Colonel Bogey March

[RickF]

You're probably right Barry. No ww to get in the way.

Knight Templar, great piece! You can hear all the parts very well balanced - even outside. Thanks for sharing.

[davewerden]

Truth be told, part of the reason I shared that particular video is that the band is not (as far as I know) a top-level competing band, and it was obviously not done under ideal playing conditions. Even so, some of the characteristics I love about brass bands came though.

[ghmerrill]

Regardless of the arrangement/piece, one thing I've notice for decades about the British brass bands is that terrific sense of what's-important-when. You always hear the important line, and usually are hearing multiple things at once without having to strain. In this way, I often think they out-perform our best service bands. Certainly some of has to do with the smaller numbers, but it is also part of the culture. ...

Interesting observation about service bands -- particularly in light of my recent attendance at the Great American Brass Band Festival. Jim Williams was also there and I got to meet and talk with him for a while, which was great.

One of the major performers was Pershing's Own (US Army Concert Band). I had heard them previously at the Army Tuba/Euphonium Workshop where they were just excellent. This time they did two performances, and it was -- to both me and my wife -- quite disappointing.

The skill level of this band is unquestionable. But I found the performances themselves to be mostly boring and to some degree tedious.

Let's concede from the outset that this is a large "concert" or even "symphonic" band. Let's concede that they have various requirements and duties for a spectrum of performances at numerous types of events. Still, I feel that they've lost the "band" sound and approach in favor of an attempt to imitate an orchestra.

In terms of the two programs we sat through at GABBF, here is the speculative list of principles I abstracted that I think must be used to design a program by this organization:

1. About 40% of the pieces should be "popular" or "show" arrangements featuring one or more singers. Duets by a male and female singer are to be favored, but larger ensembles of singers are encouraged as well.
2. About 25% of the pieces should feature a solo performer. In such cases, the performer is required to perform a highly technical "show off" piece that most of the audience will feel painful to listen to -- but which they'll feel obligated to applaud heavily at its conclusion (perhaps simply because it's over). In the case of GABBF these pieces involved solos by trumpet, trombone, and euphonium players.
3. Devote most of the rest of the program to arrangements of orchestral works for "band".
4. Throw in a couple of marches or similar patriotic pieces (if these involve vocals, that's even better).

Now what's this a description of? Pretty much, it's a description of the Lawrence Welk Show, and I was really struck by the similarities in terms of the content, pace, and announcing. And Pershing's Own took the opportunity of a BRASS BAND FESTIVAL to unload two lengthy performances of this sort? Really?

I haven't had this experience with other "lesser" service bands such as the one at Ft. Bragg (which is apparently disappearing at the end of this year). It hasn't been my experience with the Marine Band (though I haven't seen them in a number of years). But in order to go to another performance of Pershing's Own, I'd want to see the program ahead of time -- and at this point I'd be reluctant to attend. It seems to perform as a kind of pop orchestra without strings. Maybe that's its charter now, or maybe that's the vision of its current director. And, again, the skill level isn't in question. But it is in fact easy to think of organizations that -- as bands -- "outperform" this service "band". And that's pretty disappointing.

[davewerden]

Very keen observations, Gary. Without commenting further right now, your post scratched an itch for me.

[adrian_quince]

1. About 40% of the pieces should be "popular" or "show" arrangements featuring one or more singers. Duets by a male and female singer are to be favored, but larger ensembles of singers are encouraged as well.
2. About 25% of the pieces should feature a solo performer. In such cases, the performer is required to perform a highly technical "show off" piece that most of the audience will feel painful to listen to -- but which they'll feel obligated to applaud heavily at its conclusion (perhaps simply because it's over). In the case of GABBF these pieces involved solos by trumpet, trombone, and euphonium players.
3. Devote most of the rest of the program to arrangements of orchestral works for "band".
4. Throw in a couple of marches or similar patriotic pieces (if these involve vocals, that's even better).

That's a depressing formula if I ever saw one.

[RonFlowers]

I just had my first community band rehearsal for this season. Colonel Bogey March is in our folders, the Andrew Glover arrangement of it. This arrangement seems a touch different of what little I know about Colonel Bogey as in at measure 5 to 37, there's two different lines that are different. The 2nd time at 5 is the actual counter melody which is also in the alto sax part. There's 2 euph parts at times.

This will be the first time I will be playing it oddly enough.

I'm probably terribly out of tune, but every single time it comes on the telly, I start whistling along. It's not even a conscious response. I'm not the only one, surely?