British Open test piece composer Stephen Roberts has set out a guide for competitors, adjudicators and listeners on his set work, ‘Arabian Nights’ — which will be performed by bands at Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Saturday 7th September.

Heads up

Stephen states that the guide to the work, subtitled, ‘Fantasy on Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade for brass band’ will enable bands to enjoy something of a ‘heads up’ about his own thought processes before they take to the Symphony Hall stage.

Guide

He says: "I have laid out a guide for the audience to follow in the contest programme, which I will also send out to the adjudicators.

This is designed as a guide to interest the audience, nothing more, but I thought it correct that all bands should have a heads up on this, rather than seeing it in the programme for the first time and feeling the goal-posts have been moved!"

I thought it correct that all bands should have a heads up on this, rather than seeing it in the programme for the first time and feeling the goal-posts have been movedStephen Roberts

Arabian Nights:

‘Arabian Nights – Fantasy on Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade for brass band’

Outline of the piece and things to listen out for:

• The opening main theme is presented in unison – it should be perfectly in tune and cleanly played with a full, quality sound.

• A Genie appears and introduces us to the ‘mysteries’ of the Middle East – the fast moving passages should be fluent and the layers well balanced.

• The difficult euphonium entries combine the opening theme with the Dervish dance theme.

• A timpani solo introduces the battle call – the pedal changes should be cleanly executed.

• The mysterious chorale should be well together, quietly controlled and perfectly in tune.

• The solo cornet and euphonium present Scheherazade’s theme – they must be well balanced and musically shaped. The percussion accompaniment should be well together and judiciously balanced.

• More solos lead into the lovers’ theme with full band, followed by a sequence of melodic and florid solos. Quality and musicality in the solos and full band should shine out.

• A solo trombone, with a difficult echo effect, introduces a characterful tribal dance. Each cornet player gets a chance to stand out – or fall down!

• The flugel performs a Dervish dance accompanied by colourful percussion and harmonic effects on the high soprano and solo cornets. This should be engagingly characterful.

• A fanfare allows the cornet section to display their ensemble and sound, accompanied by bass trombone. Other players interject with virtuosic flourishes.

• An expressive melodic section follows, giving the soloists opportunities to display their musicality and control. The solo cornet ascends to a high D with a diminuendo to pianissimo.

• Battle signals interrupt the flow, as cornets and trombones threaten each other.

• The temperature rises and a sequence of cadenzas follows, where the whirling Dervishes display their battle prowess. This gives the soloists a chance to display their virtuosity, but the passages are in fearsome keys and cover a wide range.

• The battle ensues with furious flurries on the percussion and virtuosic unison passages. Technical clarity and control are de rigueur.

• The flugel horn links into a characterful victory dance, which is then restated by tuba quartet accompanied by trombones. Once again these passages should be full of musical character.

• More dancing ensues and the temperature rises with ever increasing intensity until the climactic statement of Sinbad’s theme representing the rise and fall of the sea. This is a test of stamina with the difficult change of key a test of intonation.

• The ship is threatened by a storm and eventually capsizes with a dramatic climax. Dynamics are crucial here.

• The climax dissolves into the Genie’s opening statement.

• A solo horn plaintively restates the main theme, followed by solo cornet leading to a tranquil restatement of the lovers’ theme. This is a test of control and stamina. It should be beautifully quiet and calm, but still flowing.

The theme rises to a climax and subsides into the distance with a sequence of fading chords. A really impressive fade is hard to achieve at this stage of the piece. The use of mutes is expressly forbidden, but judiciously placed cloths, turning your back, or other cunning devices are not!

• A short coda reworks Scheherazade’s theme into a final climactic flourish with many instruments ascending beyond their normal range, but in particular the soprano with the option to conclude on an overhanging high E!

The contest is OPEN to the very end…….

Stephen Roberts
mail@stephenroberts.org