DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS PERFORMANCE PORTFOLIO ...

Coldstream
Guards Band
Postgradua.,
A
-,
ý-
Project. -Part Three
BY, Major Graham Jones NIBE
. WMus FTCL ARCM psm
The band returned -, o duty after leave at the beginning of
September to find an extremely busy programme ahead. The band
travelled to Thursford in Norfolk to perform a marching display
followed by a two-hour concert to help raise funds for the Army
Benevolent Fund. A week later the band gave a concert at St
John's Smith Square, London which included the world premi6re
performance of Ciles of London by Martin Ellerby, commissioned
by the Coldstream Guards. During the next two days the band
rehearsed for their latest recording, the third in six months. This
recording will be released on the Polyphonic label in December
and will include two premiýre recordings: Neapolitan Serenade
(Ellerby), a flute solo performed by and dedicated to the band's
principal flautist, Lance Corporal Rachel Smith and Fantasy
VaHations (Yasuhide Ito), a euphonium solo performed by the
band's principal euphonium Lance Corporal John Storey. With
four other major works on the CD, this proved to be an exciting
and challenging programme. Having spent two days recording the
next day was spent in rehearsal, this time for the band's
forthcoming tour of Japan. As soon as rehearsals had finished the
freight was packed and sent to the airport!
The band's tour of Japan will last three weeks and will see the
band performing in Sapporo, Osaka, Midoshuji, Hitomi,
Kawanami, Aichi Takasaki, and Tokyo. Included in the programme
of music will be the world premi6re of Neapolitan Serenade
(Ellerby) and the world premi6re of Constellations, a euphonium
solo composed by Rodney Newton, the band's latest
commissioned work, which will be performed by LCpl John
Storey. The band's tour of Japan is from 26 September - 36
October 2005. This tour gives the postgraduate students within
the band the opportunity to give a solo performance as part of the
'Interactive Processes in Group Performance' module and write up
their commentary papers.
The postgraduate students are also preparing for their Lecture-
recital, which forms part of the final assessment for MA Students.
It is designed to provide an opportunity for students to
demonstrate their successful integration of theory and practice
through what is in itself a performance event in the wider sense.
MA Performance students should be able to demonstrate an
articulate and presentationally secure command of the verbal
medium, especially when talking about and demonstrating
aspects of performance closest to their own specialist interest. The
Lecture-recital is a recognised genre, which students will benefit
from mastering.
Although there is no dedicated programme of preparation for the
Lecture-recital, it is actually strongly supported by elements of the
delivered components of the course. Most importantly, the
presentations given by students at the end of their Specialist
Workshop options provide not only related, though humbler,
experience for students, together with beneficial feedback, but
also may provide the substantial core content of the Lecture-
recital itself.
In consultation with rutors, students select a topic relating
specifically to performance principals and practice. The subject
matter for the Lecture-recital may be derived from critical
performance issues delivered as part of their Specialist Workshop
options. Then, over a period of roughly six months and under
their own initiative, they refine and expand this to form a Lecture-
recital of some 60 minutes of which a mininium of 40 mmules
constitutes spoken delivery. The ci itei ia of' coherence and
integration remain as for the presentation itself, but tile
presentational style should reflect the less intimate. soinewhat
more formal aspect of the Lecture-recital format.
A team of three examiners will assess i Ile band postgraduate
(270)
. students. These comprise the area Co-ordinator, an external
examiner and another internal member of staff with an appropriate
performance specialism. The Lecture-recital is assessed live, but a
recording is taken to assist any subsequent debate.
Assessment is divided into three areas: Presentation, Performance
and Content. Assessment for these areas is guided principally by
the twin criteria of integration of elements and the overall
balance and coherence of the structure of the event.
Presentation must be clear, confident and capable of engaging and
sustaining the listener's interest. The student should clearly have
addressed the "performance" aspect of presentation and there
should be evidence of genuine, communication with the audience.
Live performance must constitute the majority of the musical
examples provided. The student's ability to transfer smood-dy
from presenting to performing mode and their capacity to
perform to a high standard under these testing circumstances are
the principal criteria to be applied here. Of course tire best
preparation for any perform an ce -based assessment is continued
performance at the highest level. The students of the Coldstream
Guards certainly have that, with two new CDs released in
September and another in December. The band will also be
performing over twenty concerts between now and Christmas
both at home and abroad. In addition, the band will also be seen
at many State Ceremonial engagements events such as the State
Opening of Parliament and the Festival of Remembrance at the
Royal Albert Hall - what better way to prepare for a performance
based Lecture -recital?
7/A
07a
070012 678822
07967 678822
FOR TUBAS AND EXPER'T
BRASS REPAIRS
CALL 07002 MR TUBA
The Brass Herald October 2005 51