2008 All England Masters International
Elegant substance: Nigel Seaman as he leads Desford to Masters victory
Given that over the past 150 years, the majority of brass band contest test pieces have adhered to the formatted equation of form and function, it comes as a surprise that every now again that precept sometimes changes to that of style and substance – or in the case of the 2008 All England Masters International contest – possibly, style over substance.
This rare contesting phenomenon is possibly explained by the type of test pieces elite bands have become accustomed to playing at the highest level: prescribed, regimented and highly technical in form, whilst their function derives directly from their construction – many are mere exercises in jumping through pyrotechnical musical hoops.
Style and substance
When faced however with a work that is quite transparently indirect pastiche, parody and allusion (as well as illusion), and which clearly directs the conductors to search for the interpretation of such, then form and function become almost redundant, and style and substance become the key.
It perhaps helps explain why Desford Colliery and not Fodens Richardson won the day at the Corn Exchange on Sunday too.
’Malcolm Arnold Variations’ gave the conductors of the 21 bands a test piece that was well within their technical capabilities, but also one that was stylistically beyond many of their own imaginations.
Privy to the possibility
Given that the composer himself had openly invited them to look for ideas of interpretative style by acquainting themselves with Arnold’s film scores, symphonies, concertos and ballets, it should have come as little surprise that the highly experienced trio of adjudicators, David Read, Philip Sparke and Eric Crees, would do the same.
You can’t say the bands, the conductors - and 4br for that matter – were not privy to the possibility of this becoming a contest where interpretation held the upper hand over traditional workaday functionality. It was there in black and white in the preface to the Ellerby score.
Tags: bentham, jeremy