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Rick Denney wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2026 8:39 am 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.

The three bands I play in are non-competitive. The one band in my area who competes all the time is stocked with several of the asshat variety. Arrogant and annoying people.

I despised marching band in the 80's because of competitions and I don't like Brass Bands who do the same. No thanks.

I guess I'm in good company here. I hate how music ensembles have become "competitive sports."



"There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games." -Hemmingway

That's why I like sprintcar racing.

Does hunting in the mountains count as mountaineering?

If you want to see bullfighting in America, I'll have my kids video me the next time that the steers need to take a ride to "freezer camp." It tends to be rather spicy.

Why don't Berlin, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cologne, and a few other orchestras duke it out for being the Champion Orchestra of the World?

Could they use their instruments as weapons?

Should they wear bright colored spandex with sponsorship ads silk screened?

Would the mediocre professional orchestras compete in the International Invitational Tournament? (the best of the worst, etc.)

I wouldn't know how competitions between orchestras in the USA are organized, but in the Netherlands there is no ranking, but as an orchestra you get an assessment based on a number of criteria (including tuning, interplay and musical conception) The orchestras that participate in a competition are amateur orchestras that perform every week. A competition is a great reason to explore a number of pieces in great depth musically. So not 3 rehearsals and then at the concert, but 12 weeks of working on 2 or 3 pieces.
( I wrote this in my native language and let google do the translation)

Some of my favorite pieces were played on those "concours" : Allerseelen, Coriolanus (by Frigas Hidas) Pagan dances (james Barnes) and esprit de corps.

bloke wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2026 1:02 pm Why don't Berlin, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cologne, and a few other orchestras duke it out for being the Champion Orchestra of the World?

Could they use their instruments as weapons?

Should they wear bright colored spandex with sponsorship ads silk screened?

Would the mediocre professional orchestras compete in the International Invitational Tournament? (the best of the worst, etc.)

Sometimes the classics cannot be improved on.

Orchestral Cage Match!

My money's on the Germans. We can do a good scrap in Pittsburgh, but the Germans will probably use weapons of mass destruction. Valve oil incendiaries, rosin dust from poisonous tree sap.

prodigal wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2026 8:37 am My money's on the Germans. We can do a good scrap in Pittsburgh, but the Germans will probably use weapons of mass destruction. Valve oil incendiaries, rosin dust from poisonous tree sap.

My money is on anyone from The Burgh. Pierogi powered yinzers.

anadmai wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2026 8:40 am

prodigal wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2026 8:37 am My money's on the Germans. We can do a good scrap in Pittsburgh, but the Germans will probably use weapons of mass destruction. Valve oil incendiaries, rosin dust from poisonous tree sap.

My money is on anyone from The Burgh. Pierogi powered yinzers.

Hey, Hey, I resemble that statement!...Making tacos in cooking class. Dreaming about pierogies...