rssuE 32trc!: . ['*, .fi", abd,ti,llirncc,

.- occnrccliq, lo b:ndftrdlrcr, 1o unifq. Moy 1988

Courtesy o/ Musical lnstrument Division, Yamaha Music Corporation, USA

Brass Band Of Golurnbus Takes HatTrickln Sixth NABBA Gharnpionship

The sixth North Amencan Brass BandChampionship contest drew elevenbands to Hammonton High School,Hammonton, N€w Jersey, near ther€sort of Atlantic City.

Th€ triumph of the day was seizedby Th€ Brass Band of Columbus(Paul Droste, conducior) with theitconvincing r€adlngs ol "Symphony ofMarches" (Vlnter), "Knight Templal'(Allan), and "The Y€ar ot ihe Dragon"(Sparke). Columbus, having won thehat trich or three successive Champion.ships, must now sit out the 1989comp€tition, scheduled for Asheville,North Carolina.

What a vad€d assortmeni of bands,severalofwhich had tnveled over 1000mil€s to att€nd th€ contest! Som€wore formal tuxes, some looked likea British band in park concert (v,/iththeir brisht uniforms), oth€rs wor€turn-ol-the-century garb. The programstarted about 9:15 a.m. on a Sr€yApril moming andthe lasibandfinishedjust after 5:00 p.m., with sunshinebreaking through.

The American contest allows eachband to play a 23. to 3o-minuteprogram, including ih€ test pi€ce. Thejudges award 60% o{ the score for thetest piece and 40% for the remainderof the program. Each group may alsofeature a soloist who can compete forpdzes in each section as well as theaward for soloisi of the day. This year,Robert T. Snyder, Jr., trombonisi withthe North Carolina State UniversiigBritish Brass Band, won the ChallengeDivision and the Reynold Schi lke

Memonal Award lor outstandin g soloistof the day. Bill Fisher, Eb corneiistwiththe Smoky Mounlain Bni ish BrassBand, won the award forthe best soloistin the Championship Division.

Music heard other lhan the listedcont€st works included such standardfare as: "Hinemoa" (Wood), "Fanfareand Soliloquy" (Sharp), "DownlandSuite" ( l reland), "Pr€lude for anOccasion" (Gregson), and "The Yearof the Dragon" (Sparke). The judseswere Gordon McGowan (Nova Scoiia),Charles Baker (New Jersey Sgmphony),and ihe commissioned composer,Joseph Turrin, of N€w York City.

The festive day came to a happyconclusjon with a meeting of NABBAmembers (NorthAm€rican Brass Bandtusociation) followed by the GalaCbncert, provided by The NaiionalCapital Band ol The Salvation Army(Washingion D.C. area group) underthe capable leadership of notedafianger/composer Stephen Bulla.This disciplined €nsemble fill€d innobly ai the lasi minuie when a bandftom Greai Britain had to cancel.Sparkling music from the new genera-tion oI Am€ncan brass compos€rs-Bulla, Cumow. Broughton, and Himes-keptthe ini€rest ofthe brass enthusiastsd€spite the nearly twelve consecutiv€hours ol band music.

The firsi NABBA Championship washeld in 1983 at North Carolina StateUn'vers'ty, with fivebands divid€d intotwo sections. In six y€ars the numberofcompetitors has more than doubled;ihe greaiestchans€, however, has come

in th€ quality of the playins. With notradition of brass banding suwiving inAm€rica, excepi in the sacred traditionol The Salvation Army, it has been avigorous, and hard effort for theseAmerican bandsto approach ihe Britishstyl€ and sound. By Championship VInearly al l the anomalies of instrumen.tation encountered ln €arller contestshave vanished;th€ bands look and, lorthe most part, sound like brass bands.

The t'ro greatest hurdles still notlully overcom€ in thes€ bands ar€ th€cornet and alto/barlton€ sonorltles.Only two bands of ihe day, Columbusand WRAL (both of whom gave lineprograms), s€€m to have really begunto solve thai dlfficult problem of auralconcept-not surprislng when you con-sider ihai th€ art of comet playing, onceflourishing in America, has all but beenerased in al lbui the best schoolbands,having been replaced by the ubiquitoustrump€t. Saxhorns, of course, arenon-exisient, except in some of the largemarching bands (Ohio State, forinstanc€)where theyare not exactlycalled uponfor their lync qualities.

One scholar has estimated that inthe year 1889 there w€re at l€asi10,000 amateur bands 'n the UnitedStates, a very large majorjty of themall brass in insirumentation. Within agen€ration the numb€r of Americanbands d'd not diminish (theymay haveincreased) but their style changed tothe now-f amiliar mixtur€ of woodwinds-brass-p€rcussion- thank io the splendidmodels provided by Sousa, Goldman,et al .

Cohtinued on Pose 6

2 @ EN3 ND Bi!83

Olfictal publl. bn ol ihe Nonh Ah.tlonBEsr B.nd A..ocbrlon,

For, obort ond b! Blitish- ttpe brc.t bondsrhrot ghout Notth A mertcd

Editor ...,. Koren D. KneebutgArsislon(

Editor,..,. Don W. Kneeburg17304 Lynn€tre Or, Lut:, FL 33549

ll8131 949.1022

MEMBERSHIP DUES:I n d i v i d u a l . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2 0 . 0 0Assoclat€ 10.00M e m b e ' b . n d . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 0 . 0 0

100.00250.00500.00

. . . 1000.00

Mil. sDollor, fr.o,rE N aB BA225 Vr' Moph A!., t-o^.rtt.t, K/ 40444 USA

The No h Ameticon Bross BondAssociotion prcudly recognlzes thelollouing lor lhelr suppolt:

LEADERSHIP MEMBERS:Musical lnshument Division

Yamaha Music Corporation, USAGRAND RAPIDS. MICHICAN

CORPOBATE MEMBERS:Studio Music Company

LONDON, ENGL.AND

l ne uerzen uompanvELt(HORN, WISCONSIN

The Selmer CompanyELXHART, INDIANA

Purdy's Brass ConnectionMLEIGH. NOBTH CAROLINA

Ragbum Tours, Ltd.DERBY, ENGLAND

The Brcs Band Btidse is spohsored tn.pott b9the UnioeEh, o! South Flotido t Depottnenr oJMusi., Tonpo Fbtido.

Corporal€Sustainlng

UPCOMING DEADUNES

July 15, 1988October 15, 1988January 15, 1989

RlTlc'sEWs

THE SPICE OF UFEThe Wlillam Dads Coi.arucdotr G6up BandMuslc Dlreclor X.lih Wllkinson(POLYPHONIC) PRL O34D f5.50Sld€ One r Ble.h.lm Flourishes (Cunow),2. O.e Voice (ManlllovFaE), 3. One FineDay - Cornet Solo (Puccini/Wilkinson).4. M.rldan (Barry), 5. Nos€sian Danc.{Gdes/Wlkinen), 6. M.ck& t'lab€l (Heman/

Sld. Two: l. Pop Looks B.ch (Fo;teyn/wllllnton), 2. Bacchan6le (Sainr-Seans/Wllklnson), 3. D.ep Inside The Sacr€dTenple . Euphonlum Duo (Biz€Vwilkinson).4. Tnbch TEisch Polka (ShalrslRichards),5 Gr€ensl.eves (Tr6d/Snell). 6 Orisnl

Thls ls an €xcell€nt recordlns irom ev€ryaspect . The band, wi th muslc d l rectorKel ihWilklnson. producesa warh nch sound wllhsuper ior in tonat ion, ensehbl€. and mu5icalexpression. In addilion lo lhis, lhere is avrn€d ptogtam to d€lishl all lhten€E. Th€band's cornet and euphonium sololsts perlomwlth b€autllul conhol tn ouistandinganans€.menis by ih€ conductor. The other worl,aransed by Wllktnson lre equally as lmpres!lv. lnd v"onhy ol conslder.llon on anyprogram. OI p.dicular m€dt are the per.lomances ot the Blemhelm noudshej' andthe "Orl€nl Expre$ . The latter newworkbyPhlllp Spalke ls very ch.llenslng bui capableol pleaslng playeG lnd audlenc€ allke. Onthe pop" 5id€ 'Pop Look Bach" and "T'ischTrats.h Poll€ ' are e)(cellent program numbeElora chang" o{ pac€ and guar6nteed dellght

To suhmanze, thls ls a recordlng to betreasured lor the playlnsand lhe cooposltlons.Congratulatlons lo the Wlliam Davls Con.structio. Group Band and Kelth wllklnson.

LEWINGTON YAI'IAHA BRASSMuslc Directoc Davld Hb6rGu4t Sololstsr lan Bou3lleld and JamesShepherd(POLYPHONTC) PRL 033D f5.50

SldeOne 1. Flourish ForABinhday(Ahold/Sparke), 2. A Sullivan Fantasy {Sullivan/tlnstord), 3. One Day In Your Ufe - HomSolo (BroM & Amand),4. Labour a.d Love{n€tchet.SldeTwo: t. Oklahoma {Rod9€6),2. AutunnLeaves ' Trombone Solo (Kosrna & Prev€n),4. Rocky (Conti), 5. Rule Bntannia - CometSolo (Hanman/Hopktnson), 6. Centena'y

Two thinss mak€ thls another €xc€llentcholc€ lor th€ bnss band record libraryr lhesup€ior sound ol th€ band, and jts gueslsololsts. Lpwinston Yahaha Brass has a moreaggressive and brillianl sound than the pre.vious re.ord and music dir€clor David Hi6tshould be congralulaled lor his good work.

hn Aourlield, trombonist plays a stunningamnsement o, "Autumn Leav€s" and dis-playsmore vadetyolFundandslylelhan any-one ihis reviep€r c.n rememb€!. This nudberalone is worth purhrsi.g rh€ record. Jam6Shepherd'r rendltion of "Rul€ Bdtannia isanoth€r €x.mpl. ol th. .piiome ol comeiperfom.nc€. "nounsh For A Blrlhd.y'and"L-.bour And Lov€" ar. wll play€d andd€*ru. att€ntlon lrom An.dc.n brass bands."One D.y ln Your Li{e" 15 6n €xcell€nt€ffd. oI tenor hom parlorm.nc€ th.t moreNorih Aneric.n play€n should emulate.All in .ll, another llne record {or the bras

NORTH COUNTRY PASTORALEby Rly St..dh.i.All.nRo5ehill Music

Lookins for a change ol pace selectlon wilhlyric qu.lityls sometlmes a chall€nge. lf yourprosram has . l€w dlfticull nunbeF whichrequlre mo5t ol lhe reh€aGal tlm€ andembouchure strenglh, it is imporl.ni to findgood quallty conirasting pl€ces which cancompleie the conced selections The "NonhCountry P.sto6le can fillthese requlrementtlr is a beauri,ul melodious piece which G well*ored andulhoul €xtr€m€ resslerdllilculties.Allhough lt ls only lwo-and.a-hall minul€sln lensth, ll ls w€ll wonh looking at andconsldenns. Youlh bands could ako utlllz€this uorh lor producing sinsins lin€s andlegato sryle. The hlghen noie lor Bb co.necisth€ upp€rAand then il ir used in 6 movlngllne eithout b€lns h€ld ior longer than aslxteenth noie. Percussion ls llmlted to snaredrum play€d wlth brushes and ltlangle

ORIENT EXPRESS by Phlllp sparl€Srudio Music Compa.y

Thc new {ork by the lamous Philip Sparkec ju3l whal ll says il is: a rlde on lh€ OnentExpress. Complete with kain sounds scoredfor sn.r€ drum, bnssdrum, sandpaperblocks,and muted brass wlth hallstep cluste6, thlscompoeltlon lr. d€lightlorrhc band memberas well., the.udief,ce. Thls ls a challeDsinspiece and !.quir€s stlong pl.ye6 with nimbletongu€s and lingers on all parts. Solo le.orhom has numeroushigh Bsandan@@donalhigh C. Threepercussion playeE ar€ ne€dedio cover.ll ihe lnstruments. The slyle ot theplece isina llghi comm€rclal veln oith flowinsmelodi€s and ercitins sin€.nth rhythms. lfyou would llke to b6r a llne P€rlomanc€of rhe Od€nl Expreis', pt€as. r€ler to therecord revl€w eadier in lhis secllon. RosehillMuslc has done a tin€ job wlth tbe parts,how€ver thls reviewe! eould preler a fuus.oie to the short score lhal ls provlded.

We want to know aboutYOUR BAND'S activities!!

Send your story toThe Bross Bond Bridge

TU BfuS BNDSibCE 3

1988 Championship VI Winners

THE BRASS BAND OF COLUMBUS - PAUL DROSTE, CONDUCTORFIRST PLACE, CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION

WRAL BRITISH BRASS BANDJACK STAMP. CONDUCTOR

FIRST PI"ACEHONORS DIVISION

NCSU BRITISH BRASS BANDJ. PERRY WATSON. CONDUCTOR

FIRST PI.ACECHALLENGE DIVISION

VARSITY ALL.STAR BRASS BAND - ERIC AHO, CONDUCTORYOUTH DIVISION

4 IE BNS BND BRIEE

Scenes from , . t lLnampr0nsnlp VI

Contest Tapes AvailableRecordings of Championship VImay beobtained from BertWiley.Tapes are $5.00 each (hrobandsp€r tape) and shipping is included.Make checks payable to:

Bert WileyP.O. Box 1.447

Cullowhee, N.C 28723

RESULTS Allesh€ny Brass Band 193Whiiby Brass Band 150

CHAMPIONSHIPBrass Band of Columbus 276 CHALLENGEAtlannc Brass Band 235 NCSU Briiish Brass Band 248Smoky Mountain British Brass Band 2r1 Eastern lowa Brass Band 246Danbury Brais Band (conments o.lv) Rockville Brass Band 226

HONORS YOUTHWRAL Brilish Brass Band 261 VaEitv Alr$ar Brass Band 235

ENTERTAINMENT VIDEOCOMPETITIONSPONSORED tY NABBA

The purpose ofthis competition is togive an opportunig for North Americanamaleur brass bands to comp€te in anEntertainment Cont€st format withoutincurring the €xp€nse ol traveling to asingle location.

There will b€ only on€ class, wiihrules which will allow bands to b€adjudicated €qually, even though theymay not be equal in ability. (A bandwith modest ability which plays itschosen program verywellwill have theadvantag€ of a much more advancedband which plays a more difficuliprogram less successlully.)

Deadline for entries ls October 12,1988. For more information contactJ. Pbrry Watson, NCSU Music Dept.,Box 7311. Raleigh, N.C.27695.

ioclyf l oun ta inI r !g tbor! d

Th€ Rocky Mountain Brassworkspres€nied a ben€lit conc€rt in mld-March for the Denver area Food BankCoalition, a group organized to asslstwlth low cost food distrlbutlon for theneedy. The well attended concert washeld in historic St. Elizabeth Churchonthe Auraria Campus ol the Universityol Colorado.

Brasswork director, Dr John Bell,chose litenture that would showcasethe brass band sound for an audiencecompris€d primarily of flrst-tim€ listeneEAmong work programmed were Holst s"First Suite in Eb" Himes' arrangementsof "NICAEA' and "Amazing Grace",Gregson's "Music lor Greenwich", andBarraclough's march "Simoraine".

The benefit will become an annualevent in what we hope will be suc.cessful for the Coalitlon and for theRockyMountain Brassworks in spread-ing the musicalbrass word.

Rehearsals are now pointing to theflnal concert of the season on June 5,1988, at the beautilul Stanl€y Hotel inEstes Parh Colorado, wherethe Brass'works wi l l k ick-off the Stanley'ssummer concen senes.

Roy H He$ChainoA

fBE Buss B.s tr|imt,5

ff"fuSssroNAL'sffiF]TEFD EARr.s RArrE REvrEws €!5!;E#l FRorr cnrrrcs "DowN urDER" ri!

Three years' worth ol planning-a price'lag in excess of $500,000-$300,000 in corporate sponsorshipsprovided by Amway and PPG lndustriesthrough the Am€rlcan AustralianBicent€nnial Foundalion-fiv€ difl€rentprograms-four conc€rts on thr€€Hawaiian islands-fifteen concerts in{our differ€ni siates in Auskalia, fre.quentlysharing top billingwith the likesof th€ Chicago Symphony Orchestra,Wynton Marsalis. Pierre Boulez. andSarah Vaughn at the Adelaid€ F€stival.Melboume s Moomba Festival, the$200 million Queensland PerformingArlsC€nt€r in Brisbane, and the Sydn€yOpera House-one concert at th€ NewZealand International F€stival of th€Arts-sev€ral tons of equipm€nt-severalthousand mil€s of bus trav€l-tu/€nty-six landingsand takeofls on sixdi l ferentair l inesconcludingwitha38.hr. fllght hom€ from W€llington, NewZealandtoPit tsburghi Put i tal l togetherand you begin to g€t some idea ofwhythe members of the Riv€r City BrassBand were exhilarat€d as w€ll asexhausted when they retum€d at theend of March trom th€lr28-da9 whtrl.wind tour "down und€r."

Was it wofih doing? "Definitely,"sald RCBB muslc dlrectorBob Bernat."We play€d tocapacltyaudiencesevery-where, and we wer€ €xtremely wellrec€iv€d by critics and audiences alike,€specially by the amateurbrass bands-men we met. They couldn't have be€nmore generousorhospitable. The feel.ing the Australlan and New Zealandbandsmen expressed to us wasthatth€success o{ our perf ormances somehowrubbed olf on them and gave themincreased visibilig and credibility intheir respective communities."

Australian and New Zealand muslccritics were unanimous in their praiseol the RCBB. Revi€wing the band'sperformance at the world.famousAdelaide Festival, the 4 de loide Adt) er-tiser's music cntic applauded the RCBB sprogram and praised the band for its

"astonishing discipl lne and dynamicand tonalcontrol ," whl le the AdeloldeNeus described the RCBB concert as"a heart-stomping, goose-bumping

Revi€wing th€ RCBB performanceat the N€wZealand Intelnational F€sti-val of th€ Arts, the muslc critic of thcWellington Domlnlon wrote in anarticle headlined, "Band's Expertis€Stuns"-"The standard, as to b€€xpect€d. is phenom€nally high...thisband uses lrench homs inst€ad oftenorhoms-a recommendable substitutionas they hav€ much more expressivepower and a cutting €dge, when neces.sary, that takes the stodg€ oui ol themiddle harmony....A conc€rt of varietyand stunning expenise."

The 'reviews" that the RCBB mem-bers, stafl and board probably ch€rishthe most though, carne from U.S.Ambassador Bi l l Lane and BruceShankland, managlng director ofAmway of Auskalia:

Ambassador Lane wrote: "Thereports from euergwhere yorl pet-formed are glowing. Australians wantyou back and soonl And so do we."

Mr- Shankland wrot€: "The l€€dbackfrom our distrlbutors, staff and guests,and the publlc at large has beenabsolutely trem€ndous. Allof thos€ whoattended one or more of the Band'sconcerts are now asking'when will theBand r€tum?' "

Ind€ed, when? That's a queshon theRCBB is now considering.

N/p_84EULLETIN

Any mat€rials or motions to bepr€sented to the NABBA Boardshould be submitted byAugust 1,1988 tol

Douglas Field, Secretary4156 Fieldgat€ Drive #35Mississauga. OntarioCanada L4W 2N1

6 dr Br.^$ a^xD !roEE

Olive Gifford AndAn Old Friend

Sharing is a vitally importantfunctionof th€ British-type brass band mov€-meni throughout North America andthe world. This writer would like toshare with readers of the Bridge one oIth€ beautilulpeople who make upthebrass band scene in Colorado. OliveGiflord has play€d in the British brassband worlshops held bgJohn Kincaidat Colorado's Wetem State Coll€gesince lh€ywere started in 1974. She isa tubist ol long standing and aninspiralion to us all. Starting with anEb tuba u/hen a high.school fteshmanin a small Ohio town, Olive"graduated"to BBb wh€n she purchased h€r Yorkr€cording tuba as a on€.year-old hornin 1929. l l st i l l looks one.year-old,though Olive has really worked it overthe past 59 years. She was graduatedfrom the Dana Musical Institute inWarren, Ohlo, and also holds a B.S.in Educatlon lrom Ohio's Kent StateUniversity. Music, and her York havebeen a life-long avocation for Olive.as twentyfive of herworkingyearsw€rcas a professional llbrarian. Sh€ is retiredfrom the library staft of W€stem StateCollege. Her plaing experlence includesthe Dana Band, Kent State Band,Westem Slate's Band and brass en-sembles, the Great Westem RockyMountaln Brass Band, lh€ WSC Brttlshbrass band workshops and many, manyPrcr{'up groups.

I met Olive at the WSC i,orkshopin the summerof 1987, when we sharedBBb responsibiliiies lor John Kincaid.When hefted to playing position, Oliv€'sYork almost makes her dlsappear,though the sur€, m€llow notes are

Olive lives in Gunnison, Colorado,with her son, still practices and plagsregulady and helps out the Coll€S€when they need her. Though I knowmany women who are {ine tubists, Ionly know one who stad€d as ateenager and has continued with thesame tuba tor years past retlrementage. Olive and herYork hav€ matur€dtogethet may th€y contlnue to b€ apart of the brass band world.

Roy H HessRoaky Mountoln Brcttuo*t

NABBA CHAMPIONSHIPCantinued hon pose 1

Nearly a centllry later ther€ is a truerenewed interest in British brassbanding here in Nodh Am€rica. S€v€ralprofesional brass bands .re maintainingfull seasons and amateur groups areforming allthe tim€. The grcat expenseof travel is a rcal stumbling block forthe annual contest; one i3.mazedthatsuch amateur activity is thriving. Thevision and enthusiasm of the NABBAleadership is contagious. They havewrought much in a v€ry shorl time.The Championship seems to b€ doingthe job intended fortt-to improv€thestandard of playing and io promotefurther involvem€nt in brass banding.I was personally delighted to be a partof ihe Prosram (s€rvins as Control lediI was amazed and pleased by all thebands, th€lr dedication, th€ir splrlt,and the excitement of their music-naking. Next y€ar in North Carollnashould b€ a bann€r contest.

Ranot.t W. Hotr. Ph DAsbutv College

FOR SAtELPs & CASSETTESSPARKLING BRASS

BASS WNGATES BRASS BAND$7.00 postage Includ€d

Send toi Edna W Waterhouse20 CedarStreet Route 2 Box2l9

Saunde6town, R.l. 02874

THE BRASS BAND BRIDGEc/o The Unlversltu of South Florida

Department of MusicTamoa- Florida 33620

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

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Tlmpa, Florld!Petmlr No. 257

N/"p_8A