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| ARTICLES - AN INTRODUCTION & APOLOGIA NOT DEVELOPING A “CORE” REPERTOIRE LIST Warren Benson warns us against making “lists”. I feel that he is right; although a library of lists of “core” repertoire might be useful as reference tools, they will doubtless miss out many works which are of crucial importance in certain circumstances While Leroy Anderson’s masterpiece Sleigh Ride never seems to figure in anyone’s core repertoire list, it is essential to know how to find its length, publisher, date and programme note. PROGRAM NOTES FOR BAND I have suggested that the world of wind music might be well advised to adopt the late Norman E Smith’s monumental resource, Program Notes for Band, as a basis for repertoire of all sorts. Published in 2000, if we took that as the “norm”, we could then issue supplements on new works 2000-2005, concertos, contemporary works, works for entertainment, education or for ceremonial. In existence through WASBE there are already books of repertoire from United Kingdom by Jonathan Good, from Switzerland and from Sweden. These should be put on the web; they are important for national identities to be forged, and from these listings should be submitted major additions to the international repertoire. REVIEWS OF CONFERENCES I find it is so easy at a conference or even at a concert to overlook a work because of its positioning in the programme, because of a flawed performances or simply because I am jet-lagged or exhausted by too much music. Some of these articles address the question of repertoire through reviews, some through ideas on music of a particular genre or for special occasions. Article 1: Arnold to Zappa – Creating a Repertoire Two decades of programming at the RNCM – a factual analysis of 1,000 performances & a survey of the 52 composers most frequently programmed. Article 2: Vaughan Williams - Rehearsal notes on Toccata Marziale A brief article on research into early performances of Vaughan Williams Folk Song Suite and rehearsal notes on Toccata Marziale together with a listing of errata. Article 3: Music That Rings My Bell - These are some of my favourite things Discussion of works “that ring my bell, with a selected “Top 12 “, 3 masterworks at Grade 4 and an assessment by Frank Battisti of my International repertoire recording project. Article 4: Eastman Wind Ensemble 50th Anniversary – a Review A review of the concerts and the compact discs issued in connection with the 2002 celebrations. Article 5: BASBWE 1981-1991 – Repertoire for military, community and school bands The first ten years of BASBWE briefly assessed with a list of 26 works of substance for “popular” programmes for military, community and school bands. A listing of nearly one hundred works for solo instruments or vocalists with wind orchestra programmed at the RNCM between 1981 and 2001. Article 7 : Art of Programming Re-branding “Band” – programme gallimaufries – encores – does “dumbing down” keep our audiences or merely confuse them? Article: You Cannot Be Serious ! |