Favorie Wind Ensamble Peices

[sloan]

University/conservatory crowd, no.

Judging by the past few events I have been at these types of institutions would say you are right. Too bad it's wrong. Talk about giving a student a wholly unrealistic educational experience vis-a-vis what he will be up against in real life.

Chuck"who wonders why"Jackson

Which "real life" did you have in mind?

[Wyvern]

Dont try to "educate", but do your best to "entertain", which is, when you boil it all down, the reason music exists. And please don't say it exists to elevate one's soul, that is a wagon load of malarkey, too.

I cannot entirely agree with this. Certain concerts, such as playing in the park are to entertain, but to some people going to an evening concert is to "elevate one's soul". Although this is usually "classical" concerts, there is no reason why the wind ensemble cannot provide such an experience if the program is right.

A wind work which I find highly elevating in Myaskovsky Symphony No.19 for Band in E flat major, Op. 46

[windshieldbug]

The trouble with the instrumentation of all these GREAT early British pieces is that although they may have have one on a part, that could be one (1) Eb bass and one (1) BBb contrabass.

[sloan]

The trouble with the instrumentation of all these GREAT early British pieces is that although they may have have one on a part, that could be one (1) Eb bass and one (1) BBb contrabass.

Why is that a problem? Just find yourself one (1) Eb bass and one (1) BBb contrabass.

"I can do it all on my CC" players need not apply.

[Chuck Jackson]

I would have to assume that he would be referring to the one (albeit a radical Jeffersonian experimental departure from the vast majority of the "real life" in most of the world) where individuals are able to choose the goods and services they personally prefer to consume.

More or less. I have to wonder if, outside the Secondary Methods class, the average Music Education Major has a good exposure to what the real world is playing. One of the best examples of a good exposure was at a regional university where a concert was presented by Music Ed majors playing secondary instruments on music suited to the advanced middle school/high school band, most of which was written over 30 years ago. The concert was hugely popular and it has become a staple of that particular institutions series.

I can't seem to get my ears around the newer "wind" music, particularly the "lauded" Soviet band classics. The word "turgid" comes to mind, BUT they have become a staple of the ivory tower mentality that seems, in many instances, to need to educate, possibly to qualify its own existence, rather than entertain. Perhaps it's the paucity of truly good literature that drives some to shine up the truly forgotten, and probably best left in the back of file drawer, and to create a new sub-genre of ensemble to qualify the amount of money spent obtaining a degree only useful in that given situation.

Odd that the brass band movement in England seems to have a great balance of programming new music with classics and entertaining fare.

Go Figure

Chuck

[SplatterTone]

Maybe not a favorite, because I don't have a favorite, but worthy of honorable mention is
Beachcomber by Clive Richardson
http://tinyurl.com/yqmsnn

David Munrow did this back in 1977 (on vinyl) with The Early Music Consort of London (recorders and all that primitive rot). The piece shines with recorder consort.

I would imagine a frisky tuba player could have some fun on the Russian Sailor's Dance on the same CD as the link above.

[Robert Simmons]

So much great stuff. I would like to add "The Melody Shop" by Karl King.
As to the wind ensemble vs. concert band debate I would like to cast my vote in favor of the full concert band. I think wind ensembles sound "thin". They seem to appeal to the more "high brow" crowd.

[Chuck Jackson]

"Skating on the Cheyenne" Ross Lee Finney

[gwwilk]

I like very patriotic "rushmore" - I don't remember the author

We read through "Rushmore" last week for the first time at our Community Concert Band rehearsal. It's by Alfred Reed and the tuba part is mostly whole and half notes. It's typical Reed orchestration with chords that you can really fill out. Our CCB has a 'guest conductor' at each concert, usually a band member who teaches music locally, and this time doing the honors is our bassoonist who's a middle school band instructor in the local public schools. After the read through, he beamed, exhaled, and said 'Wow, that's not what a middle school band sounds like!!'. It isn't difficult, but it's very moving.

[The Jackson]

Gillingham's "Council Oak"

I had a lot of fun playing that one.

[Robert Simmons]

How about the "Manzoni Requiem"?-terrific euphonium part

[Teubonium]

Incantation & Dance-John Barnes Chance
Symphonic Suite for Band-Clifton Williams
Symphony #3 " Fiesta"-Clifton Williams
Masque- Kenneth Hesketh
Colours-Frank Ticheli
Suite of Old American Dances-?

Any thing by Eric Ewazen

Bob Banker - New 'old Helicon" owner

I like Colours too, but it was written by Roger Cichy, not Ticheli.

[mTaUrBkA]

Andrew Boysen Jr's Fantasy on a Theme by Sousa that was based on Sousa's Fairest of the Fair March. Not too challenging by any means...but fun piece to play, especially the tuba solo

[BriceT]

Dances of Crete - Gorb

Give Us This Day - Maslanka

First Suite - Holst

Slava! - Bernstein

[tmuabxa]

Yiddish Dances by Adam Gorb is awesome with a great tuba part. My high school's wind ensemble just played it at Illinois State University on Saturday.