Issue 105, August 1, 2007 - The Brass Band Portal

the official publication of nabba august, 2007atop the bridgeDear NABBA members,Anita Cocker HuntNABBA PresidentThis is my final message as President ofNABBA. It has been an honor to serve as yourPresident for the last six years and I have metmany wonderful people. Although I enjoyedfulfilling this responsibility, I am not seekinga fourth term. I believe that NABBA needsboth continuity for stability and change todevelop and grow. The present officers andBoard members have kept us on an even keeland steered NABBA in a good direction. I feelthat it is time for a change in the presidency,and a new face with fresh ideas will be goodfor NABBA. There are members on the Boardwho are ready and willing to serve and our newofficers will be elected at the NABBA Board ofDirectors meeting in September.I’d like to recognize my friend and colleague,John de Salme, who will be stepping down asVice President. John has worked by my sidefor the last six years as Vice President and forfour years as Contest Controller. I will alwaysvalue his musical expertise, fair judgment, anddedication to NABBA.The advances that NABBA has made are theresult of a corporate endeavor and I havealways appreciated the involvement and talentsof every Board member and their continuoushelp throughout the year. Working togetherfor the good of NABBA has always been thebottom line for all the Board members.I’d especially like to thank some of the presentBoard members and people who have acceptedextra responsibilities above and beyondtheir regular Board membership duties. THEBRASS BAND BRIDGE, edited by DougYeo, has developed into an attractive, informative,and solid publication for NABBA.Thanks, too, to Ron Holz and Colin Holmanfor their continued contributions with reviewsof recordings and new music. These additionshave been very helpul to the membership; theWEB SITE, webmaster Jim Grate (who alsoserves as treasurer), is kept up to date, full ofnews, and is a site that we can all be proud of;CONTEST CONTROLLER, Tom Scheibnerhas worked tirelessly (and much of it behindthe scenes) to run a great competition – also toRon Holz and John de Salme as Associate Controllers;ARCHIVES are in good hands withDiana Herak, who also wrote the NABBA 25year history book; SECRETARY, Linda Detman,who spends hours compiling the Boardmeeting minutes that are accurate, timely, andcomplete; COMPETITION SITE (IndianaUniversity Southeast), Joanna Goldstein (non-Board member) for her work at IUS in securingequipment, volunteers, and making sure thatNABBA President Anita Cocker Hunt, presiding atthe NABBA XXV Championships award ceremony.all the nuts and bolts are greased and runningto host the competition; ADS and EXHIBI-TORS, Paul Droste has put us on track andgoing full steam ahead with this importantsupport of NABBA. There are many past officersand members, too many to name, whohave done great work in getting us to where weare today.Here is some of the progress NABBA hasmade and some things we have accomplishedin recent years: NABBA is running the entireChampionships now, both financially and logistically.IUS has become our contest locationfor at least the near future and this has beena great partnership and joint effort betweenNABBA and the IUS administration, staff, volunteers,and support of local schools. We lookforward to continued success working withIUS and the fine folks in Louisville, Kentucky.We have seen a tremendous growth in thenumber of participating bands in the competition,as well as a huge expansion in the soloand ensemble contests. It is wonderful to seeour own NABBA bands going overseas to othercompetitions and doing very well.We now have beautiful music stand and prizebanners for our Championships, thanks to TorBanners and Doug Yeo’s efforts.What a shot in the arm it was for NABBA toreceive a donation of $10,000 to help with theChampionships from Buffet Crampon. Weowe a big thank you to Joe Johnson for his helpwith this.Remember the old tape recorders andtapes we used to receive with the judges’comments? They have now been replaced bythe present CD recorders. Also, there arebrass band festivals popping up all over NorthAmerica which NABBA supports in attendanceand financially. Professional Developmentcredit is now offered for attendance and participationin the clinics and reading band at thecompetition.NABBA is recognized as a strong and viableorganization. We have come a long way in 25years and there is still much to do and growthto take place. Even as I am writing this, fourof our Board members, appointed by me, arerewriting NABBA’s bylaws. The bylaws willbe made more in line with all the changes thatNABBA has experienced in the last 25 yearsand they will further strengthen our organizationas we look ahead. The new bylaws willstill remain true to the original purpose andgoals of our founding members.So, what will I do with all my free time? Remainon the Board as an elected, voting memberand continue working hard for NABBA!!Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement, advice,and support these past six years. NABBAwill continue to be in good hands. JAchuntband @ aol . comwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 105

the official publication of nabba august, 2007NABBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:MEMBERS AS OF AUGUST 1, 2007Elections for NABBA Board of Directorstook place in July. Several Board memberswere standing for re-election and new candidateswere standing for election. As a result,the Board of Directors consists of the peoplebelow, with new terms beginning August 1.Those re-elected are indicated with 4 4 andthose elected for the first time are indicatedwith 4In 2007, six Directors left the Board of Directors:Eric Aho (All-Star Bands), Jay Cohen(Chicago Brass Band), John Copella (BrassBand of Central Florida), Jackson Hill (BrassBand of the Tri-State), Donald Stine (EasternIowa Brass Band) and Julie Vish (Central OhioBrass Band). NABBA extends its thanks toeach of them for their service to the Board.At the Board of Directors meeting in September,elections will be held for new officersincluding President, Vice-President andTreasurer. The result of the elction of newofficers will be announced on nabba.org afterthe meeting and further information from theBoard meeting will be reported in Issue 106of The Brass Band Bridge, to be published onOctober 15.Complete contact information for all NABBADirectors may be found at nabba.org. JANITA COCKER HUNT - President 4 4DirectorCincinnati Brass BandJOHN W. DE SALME - Vice-President 4 4Director EmeritisEastern Iowa Brass BandLINDA DETMAN - SecretaryTromboneSunshine Brass BandJIM GRATE - Treasurer 4 4TromboneBrass Band of the Tri-StateSTEPHEN ALLEN 4DirectorPrinceton Brass BandDONALD BOOKOUT 4EuphoniumBend in the River Brass BandBARBARA BURTCH 4 4BaritoneIllinois Brass BandTONY GRANADOSDirectorTriangle Youth Brass BandSUSAN HENTHORNTenor HornLexington Brass BandDIANA HERAK 4 4BaritoneBrass Band of ColumbusPATRICK HERAK 4TubaTBDBITL (Ohio State Marching BandAlumni Band)JOE JOHNSONDirectorGeorgia Brass BandRUSTY MORRISDirectorNatural State Brass BandSARA NORTH 4 4PercussionMississippi River Brass BandSUSAN REIGLERTenor HornCommonwealth Brass BandTHOMAS SCHEIBNERPercussionNew York Staff Band of the Salvation ArmyQUENTIN SHARPENSTEIN 4 4TubaDerby City Brass BandKEVIN STEESDirectorJames Madison University Brass BandMassanutten Brass BandKEITH WILKINSONDirectorBrass Band of the Western ReserveDOUGLAS YEODirectorNew England Brass BandLINDA YEOBass TrombonePrairie Brass Bandwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 105

the official publication of nabba august, 2007Naturally, there is some indigenous music,but I found that I was familiar with most ofthe music being performed. I found KnightTemplar in Benfield’s folder. We had a runthrough of that with the band enjoying storiesof Whit Friday after rehearsal with almost asmuch enthusiasm as they put into the practice.Rockville included a movement from PhilipSparke’s Hymn of the Highlands in a concert Iattended.My thanks to all three bands for making meso welcome during my tour to the USA, cutshort only by the need to get back to attendthe Executive meeting of the NABBC ! (NigelHorne is a brass band composer, conductorand adjudicator who lives in Barnsley, SouthYorkshire.) Jtriangle brass bandThe Triangle Brass Band, under the directionof Robert C. Hunter, Resident Conductor,featured trombone soloist James T. Miller(jamestmiller.com) on a concert on May 11th,held in Raleigh’s Fletcher Theater. Mr. Miller,who last appeared with the Triangle Brass Bandin 1999, performed Buxton Orr’s TromboneConcerto with the group.Nigel Horne rehearsing with the Rockville Bandled by Robert C. Hunter.Following the July 4th concert, the group isnow taking a well-earned break for the nextseveral weeks. We will resume in the fall; ourfirst performance of the season will be a jointband concert with the St. Francis Brass Band,a church brass band in Cary, North Carolina,directed by Doug Amaxopulos. (submitted byConnie Varner) Jdouglas yeo conductsclinics with the naturalstate brass bandIn preparation for their appearance at theNABBA XXV Championships, the NaturalState Brass Band had Douglas Yeo (Music Directorof the New England Brass Band) in towork with the band on the weekend of March2 – 3. This is the third consecutive year thatthe NSBB had invited a guest conductor tocome to Little Rock and work with the band.Preparations and planning for the trip beganThe group then began preparing for its SummerPops series. The first planned concert ofthis series, at the Galloway Ridge communityon June 3rd, was rained-out due to TropicalDepression Barry. The next two concerts tookplace on back-to-back nights -- on Thursday,June 21st, the band performed at the TownSquare in Clayton, North Carolina in a concertsponsored by Clayton’s Downtown DevelopmentAssociation. The next night the bandperformed for an enthusiastic audience at thenew Cultural Center in Holly Springs, NorthCarolina. Finally, the group capped the seasonoff on July 4th, with a performance for theMeadowmont Community in Chapel Hill,North Carolina. All concerts featured the samemusic, including works by George Gershwin,Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Dave Brubeck,John Philip Sousa, John Williams and others– an all-around, high-powered Americana program.Ray Farr’s arrangement of Arlen’s Overthe Rainbow featured TBB flugelhorn playerBob Peckham. All summer series concerts wereTriangle Brass Band at Meadowmount, performing “Over the Rainbow.”www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 105

the official publication of nabba august, 2007in September of 2006.Quoting Russell Morris, music director of theNSBB, “We were very honored and excited tohave a musician and conductor the caliber ofDoug Yeo to come and work with the NSBB.The anticipation and excitement of Doug’svisit was evident beginning in January.” Morriscontinues, “Doug had done his homework; hisknowledge of our test piece and choice piecewas very impressive. He was able to conveyto the band new thoughts and ideas, whilecontinuing the work that we had done to thatpoint. The amount of progress the band madein one weekend was very noticeable, not onlyin the music, but also in the energy level andsense of excitement.” Morris concludes, “Withouta doubt, we owe Doug a great deal fortaking the time out of his very busy scheduleto come to Little Rock and push us to a higherlevel. I would encourage anyone wanting aclinician for their band to strongly considerDoug Yeo.”The Natural State Brass Band competed inthe Challenge Section of this year’s NABBAChampionships. Their program included theDouglas Yeo working with the Natural State Brass Band.test piece Crusade by Rieks van der Velde andVariations on ‘Maccabeus’ by Kevin Norbury.The NSBB finished in second place. (Submittedby Rusty Morris) JThe Natural State Brass Band wants to expressour deepest thanks and gratitude to the followingpeople for their recent gifts of instruments to theband:Russ & Enny Gottschalk (Smith-Watkins cornet)Courtney & Kim Swindler (Smith-Watkins cornet)Richard Tackett (Smith-Watkins cornet)Chuck Goldner (Yamaha tenor horn)Your generosity is greatly appreciated.nabba bandconcertprogramsspires brass band, johnslezak, conductorMarch 17, 2007. Kussmaul Theatre, FrederickCommunity College, Frederick, MD. StarSpangled Banner (arr. Erik Leidzén), Firestorm(Stephen Bulla), Believe Me All Those EndearingYoung Charms (arr. Gail Robertson – LauraLineberger, euphonium solo), The Centurion(Philip Sparke), Irish Songs (arr. Stephen Bulla– Kevin Bennear, baritone solo), Crusade(Rieks Van der Velde), The Girl I Left Behind(arr. Gordon Langford), Londonderry Air (arr.Stephen Bulla – Kevin Bennear, baritone solo),Irish Washerwoman (arr. Gordon Langford– Jay Gibble, Dennis Mercer, Bernard Robier,trombone trio), The Minstrel Boy (arr. GordonLangford), Far and Away (John Williams, arr.Phil Harper).May 26, 2007. Kussmaul Theatre, FrederickCommunity College, Frederick, MD. StarSpangled Banner (arr. Erik Leidzén), OlympicSpirit (John Williams, arr. Christian Jenkins),www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 105

the official publication of nabba august, 2007Black Note Fantasy (arr. Sandy Smith – LenoreTurner, Al Beith, Stephen Francella, tenorhorntrio), American Pageant (arr. Rick Larch), WayDown Yonder in New Orleans (arr. StephenRoberts – David Conklin, David Swyers, MichelleSingletary, cornet trio), Caravan (DukeEllington, arr. Steve Sykes), Razzazza Mazzazza(arr. Sandy Smith – Jay Gibble, DennisMercer, Bernard Robier, trombone trio), Victoryat Sea (arr. Rick Larch), Opus No. 1 (arr. BillGeldard), Stella by Starlight (arr. Bill Geldard– Bernard Robier, bass trombone solo), Marchingwith Sousa (arr. Gordon Langford), ArmedForces Salute (arr. Rick Larch).natural state brass band,rusty morris, conductorMay 20, 2007, Immanuel Baptist Church,Little Rock, Arkansas: Star Spangled Banner(Key, arr. Himes); Variations on ‘Maccabeus’(Norbury); March of the Cobblers (Barratt/Siebert;) Amazing Grace (Traditional, arr.Himes); Malagueña (Lecuona, arr. Freeh); TheStars and Stripes Forever (Sousa, arr. Graham);Harlem Nocturne (Hagen, arr. Siebert); Deathor Glory (Hall) I’ll Walk With God (Brodszky/Webster, arr. Richards); Semper Fidelis (Sousa);Instant Concert (Walters); Floral Dance (Moss,arr. Broadbent).June 24, 2007, Immanuel Baptist Church, LittleRock, Arkansas: Star Spangled Banner (Key,arr. Himes); ‘633’ Squadron (Goodwin, arr.Bryce); John Williams-Epic Themes (arr. Sykes);March from “The Great Escape” (Bernstein, arr.Ellerby); For the Love of a Princess (Horner, arr.Duncan); James Bond Collection (arr. Richard)s;The Bridge Over the River Kwai (Arnold, arr.Mortimer); The Music of the Night (Webber,arr. Himes;) National Emblem (Bagley, arr.Siebert); The Stars and Stripes Forever (Sousa,arr. Graham); Armed Forces Salute (Bulla); SolemnOverture ‘1812’ (excerpts) (Tchaikovsky,arr. Wright).Cobb, cornet soloist); Adagio from Concierto deAranjuez (Joaquin Rodrigo, arr. Holton - KevinMaloney, flugelhorn soloist); Escapade (JosephTurrin - Terry Everson, piccolo trumpet soloist);Don’t Doubt Him Now (Leonard Ballantine,arr. Craig Woodland - Philip Cobb, cornetsoloist); Hometown Miniatures (Drew Fennell);Blessed Assurance (Stephen Bulla - Terry Everson,flugelnorn and trumpet solo); Virtuosity(Kenny Baker, arr. Jack Peberdy - Philip Cobb,trumpet soloist); March: Rhode Island (LloydReslow); Cornet Trio: The Heralds (Philip Cate-new england brass band,douglas yeo, music directorJune 1, 2007, University of Massachusetts,Amherst, Massachusetts. International TrumpetGuild Conference. Fanfare from Occasion(Edward Gregson); Simple Gifts (traditional,arr. Goff Richards); The Glorious Fountain(Bernard Smith, arr. Robert Redhead - PhilipNew England Brass Band rehearsal, May 28, 2007Music Director Douglas Yeo with cornet soloist Philip Cobb of the International Staff Bandwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10510

the official publication of nabba august, 2007linet - Terry Everson, René Hernandez, PhilipCobb, cornet trio).June 3, 2007, Hope Church, Lenox, Massachusetts.Fanfare and Star Spangled Banner(arr. Erik Leidzén); Praise to the Lord, theAlmighty (arr. Nigel Horne); A Time for Peace(Peter Graham - Isabel Tappan-deFrees, tenorhorn soloist); O Sacred Head, Now Wounded(Leland Procter, arr. Douglas Yeo); BlessedAssurance (arr. Stephen Bulla - Terry Everson,flugelhorn and trumpet soloist); Holy, Holy,Holy (arr. James Curnow); Chester from NewEngland Triptych (William Schuman, arr. DrewFennell); My Lord, What a Morning (arr. WilliamGordon - Douglas Yeo, bass trombonesoloist; Terry Everson, conducting); Hymn forAfrica (Peter Meechan); Evening Hymn andSunset (Clement Scholefield; arr. Rob Wiffin).fountain city brass band,joseph parisi, MusicaldirectorMay 29, 2007, Royal Scottish Academy of Music.Liberty Fanfare (John Williams, arr. SteveSykes); Tuba Concerto (Mark Ellerby - JamesGourlay, tuba soloist); Selections from Hymn ofthe Highlands (Philip Sparke); Land of MakeBelieve (Chuch Mangione, arr. Lee Harrelson);National Emblem March (Bagley, arr. Lee Harrelson);Epitaph VI: Phoenix Rising - Coventry/Dresden(Martin Ellerby - FCBB Low BrassEnsemble); Paganini Variations (Philip Wilby);Bugler’s Holiday (Leroy Anderson, arr. Lee Harrelson);March from Pines of Rome (Respighi,arr. Howard Snell).BRASS BAND OF COLUMBUS, TIMJAMESON, CONDUCTORJune 9, 2007. Main Stage, Great AmericanBrass Band Festival, Danville, Kentucky. Esprit(James Curnow), Dramatic Essay (Clifton Williams,tr. Ron Holz - Philip Smith, trumpet);Light as Air (arr. Goff Richards), Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves (Michael Kamen, arr. TimJameson), Someone to Watch Over Me (Gershwin,arr. Joseph Turin - Phil Smith, flugelhornsolo); Joshua Swings the Battle of Jericho (arr.Dan Marvin, adpt. Stephen Bulla - PhilipSmith, trumpet soloist); Semper Fidelis (J.P.Sousa); I Will Follow Him (J. Stole, arr. GoffRichards); Escapade (Joseph Turrin - PhilSmith, trumpet soloist); Gaelforce (Peter Graham).June, 12 2007, Trinity Lutheran Seminary,Bexley, Ohio. Star Spangled Banner (arr.Susi); Esprit (James Curnow), All I Ask of You(Andrew Lloyd Webber, arr. Mowat - JeffKeller,trombone), I Will Follow Him (J. Stole,arr. Goff Richards), Footlifter (Henry Fillmore);Mirror Lake (Montgomery, arr. Tubb - DianaHerak, baritone); In Perfect Peace (KennethDownie), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (MichaelKamen, arr. Tim Jameson), 633 Squadron(Goodwin); Joshua Swings the Battle of Jericho(arr. Dan Marvin, adpt. Stephen Bulla - TonyPhillip, cornet); Come Thou Fount of EveryBlessing (trad, arr. Brian Stevens); Western Fantasy,Light as Air (arr. Goff Richards), Gaelforce(Peter Graham). JOfficial Prize and Music Stand Banner Supplierfor NABBA ... and hundreds of bandsJune 2, 2007, St. John’s Church, Wingates.Liberty Fanfare (John Williams, arr. SteveSykes); Carrickfergus (traditional, arr. StephenRoberts - Lee Harrelson, euphonium soloist);National Emblem March (Bagley, arr. Lee Harrelson- James Oliver, conductor); Hymn forDiana (Joseph Turrin); Selections from Hymnof the Highlands (Philip Sparke); America theBeautiful (Ward, arr. Carmen Dragoon/LeeHarrelson).www.torbanners.comwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10511

the official publication of nabba august, 2007NABBA XXV CHAMPIONS, FOUNTAIN CITYBRASS BAND, IN CONCERTS AND CONTESTIN THE U.K.By T.J. MengesSolo horn, Fountain City Brass BandThe Fountain City Brass Band recentlycompleted its first trip abroad, travelling tothe United Kingdom to compete in the AllEngland Masters International Brass BandChampionships, as well as the annual WhitFriday Contests. It was a momentous occasionfor the band, as they were not only the firstAmerican band to be invited to compete at theMasters, but also, being founded only five yearsago, the youngest band ever invited to competein the eighteen year history of the competition.Preparations for the trip began almost a yearago, when we received the invitation last Augustto compete at the Masters, held annuallyin Cambridge, England at the Corn ExchangeTheatre. We were delighted to accept, with theprospect of competing against some of the bestbands from the United Kingdom and Europebeing at once both exciting and humbling.Of particular interest was the choice of thisyear’s test piece, Elgar Howarth’s In MemoriamR.K., written in memory of the famed Germanconductor Rudolph Kempe. The work is writtenin a style reflective of the works of RichardWagner, Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler,three composers of whom Kempe was a notedconductor. Rather than the typical test piecethat contains pyrotechnic displays of technicalvirtuosity, Howarth’s work instead required agreat deal of fluid lyrical playing, soft dynamics,and musical pacing from every member ofthe band. Each of these elements presenteddistinct challenges that were often greater thanthose presented by the technical elements ofother works.Preparation began on In Memoriam R.K.immediately upon our arrival home from the25th North American Brass Band Championshipsthis year in Louisville, KY. After fourrehearsals, we gave a concert on Mother’s Dayin our hometown of Kansas City, featuring thiswork, as well as winning performances fromNABBA. Following this concert, we began asolid ten days of rehearsal. The band and itsMusical Director Joseph Parisi did their utmostto leave no musical stone unturned, as well asput into action one of a number of phrases suggestedas a band motto by principal B-flat BassScott Watson, “No one outworks the FCBB.”Finally, on May 24th, we eagerly embarked onour trip, flying to Manchester, and immediatelyboarding a coach for the three-hour drive toCambridge. There was some time that afternoonto take in the sights around town, all thewhile fighting the urge to sleep, before anotherrehearsal that evening in the local SalvationArmy hall, graciously provided for us by MajorJohn Mott.The next day saw another rehearsal in themorning, followed by a free afternoon andPerformance by Designevening for the band to relax. Some took theopportunity to make the short trip to Londonto see the sights. Others in the band remainedin town, opting to check out the CambridgeInternational Beer Festival, which was occurringthe same weekend. The timing of sucha festival coinciding with a major brass bandcompetition seemed more than mere coincidenceto many members of the FCBB.Finally, the next morning saw the arrival ofthe competition day. The draw for the orderwas held that morning with the FCBB drawingthe seventh spot. We met for one finalrun-through of the test piece before walkingthe short distance down to the Corn Exchangeto give our performance. After blowing a fewquick notes back stage, a practice that apparentlyhad many in the hall quizzically scratchingtheir heads, the FCBB took the stage. OurDenis Wick Mouthpieces and MutesPrecision craftedUnparalleled varietyThe solution for every brass band need.Call, email or write us for an allnew catalog. It’s free!North American importer • 818 Evergreen Ave, Chicago, 60622• 888-707-4455 • www.deniswickusca.comwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10512

the official publication of nabba august, 2007performance received a great deal of attentionand praise from many, particularly so, as thepresence of an American band still seems toadd an unknown quantity to British contesting.Ultimately, the performance was good enoughto take ninth place overall, out of a field ofnineteen bands - a pleasing result for us, andyet one which will surely present a new set ofgoals.Afterwards, we had the opportunity to listento the remaining bands give their competitionperformances. This was the first chance formany in the band to hear live performancesfrom top section UK and European bands, andIn Memoriam R.K. certainly provided us withthe chance to hear a wide variety of approachesboth in terms of sound concept and musicalinterpretation. The top prize for the day wentto the Foden’s Richardson Band, delivering asublime performance with what must easilybe one of the most beautiful ensemble soundsimaginable.With the competition completed, the nextmorning we boarded a coach and began atwo-day journey north, stopping for the nightin the beautiful and historic city of York beforecontinuing onward to Glasgow, Scotland.Fountain City Brass Band (Joseph Parisi, Director, marching at Whit Friday in Lees.While in Glasgow, we gave a performance atthe Royal Scottish Academy of Music andDrama, featuring tuba soloist James Gourlayin the Tuba Concerto by Martin Ellerby. Mr.Gourlay’s playing was truly exceptional as washis graciousness in welcoming us to Scotland,as well as to the Royal Scottish Academy,where he is the school’s director. The audiencewas truly appreciative of the music, especiallyenjoying our choreographed performance ofChuck Mangione’s Land of Make Believe andalso of performance of Philip Wilby’s PaganiniVariations, our choice work for this year’sNorth American championships.Visit our websites:brassbandaid.com&newenglandbrassband.orgThe New England Brass Bandwishes to thank its audiences,friends and supporters for theirgenerosity during our 2006-07season fundraising partnership onbehalf of Brass Band Aid.We raised over $4,500 to helpwith the construction andequipping of the new school inAdet, Ethiopia.The next day was the only day of our tripdevoted entirely to free time, and how wonderfulthat it was in Scotland! While some inthe band opted to stay in town and see whatGlasgow had to offer, others opted to take theeasily accessible trains to other parts of thecountry. With a wide array of choices, someopted to travel to the Highlands, with otherstraveling to nearby Edinburgh, stopping alongthe way in Stirling to see the colossal WallaceMonument.Finally, the band left the next morning for thelast leg of the trip, traveling south to spendthree days in Manchester to compete in theWhit Friday festivities, as well as give a jointconcert with the Bolton Youth Band. Beforeleaving Scotland, we thought it best to havean outdoor rehearsal to give more than a fewmembers of the band the chance to brush upon their marching skills. This was done at 9:00am in the hotel parking lot, and we were astoundedby the crowd of onlookers we drew, aswell as their enthusiastic applause. The peopleof the United Kingdom seem to thoroughlyenjoy music, as this would surely have beengrounds to summon the police in the Unitedwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10513

the official publication of nabba august, 2007IMPORTANT INFORMATIONdue to a large convention scheduled in louisville,kentucky for the same weekend as the NABBAXXVI championships (MARCH 28-29, 2008),it is important that nabba bands inquire about andmake hotel reservations AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.please visitNABBA.ORGand click on “contest info 2008” and then on“hotel information” for the most up to dateinformation about hotel room availability. mostdowntown louisville hotels are ALREADYBOOKED. please make your reservations NOW soyou will have the best chance of reserving rooms inthe hotel of your choice.www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10514

the official publication of nabba august, 2007States!Playing at Whit Friday was a very memorableexperience for all of us. In all, we were ableto compete in four of the local villages – Lees,Grotton, Uppermill, and Dobcross. Wewould like to have competed in a couple morevillages, but as luck would have it, our coachbroke down as we were leaving Lees, and costus precious time. This was particularly saddening,as we seemed to make get much better asthe day went on, placing 24th, 14th, 7th, and5th, respectively. Who knows what we couldhave achieved if we had been able to competein a couple more venues? Nevertheless, thereception of the local villagers was as warmas any we had received throughout our trip.We were greeted with enthusiastic applauseas we marched down the main streets of thesevillages, due in no small part to the placardthat preceded us, which read “Fountain City– USA.”For the final day of our trip, we traveled justoutside Manchester to the lovely town ofBolton. Here we gave a joint concert with St.John’s Church with the Bolton Youth Band.This was an incredibly enjoyable concert, andwhile we had learned a great deal throughoutthe previous week hearing other bands perform,we were amazed at the playing of theseyoungsters. Their attention to style, as well asthe technical and musical command of theirinstruments was astounding. We were particularlyamazed by an absolutely brilliant performanceof Gaelforce by Peter Graham, with anexceptionally lovely flugelhorn solo. Afterward,the Bolton Music Service treated us to dinnerat a local pub, and we had a chance to talk withmembers of the youth band, as well as theirparents – a particularly exciting event, as wewill in turn be hosting them when they visitthe United States in the summer of 2008.Unfortunately, the next day, our trip came toan end. We loaded the coach early the nextmorning to drive to the airport for our longflight home. While it was good to be back inthe United States, and to get some much neededrest, it became clear over the next few daysas e-mails went out from almost every memberof the band that we could have happilydoubled the length of our trip. Though musicis certainly a serious business, it is a testamentto how much our band means to every memberthat after three solid weeks of rehearsal,concerts, travel, and being around each other,it only took two days off for the first e-mail tobe sent from a band member saying how muchthey already missed it. After an earnest roundof “Here-here!”, we are eagerly anticipating oursixth season, and everything it will bring. JJames Gourlay, tuba soloist, with Fountain City Brass Band in concert, Glasgow, Scotland.www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10515

the official publication of nabba august, 2007NEW ENGLAND BRASS BANDAT THE INTERNATIONALTRUMPET GUILD CONFERENCEBy Neville Young[The New England Brass Band gave a concerton June 1, 2007 as part of the InternationalTrumpet Guild Conference, held at the Universityof Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts.This review is reprinted with the kindpermission of the International Trumpet GuildPublications Division.]The New England Brass Band, directed byDouglas Yeo, began its concert with a crisp,sparkling performance of Gregson’s Fanfarefrom Occasion which provided an excellentintroduction to the proceedings. Next cameGoff Richards’s pleasing, lively arrangement ofSimple Gifts which, appropriately enough, wasgiven an admirably direct and plain performancewhich only enhanced the appeal of thislovely tune.Cornet soloist Philip Cobb then joined theband on stage. Cobb, a nineteen-year-old studentat London’s Guildhall School, is already amember of the Salvation Army’s InternationalStaff Band and plays with astonishing skilland control. His first solo piece was BernardSmith’s The Glorious Fountain, arranged byRobert Redhead. Cobb set out his stall early,in the form of a solo cadenza, just seconds in,of breathtaking virtuosity. Through the themeand variations we saw different aspects of histechnical skill before the piece finished witha bravura finale which received a deservedlyrapturous reception.The next soloist was the band’s own flugelhornplayer Kevin Maloney, who treated us to asuperb, stylish version of the slow movementfrom Rodrigo’s Concierto de Ajanjuez. FollowingMalone came Terry Everson whose lively,angular and bright performance on piccolotrumpet of Joseph Turrin’s Escapade was afind it atNABBA.ORG• Meeting minutes ofthe NABBA Boardof Directors.• Order formfor recordingsof all NABBABand Contestperformances from1998–2007.• Information aboutNABBA XXVI,Louisville KY andIndiana UniversitySoutheast,March 28-29, 2008.• Contactinformation forNABBA officers anddirectors.• Links to all NABBAmember bands.New England Brass Band at the International Trumpet Guild ConferencePhlip Cobb (International Staff Band of the Salvation Army, London), cornet soloist[photo by Vera Olcott]www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10516

the official publication of nabba august, 2007delight. Everson offered us some beautifullylyrical moments too, in the middle section,before returning to the spikiness of the startand an exciting and flashy ending. Philip Cobbthen returned as cornet soloist in Don’t DoubtHim Now, by Leonard Ballantine, arranged byCraig Woodland. Without technical tricks, thisone ran on pure beauty of sound and integrityof phrasing, both from Cobb and from theband who accompanied him with such charmand style.The band then once again got to display itsskill without a soloist, this time in DrewFennell’s Hometown Miniatures, a lovely suiteof four short pieces written as a response tothe September 11th attacks. This took us fromthe town square to a festival, and via a sunset- beautifully and rather poignantly portrayed- to Independence Day...celebrations, completewith fireworks, in a noisy, busy and ultimatelymajestic climax.Cobb was then welcomed back to the stage,this time as trumpet soloist, in Kenny Baker’sVirtuosity, arranged by Jack Peberdy. This wasa real crowd-pleaser with an amazing level of,well, virtuosity, mixing brass band and jazzidioms in a light, sometimes comic dash whichhad the entire audience on itsfeet at the end. This piece willbe on Cobb’s upcoming CDwith the Cory Band - one towatch out for, I would guess.The next piece, Blessed Assurance,was another SalvationArmy tune, arranged for PhilipSmith by Stephen Bulla. Thisreceived a warm and gorgeousperformance from flugelhornand trumpet soloist Terry Everson,starting with a fantasticlow flugel sound and eventuallyswapping to trumpet fora brilliant and searingly highending. Yeo assured us thatall brass bands have to play amarch so, to reinforce the NewEngland connection, the bandnext played Rhode Island byLloyd Reslow, a proper marchwith interesting and sophisticatedharmony which wasgiven a rousing rendition bythe band.The concert finished with aDenis Wick Mouthpieces & MutesThe Largest SelectionAll Models and Sizes Now AvailableNew England Brass Band at the International TrumpetGuild ConferenceTerry Everson (New England Brass Band Principal Cornet andProfessor of Trumpet, Boston University), piccolo trumpetsoloist. [photo by Vera Olcott]For the Best Prices andAvailabilitycornet trio, The Heralds by Philip Catelinet.The soloists were Everson, Baltimore Symphonyassistant principal trumpet Rene Hernandez(himself a former principal cornet of thisband), and Cobb. This busy, light and charmingpiece started with a relaxed and (deceptively)easy feel and ended in an Arban-like showof technical skill, with triple tonguing andblazing scales and arpeggios taken to extremesand pretty well bringing the house down. Athrilling concert with stunning soloists and anexcellent band. JVisit www.dfmusicinc.comOr Call 630-267-9828Fax 630-357-7593www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10517

the official publication of nabba august, 2007BRASS BAND FESTIVAL REPORTS:great american brass band festival, ashland brassband festival, grand celebration of brass bands,hannaford band festivalgreat american brass bandfestivalBy Ronald W. HolzThe 18th annual Great American Brass BandFestival achieved record crowds and enjoyed thebest weather in the history of this prestigiousevent. The Brass Band of Columbus representedNABBA in stellar fashion, playing in frontof over 20,000 on the Saturday night GreatAmerican Brass Band Picnic. They had thehonor on that occasion of accompanying thefestival’s guest soloist, Philip Smith. As couldbe expected, Smith was amazing! Once again itwas my privilege to serve as the announcer forthe NABBA and SA British-style brass bandswhen they played on the Main Stage of thefestival. I am able to confidently assert that theBBC and Agincourt Temple Band (Toronto,Canada) acquitted themselves very well andoffered up entertaining and engaging concertsthat many audience members went out of theirway to tell me were among the very best of thehugely successful weekend. These two bandsshared the stage with the usual variety of professionalbrass groups that ranged in style and sizefrom the excellent quintets Spanish Brass andUS Army Field Band Chamber Brass to thejazz groups Dixie Power Trio and The DirtyDozen Brass Band. Concerts at the GABBF arerestricted to a tight 50-minutes, and both TimJameson and William Way shaped sparklingprograms that showcased their bands, and ofcourse, in the case of the BBC on Saturday,Philip Smith. Here are the four Main Stageprograms:BBC (Tim Jameson) Main Stage Saturday Concertwith Philip Smith. Esprit (Curnow); TrumpetSolo--Dramatic Essay (Williams--Holz);Light As Air (Richards; Robin Hood, Prince ofThieves (Kamen--Jameson); Flugelhorn Solo--Someone to Watch Over Me (Gershwin--Turrin);Great American Brass Band FestivalSoloist Philip Smith with the Brass Band of Columbus, Phil Jameson, conductor [photo by Patrick Herak]Trumpet Solo--Joshua Swings the Battle of Jericho(Bulla); Semper Fidelis (Sousa); TromboneFeature--I Will Follow Him (Adapted fr SisterAct); Piccolo Trumpet Solo--Escapade (Turrin);Gaelforce (Graham)BBC on Main Stage Sunday Concert (TimJameson and Brian Stevens) 633 Squadron(Goodwin); Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (Kamen--Jameson);Cornet Solo--Someone to WatchOver Me (Gershwin--Turrin), Stephanie SmithSoloist; Cornet Feature--Hora Staccato (Dinicu--Richards); Mercury (van der Roost); TromboneSolo--All I ask of You (Webber), Soloist JeffKeller; Western Fantasy (Mills); Come ThouFount (Stevens); Gaelforce (Graham)Agincourt Temple Band (William Way) MainStage Saturday Concert. Celebration (Condon);Cornet Solo--Glorious Fountain (Smith), SoloistAndrew Burditt; Excelsior (Bright) SwingtimeReligion (Gott); Euphonium Solo--HarborLight (Bearcroft), Soloist Michael Stainer;Minneapolis IV(Soderstrom); XylophoneSolo--Joyous Rhythm (Granger), Soloist LeighRowney; Amazing Grace (Himes) Make HisPraise Glorious (Gordon)Agincourt Temple Band (William Way) MainStage Sunday Concert. Milestone (Himes);Cornet Solo--Happy All the Day (Leidzén),Soloist Ted Sparks, Excelsior (Bright); SwingtimeReligion (Gott); Trombone Solo--Joshua(Pierce--Hayward), Soloist Andrew Poirier;Victors Acclaimed (Coles); Ave Verum (Mozart--Jakeway); The Firing Line (Broughton); MakeHis Praise Glorious (Gordon); Agincourt Temple(Osgood)In addition to these concerts, the BBC gave alovely short program at Constitution Squarejust prior to the Great American Parade on Sat-www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10518

the official publication of nabba august, 2007urday. During this program one special eventwas director emeritus Paul Droste leading theband and his daughter Diana Herak in a baritonesolo originally written for him! Agincourtdrew the lot of marching down Main Streetduring the Parade, and then being the glue thattied the Sunday morning Worship Service together.At that well-attended event Philip andSheila Smith as well as pianist-composer JosephTurrin joined them and the annual CommunityChoir for the musical items throughoutthe hour-long service.On Friday of the festival the Band HistoryConference met with great success. The broad,general topic was “The Band and Classics.”Five outstanding band scholars presented informativepapers, and an array of musical artistsgave outstanding recitals. A brief summary ofthe program is as follows:Gustav Holst’s Three Moorside Suites, JohnCeander Mitchell; Revisiting Wagner--Tracingthe Development of the American WindBand Through Arrangements and Editions ofWagner’s Music, Michael Votta, Jr ; Recital:Philip Smith, Principal Trumpet, New YorkPhilharmonic; Joseph Turrin; Luncheon Concertby The U.S. Army Field Band ChamberBrass; Felix Mendelssohn’s Overture for Band,op. 24: Evolution of a Wind Band Classic,Dr. Robert J. Garofalo; The Brass Ripieno:Some Adaptations of Ives for Concert Band,Jonathan Elkus; Mini-Concert of 19th-CenturyTranscriptions and Adaptations from theClassics Saxton’s Cornet Band; Scoring for theWind Band in the 19th Century: An overviewof techniques found in transcriptions, arrangementsand occasional original pieces, DonaldHunsberger, Conductor Emeritus, EastmanWind Ensemble. Panel Discussion: JonathanElkus, Robert Garofalo, Donald Hunsberger,Jon Mitchell, Philip Smith, JosephTurrin, andMichael Votta, with Ronald Holz, moderator.A good number of NABBA members were seenat the conference with several serving as performersin Saxton’s Cornet Band. This band’soutstanding mini-concert provided an excellentdemonstration of 19th-Century transcriptionsfrom the classical, operatic literature, all itemssecured from band books and related Americanbrass band publications of the mid-19thcentury: Hunter’s Chorus from The Rose of Erin(Sir Jules Benedict); E Flat Cornet Solo, DavidGoins--Una Voce Poca Fa, from The BarberGreat American Brass Band FestivalSaxton’s Cornet Band [photo by Patrick Herak]www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10519

the official publication of nabba august, 2007of Seville (Rossini); Freischütz Quickstep– adapted from von Weber by Claudio S. GraffulaFinale from 4th Duetto from Il Trovatore(Verdi); Anvil Chorus from Verdi’s Il Trovatorearr. by J. Schatzman; Marcia du Sacre from TheProphet (Meyerbeer)Plans are under way for the 2008 Festival, to beheld June 13--15, 2008. Fountain City BrassBand, NABBA 2007 champions, will representNABBA; the Southern Territorial Band, USASouth, will represent the SA. As the state ofKentucky will be celebrating the bicentennialof the birth of Abraham Lincoln in 2008, thiswill be an overriding theme of the festival andthe Band History Conference. Jashland brass band festivalBy Diana HerakThe 12th annual Ashland Brass Band Festivaltook place June 2 in Ashland, Kentucky. Alsoaffectionately known as the “Hotdog Festival”,this year’s event featured four bands thateach performed an hour-long concert for theappreciative crowd. The bands included theCommonwealth Brass Band (from Louisville,Kentucky; directed by J. Jerome Amend), the2007 North American Brass Band Association(NABBA) Honors Section Champions CentralOhio Brass Band (from Columbus, Ohio;directed by Jessica Sneeringer), the CentralOhio Youth Band of The Salvation Army(from Columbus, Ohio; directed by Dr. KeithWilkinson), and the festival’s host band and2007 NABBA Explorer Section Champions,Brass Band of the Tri-State (from Ashland,Kentucky; directed by Gary Clarke).Eric Ball’s Point of View…“We would warn our ambitious bandsmen, however, that theywill never make music really well until it has cost them something. Wewould not have them imagine there is any easy way to success.Music making is not merely a matter of accumulated knowledge: itneeds experience: experience of life itself; an entering into the realmsof joy and sorrow, peace and pain, beauty and ugliness – if notactually, then vicariously.By all means take what is so freely given to you, but do not rely onthat entirely. Give also; by self-discipline; by much study; by hardwonentry into other realms of musical experience than these moreeasily-come-by courses can offer.Let your music making cost you something in money, effort and selfsacrifice.It will then have a meaning far beyond that of a mere hobbyor entertainment.”—Reprinted from “Eric Ball: His Words and His Wisdom” compiled byPeter Cooke. 1992, Egon Publishers. Used with permission.Before the final performance of the day, BrassBand of the Tri-State’s conductor called theband’s founder, and also the founder of theAshland Brass Band Festival, Jackson Hill, tothe stage. Hill was presented with a plaque inhonor of his retirement, and for his dedicationto the brass band movement. JAshland Brass Band FestivalJackson Hill (left) with Gary Clarke, conductor, Brass Band of the Tri-State [Photo by Patrick Herak]www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10520

the official publication of nabba august, 2007grand celebration of brassbandsBy Diana Herakcakes, as well as a few 1950s one valve cavalrybugles! Next year’s Grand Celebration will takeplace June 21, 2008. JThe 13th Annual Grand Celebration of BrassBands took place June 16 at the Ushers FerryHistoric Village located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.Hosted by the Eastern Iowa Brass Band (EarleDickinson, Director), this year’s Celebrationincluded performances by the Brio Brass Band(from Minneapolis, Minnesota), the CentralOhio Brass Band (from Columbus, Ohio),Tubas Galore! (made up of members of theEastern Iowa Brass Band), and the host banditself.Each group performed 2 one-hour sets, andthen combined at the end of the day for amassed band performance of National EmblemMarch, 76 Trombones, and The Stars and StripesForever.Following the performance, all band memberswere treated to a picnic dinner, followed bya free “raffle” which saw many performers gohome with various prizes such as band CDs,t-shirts, pins, banks, delicious home-made rumGrand Celebration of Brass BandsEastern Iowa Brass Band [photo by Patrick Herak]hannaford street silverband festival of brassBy Patrick HerakThe fourth annual Hannaford Street SilverBand Festival of Brass took place this pastMarch 2-4 in Toronto, Canada at the JaneMallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre. The Festivalfeatured youth, community and professionalBritish-style brass bands.The Friday evening”Community Showcase I”featured the Ontario Central Reservist Band ofthe Salvation Army, the Weston Silver Band,and the Canadian Staff Band of the SalvationArmy.The Saturday morning “Rising Stars” concertshowcased the entire Hannaford Youth Programwhich consisted of the Hannaford JuniorBand, the Hannaford Community Band, andthe Hannaford Youth Band. It also includedthe final round of the Hannaford Youth Program’sAnnual Solo Competition. The plaqueand cash award were given to Rob Weymouth,who performed Herbert L. Clarke’s Carnivalof Venice on the trumpet. As part of his prize,www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10521

the official publication of nabba august, 2007NABBA Board member ThomasScheibner, percussionist with the NewYork Staff Band of the Salvation ArmyNew York Staff Band of the Salvation Army (Ronald Waiksnoris, Bandmaster) at the Hannaford Street Silver BandFestival of BrassRob was also asked to perform his piece thefollowing evening with the Hannaford StreetSilver Band.The Saturday afternoon “Community ShowcaseII” was made up of performances bythe Whitby Brass Band, Orillia Silver Band,Metropolitan Silver Band, Intrada Brass, MapleLeaf Brass Band, and Buffalo Silver Band. Forthe first time this year, bands in the CommunityShowcases were invited to take part in the“March Contest” if they so chose. The marchwas William Rimmer’s Slaidburn, and the adjudicatorsawarded the first “Hannaford Cup”to the Maple Leaf Brass Band (David Druce,Conductor).The New York Staff Band of the SalvationArmy performed a full concert program on theSaturday evening (including an encore of Starsand Stripes Forever), and the Festival concludedwith the host band’s Sunday afternoon “HeavyMetal” concert.After attending this year’s festival, it is veryclear that British-style banding in Canada isalive and well. Next year’s festival will takeplace April 11-13, 2008. Jwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10522

the official publication of nabba august, 2007COMPACTDISC REVIEWSBy Ronald HolzUnless otherwise noted, the recordings reviewedmay be accessed from www.worldofbrass.com,who provided the review copies.Blue Book Favourites. Household TroopsBand (John Mott). SP&S CD 225. TT:79:18. Program: Montreal Citadel (Audoire);Beaumont (Dickens); Constant Trust (Ball); Onto the War (Leidzén); Lloyd (Coles); Fightingfor the Lord (Soderstrom); Under Two Flags(Coles); O Rest in the Lord (Mendelssohn--Jakeway); The Redcliffe March (Hollis); ThePilgrim’s Prayer (Rouse--Ball); The Wellingtonian(Scotney); Suite--The Pilgrim Way (Ball);The Flag of Freedom (Coles); A Warning Message(Ball); In the Firing Line (Coles); Ave Verum(Mozart--Jakeway); Star Lake (Ball); The RedShield (Goffin).In 1967 the Salvation Army in London(SP&S) released an excellent collection ofpieces from their General Series Band Journal,the third such collection since the late 1920s.These gems were published with a light bluecover, and bound in a handsome, durableband book. Such collections preserved thebest of the repertoire from an earlier period(essentially late 1920s--late 1940s), especiallyfor new bands, or bands rebuilding theirlibraries. The ‘Blue Book’ is still available, andis a gold mine for, among other things, 25outstanding marches. This new recording bythe Household Troops Band provides almost80 minutes of demo performances of the bestitems in the book. The band is especiallysolid and aggressive on eleven of the marches,including Leidzén’s On to the War or Audoire’sMontreal Citadel. However, this collectioncontained 29 other pieces, from selections toclassical transcriptions, and therefore the bandalso delivers these with certain panache. Ofspecial mention is Eric Ball’s wonderful suiteThe Pilgrim Way, a mid-level work excellentfor both programming and band training. Itmay be that these young players, having grownup playing these chestnuts, could have takingmore care with some of the pieces, someragged ensemble in evidence, as well as suspectintonation. Balance in the recording is unevenat times, like on the march Red Shield, whereyou mostly hear low end and percussion in theopening measures, and the cornets get lost.All that said, I recommend this collection as asolid, competent resource for studying a widerange of great brass band music, from thoseclassic marches to several excellent transcriptions,like Jakeway’s treatment of Mozart’s motetAve Verum. Only a very few items would berestricted to Salvationist use, making both thebook and the recording well worth the investmentby any band. If a band secures the books,the recording becomes all the more helpfulbecause when the ‘Blue Book’ was published,the bound full score did not provide scores forthe marches. Ray Steadman-Allen, who was theeditor of the series when released, provides ashort but informative introduction; that said, itwould have been helpful to have more extensivenotes for the uninitiated.Devil’s Duel. David Thorton, EuphoniumSoloist, with Black Dyke Band (NicholasChilds). Doyen. DOY CD 229. TT 62:30.Program: Devil’s Duel (Meechan); Benediction(Stevens); Requiem Paraphrases (Meechan); SoDeep Is the Night (Chopin--Fernie); Sonata in CMajor (Bach--Meechan/Thorton); There Will BeGod (Webb--Phillips); Concerto for Euphonium(Wilby); My Mountain Top (Scott).David Thorton, principal euphonium of BlackDyke, delivers an excellent solo disc in thisdiverse collection of works that includes bothband accompaniment and other combinationswith the soloist. The title work refers to thedemoniac technical skill attributed to Paganini,Peter Meechan choosing the legendaryviolinist’s A Minor Caprice (#24) as the basis ofa series of variations marked by major technicalhurdles to be overcome. Both soloist andband are equal to the devilish demands! If youknow Wilby’s Paganini Variations, you knowthe tune, or better, if you know the AndrewLloyd Webber Variations for Cello and Orchestra,which Peter Graham skillfully arrangedfor euphonium and brass band, you will havethe idea. The Meechan does not convince meas well as the Webber, but is nonetheless anengaging work. Other pieces on the disc foreuphonium and band include several elegant,lyrical solos that Thorton handles with understatedelegance--the Chopin and Joy Webbitems. Two major works with band round outthat category. Meechan’s Requiem Paraphrasebegins in a dissonant, modernist haze, but soonfragments of Mozart’s Requiem emerge, anda fine piece takes shape within a nine-minuteperiod; it should prove a good addition to theeuphonium’s repertoire. The climax of therecording occurs during Philip Wilby’s Concerto,here played superbly by band and soloist.A number of great players have tackled thiswork since Robert Childs premiered it withthis band back in 1995. Here is another greatperformance, including the exciting, platesmashingZeibekikos or Greek dance. The workhas become a modern benchmark for rising euphoniumvirtuosi. The remaining three worksare for contrasting instrumental combinations,and they make for a satisfying balance in thiskind of solo recording. John Stevens scored hislovely, short Benediction for euphonium andtuba trio. Meechan and Thornton adapted theBach flute sonata for solo euphonium and brassquintet. Ordinarily I would have thought sucha change in range and scoring would not work,but the smaller accompanying group (ratherthan brass band), and the economical voicingfor the quintet make this a very serviceablework. The concluding item, My Mountain Topcombines solo euphonium with synthesized accompanimentand spoken narration, the kindof item that would be great on a collegiate solorecital, though I was not fully convinced by it,especially as the closing track. Throughout thisexcellent disc Thornton proves why he was agreat successor to Robert Childs at Black Dyke.He offers a clear, tight sound that is not overborn or pushed, and the tone is also warm andelegant, projecting well, but never distorted.The recording sound and the presentation alsorate high marks, including Thornton’s owninsightful notes of the music. A high qualitysolo disc!Enigma. Bonesapart. Egon. SFZ 137. TT55:40. Program: Overture to Barber of Seville(Rossini--Vollam); Three Equali (Beethoven);Suite from L’estro armonico (Vivaldi--McDonald);Three Motets (Bruckner); Carmen Suite(Bizet--Vollam); Four Ballet Scenes (variouscomposers, arr. McDonald and Vollam).This trombone quartet from the United Kingdomhas had much success in recent years andcurrently has residency at University of Salford,a hot bed of brass band culture. Formed in1999, the members include Becky Smith, tenorand alto; Helen Vollam, tenor; Katy Jones,tenor; Lorna McDonald, bass. The focus of thisdisc is transcriptions primarily from 19th-centuryliterature, or in the case of the Beethoven,www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10523

the official publication of nabba august, 2007music from the late classical period writtenfor trombones. Two members, Vollam andMcDonald, have arranged the majority of theprogram. They have skillfully adapted severalfamous pieces to the strengths of the group.Throughout the disc the quartet demonstratesexcellent technical control and good ensemble;at times they reach into the stratosphere andthe depths of the trombone range and comeoff the victors! I especially enjoyed thoselyrical, more somber works that were writtenfor trombones, like the Beethoven Equali, orthe Bruckner and Humperdinck transcriptions.Yet these gals handle the widest range ofstyles within this entertaining program, thosesomewhat darker cuts contrasting well with thebright excerpts from opera and ballet. Perhapsthe arrangers might have explored more useof mutes to help with some necessary colorchanges, though at times there are some goodmoments with effective mute use. The disccontains good notes on the music, the group isrecorded well, and exhibits good balance andsound. This recording will be a special treatand resource for trombonists, but it also hasmuch wider appeal.Essential Dyke, Volume VIII. Black DykeBand (Nicholas Childs). Doyen. DOY CD227. TT 71:04. Program: Simoraine (Barraclough);Fingal’s Cave (Mendelssohn--Lorriman);Cornet Solo--Zelda (Code), SoloistRichard Marshall; Riverdance (Farr); Tuba Solo--Capriccio (Newton), Soloist Joseph Cook);Where Eagles Dare (Lovatt-Cooper); Music(Miles--Broadbent); Baritone Solo--DonegalBay (Lovatt-Cooper); Yellow Submarine(Lennon&McCartney--Fernie); Vienna Nights(Wilby)In the opening march, Simoraine, Black Dykeimmediately proves why these collections haveproved so popular. The tight ensemble, stunningtechnique and dynamic range are simplystunning and I was hooked! The programunfolds like a concert, ending with the band’sterrific, live performance of Vienna Nights bywhich they won the 2006 British Open BrassBand Championships. The highlight of disc forme, besides that opening march, is principalcornet Richard Marshall on an old standardsolo, Zelda. Marshall must be consideredamong the best cornetists of the day. Here iseffortless sounding playing of the highest order,shop.salvationarmy.orgThe place for Salvation Army Recordings,Music Publications and BooksNow Salvation Army Brass Band Music is available toyou 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...all with the touch of your fingers!Official North AmericanDistributor for World of Brassreminiscent of the legendary Harry Mortimer,and--may I say it--perhaps even surpassing thatstandard, especially for modern taste? JosephCook plays very well on Rodney Newton’s Capriccio,and I was especially pleased with a tonesolo for baritone, Dongel Bay, presented withelegant confidence by Gareth Brindle. Anothercompelling reading comes on Lorriman’s recenttranscription of Mendelssohn’s overture Fingal’sCave (also titled The Hebrides Overture). NicholasChilds takes a stately approach that is fullyconvincing and does honor to this great Romanticgem. Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s Where EaglesDare pays homage to the American bald eagle,and is a short, demanding test for band--awork we almost had for our Reading Band thisyear; not sure we would have gotten throughit unscathed! Other items will be well knownto most. I was not a fan of Fernie’s ‘Patrol”style setting of the Beatles Yellow Submarine,but others might love it, especially after 40+years. Roy Newsome has written the helpful,concise notes, and as expected, Doyen has donean excellent job with the sound and over allpresentation. This is another hit in the famedseries from Black Dyke.Grimethorpe in Concert,Volume III. GrimethorpeBand (Richard Evans and PhilipHarper). Egon SFZ 134. TT 65:42. Program:On the Quarter Deck (Alford); Fingal’s Cave(Mendelssohn--Thompson); Cornet Solo--Concert Etude (Goedicke--Broughton), SoloistRoger Webster; I Dreamed a Dream (Schonberg--Natel);Los Hermanos De Bop (Taylor--Smith); Euphonium Solo--Nocturne (Chopin--Smith), Soloist Michael Dodd; Duet--Pie Jesu(Webber---Smith), Kevin Crockford, Soprano,Ian Shires, Flugel); Mephisto Waltz (Liszt--Snell); Emblem of Unity (Richards--Vertommen);Xylophone Solo--Helter Skelter (Leom--Woodfield), Soloist Gavin Pritchard); The Maskof Zorro (Horner--Smith); Flugel Solo--MaghSeola (Fahy--Smith), Soloist Ian Shires;Shepherd’s Hey (Grainger--Wright); Entry of theGods into Valhalla (Wagner--Snell).Here is another typical pot-pourri of arrangementsfor brass band played with great pizzazz.The two conductors have selected a fine balanceof terrific marches, solos, transcriptions,and arrangements. Of the latter, special creditmust be given to solo tenor horn member ofthe band, Sandy Smith, who has produced somany of the crowd-pleasing tunes this bandexcels at presenting. Alford’s On the QuarterDeck opens the disc, and the band plays thiswww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10524

the official publication of nabba august, 2007quintessential British military march with theright swagger and dignity, steady and firm.Great contrast to it comes in the J.J. Richardscircus-style march Emblem of Unity, but evenhere they do not go at the ridiculous temposome bands attempt. Again, we hear the ‘usualsuspects’ in terms of light fare, but there aretwo standout arrangements by Howard Snell.His adaptation of Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz istaken perhaps a bit too fast, though one isdazzled by the band’s attempt to handle thesevere technical demands and still make music,rather than just show off! I found it a tadfrantic but exciting nonetheless--maybe thatwas the point in portraying a demonic musicalscene. The concluding Wagner excerpt, Entryof the Gods into Valhalla, is another story--aterrific, majestic conclusion to an entertaining,if somewhat predictable album. I wasinitially puzzled to see both the Black DykeEssential VIII and Grimethorpe III start with amarch and the Mendelssohn overture--was thiscalculated competition or coincidence? If theformer, I think Black Dyke comes off slightlybetter on both counts, but only slightly. Thatmay be because I think the Lorriman arrangementmore convincing that the older one byThompson, and I prefer Childs’ interpretation.Plus, the recorded sound of Grimethorpe,while good, is not outstanding, not fully flatteringin my estimation to the band’s overallblend; the overall sound is occasionally harsh.The presentation is handsome, with short,unacknowledged notes on the music. This isanother fine package of delightful, lighter concertmusic, including several outstanding solosas one would expect with such a fine band.National Brass Band Championships (UK)2006--Live Winning Performances. Fivedifferent bands. Doyen DOY CD 219. TT55:43. Program: Champ Level Grimethorpe:Les francs juges (Berlioz--Wright); 1st SectionKilworth: Ballet from Perfect Fool (Holst--Parkes); 2nd Section St Denis: Gothic Dances(Fernie); 3rd Section Long Eaton: Sinfonietta(Langford); 4th Section Dodworth Colliery:Valerius Variations (Sparke).If you have not had a chance to study and gainan understanding of the British brass bandcontesting system, this new disc is the place tostart. You will hear the 2006 winning performancesin all five section or levels, starting atthe top and moving down to 4th section. Inthe process you will be introduced to some excellentmusic and you can compare the bands,and the levels to those in NABBA. Becausethe performing venues varied, the sound willchange from item to item--from a very wet halllike London’s Royal Albert Hall, to the comparativelydrier Harrogate International Centre inYorkshire. Even in the latter, the sound slightlyvaries from section to section. Grimethorpeoffers a stunning performance of an old transcriptionof a lesser-known Berlioz overture,Les franc juges. Going into the contest manythought it would not be an adequate test, butthese pundits were proven wrong. I am pleasedto see an occasional transcription chosen fora test piece, as music of the Romantic periodpresents bands with a different series of hurdles,especially musical hurdles, than they sometimesare confronted with in the note-busy moderntest piece. I remember our own BBC givingan excellent, award-winning performance ofParkes’s transcription of Gustav Holst’s The PerfectFool back a few years a NABBA. Kilworthunder John Berryman show just how high thestandard is in the First Section, which in termsof NABBA would fall somewhere between ourChampionship and Honors sections. NABBAis still just a nudge below the Championshiplevel in the UK, though I am convinced not forlong. Among the other three works, Fernie’sGothic Dances struck me especially, and I haveeven gone to the lengths of requesting a scorefor possible consideration at NABBA for ourChallenge Section (and likewise for Sparke’slovely Valerius Variations for Explorer--Youth).Not only would Gothic Dances be a good test,it would be a good concert item, as well. Thepackage contains one-page bios on each of thebands and a short overview of the Nationalsby Nicola Bland. I recommend this as anothergreat resource for brass band literature on ahigher order.The Promised Land. Cory Band (RobertChilds). Doyen. DOY CD 218. TT 72:57Program: The Promised Land (Downie); OfMen and Mountains (Gregson); The Year of theDragon (Sparke); Trittico (Curnow); A Tear inthe Fabric of Time (Wood).If I were to choose the “CD of the quarter” or“CD of the (Bridge) issue,” this would be it!Here are five outstanding performances andinterpretations of major, recent works for brassband. Buy as You View Band has regainedits former, gloried named, Cory, and theycontinue under Robert Childs to be rankedamong the UK’s finest. They open with a workcommissioned from Kenneth Downie forthe band to play as their own choice piece atthe 2006 European, an event they came veryclose to winning because of this work Downieshaped around the strengths of the band. I firstsaw the score to this colorful work when I satas External Examiner on Downie’s DMA vivavoce exam last May. At that time the work hadnot yet premiered, and so I have been thrilledto hear it in all its lyrical warmth and technicalbrilliance. Downie choose fragments of famousWelsh hymn tunes, including primarily Parry’sfamous song Myfawny as the hidden under pinningof his rhapsodic variations. The composerlayers and provides a semantic element orprogram to the work, using the exodus of theHebrews as a frame of reference, but I personallydo not think that works nor is necessary;it works as music alone, the attached story abit strained. Especially evident in this workis the superb playing of the conductors’ son,principal euphonium David Childs. The nexttwo works are well known to many in NABBA,especially as the Gregson was a recent Championshiptest and several bands have tackledthe Sparke at our contest in recent years. Coryand Robert Childs deliver the goods on bothand in no uncertain terms! Curnow’s Tritticois among his best works for brass band andit too receives a terrific reading. Only in theimprovisational section at the end of the finalvariation does the band not quite pull it off,this indeterminate section not crisp enough inthe upper voices, not dramatic enough in thelow end. The finale, however, makes you forgetthat, and this wonderful series of variations onan American shape-note tune ends in a thrillingblaze of sound. The album concludes, as itbegan, with a work written especially for Cory,Gareth Wood’s A Tear in the Fabric of Time.The composer tells us in his short programnote that the work was inspired by a bookcalled The Elegant Universe (Brian Greene).Wood has tried to reflect in sound on somechallenging ideas concerning the modern physicsof the Universe and in the process he hasindeed shaped “a virtual symphony for band.”Composers are about shaping time--and space--for us (I recall Broughton’s tongue in cheektitle Masters of Space and Time!). Wood gives usnew, bracing soundscapes in which to immerseourselves. The CD’s fine presentation includesshort biographies of each composer, and aprogram note written by them on their music.Cory Band and its leader are also profiled inwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10525

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the official publication of nabba august, 2007detail. This is an outstanding disc on all levels.Soliloquy. Kristy Roberts, Cornet Soloist,with Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band(Allan Ramsay). SFZ 139. TT 69:33. Program:A New Dimension (Webb--Hague); SomeoneCares (Steadman-Allen); O Divine Redeemer(Gounod--Newsome); Down by Sally Gardens(Baker); God Be in My Head (Davies--Baker);Mvt 2 fr Violin Concerto (Bruch--Hague);Home Away from Home (Coulter); Adagio(Rachmaninov); Grace (Baker); Soliloquy(Sparke); Your Tiny Hand is Frozen (Puccini--Langford); I Hear You Calling Me (Marshall--Ord Hume); Meditation (Massenet--Fernie);You Raise Me Up (Graham--Duncan).The art of truly lyrical, melodic cornet playingis not easily acquired. Exponents of it delivera lovely, liquid sound in seemingly effortlessmanner. The truth is otherwise; such skillis both a gift and one hard earned throughcareful study and imitation of great exponentsfrom the past. Kristy Roberts has achieved thatlevel of artistic melodic solo playing, and thisdisc ably showcases her talents on a programthat is intentionally about the softer, tonesolo. My only objection to the production isthat if taken at one sitting, it can be a bit of asoporific, lulling one somewhat. Listening toindividual items is revelatory, for the soloist hasa wonderful mastery of legato playing, and sheliterally floats throughout the cornet range. Ijust longed for an occasional, aggressive gestureor a dramatic, marcato outburst--but thatit not what this program is about. The titletune Soliloquy by Philip Sparke is one I hadused for years in my trumpet studio as a workin which an underclassman could open theirsound, expand their breathe control, while atthe same time significantly widen their expressiverange. I am delighted to finally hear itwith its original brass band accompaniment.Many NABBA bands are still struggling withthat ideal cornet sound. Here is a good sampleof soft, elegant playing that, taken in smallerportions, will provide another good model forcornetists to imitate. Roberts’ vibrato rate andsize are not excessive, in terms of Americanaesthetic, so that should not prove a barrier.American players already have enough aggressionin their playing, so they will not learn thathere. Roberts is, if anything, understated inher expressive range. Carlton Main and AllanRamsey provide solid accompaniments in these14 lyrical solos, a good number of them ofdevotional or sacred intent. The six-fold insertcard provides adequate information aboutthe soloist, band, conductor, and, to a certainextent, music.Supremacy. International Staff Band (StephenCobb). SPS 228 CD. TT 65:34. Program:Concertante for Cornets and Band (Bulla); WhenI Survey (Ritman); City of God (Bowen); Songsin Exile (Ball); The Pilgrim’s Progress (Newton);Él es el Señor (Jones); Trombone Solo--Life’sCommand (Bright), Soloist Dudley Bright; TheLord is Gracious (Bartlett--Ritman); EuphoniumSolo--In Christ Alone (Townsend--Phillips),Soloist Derick Kane; Supremacy (Jones).The centerpiece and highlight of this fine ISBdisc is Dudley Bright’s Life’s Command, a newconcertino for trombone and band he playswith great authority and artistry. Bright servesas principal trombone of the London SymphonyOrchestra and maintains active involvementin the SA. On the semantic level, themusic refers to a journey of the soul, band andsoloist struggling with the long term implicationsof embracing the main associated song:“Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus, Anywhere,everywhere, I will follow on.” The other deeplymoving work on this disc is Eric Ball’s soundportrait of the human journey, but also on ahidden level, about his own return to activeChristian service in the SA, after an extendedabsence--Songs in Exile. Stephen Cobb approachesthe work with the respect it deserves,and does not overdo the emotional, expressiveelements. In 2003 Rodney Newton wrote ThePilgrim’s Progress as homage to Eric Ball duringthe centenary celebrating Ball’s birth. Withinthis 14-minute symphonic variations Newtonexploits to the full Ball’s hymn The Pilgrim’sSong. This modal melody first appeared asa choral part song, then movement one ofThe Pilgrim Way suite, and finally became acongregational song within the SA. Newtonframes the variations around aspects of the associatedtext from John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’sProgress, therefore providing a programmaticelement as well, the CD notes providing theeight textual references to that allegory. Theother major work is the title tune, Supremacy,by Dean Jones, a rising SA composer bestknown for his recent Glorifco Aeternum. As inthat work, here Jones blends contemporarystyles and songs, with more dissonant, originalepisodes. His eclecticism will appeal to manybut I feel the formal and artistic elements arenot strong enough to allow the work to transcendits time. The work opens promisingly,like something by Brenton Broadstock, butmoments later we experience a rather trite rocksetting of Come Thou Almighty King; and so itsgoes throughout the rhapsodic selection. Andyet in the SA’s desire for its brass band music toreach a wider contemporary audience, perhapsits young composers intentionally sacrifice formalelegance for popular appeal. Supremacy isa sincere, shining work that will receive a gooddeal of attention in the next few years, due inpart to this model performance by the ISB.There are some terrific solo and ensemble itemson this recording, starting with the cornet sectionbrilliantly playing movement one of Bulla’sConcertante. Stalwart euphonium soloist DerekKane shines through on a straightforward andappealing setting of In Christ Alone. A newDutch arranger, Olaf Ritman, contributes twoaccessible, ‘ordinary’ in the best sense, arrangements.The band is in fine form throughout,and the production is likewise very good, withformer territorial music secretary Trevor Davissupplying the kind of notes absolutely essentialfor a full understanding of this kind of sacredprogram. While the Dudley Bright piece andperformance along make this a worthy acquisition,the entire package is one I can sincerelyrecommend.Untold Stories. Owen Farr, Tenor Horn (EFlat Alto) Soloist, with Cory Band (RobertChilds). Doyen DOY CD 225. TT 62:46.Program: Bride of the Waves (Clarke); AnUntold Story (Lovatt-Cooper); Variations sur lathema favori (Arban--Farr); Salm O Dewi Sant(Jenkins--Snell); Fugitive (Newton); Variationson a Welsh Theme (Kneal); Banks and Braes(Miller--Collinson); Finale fr. Violin Concerto(Mendelssohn--Hopkinson); Concerto for TenorHorn and Brass Band (Wood).We can’t have enough models of outstandingalto, or in British parlance, tenor horn performance.At NABBA Sheona White providedthat quite proficiently and now Owen Farr,solo hornist of Cory Band, offers up his first,and outstanding, alto horn solo collectionin Untold Stories. Farr is equally at home inolder variation form solos like the Arban andClarke or in the modern repertoire such as thesignature Concerto by Wood. The disc programunfolds wisely, highlighting the excellentcontrasts provided. Gareth Wood wrote hisTenor Horn Concerto for Farr to premiere withthe National Youth Brass Band of Wales. 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the official publication of nabba august, 2007David Henderson capturing a great balanceand blend. Second trumpet player ArloThompson arranged two pieces for the group.His arrangement of the ballad Your Daddy’s Sonfrom Ragtime is quite effective. His concluding‘suite’ of Police tunes is not as convincing, andon several levels. It does not, in my opinion,make for as satisfying an ending as this finedisc deserved. Others will revel in it! Overallthis is a solid quintet album, marked by stylisticallycorrect, technically assured, and tunefulplaying. There is much to commend here! Therecording may be secured from www.CDbaby.com; The disc is $12.95 and S&H is $2.25Vienna Nights: The Music of Philip Wilby.Black Dyke Band (Nicholas Childs). Doyen.DOY CD 210. TT 65:37. Program: Dove Descending;Northern Lights; Music for the MovingImage; Vienna Nightsthree-movement, neo-romantic work is anideal vehicle for Farr’s excellent tone and technicalflare, while also requiring much of theband. The other attractive original works arePeter Kneal’s Variations on a Welsh Theme andNewton’s Fugitive. These modern works arebalanced by the title ballad, An Untold Story,the Arban’s Variations, and the Clarke standard,Bride of the Waves. The Clarke adapts surprisinglywell for tenor horn, while I cannot saythe same for the Finale from the MendelssohnViolin Concerto--this is just a bit of stretch, nomatter how attractive the piece can be to a hostof other instruments! However, I take nothingaway from Farr’s thrilling tour-de-forceperformance. The recording gives Farr’s greattone a wonderful presence, and he is neveroverwhelmed by the large, rich sound of Cory.Farr supplies his own excellent sleeve notes onthe music; the presentation and recording arequality stuff. Highly recommended for anyalto (tenor) horn player, and beyond that, allstudents of good brass playing.Victory Brass: Tera-Miskia. Victory BrassQuintet. Available from the artists. TT 53:08.Program: Fanfare from La peri (Dukas--Barrington);Contrapunctus IX (Bach--Glasel); YourDaddy’s Son (Flaherty--Thompson); CanzonaBergamasca (Scheidt--DeJong); Girl with theFlaxen Hair (Debuusy--Kulesha); My SpiritBe Joyful (Bach--Herforth); Colchester Fantasy(Ewazen); Stephen Foster Medley (Gale); Adagio(Corelli--Vatt); Greensleeves Fantasy (Nagle); AFew Police Tunes (Sting--Thompson).Victory Brass Quintet is resident at CentenaryUnited Methodist Church in Lexington, KY.Several members have also been in the LexingtonBrass Band on different occasions. In theirfirst disc these men have selected a wide-rangingprogram of both standard quintet fare andnew, attractive arrangements. Sooner or latermost quintets tackle Contrapunctus IX, or theCanzona Bergamasca, and these guys do so withaplomb.Three other transcriptions come off well, too--the Debussy, Corelli and the Bach sacred song,My Spirit Be Joyful. My personal favorite onthe disc is the Eric Ewazen Colchester Fantasy,a fifteen-minute, four-movement major workfor brass quintet. Here Victory Brass is heardto best advantage, with recording engineerThis is an impressive collection of studiorecordings of four major works by one of theleading brass band composers of the day, PhilipWilby. While Black Dyke has released performancesof three of the works in other recordings,including the live recording of ViennaNights included in their Essential Dyke VIIIreviewed above, this milestone recording allowsthe diligent student high quality performancesand recordings produced with loving care byDoyen. Wilby provides extensive booklet noteson all four pieces, including musical examplesfor the Mozart tribute, Vienna Nights. Withthese notes the listener can access more deeplyWilby’s fascinating musical world, one that attimes can be a bit daunting without some efforton the part of the listener. A short review likethis cannot possibly begin to explain the richescontained within these fascinating works. Eachof them was commissioned for a significantbrass band event or contest, and if not all fourhave been fully embraced by a majority of thebrass band community, I am sure this excellentrecording will aid a great deal in assessmentand understanding on these diverse and challengingscores written within a tight, seven yearspan 1999--2006. Dove Descending: Sonataon Open Tones premiered at the MillennialBritish Open (2000). Northern Lights featuredduring Black Dyke’s 150th Anniversary, andWilby includes a recording of the band fromthe 1930s as part of the performance option.The 2005 World Brass Band Championshipsin Kerkrade, Holland, commissioned Musicfor the Moving Image: Three Sonatas for BrassBand as the very challenging test piece. Viennawww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10528

the official publication of nabba august, 2007Nights marked Wilby’s fifth work for the BritishOpen, this time for the 2006 contest. In itWilby pays tribute to Mozart on the occasionof the Mozart 250th. Wilby’s dense texturesand complex instrumental combinations areheard to particular advantage in this fine,technically assured recording that is, in nouncertain terms, a great resource for the seriousbrass band student. JBOOKREVIEWSRonald W. Holz, Editor. Reviews in thisissue by Ronald W. Holz (RH) and HerbRoselle (HR)Duncan, Andrew. Scoring and Arrangingfor Brass Band. Newmarket, Scotland: LewisMusic Press, 2006. 123 pages; Photographs,illustrations, and score examples; bibliography.Available from www.worldofbrass or www.lewismusicpress.comThe author intends this book for the firsttime arranger or composer for brass bands.However, it is far more than a compendium ofinstrument ranges with examples. The first sectionof the book takes the student through theinstruments, starting from the tubas and proceedingupward. It also includes considerationfor percussion instruments. Each instrumentis considered by itself and also with its closelyrelated neighbors in range.The second half considers the need for balanceand creates a hymn tune arrangement todemonstrate the process. The final portion ofthe book considers transcription from otherensembles. The six-page opening on brass bandhistory is not necessary to the function of thebook and those pages may have been put tobetter use. Also, the book gives little considerationto issues of sonority in the first section.For example, euphoniums are considered inthe context of trombones and baritones, butin their frequent use in doubled cornet lines atthe octave, no mention is made. However, infairness, given the limited goals of the book,those considerations may be best reserved formore advanced texts.The book’s strengths are many, not the least ofwhich is the great care given to balance in thesecond section. Duncan lets you know thatbrass band scoring is not simply plugging in thenotes to suit the range. Also, the final sectionon transcription gives us a wonderful lens intothe thinking of a top arranger. In summary,this book is strongly recommended for anyonedeciding to write for the brass band. It is a clearand thorough introduction to the basics, combinedwith a “how to” approach in instructionfrom one of the best in the business. (HR)Steadman-Allen, Ray. Forward by Eric Ball.Colour and Texture in the Brass Band Score.London: SP&S, 2005 Reprint (First released1980). ISBN 0-85412-365-2 Paperback; large8 1/2x11 size. 84 pages; Multiple musicalexamples; index.This fine discussion of brass band scoring firstappeared in 1980, then quickly went out ofprint. Fortunately, SP&S has recently reprintedthis outstanding resource for the serious studentof the British-style brass band. The greatstrength of the book lies in the many excellentexamples from both the best contest literatureand the SA. While the discussion is broadlytechnical, it is aimed at the general musician,not the specialist. The author is economical inhis writing, due no doubt to space constraintsat the time of the initial publication. The studyis divided into two main sections aligned withthe title: 1) “Colour” (British spelling of color)--a detailed discussion of the timbre array withinthe brass band, and discussion of variouscombinations; 2) “Texture”--an examination ofthe layering of sound in various settings (polyphonic,homophonic, antiphonal, etc.). Theauthor takes a methodical approach in each section.“Colour,” for instance, starts off with anexamination of the pure tones in a brass band,the various families of instruments, and thenleads into mixed tones. The full band score,the standard layout, is shown via the scoringof a hymn tune, taking the previous discussionto the next logical level. The remainingchapters in “Colour” then touch on a varietyof combinations, ending in a concise considerationof the use of percussion in the brass bandscore. In “Texture”, Steadman-Allen primarilyfocuses on the layering of melodic and motivicmaterial via various techniques, such as developmentalepisodes, canon, and fugue. In thechapter dealing with fugal textures, a list of theexamples will be helpful in showing the readerthe array displayed by the author: Fugue fromSevern Suite (Elgar), Allegro moderato variationfrom Variations for Brass Band (VaughanWilliams); an imitative section in Gems fromGounod (arr. Jakeway); Final fugal variation ofVariations--I Know a Fount (Rive). Scores aregiven in reduced, or short score format, pianoreduction, or in full score excerpts, dependingon the focus of the discussion. All examplesare clear and easy to read. Steadman-Allenis not always as specific in what the studentcould learn from these examples, but at leasthe spares us from being too pedantic whenthings are hopefully obvious. If there is aweakness in the book, it would be that there isnot just not enough. One longs for even moreexamples within each category, even in themidst of this wealth of material. Yet hopefullythe eager student is spurred on to individualeffort in the topic. Another cautionary noteis that the book was completed by 1980, andwhile the essential aspects of scoring and colorin the brass band score can be studied withinRSA’s time frame, the examples ranging fromHolst’s Moorside Suite of the 1920s to his ownOn Ratcliffe Highway (1978), within the last 25years some fascinating new scoring combinationshave been explored in brass band music.The expansion of the percussion section andthe greater use of mutes alone would be twobrief examples. Nonetheless, this short volumeis, in my estimation, an unsurpassed resourceas an introduction to brass band instrumentationand scoring. The book also providesa broad historical overview of brass bandrepertoire 1920--1980 via the many examplesshared, these drawn from quality literature andoutstanding composers of the period. Highlyrecommend for the serious brass band student.Available via www.worldofbrass.com (RH) Jwww.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10529

the official publication of nabba august, 2007exit rampIn focuscrawford arch on bridgemountainzion national park, utahDouglas Yeo, Editorwww.nabba.org www.nabbabridge.org www.nabbamusic.orgThe views expressed by writers whose work appears in The Brass Band Bridge are not necessarilythose of the North American Brass Band Association.The Brass Band Bridge welcomes news, materials for review, communications, photographs,advertising, and scholarly articles on all aspects relating to and for the benefit of North Americanbrass bands and their members. The Brass Band Bridge will print small ads, gratis, from NABBAmember bands on a space available basis. Only one gratis ad per band per year will be printed.Materials for inclusion in The Brass Band Bridge must be submitted as Microsoft Word documentsand photos must be submitted as JPEG files (300 ppi [pixels per inch] resolution). Materials maybe edited for content. A style sheet for Bridge submissions bay be found at nabbabridge.org. Addressall materials for publication (including queries about advertising rates and sizes) to: DouglasYeo (email: bridge @ yeodoug. com), 9 Freemont Street, Lexington, MA 02421.Recordings and books for review should be sent to: Ronald Holz, Music Department, AsburyCollege, 1 Macklem Drive, Wilmore, KY 40390.New music for review should be sent to: Colin Holman, 31 Joseph Lane, Glendale Heights, IL60139.The Brass Band Bridge is published four or five times a year, with major issues appearing in February(Championship preview), May (Championship review) and October (announcement ofChampionship test pieces). Issue 106 will be published on October 15, 2007. The deadline forsubmission of materials for inclusion in Issue 106 of The Brass Band Bridge is September 15, 2007.The Brass Band Bridge is created using Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign CS2, Adobe Photoshop,and Adobe Acrobat 7.0 running on a Macintosh Dual Core Intel iMac. Wayne Wilcox, design andlayout consultant.Credits: The Brass Band Bridge web banner image designed by Wayne Wilcox. Photo of theGolden Gate Bridge courtesy Can Stock Photo, used with permission, all rights reserved. Photo ofthe Brooklyn Bridge courtesy Gary Feuerstein of The Brooklyn Bridge Website, used with permission,all rights reserved. Music image, March from Triptych for Bass Trombone and Brass Band byLawrence Wolfe, courtesy Lawrence Wolfe, used with permission, all rights reserved. Photo ofCrawford Arch in the issue 105 header and in the In Focus sidebar courtesy Zion Natural HistoryAssociation (zionpark.org), used with permission, all rights reserved. JIssue 105 of The Brass Band Bridge featuresCrawford Arch on Bridge Mountain in ZionNational Park, Utah.Zion National Park was established in 1917,one of a number of National Parks that form“The Grand Staircase” of the Colorado Plateauthat covers parts of Arizona, Utah, Coloradoand New Mexico. Navajo sandstone is a distinguishingkind of stone that has been eroded indifferent ways, giving the magnificent formationsfound in Zion as well as Grand Canyon,Bryce Canyon, Arches, Cedar Breaks andCanyonlands National Parks.Crawford Arch is named for William L. Crawford,a farmer who settled in Zion Canyonin the late 1800’s. He was the first person inmodern times to notice the arch on the face ofwhat is now called Bridge Mountain. While itis not, strictly speaking, a bridge (the eleganceof Crawford Arch has caused some to refer toit as a “flying buttress”) the arch gave Bridgemountain its name.Crawford Arch is visible from the Zion NationalPark Human History Museum as well asthe Watchman and Pa’rus Trails. It blends inso well with the surrounding scenery that mostvisitors never notice the 110 feet long naturalwonder.We are grateful to the Zion Natural HistoryAssociation (zionpark.org) for granting permissionto reprint this photo which was takenfrom J. L. Crawford’s, “Zion Album.” µCopyright © 2007 by the North American Brass Band Association, Inc. (NABBA)Issue 105 posted August 1, 2007.Conceived, designed and produced in the United States of America. All rights reserved.www.nabba.orgthe brass band bridge, issue 10530