Cornet player and brass tutor Mark Rodgers gives us an insight into the band world with his column, Brassed Off.
NOVEMBER CAN prove to be one of the more interesting months on the calendar for our local brass bands as it really can become a rather mixed bag – musically speaking.
Some bands have a final spot of contesting to tackle as the Northern Open Championship is on the horizon and rehearsals will already be under way. Different contest preparation lies ahead for other local players as a couple of Entertainment Contests are on the calendar. Players will be getting used to standing and sitting together, trying to memorise music and even learning to sing and shout.
For other bands, the next few weeks in the bandroom will resemble a trip to Spindles or the supermarket as rehearsal folders fill with music associated with a certain religious festival in December. To be honest, I’m going to break one of my golden rules and start work on this music with my Training Band imminently. This will definitely hurt me more than them.
I have just rehearsed some works of another genre that all bands will be performing early this month: music for Remembrance Sunday. These will be along the lines of The Royal British Legion March, Nightfall in Camp and wartime selections that remind us of the spirit of a nation in times of war. Our local players will be involved in at least one Remembrance event, be it a procession, service, remembrance dinner or concert in their own Band Club.
I will soon be giving another rendition of The Last Post and I recall how many years I have actually been performing it – at least twenty five. It brings back a lot of memories, some poignant, some rather bizarre and some I would rather forget. I finally acknowledge it is a very lonely job.
The Last Post is performed alone 90 per cent of the time, in front of people who have served in the armed forces or relatives who have lost loved ones through war. For me, it has to be right and if anything goes wrong, you can’t hide.
Even when played as a team, one slip is so obvious due to the nature of the music. Some of the weather you have to contend with doesn’t help either. I have performed on the front at Fleetwood in sub-zero temperatures and up at Pots n Pans in similar weather. Strangely, I have always played very well in these situations.
So please spare a thought for the bugler at Remembrance, it’s a very lonely pressure job.
You must be logged in to post a comment.