March is such a busy month for everyone involved in brass bands as we crammed in plenty of practice in time for the North of England brass band championships. After months of hard work and the build up of both anticipation and nerves we took to the stage at Durham’s Gala Theatre to perform our interpretation of Brass Metamorphosis; our daunting challenge this year. We played the piece with great enthusiasm and emotion particularly in challenging solo lines with huge credit going to our soloists and conductor Aidan for his guidance and interpretation of a difficult test piece to decipher.
Our performance was greatly received and gained many positive comments from the audience and judges alike although we were unfortunately placed 6th on the day with great bands earning a deserved victory. Although as a highly competitive band we were disappointed with the result but it will be a great stepping-stone to continue our improvement and development as a first section band.
The band has been preparing for a busy summer with many concerts and performances scheduled it is key that we achieve the right sound but sometimes the conditions that we play in can be challenging in unusual ways as Adam, our E flat bass player, and stage lighting expert (with over 30 years experience) has written in the feature below.
Who needs to see the music anyway?
The issue is about what we can see on stage, and the importance of having the stage lighting set up well for us, to help us produce our best. It isn’t just about contest venues, but these are where it matters most. Of course, in practice, it’s going to be a matter of degree, but the better the lighting, the less chance there is that it will unsettle the performers.
Stage lighting isn’t a dark art, but it is so often involved with creating an illusion, part of the ‘magic of theatre’, and as such, the mechanics of stage lighting are intended to be hidden. There is also a whole raft of technical jargon, which can also feel like a bit of a barrier. And the lighting all takes time to set up, and that needs to be done before any performers arrive. It’s usually really impractical to make anything but small changes shortly before a performance.
What I suggest is that it’s really down to a matter of good communication. Communication with the venue, in good time, so that their lighting engineer/technician can then understand properly what our lighting needs are and prepare accordingly. What we need to have is a little awareness of the mechanics of stage lighting, and a means with which to communicate our requirements.
In general, what we need is
- Good light on our music
- Good light on the conductor, so we can see them, and so they can see the score
- No distracting glare – we need to be ‘in the zone’.
The band will set up in a large semi-circle, in a space approx 8m wide and 6m deep.
| Lighting objective | Lanterns | |
| 1 | Musicians to read their music | A minimum of four Fresnel or PC spots set wide angle, located slightly behind musicians, to cover all music stands, but carefully shuttered to prevent glare into anyone’s eyes. Open white. Good level required for reading. On throughout.
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| 2 | Musicians to see the conductor and the conductor to see his/her music | Spot, at steep angle from above the centre of the band, set wide enough to cover conductor’s arms. Open white. Level sufficient for reading, and balanced with the Fresnel/PC spots. On throughout.
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This should be useful for bands, contest organisers and contest venues generally. I’d suggest it’s about being more professional in our preparations.
The lighting on stage really matters, and if the lighting gets better, then the performances will get better. Adams expertise is something, which we are keen to utilise in our performances coming up this summer to ensure that our audience have the best possible experience listening to us play.
Here is a list of our upcoming events with further details that as always can be found on our website!
Saturday 21st April – Ponteland Beer Festival at Ponteland Rugby Club
Saturday 12th May – Sound of Summer – Wallsend Bandstand in Richardson Dees Park
Sunday 24th June – Afternoon performance – Belsay Hall
Saturday 30th June – An evening with Dunston Silver Band accompanied by the Low fell Singers – Church of St Thomas the Martyrs, Low Fell