With just over a month to go before many of the world’s top bands battle for the honour of being crowned ‘Champion of Europe’ in Perth, players and conductors are to be faced with starting work on a new version of the test piece, ‘Muckle Flugga’ by composer Rory Boyle.

So substantial

Due to the changes being ‘so substantial’, according to the European Brass Band Association, a brand new score and parts, with a further additional official errata list, has been sent to the bands after EBBA acknowledged that they had asked the composer to revise aspects of the work following intensive debate over its suitability.

Extremes

4BR understands that concerns arose over aspects that included instances of extremes of instrumentation range — from exceptionally high bass parts (up to super G for BBb tuba) and a flugel with extensive pedal notation, to cornet parts that some conductors were said to have felt would necessitate the use of four or more soprano cornets.

Correspondence

4BR can confirm that in correspondence to the competing bands, EBBA General Secretary Carsten Hering Nielsen stated that the changes were in response to what he referred to as, ‘an intense debate in the social media about the test piece instrumentation’.

He went on to state that the changes had been agreed by the EBBA organisers and the composer himself, with Kirklees Music sending out the new sore and parts this week.

Lack of reality

Speaking with a number of conductors, who understandably wished to remain anonymous due to the contest being so close, 4BR was informed that they felt that the original score lacked a realistic appreciation of the technical limits even the best brass players in European banding could comfortably achieve on a contest stage.

We were not alone is airing our concerns and we are grateful that EBBA has listened to the competitors and acted as swiftly as it couldcompeting conductor

Fine work

As one conductor told 4BR: "We were not alone is airing our concerns and we are grateful that EBBA has listened to the competitors and acted as swiftly as it could.

It is a fine work, but one that in its original format seemed oddly scored with a lack of appreciation of just what could be achieved to showcase great bands at their very best."

Another MD agreed: "I applaud EBBA for listening to the concerns.

There would have been little enjoyment for the audience if they were to hear Europe’s best taking to the stage with four or five soprano cornets, and struggling to overcome such extreme challenges that would only have necessitated a clever ‘fix’ to make sound right."

EBBA President

EBBA President Ulf Rosenberg told 4BR on Thursday morning: "A number of bands and conductors queried aspects of the score and band parts, particularly in relation to the range of some individual passages.

The organisers of the European Brass Band Championships and the composer Rory Boyle have acted quickly to clarify these aspects, and as a result, an official Errata list and a new set of parts and a new score were issued to the competing bands on Monday 17th March."

Apology

He added: "The organisers of the European Brass Band Championships would like to apologise to the competing bands and their conductors for this situation, and will take steps to further improve the already high standards of quality control of commissioned works for future events.

We trust that the bands and conductors will now be able to get down to work on what is hopefully a challenging and rewarding addition to the repertoire."

He concluded: "We are very grateful to Graham Horsfield and Kirklees Music for providing the revised edition of the score and parts. This is much appreciated."