Coming from a background
in brass bands myself, I have heard
it said on numerous occasions that many
modern day bands outside the top flight
have lost the basics of quality music-making.
These are the basics of sound intonation,
clarity of articulation and the ability
to play a slow melody in an appropriately
musical and sensitive manner. It is
a sentiment that whilst sitting listening
at contests, I have found myself agreeing
with more than once. Of course it does
not help matters that the once common
slow melody contests that used to abound
in the band world have now largely disappeared
from the calendar. More often than not
however, I hear the reason cited that
modern music is the scourge of musicality.
This is a theory I cannot agree with.
One reason for my scepticism
is the fact that "modern"
music still has a rather different meaning
amongst the majority of bandsmen and
women than it does in the wider musical
world. A large percentage of the serious
music being written for bands these
days is tonal and therefore still possesses
a strong degree of melodic content,
even if it does also push techniques
to the limit. Over the years I have
been an unstinting advocate for the
integration of contemporary music into
the band repertoire and yet amongst
the wide-ranging classic recordings
of yesteryear available, it is now a
comparatively rare thing for a top band
to release a disc of early cornerstones
of the genre in modern sound.
It would appear that
it was for this reason that the Buy
As You View Band came to record a series
of discs that aim to capture the early
original warhorses of the repertoire
along with classic arrangements that
have become popular in contest and concert
hall alike. Hence on this third volume,
Life Divine by Welshman
Cyril Jenkins and Thomas Keighley’s
Lorenzo rub shoulders
with a later original work by a stalwart
of the movement, Eric Ball and arrangements
of well known Dvořák
and Berlioz overtures.
The tone poem Life
Divine dates from 1921 and was
written for the National Brass Band
Championships of that year, held at
Crystal Palace. For its time the work
posed huge challenges for the players
and despite the fact that these days
players are used to being challenged
on a technical level there are still
a few potential pitfalls lurking in
the score. Although it is clear from
the outset that Jenkins had overdosed
on Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade
shortly before writing the piece (the
music borders on the plagiaristic at
times) the work’s melodic appeal and
colourful scoring are notable and it
is easy to see why it has always been
a firm favourite in the band world.
Put simply, the Buy As You View Band
possess a sound like the side of a small
country mansion and there were times
here when I would have liked to have
heard - surprising though it is to hear
myself say it - a more "traditional"
sound. That said the ensemble work is
precision stuff and the band certainly
manages to generate a fine head of steam.
In contrast, Thomas
Keighley’s Lorenzo (also
dubbed "tone poem") is perhaps
less enduring in its appeal and does
not present the same level of technical
challenge. Written for the British Open
Championships of 1928, it does nonetheless
offer some attractive melodies even
if they do tend towards the overly sentimental
at times.
Sentimentality is high
on the list when it comes to the music
of Eric Ball, an unashamed melodist
whose roots were firmly in the Salvation
Army. Arguably the most popular of all
contest composers, Ball always looked
back over his shoulder but was one of
the finest scorers for the medium and
produced a string of contest pieces
that remain regulars on the circuit.
The three movements of Tournament
for Brass (Trios and Duets,
Solos and Scherzo) are all exquisitely
realised, nodding noticeably towards
Elgar on a number of occasions despite
being written twenty years after the
master’s death. The band’s more restrained
approach here suits the music well and
there is impressive playing from soloists
and ensemble alike.
Both Carnival
and The Judges of the Secret Court
stem from the great tradition of band
arrangements, produced in 1980 and 1961
respectively. Both are skilful in their
scoring and Carnival in
particular gets a blistering performance
here, proving to be quite a showcase
for the band’s talents. The majestic
and sonorous opening of Judges
of the Secret Court makes for
equally rewarding listening.
Christopher Thomas
Buy As You View Band/Dr. Robert Childs 
