Brass Band Music from c.1950 to c.1980

The standard and range of repertoire of brass bands today has come a long way since the first 'original' work for brass band was performed at the Nationals contest in 1913 - 'Labour and Love' by Percy Fletcher. The term 'original' describes a piece composed specifically for the brass band as opposed to an arrangement or collection of tunes already written, which was commonplace up until the year 1913. Contests have taken place every year since the mid 1800s (except for the war years), and it is after the Second World War that my discussion begins.

In the year 1945 Denis Wright's composition, 'Overture for an Epic Occasion', was used at the National Finals. As well as a composer, Dr. Wright (1895-1967), was a prolific arranger, writing 800 transcriptions and arrangements in his time. In the early 1950's he founded the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, of which he became the band's first Musical Director. He wrote 12 test pieces in his lifetime, including the well known 'Tam O' Shanter's Ride', used at the Belle Vue contest in 1956. Based on a poem by Robert Burns, it tells the tale of Tam on a drinking night out.

'Salute to Freedom', performed at Belle Vue in 1946 was a turning point for original compositions. It was composed by one of the greatest brass band composers of all time: Eric Ball (1903-1989). 'Salute to Freedom' was the result of a request by John Henry Iles (of the British Bandsman), to compose a test piece for Belle Vue. The work is one of Eric Ball's 60 test pieces, and was followed by a prolific outpouring of compositions of all kinds. Probably Eric Ball's best known original work is his 'Resurgam', (1950, Belle Vue), of which the original score carries a quotation from the Bible: 'the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God'. This is a reflection on his religious Salvation Army upbringing, and the work is designed to bring comfort to the bereaved. In 1956 Eric Ball's 'Festival Music', was performed at the National Finals. The work has three movements: 1 - Overture, 2 - Romance, 3- Impromptu.

'Main Street', used for the British Open in 1961, is probably the most modern sounding of Eric Ball's works, partly due to its many added 6th chords. In 1967 'Journey into Freedom' was performed at the National Finals, and tells the story of the triumph of human love over the material things in life. Ball was an excellent composer, having detailed knowledge of the instruments in a brass band, and he admired the great classical composers such as Bach and Mozart. Other original works by Eric Ball include 'High Peak', 'A Kensington Concerto', and 'Sinfonietta-The Wayfarer', used in 1969, 1972 and 1976 respectively, all at the National Finals. He also helped out with the NYBB.

It was not just brass band specialists that composed original works for the medium. Vaughan Williams wrote 'Variations for Brass Band', which was used at the Nationals in1957. The work is based on a simple theme with eleven variations.

A very influential composer on the brass band scene during the 1960's was Gilbert Vinter (1909-1969). Although he was a bassoonist and worked with orchestras, he took a special interest in writing for the brass bands. Vinter's modern approach to brass band composition featured exciting, driving rhythms, and advanced (for the time), melody and harmony, with his use of 7th chords in particular. His 'Salute to Youth', used for the Regional contests in 1961, was accepted well by audiences and performers.

In 1964, Gilbert Vinter's 'Variations on a Ninth' was used as the National Finals test. The piece is based on the chord and interval of a ninth, and there are nine variations. 'Triumphant Rhapsody' was used in 1965 at the Nationals, and was very modern sounding for the time, with its clashing major and minor 2nds on which the work was built.

At this time the idea of commissions was becoming popular with composers. Not only due to the financial reward, but also because it meant they didn't have to stick rigidly to test piece 'rules'. Vinter's most impressive work, in my opinion, is his BBC commissioned piece 'The Trumpets', for band chorus and soloist. However, it is generally less known due to the organisational requirements and the difficulty of the piece.

'Spectrum' (1969, Open), caused a major uproar due to its use of discords and striking rhythms, but is today a standard test piece, still used by many. The work consists of 7 sections, each representing a different colour of the spectrum, and uses percussion instruments that were previously not allowed in contests. This includes bongos, claves, woodblock, tambourine, triangle, cymbal, side drum, and bass drum.

Other original Vinter works for brass band include 'Symphony of Marches', (Regionals 1963), 'Challenging Brass', (BBC commission 1967), 'John O' Gaunt' (Open 1968), and 'James Cook-Circumnavigator' (New Zealand Championships 1969).

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Brass Band Music from c.1950 to c.1980