A new Audience ?
We discuss the audience and how we want more of them, yet the ones we have got are generally seen as liking the lollipops that we play. Yes, they do like the lollipops, but most wouldnt be too upset at having one contemporary piece in the programme. There is a segment of the movement which believes that audiences hate new music, it is this segment of the movement which...sadly....will bring banding to its knees, if it isnt there already!!
We see other music as looking down on us and so have enforced a self isolation from anything. Again this is a general misunderstanding. I know a few orchestral players and they have nothing but respect for bandsmen and their efforts. I congratulate PeterBeale on his efforts in concerts, my band does joint enterprises now and then, mostly with Gilbert and Sullivan societies, choirs, folk groups and a comedians. We need more large scale collaborations with big choirs. We need to get into the big festivals, i.e like Grimey going to the Proms. I hope that they dont get too many people moaning about their going since it is on at the same time as the open.
As for contests, well, basically, "who gives a rats a**!!" about them outside brass banding ?? Surely it is time that the whole contesting structure be re-thought out. 15 bands playing the same piece, we play them and we dont listen to them!! So why should we honestly expect to get people in to listen to them. I read a quote from a book describing band music, the first quote was by John Fletcher ( Tuba soloist ) about Bass music, and this is followed by a quote by Bram Gay,
J.F = "Tuba concerti are written by tuba players for tuba players to play to tuba players."
B.G = " Now the brass band is getting perilously near the Fletcher definition - brass band music is being written by bandsmen for bandsmen to play to bandsmen, but the bandsmen don't listen, either!"
Although we get pieces now not written by bandsmen but mainstream composers, I get the impression that given half a chance there wud be people happy out there if we played the same type of piece for every contest!!
Isnt it time that contests over here follow the same lines as on the continent ? Own choice and set test pieces, cut the number of contests and have 4 a year in different locations. We claim to be the best at organising and playing, but in my opinion we could learn from the continent. An own choice style contest would at least have more interest for the general public, one band playing i.e Contest Music, the next playing Dances and Arias.
I cant believe we are stuck with the same contesting structure for about a 100 years!!
Sorry if I sound gloomy, but its not just me who feels like this, too many people in this movement have their heads buried so far underground their heads come out in Australia (like in the cartoons) and others are in it for themselves. We discuss options on forums, in letters and in the media yet these arent acted on for at least a generation!!
People say we should remember our roots, yes, fair enough. However, just to show how slow we react to anything, using an historical example...how long did it take bandsmen to change pitches ??? It was in the 70's and other brass instruments in other ensembles played in high pitch!! That meant, at that point in time, bands couldnt play with other ensembles bcos the tuning was horrendous!! it took bands a heck of a longtime to change and basically they were forced into this change bcos the suppliers told them that they were not making the old band instruments anymore!!
As for band and music in general, I found an interesting quote in Gramaphone magazine about contemporary music in an article featuring Tatjana Vassilieva, ( a cellist regarded to be the next Rostropovich ) stating when asked on Contemporary music,
"When I propose playing contemporary music, concert organisers often hesitate and try to get me to change - they want more Romantic or Classical works. But I try to insist with my proposal because more often than not they don't know the newer piece, but I know it's a great one - and often it happens that at the end they are happy - as are the audience - with my choice."
Those attitudes described in there are those by which bands also befall.
I've rattled on loads and I said I was going to go on a words diet...I apologise..that is, if u havnt fallen asleep already!
Richard
B+R
(opinions I share are not those of the band)
