Concert encores

[PeterBale]

I've just been listening to a tape of a (wind band - horror of horrors) concert that I was unable to attend. The playing was not bad, apart from some poor tuning, until it came to the encore. I couldn't tell whether their lips had gone, whether they had lost concentration, or whether the piece was beyond their capabilities anyway, but it really took away any pleasant memories that may have lingered.

I wonder what tMPers think about encores, either as a player or as a member of the audience. There are some bands whose encores have become so traditional that they may as well print them on the programme, like a regimental march.

What do you think?

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

It's gotta be a good'n!
Then the crowd cheer louder and louder
and if you're lucky you'll get another encore!


and another!...


Weeeell, we can dream... I know people aboard appreciate band music more than over here really so you do get more encores... I've heard of bands getting 4 or 5 encores aboard... must be a great feeling

 

[Maestro]

A couple of years ago, I heard Fodens, under Bram Tovey, at a cincert in Norwich.
The concert was quite superb as one would expect, but the encore completely left me gobsmacked.
It was one verse of Abide With Me.

It was the perfect end to the perfect concert. Thanks Fodens and Maestro Tovey.

 

[Pythagoras]

I think encores should be done sparingly, especially by fourth section bands an hour before closing time. We had to play Radetsky and Death or Glory after a concert had finished recently, and my lip was knackered. As the audience was mostly made up of people from other local bands, I suspect that this was just a cynical ploy to keep the beer for themselves.

 

[aons'ghost]

I think that the choice of an encor is down to the type of concert the venue the audience etc.etc.. But the one thing that gets right up my nose after nearly thirty year of playing.It's the NATIONAL ANTHEM. If there is ever a piece that can completely drop the excitement of an occassion it's the Anthem. I am fed up of 'hearing' that un- earie pregnant pause after it has been played, and the bemused look of the audience as it collectively thinks out loud. What do we do now??, get our coats applaud, hide. It really puts a damper on everything. Beside it being an awful toooon. AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh

There i've finally got it off my chest. Lets BAN IT (Assuming of course that Bands still play it after each formal concert)

 

[Keppler]

Comments on National Anthem in this thread: http://www.themouthpiece.com/viewtopic.php?t=1829

 

[floral_dance]

At our last concert we finished with New York, New York and the audience loved it, either that or they clapped very loudly because we had finished :?

 

[Euph-Bari]

for the last few cocerts our oncores been one voice

 

[aimee_euph]

my youth band play "The Saints" at the end of every concert, and when played well its a great way to end a concert. It's a jazz/swing style arrangemtn of "OH When The Saints" its very good!

 

[michellegarbutt]

Can't beat Hootananny. We must have played this at least six times on our way out of Durham miners gala. Our supporters would lynch us if we didn't play it

 

[Cantonian]

More often than not we play the march Manhattan as a lollipop, trying to beat the record as checked by our ex-librarian's stopwatch.

 

[On the Horn]

I reckon if the band just, blasted a few notes, ran off the stage screaming and straight to the pub it would be a memorable occasion for the audience!

 

[Cornishwomble]

At our concert last week, we did "The Melody shop". It's a cracking piece to finish but a swine on the lips when you've just done a full concert!

 

[bladder]

At our concert last week, we did "The Melody shop". It's a cracking piece to finish but a swine on the lips when you've just done a full concert!

You big girl's blouse!! Anyways, the hard bit in 'The Malody Shop', is that nonsense at the end!

 

[Mike Saville]

Definately depends on the concert/venue/audience/players etc

I heard London Brass do a version of Amazing Grace in Germany which was as soft and as sweet as can be. However this played by less able players woud be a poor choice due to lack of chops/control.

 

[geordiecolin]

Can't beat Hootananny

in my opinion you can't beat hootenanny enough. a big stick works best i find! then go scrabble for those matches...................

 

[Phil Green]

We have always used Entry of the Gladiators as our normal encore although we do alternate sometimes.
Every so often we bash through Radetsky, singing the Trio section.
As Kev said, under Bram we often finish with a slow piece, often a hymn tune and Abide with me is one of Bram's favorites.
After the Dutch Open in 1995 we performed the Gala concert. Our last programmed piece was Harmony Music - the band played really well and the audience were on their feet. Then Howard decided to bypass Entry of the Gladiators and use Greensleeves as the encore. When Rob Fulcher came off his last note (20 seconds + long), there was a muted applause which continued as Howard led us off stage. They wanted another rip roarer. On that occasion we got it wrong.

Phil.

 

[PeterBale]

I suppose having started this thread I should say something about what we do!

With Hadleigh Band, depending on the venue and the layout, we will often close with a sung benediction, for which the band members move to stand among the audience, after which we can easily move off to speak to people. Clearly, if we do that, we are unable to play anything else, but if we are still sat in our places, we will generally play a march, most likely George Marshall's Soldiers of Christ.

There have been occasions when a quiet piece is better, and our bandmaster usually seems to make the right decision. Equally, when the band is on duty for the evening service we usually play following the benediction. If it has been an upbeat meeting then Norman Bearcroft's "They'll sing me a welcome home" always goes down well. As a quiet epilogue, it could be something from whichever band journal we are using that evening, or there are one or two hymn tunes that recur frequently, including Ascalon, Showers of Blessing and When the Glory.

At the end of a weekend away, it always used to be traditional to take part in a "wind-up", which could include some quite substantial pieces at times. In fact the first time I played Eric Ball's Triumph of Peace was sight-reading it in a wind-up - the band had often used it, but the BM had not thought that there would be several of us for whom it was new.

I think the worst thing for an audience at the end of a concert is not knowing whether or not an encore is going to be played, especially if you have got a fair distance to travel to get home. Often the band on stage seem unclear what is happening and you don't know whether to keep clapping in anticipation of another piece or to dash for the exit to miss the crush on the way out.

 

[Straightmute]

I'm not sure why we have encores. If a conductor plans a particular finale to a programme then presumably that's how he thinks the concert should end. I've been to so many concerts where a band have put considerable effort into their last programmed piece then followed it with something tacky or inappropriate, and spoiled the effect for me.

The original idea of an 'encore' was to play the same piece again if it was well recieved by the audience. The modern idea of the encore seems to be concerned with giving the audience a bonus piece - 'something for nothing' - so I guess the original idea wouldn't go down too well today.

On tour in Germany we played Old Comrades and the European Anthem as encores but back home we normally end with the last piece on the programme and try to make it a good one!

D

 

[Mike Saville]

On tour in Germany we played Old Comrades and the European Anthem as encores but back home we normally end with the last piece on the programme and try to make it a good one!

D

You'll never go wrong with Old Comrades in Germany or Sembre et Meuse in France for that matter!