Editorial ~ 2006: November

This month we give our views on the success of the Nationals; a cycle of test piece selection and welcoming Johnny Foreigner.

A National Celebration

One of the most encouraging signs at the National Finals was the buzz about the old place.  For a second successive year it seems that the Albert Hall is drawing back the crowds and it was noticeable that more people took the opportunity to stay in the hall and listen to many more bands than has been the case over the past decade or so.

The choice of test piece would certainly have had something to do with that, but the signs that things were starting to look up at the contest were more readily shown last year when ‘Eden' was the set work. The answer possibly lies in the fact that a number of factors have come together to give the Nationals more appeal, whilst the lessons learnt by the organisers from Harrogate have certainly been taken on board.

With the standard of the very best bands now some way ahead of the rest of the main field at major events, the line up for the Nationals in particular has a much more settled feel with the real ‘crowd pullers' either pre qualified or fairly well set to return year in year out. 8 of the top 10 world ranked bands were here this year and upsets at the Regional contests are becoming rare.

Yorkshire will be sending 5 bands down south next year, the North West had all 3 of their qualifiers in the top 7 and Wales once more gained an extra qualification place.

Kapitol Promotions organisation was slick and professional, with the comfort break coming at an ideal time and the experiment of the pre results concert just about working to a tee. The Gala Concert, may be missed by traditionalists, but in reality as was shown by the numbers heading for the smaller venue of Regent's Hall, perhaps its time has finally passed as an annual event. 

There was a sense of occasion about things this year and Kapitol deserve credit for that, especially as it seems one of the great sponsors of the event, Besson could be back on board in a more permanent way.

There are still some little things that could be tweaked to improve the event further: a possible look at a sectioned  pre draw to help the bands; a 2 minute warm up on stage as there is no warm up room for the bands at the hall and an increase in the prize fund wouldn't go a miss either.

However, overall the event was a fine success and the promise of the good old days when tickets were scarce and all eyes were on the banding world's premier occasion cannot be too far away if things continue in the same vein.

What do you think?
Send an email to: comments@4barsrest.com

A test piece cycle

It was Howard Snell who first mooted the point through 4BR that there was now a need for a structured long term approach to test piece selection for the major contests – especially in the UK.

With the Nationals just out of the way, perhaps it is time to look at the general thrust of his thoughts once more and to see if there is some way in which they can be implemented.

His idea was based on a pre determined cycle at each major event: An original commissioned work followed by an orchestral arrangement leading to a contemporary composition and finally a return to an existing classic of the brass band genre.

It is an idea that has a great deal of common sense about it, as it would enable long term planning on behalf of the organisers (a shorter piece could mean a longer pre results concert or later start time, or even a return of a Gala Concert), the bands would know what would be expected of them after they qualify, therefore helping their long term preparation and the audiences too would know what to expect.

The proposal could go even further though, and it would be even better if the major contest organisers actually got together to ensure that the banding contesting calendar also reflected the cycle.

What if the Open used a new commission in say 2010, with the Nationals opting for the ‘classic', the European a contemporary composition and the Regionals an orchestral arrangement. Other events could also opt in to the cycle scheme so that every year there would be at least two ‘classics' or two arrangements' used as the likes of the English Nationals or the Masters link their contests up.

It would give a varied and interesting scope of choice for potential audiences and ensure that all the major contests are working towards the common good of the promotion of the brass band movement.

Self interest would have to take a back seat for once. And surely that wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

What do you think?
Send an email to: comments@4barsrest.com

Welcoming Johnny Foreigner

A couple of months ago we raised the question of whether or not the brass band movement is surviving on we called ‘player credit' – the borrowing of players to ensure a band could take part in a contest.

We felt it was a worrying trend and the news that the English National will allow the competing bands to borrow a maximum of two players further confirms our belief that the time will soon come when all contests will have a borrowed player rule of sorts. The reality (even with UK bands being able to register up to 40 players on their books) is that there are not enough top class players to go around.

That then raises the question of the use by bands of ‘foreign' players from around the world at contests.

4BR certainly does not in any belong to the Daily Mail bandwagon of blaming the demise of the British Empire on the influx of ‘Johnny Foreigner' to this country, but there seems to be a growing trend towards bands ‘signing' if that is the right word for it, foreign players to perform at major contests, without the player actually leaving their original band to do so.

After the contest they return home free to play again, and can return a month later to play for another band away from their home country.

How this can be regulated is difficult, and it is surely a good idea to encourage a cross fertilisation of player movement across the EU and beyond – both ways. Let's not forget that British ‘imports' to bands around the contesting world has been going on for a long while too.   

What is needed though is control – a time restraint for instance or a general rule allowing a player to perform with up to a maximum of two bands away from their home country in any one year.

It may not solve the problem, but it may get rid of the feeling that ‘buying in' players by bands to help the cause at a major contest is not quite legit and in the spirit of things.

What do you think?
Send an email to: comments@4barsrest.com 

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