Edward Gregson on bands' obsession with contesting, redressing the balance and the Ivors Awards | episode 6
Brass Bands on the RecordShow Notes
Over the past 50 years, the composer Edward Gregson has made a huge contribution to the brass band repertoire. Although his works for band only account for around 25 per cent of his compositions, it’s a world about which Edward has always been very passionate. Edward also feels the time has come for brass bands to think seriously about what they want to be. Coming up, he chats about what he calls ‘the obsession with contesting’ and how it’s time to rebalance our thinking in order to ensure that bands can rightly be taken seriously in the wider musical world. Edward began by giving his reaction to the news that the brass and wind band category has been omitted in the latest call for submissions from the Ivors Composer Awards.
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Chief executive officer of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, Mark Bromley, chats to British Bandsman editor, Mark Good. The Youth Band is in the midst of its Easter course at Harrogate Ladies’ College and is busy preparing for a concert on Saturday, April 16, in Huddersfield Town, where it will perform under the baton of guest conductor, Irene Anda, along with the wonderful trombone soloist, Grethe Tonheim. The concert is one of several engagements for the NYBB in 2022, as it celebrates its 70th anniversary. Mark discusses how the year is shaping up for the band and the organisation’s attempts to strike a balance between preserving proud brass band traditions while bringing the genre, and music education, to a more diverse audience. He also chats about forging strong links between the NYBB and its band of alumni. Subscribe to British Bandsman today!
Chief executive officer of Brass Bands England, Kenny Crookston, looks ahead to the 2022 European Brass Band Festival, as the prestigious event rapidly approaches. He discusses planning for the festival while facing the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, and explains how this year’s festival, in Birmingham, is taking shape. Kenny also looks back on his own banding career, from following in the footsteps of his brothers by joining Broxburn Band in West Lothian, to enjoying celebrated times with Whitburn Band under the direction of the likes of Phillip McCann and Major Peter Parkes. Never stuck for something to say, Kenny chats about how his big mouth (those are his words) led to him becoming involved in banding administration and management, a lengthy tenure as editor of British Bandsman magazine and ultimately, on the path to where he is today at Brass Bands England. (Note: this interview was recorded before the withdrawal from the European Championships of Concord Brass Band). Subscribe to British Bandsman today!