Editorial ~ 2006 June
16-Jun-2006The NBCA Annual Conference and AGM is being held this month in Melbourne. We discuss Notices of Motion submitted to the conference.
The National Band Council of Australia convenes this month in Melbourne for the 2006 Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting.
Last year's conference in Queensland is memorable for the President/Vice-President tag-team and the farcical invitation for external applicants for those two positions. Will the inner sanctum of the NBCA be similarly shrouded in mystery and intrigue or will all be revealed to the movement that has elected them? We invite NBCA councillors to share their insights going into the meetings, and openly publish the discussions, deliberations and outcomes of the conference and AGM.
The annual conference is the opportunity for State Associations to table their ideas. At the time of writing, we are aware of Notices of Motion submitted by Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. The QBA submissions have been widely circulated, however we have been unable to obtain copies of the Victorian and Tasmanian submissions. We have devoted our June editorial to a discussion of the QBA Notices of Motion.
Conductors at National Contests
The QBA has moved for the removal of restrictions on the use of guest conductors at the National Championships, specifically, the deletion of the first two paragraphs of Regulation 1.1:
"Conductor", shall mean a person who is responsible for the continuous instruction of the Band, and who is in regular attendance at the Band's headquarters in the regularly accepted definition of the term.
"Conductor" shall also mean and include "Music Director", "Bandmaster", and "Coach".
Also, the deletion of Regulation 4.4:
Except by permission of the State Governing Body, a conductor shall not conduct a Band in a Contest unless they are the regular conductor of such Band having been registered in that capacity for a period of at least forty-two (42) days prior to the date of the Contest in question.
The QBA's rationale is:
There is currently a level of debate about the use of Professional or Guest Conductors at National Championships. The changes as proposed would open up the situation to allow any person from any place to conduct a Band performing at a National Competition. We believe this to be the situation in the UK and New Zealand.
Well, just imagine the possibilities for Australian brass banding if we allowed the engagement of any person to conduct our bands at Australian Championships. We have already taken huge strides in Australian banding in recent years through having world-class men and women working with our bands. Conductors, coaches, soloists, touring bands it has all lifted our expectations and our achievements. So, if we have been able to take such quantum leaps, then why hold back? Freeing up the Nationals stage by allowing guest conductors can only take us further forward.
On the other hand, however, there's the notion of buying a win. Surely this move could favour the wealthy bands and disadvantage those who can't import or hire a world-class man in the middle. Yes, the conductor is an integral part of the formula, but not even Nicholas Childs could get Scottish Co-Op to first place at the Masters last month (nor Russell Gray with Carlton Main).
But am I missing something? Regulation 4.4 allows the use of other conductors if the State governing body gives permission. So, no problem there, just get permission from the state governing body. Why would they have any reason to deny such an application? Write a letter, have it approved and the job's done. Enter David King at the Melbourne contest in 2007.
Freeing up the Nationals stage to visiting conductors is a bold step and one which is in the best interests of the development of the Australian band movement. Leading is best done from the front!
Dual Registration
The second Notice of Motion from Queensland deals with dual registration. Specifically, the QBA is moving that NBCA Regulation 4.1 be amended to accept Dual Registration of players according to the Rules of each State Governing Body. Regulation 4.1 states:
Each playing member must be registered with his or her Band for at least forty-two (42) days immediately prior to the date of any Contest. For Australian National Band Championship Contests the forty-two (42) days shall be counted prior to the commencement date of the Contest. New members registering with Primary and Secondary School Bands at the resumption of the school year shall be eligible for immediate competition. No player shall be registered with more than one (1) Band in the same category as defined in Regulation 5.1. Brass Band instrumentalists and percussionists may have dual registration with a Concert Band and vice versa.
The QBA rationale:
The existence of Dual Registration provisions is vital for some regional bands to maintain their contesting status. Most states currently have provisions within their by-laws to accept this situation and these have been developed to suit their particular geographical requirements. We would like to see the NBCA recognize these state by-laws to enable dual registered players to perform with both bands at National competitions.
The tyranny of distance is a real issue for regional bands in Australia. With employment and education opportunities more plentiful in our major cities, the stream of talent from town to city is inevitable. Most, however, never lose touch with their home band and feel a sense of attachment to that band for many years.
If most states allow this situation, then why is there a need to maintain a restriction at the National level? This red tape is unnecessary and is hardly going to be abused at the National level, particularly if dual registration is successful at the State level.
Country bands need goals as well as city bands, and attendance at National competitions can be an integral part of a band's development. Allowing city-based members of country bands to compete in both their home band and their new band is good for the ongoing development of the musicians and the long-term viability of country bands.
Own Choice Time Limits
The third Notice of Motion from the QBA deals with time limits on own choice music.
The Notice reads: That the time limit for all Own Choice Music as defined in Regulation 2.1 at National Competitions be removed.
Rationale
Many of the major new test works exceed the current 18 minute limit for A Grade Bands. Removal of the time limits would allow competing bands to engage in the performance of these new works.
Knowing the duration of selected music is an important administrative requirement for the successful timetabling of contests. Setting time limits, however, is a restriction on the very reason why we play to create and enjoy music.
Current time limits for own choice music are:
Hymn (all grades) 6 minutes
Own Choice Selection A and B Grades 18 minutes
Own Choice Selection C and D Grades 15 minutes
Junior A Grade 15 minutes
Junior B Grade 12 minutes
Junior C Grade 10 minutes
No competent adjudicator is going to award prizes based on quantity. If a band chooses to play Elgar Howarth's arrangement of Pictures at an Exhibition for their own choice, then they should go right ahead. Whilst this is indeed a stunning work, it is unlikely that a knowledgeable and experienced adjudicator will favour the work over any other significant work from the gamut of band repertoire because of its duration. Unless, of course, stamina is amongst his criteria!
In Bendigo this month, Hawthorn Band won A grade playing A Moorside Suite certainly not an 18 minute work but sufficient to edge out two Paganini's.
Own choice selections are surely there to provide bands with a vehicle to demonstrate their strengths. If playing a lengthy work enables a band to do that, then why should we apply the handbrake? Own choice should mean own choice.
Exit the Stage March
The final Notice of Motion from Queensland is the removal of the Stage March event for all grades.
Their rationale:
Removal of the Stage March event would eliminate any scheduling difficulties facing future contest committees if the proposal to remove the time limits on Own Choice Music were accepted. The Stage March has traditionally caused problems with defining what is suitable music and although there is a Prescribed March list for both Brass band and Concert Bands this list in itself causes much debate.
Simone Rebello lamented the poor old stage march in her summation of B grade at the 2006 Australian Nationals. As a component that made up 50 marks of the aggregate, it received scant regard from most bands. Indeed, she remarked that many appeared to be quite under-prepared.
There is no doubt that the test piece and own choice major work receive the lion's share of rehearsal time in most bands, however the inclusion of hymn and march add colour to the Australian National contest. Indeed, some hymns and marches are stunning performances in their own right. Brisbane Excelsior's performance of ORB this year was breathtaking, with dynamic contrast that was just electric.
On the other hand, the very term Stage March is an oxymoron! A march is played on the street dare I say whilst marching. Let's face it, the thwack of a good bass trombone and the thud of the bass drum are quite stirring on the parade, but a march somewhat loses context in the concert hall.
To argue the removal of the Stage March on the grounds of scheduling difficulties introduced by extending own choice time limits is somewhat "cake and eat it" logic. These issues are quite separate.
Defining a Stage March will always be a problem. Some will recall a particular National contest I believe it was Launceston when Geoffrey Brand awarded the same (low) mark to every band which played a "Street March" on stage. The hypocrisy was that Hawthorn Band who also played a street march was awarded a higher mark "because they played it well".
So, the conundrum is that Street Marches should be played in the street, unless of course they are Stage Marches!
We often ponder the lack of public patronage of our contests, which primarily occurs because of the narrow appeal of major works. The reality is that the public audience probably enjoy the Stage March the most!
These motions are key issues for the National contest and should hopefully stir some debate at the upcoming conference.
What do you think? Send us an email: downunder@4barsrest.com
