Yoda wrote:Roll Away Bet--
Just listened in the library. Wow! Great low brass parts. March sounds very difficult. Good luck GV...hope you score lots of wins with this one.
I wonder--do directors make their own adaptaptions from the brass band original or are there published editions for full concert band? Maybe the other way around in this case? This march could be an original wind-band work and arranged for brass?
Brass Band marches: there are some that are published for both brass and wind bands (ie, BB & CF, Ravenswood, Cossack, etc). Some directors arrange their own. If they do it legally or not, I don't know. It is not particularly difficult to get a publisher to let you arrange for wind band, but you do have to go through the procedure. In the case of "Centaur" (which my band did in 2002 and 2006, and GV did year before last) it helped being friends with the composer, since he not only gave permission for me to arrange it for wind band, but had to get the publisher (Wright & Round) to give him back the rights for the march so that my arrangement could be published by Barnhouse. (although W & R still own the copyright for the brass band version.) It also helped he was the staff editor for W & R for 17 years!).
Molenaar is a major publisher of brass band music & marches that have been arranged for wind band. Although, in my opinion, their arranged marches seem to be pretty slap-dash works, without any particular thought as to what WW instruments get what parts.
Since brass band marches are usually written for contesting by semi professional bands, they are always difficult. I can't think of an "easy" brass band march. Most bands want their own "signature" march..for Black Dyke it is Queensbury. Most of the Swiss Brass bands have had signature marches written for them by Derek Broadbent (Muheldorf, Matzendorf, Tout Feu Tout Flamme, Lenzburg, etc). And some are commissions for occasions (British Bandsman, The Colliers).
The scope of brass band music of all types by major composers is AT LEAST as great, and perhaps even somewhat larger than the scope of wind band music. Many European composers write all their works for brass band AND wind band (and occasionally Fanfare band too)...Fanfare band is basically a brass band with saxophones added. They are popular in Belgium and the Netherlands.
JS