Hardest Piece...
In my own experience , I have not found a part which I have not been able to play without a bit of work, if you look at the basics, time sig , key , any accidentals...am sure anyone can play anything that is put in front of you...I dont think I have ever been to a competition without having a fully rehersed part , I have been dropped in a few competitions on day transfers with bands and not having a rehersal with a band , but I have had the music to look at before. would like to say my sight reading is ok..
few examples of sight reading at concerts and competitions..
Ballet for Band - Horovitz
Dove Decending - Wilby
Concerto for Cornet -Torstein Aagard Nilsen
Dances West Side Story - Bernstien
On the Town - Bernstien
Rachmaninov Symphony No2.
Sibelius Symphony No2.
Leibestod - Tristan - Wagner
Symphonic Metamorphosis - Paul Hindermith
American In Paris - Gershwin
Porgy and Bess - Gershwin
Firebird - Stavinsky
etc.....you get the picture .
I enjoy music , I dont find it hard...I just work at it to make it as good as possible. Yes I have split loads of notes , and blobbed in wrong places ( as we all have ).
the only piece I have found hard to concentrate on , get a decent balance and get some shape out of it " Prague " I think Judith Bingham's work is great ( 4 min Mile , the earth below the stars above ) just found it really difficult to get over in a competition situation , as I've put before it is great in a contempory music festival ,where you can program it with other works , but on it's own cold in an empty hall...Nah and when I played it with Beaumaris ( and the band were drawn last on...where normally you would have a full hall ) the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea was almost empty ( maybe 20 - 30 people)....