Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
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These aren't my favorites, because they're all new to me - other than the Sousa march.
Probably those of you who've played in a bunch of university bands and other bands (decades more recently than I have) are familiar with some or all of these works.
How about if I list the ones that are being played on the concert in a couple of weeks, and those of you who recognize these pieces comment with your opinions of them?
This isn't concert order;
It's just the order that I had them in my manila envelope:
- Hands Across the Sea - Sousa
- Adoration - Price (transcribed by Williams)
- Spring Festival - Chen Yi
- Yiddish Dances - Gorb
(several movements)
- Symphony #6 "The Blue Marble - Giroux
(several movements)
- Congo del Fuego Nuevo - Márquez
If this list of pieces, I most strongly suspect that the Symphony #6 is the most likely one to have been written to a so-called "difficulty level", because I see things written into the piece that remind me much more of typical (what I refer to as) "band pieces" compared to the others. That said, they probably all have some educator/adjudicator difficulty badge stamped on them.
It was weird. We were about to sightread it in Symphonic Band, where I was sitting principal. I had to hijack the rehearsal for a minute to separate the high from the low octaves. The second chair and I had the best low ranges, so we played that and stuck everyone else in the upper octave.
Respighi was asked to write this because Elgar apparently refused to write a piece for wind band. I do like Elgar, there is a reason my second (the baritone/tuba aspiring player) son's middle name is Edward..
1960 186CC
B&S 5099/PT-15
Cerveny 653
A bunch of string instruments
bloke wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:40 pm
How about if I list the ones that are being played on the concert in a couple of weeks, and those of you who recognize these pieces comment with your opinions of them?
- Hands Across the Sea - Sousa
- Adoration - Price (transcribed by Williams)
- Spring Festival - Chen Yi
- Yiddish Dances - Gorb
(several movements)
- Symphony #6 "The Blue Marble - Giroux
(several movements)
- Congo del Fuego Nuevo - Márquez
Dunno anything on this list except the turd at the top. I suspect that the Adam Gorb piece is a keeper. I always liked his stuff. With "Awayday", Gorb made me feel like I was in a British brass band at contest. If "Yiddish Dances" is like "Awayday" it will be a hoot.
These users thanked the author Cameron Gates for the post:
DonO. wrote: Fri Jul 07, 2023 9:44 am
Holst First Suite in Eb.
This is a right answer.
Agreed. That, 2nd Suite, and FSS are pieces I could play a thousand more times and not tire of them. My Bony Boy from FSS is good for low range practice on my 186CC.
I like playing the Euph parts on F tuba!
1960 186CC
B&S 5099/PT-15
Cerveny 653
A bunch of string instruments
I find the Eb tuba part in brass band absolutely perfect for me. Its range is one I do well on tuba (I don't have the air for blasting down in the leger lines) and the parts can be surprisingly challenging without every part being that way. For some odd reason I actually enjoy being "the beat" in a group.
anadmai wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2026 10:03 am
My main wind band experience was on Euphonium..
1st and 2nd suite by Holst..
The transcription of Festive Overture.
On Eb Bass..NOTHING. Wind Band music on Tuba is boring. Sorry. Had to say it.
If we wanted to talk Brass Bands...well..the list is endless.
I don't think I'll ever play in a wind band again.
The thing to do is to avoid programming and preparing "band pieces", and program/perfect pieces which were not originally written to a graded "difficulty level".
I've never been much of a fan of brass band stuff--too competitive (not why I do music) and violates my universal notion that bass notes should be in the bass clef.
But if I had to do it, I think I'd go Eb bass rather than Bb bass, simply because it's a completely new tuba for me and so I would just learn its fingerings with the treble-clef music, rather than trying to convert something I already know in the bass clef.
And the low, technical stuff in the Bb bass parts scare the crap out of me.
Back to topic: I spent probably 20 years in adult bands before finally getting to play either of the Holst suites. The word I got from the band directors was always, "those are such war horses, everyone is tired of them."
Well, maybe they were tired of them, but I didn't study music in college and when I went through high school apparently those band directors (and contest judges) were tired of them, too.
Then, something magic happened. For about ten years, I got to play each several times. I think that they had gotten so old that they had become new again (to steal that line from George Burns). But now I have seen them in at least ten years, so I suspect they are again passe.
The opening of the Chaconne will immediately separate the men from the boys in the tuba section. Deceptively easy, but musically very difficult to pull off as a section.
Rick "would rather emulate a string bass than emulate a trumpet" Denney
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