Klarinet Archive - Posting 000742.txt from 1997/08

From: Josias Associates <josassoc@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Brass Bands
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 23:08:26 -0400

Jim,

Apropos of the subject, especially for those who haven't seen it,
there is a remarkable British feature-length film making the rounds of
the art theaters entitled, "Brassed Off." Besides having an absorbing and
entertaining, though not always happy, story, the movie tells us reed
players some interesting things about what brass bands and brass soloists
can do.

One example was a rehearsal performance of the second movement of
Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" originally for guitar and orchestra,
but played here by -- believe it or not -- flugelhorn and brass band. I'll
admit that I was more than a little skeptical when I heard the announcement,
but the performance was very entertaining, especially if one doesn't demand
that the flugelhorn sound like a guitar.

Regards,

Connie

Conrad Josias
La Canada, California

P.S. The film also tells us that the American equivalent of the
British slang phrase "Brassed Off" is "pissed off." The story deals with
the threatened closure of a coal mine and the potential disbanding of a
brass band comprised of miners.

On Sat, 16 Aug 1997, Jim Lytthans wrote:

> Matthew Cullen stated:
>
> > Brass instruments just don't make music!!
>
> Oh, careful! Some of my best friends are brass players. I'm conducting
> two performances of the Golden State British Brass Band this week.
> Maybe it takes a clarinetist to bring some style to a brass band.
> --
>
> Jim Lytthans "Illigitimus non carborundum"
> La Mirada Symphony Orchestra
> Claremont Symphonic Winds
> (http://www.galcit.caltech.edu/~dooley/csw.html)
> My home page:
> http://home.pacbell.net/lytthans/index.html
>
>