Forgotten test pieces
- Thread starter Highams
- Start date
Highams said:
The Frogs was the first top section test piece I listened to once I started brass-banding. We were competing in the then 2nd section, The Frogs was set for the first and I managed to catch a couple of performances. Rather ironic that it was with The Frogs that my old band, by then Rolls Royce Coventry, won the first section finals in 1995 :!:
As to whether any of the oldies should be forgotten you can be sure that, whatever you name, someone will have a soft spot for it. I hope we can always keep a balance between developing new repertoire and celebrating our heritage.
baritone impresario
Member
forgotten testpieces
one piece that never gets chosen is seascapes by steadman allen cracking test piece
one piece that never gets chosen is seascapes by steadman allen cracking test piece
Darth_Tuba
Active Member
I seem to remember Frogs was a Grand Shield test piece not long back. The results archive pages on 4br aren't working though, so I can't check.
Highams
Member
Embassy Suite was the set work for the first Wills Finals at De Montford Hall Leicester in 1970.
I thought it was a great piece, results were;
1st. Morris Motors, Cliff Edmunds
2nd. Ransome & Marles, Dennis Masters
3rd. Yorkshire Imps, Trevor Walmsley
4th. Newham, Cyril Suckling.
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk
I thought it was a great piece, results were;
1st. Morris Motors, Cliff Edmunds
2nd. Ransome & Marles, Dennis Masters
3rd. Yorkshire Imps, Trevor Walmsley
4th. Newham, Cyril Suckling.
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk
Straightmute
Active Member
Highams said:
Sad, but Lorenzo is probably Thomas Keighley's best remembered piece since it does resurface from time to time, and there is a CD recording currently available from the Virtuosi Band. He wrote the British Open test pieces every year for a decade or so (often on a Shakesperean theme) and it would be interesting to hear some of them again, if only once!
I'd like to put together a list of my favourite forgotten test pieces but I can't remember any.
D
Straightmute said:
There is also an archive recording of Lorenzo on the Fodens Centenary double cd, and I'm pretty certain they played it a year or so ago at the Sunday concert following the Open. In fact quite a few bands have used that occasion to dust the cobwebs off some of the older pieces, as well as featuring new works.
Phil Green
Supporting Member
PeterBale said:
You're quite right Peter, we did. In fact, it's been requested by one of the band to replace our current "overture" Le Roy d'Ys in concerts. Shame more bands don't play it.
Phil.
BoozyBTrom
Member
Couple of other forgotte greats.
Labour and Love
and the Judges of the Secret Court (not heard it in years)
and Life Divine
Labour and Love
and the Judges of the Secret Court (not heard it in years)
and Life Divine
NeilW said:
If I remember correctly this was used as the 2nd section area test piece around about 1972/3, we also had to play it in the Eisteddfod that same year,but have never heard it live since.
There's a bizarre recording of it by Morris Concert Band where they experimented with instrumentation, 2 Flugs, some trumpets, tenor cors and I think 4 E flat basses instead of the usual 2 B flats.(Something like that anyway!).
I've never heard of 'Embassy Suite'.
What about Saga of the North, Scena Sinfonica and Oliver Cromwell.........and what about all of those Vinter pieces...James Cook, Spectrum, Variations on a 9th etc!. Even some of the early Gregson works like Plantagenets and Connotations rarely see the light of day today.....
As for Life Divine....that can stay in the library for another 25years as far as I'm concrened (personal choice!).
Andrew R
Redbridge Brass
As for Life Divine....that can stay in the library for another 25years as far as I'm concrened (personal choice!).
Andrew R
Redbridge Brass
Straightmute
Active Member
Highams said:
Yes I played that one - what a shocker. I've now remembered some forgotten ones: Carnival by Helen Perkin - anyone ever played it or even heard it in the last 20 years or so. I've seen the score...
Fusions by Howard Blake was considered outrageously modern at the time (70's) but then again so was the Ford Sierra. Never ever heard it played out. Ditto John McCabe's Images which I only know from an excellent Sun Life CD.
The biggest 'waste' of recent years must be the work of Robert Simpson. Energy, Volcano and Vortex are superb pieces which should see the light more often. Played Energy at the RAH in 91 but not since.
What was the piece that was composed for the Masters ten (ish) years ago by Robert Redhead (?). Completely forgotten!
D
Nik_The_Insane
Member
Andrew R said:As for Life Divine....that can stay in the library for another 25years as far as I'm concrened (personal choice!).
Andrew R
Redbridge Brass
nooooo bring it back I like that piece...well ok maybe not to play but I love listening to it!
Highams
Member
I agree on Energy, fantastic piece, just around 8 minutes, does exactly what it says on the score !
I think Images has to be the perfect test piece as far as testing every member of the band goes. I know it's not good listening material but the 4 seperate bass parts were great fun.
I also liked Main Street by Eric Ball, but I think On The Cornish Coast & 3 Muskateers can stay under wraps.
CB
I think Images has to be the perfect test piece as far as testing every member of the band goes. I know it's not good listening material but the 4 seperate bass parts were great fun.
I also liked Main Street by Eric Ball, but I think On The Cornish Coast & 3 Muskateers can stay under wraps.
CB
Straightmute said:
I don't think Bob Redhead wrote anything for the Masters, but he did do Isaiah 40 for the Nationals in 1996 or 97. It was recorded by the ISB and Grimethorpe but I agree it is rarely heard. Ray Steadman Allen did write for the Masters in 1996 - Hymn at Sunrise.
NeilW said:
I also remember practising White Company and not thinking much of it - we much prefered Carnival Romain that we were working on at the same time. There was also another one from the same period, I think it was called The Four Corners of the World, that wasn't too bad - at least not for me on bass trombone!
Straightmute
Active Member
PeterBale said:
Quite right - I stand corrected! Hymn at Sunrise hasn't been heard much since despite being generally well recieved in Cambridge.
D
NeilW
Member
Yes, White Company was WOE 2nd section sometime in the mid-70's - I would have guessed 73 if asked... It sticks in the memory because even though we won with it, we still didn't ever play it again.
The Vinter pieces were something else we played Spectrum and VonA9th out quite often (The InternationationalYouthMusicFestival in Holland in '74 or was it '75 springs to mind...). I liked them both.
Neil.
The Vinter pieces were something else
we played Spectrum and VonA9th out quite often (The InternationationalYouthMusicFestival in Holland in '74 or was it '75 springs to mind...). I liked them both.Neil.