Help With Spectrum
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brasscrest
Active Member
Anno Draconis
Well-Known Member
I did a dissertation on original band music for my degree, one chapter was on Vinter - mostly The Trumpets but there is a bit about Spectrum in there. If you pm your email address I'll send you a copy to look through if it would help. Bear in mind I wrote it in 1994 so some bits of it are a bit out of date.
Hornblower RN
Member
Some information on GV here http://www.hornplayer.net/archive/a130.html incidentally he was the uncle of one of my sales directors I worked for back in the 80s. Apparently GV lived for some time down in Cornwall and would retire to a room and come out a couple of days later with a score completely finished. This info came out during an assessment of me.
James Yelland
Active Member
Anno Draconis said:
Aren't university students supposed to do their own research??!!
brassneck
Active Member
Keith Wilkinson, a friend of Gilbert Vinter wrote this about Spectrum on the sleeve of the 1983 GUS Band LP of the same name ...
"In Spectrum Gilbert Vinter aims to portray in sound the colours of the rainbow. After a short but arresting opening we range from a forceful red through a leisurely orange, light hearted yellow, gentle green, lively blue, boisterous indigo to sinister purple. It is interesting that Vinter chose to use the word purple rather than the more traditional violet and as the music here is associated with death rather than the purple of kings we are led to speculate that Vinter may have been anticipating his own passing which happened only a few months later."
"In Spectrum Gilbert Vinter aims to portray in sound the colours of the rainbow. After a short but arresting opening we range from a forceful red through a leisurely orange, light hearted yellow, gentle green, lively blue, boisterous indigo to sinister purple. It is interesting that Vinter chose to use the word purple rather than the more traditional violet and as the music here is associated with death rather than the purple of kings we are led to speculate that Vinter may have been anticipating his own passing which happened only a few months later."
Anglo Music Press
Well-Known Member
If you don't mind shelling out for a CD, we recorded all his BB works on the Polyphonic label (over two CDs). These have notes on the piece and a biography by his son.
"Here then, was the complete musician - talented player, fine conductor and adjudicator and composer of such forward looking merit that niot only we in the brass band world, but music generally will be much the poorer for his passing." Harry Mortimer, writing in British Bandsman, 13th Oct 1969, eight days after Gilbert Vinter's death aged 60.
Other snippets of background include his early training as a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral, his enlistment at the age of 15 in the Lincolnshire Regiment, leading to his studying bassoon and cello at Kneller Hall. Studied bassoon & composition at the Royal Academy of Music & began professional career as a bassoonist with the BBC Wind Orchestra, as well as becoming Professor at the RAM. Service in the RAF during the war, bandmaster of the Flying Training Command and RAF Regiment Bands.
Amongst other conducting jobs, Gilbert Vinter conducted the BBC Midland Light Orchestra in the original recording of the theme music for "The Archers", "Barwick Green".
Other snippets of background include his early training as a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral, his enlistment at the age of 15 in the Lincolnshire Regiment, leading to his studying bassoon and cello at Kneller Hall. Studied bassoon & composition at the Royal Academy of Music & began professional career as a bassoonist with the BBC Wind Orchestra, as well as becoming Professor at the RAM. Service in the RAF during the war, bandmaster of the Flying Training Command and RAF Regiment Bands.
Amongst other conducting jobs, Gilbert Vinter conducted the BBC Midland Light Orchestra in the original recording of the theme music for "The Archers", "Barwick Green".
brassneck
Active Member
Anglo Music Press said:
- this the Fairey's/Parkes recordings? Not a lot of info. on Spectrum though ... Just mentions that it was considered the most modern of his works and was withdrawn from the 1968 Nationals when 'John O'Gaunt' was used for the Open. It was first used at the 1969 Open. His son, Dr. Andrew Vinter said that the piece left him speechless and devastated. His father was a little surprised of his reaction as it was the one that received the most criticism! Not much about the music though!
- a little more info. ...
http://www.brassbandstuff.co.uk/history/brass-bands-1950-1980-1.php
- and just a wee bit more ...
http://www.stanshawe.fsnet.co.uk/legacy_cd_one.htm
Last edited:
James Yelland
Active Member
brassneck said:
Are you sure you wouldn't like to write Mr Fridge's project for him?!
GingerMaestro
Active Member
I'm not sure if this helps but I found it on a website it looks like a set of programme notes
Spectrum (Gilbert Vinter)
Of all of the Gilbert Vinter's brass band works, none was more disparaged at its creation than this one, and none has found more admirers during the ensuing years. Its title was a bold assertion on the composer's part that, within the apparent monochrome of the brass band score there lay a previously undiscovered wealth of color. His very great influence on the scoring of the past thirty years is proof that he was right. The colors of Vinter's personal Spectrum - interestingly all but the first - are listed in the score. Their discovery is best left, though, to the listener; especially as simply listening to this remarkable score as music rather than as color, may bring the realization that there is structure under the paint. Another classic of brass band literature.
See what you think
Spectrum (Gilbert Vinter)
Of all of the Gilbert Vinter's brass band works, none was more disparaged at its creation than this one, and none has found more admirers during the ensuing years. Its title was a bold assertion on the composer's part that, within the apparent monochrome of the brass band score there lay a previously undiscovered wealth of color. His very great influence on the scoring of the past thirty years is proof that he was right. The colors of Vinter's personal Spectrum - interestingly all but the first - are listed in the score. Their discovery is best left, though, to the listener; especially as simply listening to this remarkable score as music rather than as color, may bring the realization that there is structure under the paint. Another classic of brass band literature.
See what you think
Hi, could I possibly get a copy too? I'm writing an essay on Spectrum and so far google has failed me! My email is lucas-1@hotmail.co.uk Thanks a lot!