concert programs - how many pieces?

[Euph-Bari]

just wondering how many pieces bands on avrage had in thier programs because the guest conductor we got for the weekend was shoked at how many peices are going to play.............

 

[Roger Thorne]

I think the number of pieces played per concert depends on the ability of the band.
I remember attending the National Youth Brass Bands 50th Anniversary concert and they only played eight pieces all evening!
Tam o'Shanter's Ride, Passacaglia on a Theme by Brahms, Cornet Concerto, Spectrum, French Military March, Pavane, Bluebells of Scotland and Fireworks. They did throw in a couple of additional 'surprises' as well, but that concert lasted well over 2 hours.

For a 'standard' evening concert I suppose we usually play about 8 or 9 pieces each half plus an encore.

:wink:

 

[Euph-Bari]

yeah bout the same with us

 

[Straightmute]

For me two hours is long enough (including the interval), and when planning programmes I calculate that each piece in a typical band concert progamme will last on average five minutes, including preamble and applause.

Most problematic are joint concerts, particularly those with choirs whose conductors (in my experience) seem much more self-indulgent and less concerned with the need to keep an audience interested...

D

 

[HelterSkelter]

I'd tend to agree with Straightmute - when I'm planning a programme, I'll allow approx. 5 mins per piece and plan for two sessions of about 45 mins, hence up to 9 pieces per session. Of course, if there are particularly long pieces on the programme then this is reduced accordingly.

I've done concerts with choirs, too - they seem to operate in some sort of strange time warp where 20 minutes can last up to an hour!

 

[ploughboy]

I normally work on 8/9 first half
and 7 second half, but a couple of encore's in hand.. depends what piece's you play too, I wouldn't play 8/9 "big" item's (test piece's etc.).

E/B you got loads to play sat morning mate!

 

[Mike Saville]

You can see exactly how many piece we play for a concert at th following link:

http://www.chicityband.co.uk/archive.php?type=Progs&prog=progs

 

[BottyBurp]

I've done concerts with choirs, too - they seem to operate in some sort of strange time warp where 20 minutes can last up to an hour!

I think most bands have done joint concerts with choirs - recently my band did a job and the choir did their usual full concert programme and that was just the first half! It was then our turn, so we just played a few pieces just to finish the concert at a reasonable time!! Why is it that choirs go on & on & on...

 

[asteria]

I did a concert on a tour this year where the conductor insisted on putting 24 pieces on the concert!! After a lot of pleading we got it down to 22 (the horn section insisted on sacrificing elvira madigan, gutted tho we were ).

The conductor was under the impression that a brass band concert format must be national anthems, march, overture, then solos and a feature from nearly every section in the band, plus a number of full band items sprinkled throughout! We had an audience of brass band nuts, but even they found it a little bit tooo much!

We started at 7:30ish and I think we finished at 11:30, after insisting on a very long interval!!
I don't think my diaphragm's ever hurt so much, and everyone was using arnica cream after that one! Plus a few beers to numb the pain! :guiness

 

[beard_4b]

It depends on whether u have golden slippers on ur programme or not, coz thats like the length of 2 pieces!

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

Helen,
I notice how clever you were there at keeping the conductor nameless ;-)
anyone I know

 

[asteria]

Helen,
I notice how clever you were there at keeping the conductor nameless ;-)
anyone I know

Intentionally done, I doubt you'd know him, he's not very well known for his conducting! Lovely guy tho, i'm guessing anyone who knows him will realise it's him straight away - one hint, first thing i was told before i met him "whatever you do, don't look at the conductor!"

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

lol :lol:
I could say that bout several conductors!

:wink:

 

[MattB]

On average I aim for between 8 and 10 pieces per set. Say an average set is 45 minutes, this should be more than enough, especially ading on time for the obligatory naff jokes you have to tell as a conductor!!

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

yea, concerts I've usually done have been 45mins a side, with about a 20min interval... works out between 15 and 20 pieces in total...

 

[stephen2001]

I've done concerts with choirs, too - they seem to operate in some sort of strange time warp where 20 minutes can last up to an hour!

So have I, but we came to a sort of arrangement.
We do the 1st half of the first half and the last half of the second half. The choir sings in between, normally run over time and there is the interval in the middle.
So when they are singing and getting cups of tea and coffee.............the band's in the pub over the road

 

[twigglet]

one hint, first thing i was told before i met him "whatever you do, don't look at the conductor!"

...... i know exactly who you are talking about helen, hahaha! It is basically two concerts within one, something quite special to experience, although very tiring, luckily when abroad the bars don't tend to shut at eleven, which is a good job because if they did it would be a beerless band.....never good!

 

[asteria]

Hehehe, thought you'd know who i meant!! How did that guy become a conductor, bless him?!?! :lol:
And yeah, i think we made up for the use of drinking time pretty swiftly!

 

[Euph-Bari]

E/B you got loads to play sat morning mate!

:lol:

 

[floral_dance]

we normally have about 12 - 15 pieces in our concerts, two 45 min spots.