge of Time

 

[DaveBBb]

Eric Ball's 'Resurgam' and Kenneth Downie's 'In Perfect Peace'

 

[jasonG]

Heros of the faith!>>> Remember being a 13 year old sop player trying to get to grips..

 

[Red Elvis]

Heros of the faith!>>> Remember being a 13 year old sop player trying to get to grips..

Likewise - albeit on 1st baritone having just joined the senior band and it being one of the first Festival Series pieces I played.

Will throw in a mention of Ray Bowes' "King's Crusader". Cracking piece and very different to his other works. Tackled it at Cobham under Steve Cobb back in 88.

 

[Aussie Tuba]

Romans '8' A Brass Celebration - Ray Steadman Allen

I first played this with the 'A' Band at Cobham in 1985. one of RSA's best

 

[al74]

At the Edge of Time is RSA's best work

 

[ian perks]

Victorian Snapshots On A Ratcliffe Highway by Ray Stedman Allen
Used for 2007 National Final test piece 1st section.
A great piece of music and so very demanding also a good one to listen to as well:clap::tup:sup

 

[jasonG]

Likewise - albeit on 1st baritone having just joined the senior band and it being one of the first Festival Series pieces I played.

Will throw in a mention of Ray Bowes' "King's Crusader". Cracking piece and very different to his other works. Tackled it at Cobham under Steve Cobb back in 88.

Wow, yeah, I'd forgotten King's Crusader totally! What a great piece...:clap:

 

[steve sizeland]

Difficult, but being old(!) "Symphony of Thanksgiving". Cracking bass part!

 

[toby hobson]

From my limited experience I hope all of these are actualy S.A.* anyway, from what its worth my tops would be:

Resurgam
Kingdom Triumphant
Just as I am
Goldcrest*
Golden Slippers

 

[jrshimmon]

No one mentioned Shine as the Light yet.

I know it has been played to death, but I think give it a few years it will come back and stick around on an off a bit like Resurgam.

I have recently taken a liking to Kevin Ponsford's music. I hope he gets to be more popular as some of his stuff is great.

All time favorite piece please do not ask! Probably Shine as the Light, if it is played reasonably it always leaves me with hairs on my neck standing.

 

[PeterBale]

From my limited experience I hope all of these are actualy S.A.* anyway, from what its worth my tops would be:

Resurgam
Kingdom Triumphant
Just as I am
Goldcrest*
Golden Slippers

All SA, although "Resurgam" is the odd one out, having been originally published by Smiths, and then reprinted in the SA Festival Series.

 

[GJG]

Difficult to say "best SA piece" as per the original thread title, as it's always going to be subjective. However, if you substitute "most important" for "best", it becomes a little more objective, and I think there's a strong case to be made for "The Holy War" as being a bit of a watershed.

 

[Maestro]

The Present Age
Kingdom Triumphant
Light of the World
Just As I Am
Toccata
Celebration
The Crusaders.

Don't know about the best, but I'd be more than a tad happy to have all of the above on a CD.

 

[tinytim]

Difficult, but being old(!) "Symphony of Thanksgiving". Cracking bass part!

One of my favourites too, but just wish the printed parts were easier to read.