The 158th annual British Open Brass Band Championship (2010)

[Gavin]

That must be some typo, even the European 2009 CD lists the track as being 'Standing on the Shoulders of Giants'

Indeed!

 

[WorldofBrass.com]

That must be some typo, even the European 2009 CD lists the track as being 'Standing on the Shoulders of Giants'

I don't know why there's such a kerfuffle about a piece having its name changed but it wasn't a typo on the EBBC 2009 CD and DVD. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants is what the we were led to believe the piece was called at the time of the first performance at the EBBC. We're further led to believe that the composer decided (perhaps after the first performance but, in any case, before the studio recording) to drop Standing from the title.

I don't have a copy of the EBBC 2009 programme but the Brass Band World report (May 2009) and the 4 Bars Rest contest archive both clearly state Standing on the Shoulders of Giants. However, British Bandsman (9 May 2009) talks about On the Shoulders of Giants!

Confused? You must be now!

 

[Gavin]

Just to add a little more confusion - the parts we played off at the Europeans only have "On the Shoulders of Giants" on the top!

I've had a look at the DVD and although it's "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" on all art-work and in the introduction by Frank Renton, you can see during the first movement from the 2nd trom part that the title on the parts we played off was "On the Shouders of Giants".

Nice (very fitting) quote from the TV show 'Soap' by the way!

 

[WorldofBrass.com]

Nice (very fitting) quote from the TV show 'Soap' by the way!

Sorry but that's lost on me, I only have time to watch Top Gear and Dragons Den!

 

[Gavin]

Confused? You must be now!

At the beginning of each episode of the TV show 'Soap', off-camera announcer Rod Roddy gives a brief description of the convoluted storyline and remarks, "Confused? You won't be, after this week's episode of...Soap"

 

[Bass Trumpet]

believe that the composer decided (perhaps after the first performance but, in any case, before the studio recording) to drop Standing from the title.

From my experience of the Symphony Hall bar c.6.00pm, perhaps it should be Swaying on the Shoulders of Giants?:biggrin:

 

[critic]

Nobody's got the money (or spine) to commission new music for contests any more. All the new pieces written at the moment are commissioned by specific bands to use for specific purposes and commissioned from tried and tested sources.

And the last time anything even remotely challenging was used in a contest, Judith Bingham's Prague received such a response that the banding movement has lost any credibility it had in the (much) bigger music world.

Could anybody tell me, when was the last time a piece was commissioned for a contest? And, when was the last time the commissioned composer wasn't Philip Wilby, Philip Sparke, Peter Graham or Martin Ellerby?

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.....:biggrin:

spot on

 

[Jan H]

I seem to remember (relatively) recent top section test pieces from Kenneth Downie, John Pickard, Paul Lovatt-Cooper and Edward Gregson?

 

[Bass Trumpet]

I seem to remember (relatively) recent top section test pieces from Kenneth Downie, John Pickard, Paul Lovatt-Cooper and Edward Gregson?

Hardly ground-breaking, are they? Ok, we could name every composer for brass bands, but that's just my point; the moment we stop looking inwards, we might just be taken seriously. Bring back the 1970's!

 

[MoominDave]

Extremely tangentially, 'Images' *has* been performed at least once voluntarily since it was set - there's a cut marked in my part!

 

[Red Elvis]

Hardly ground-breaking, are they? Ok, we could name every composer for brass bands, but that's just my point; the moment we stop looking inwards, we might just be taken seriously. Bring back the 1970's!

Preach it brother !!

Whilst I am a great fan of the work of many of our "usual suspects" I too would love to see a wider range of commissioned works from contempoorary composers perhaps not normally associated with banding .

I seem to recall seeing somewhere that James McMillan has expressed an interest in writing something in conjunction with Dyke ?

One of my favourite recent CD's is Foden's "New Music" , and coupled with Grimey's "New Adventures" there is some cracking stuff on there.

Not sure the good lady appreciated the long car journey wherein we sampled both "Prague" and "Grimethorpe Aria" in quick succession though !!

 

[simonium]

Nobody's got the money (or spine) to commission new music for contests any more. All the new pieces written at the moment are commissioned by specific bands to use for specific purposes and commissioned from tried and tested sources.

If funding is the issue I might humbly suggest employing Frank Bernaerts to compose a tough, uncompromising set of variations based on the output of The Bangles, even going as far as to suggest separate, independent baritone parts. He's got to come cheaper than Gregson or Wilby. And the children of the 1980s could enjoy it in an ironic way.

 

[Bass Trumpet]

Preach it brother !!

Bless you, my child. Say three hail Marys and a Salford Toccata :biggrin:

 

[Alyn James]

If funding is the issue I might humbly suggest employing Frank Bernaerts to compose a tough, uncompromising set of variations based on the output of The Bangles, even going as far as to suggest separate, independent baritone parts. He's got to come cheaper than Gregson or Wilby. And the children of the 1980s could enjoy it in an ironic way.

:clap: My favourite post this week