I would support everything Jonathan says here and it echoes my experience of amateur orchestras.
Cheers, Lawrence On 23 May 2010 11:33, Jonathan West <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I think that you have to understand that an amateur group exists primarily > for the enjoyment of the participants. Good music is only important to the > extent that it enhances that enjoyment. My behaviour in an orchestra has > always been based on this, and a recognition that politicking usually > reduces the enjoyment of the group much more than better music improves it. > > In almost all amateur groups I have ever participated in, the principle > behind seating in the wind has almost invariably been "Buggins Turn" - i.e. > on basis of seniority, except where the the principal voluntarily steps > aside. Only in one group I've participated in have wind vacancies been > filled on the basis of audition. > > Because of my work, I've moved around a fair bit, and so I've joined quite > a > few orchestras in my time. Whatever my opinion of the first horn, I have > been very careful to make it clear that I will occupy whichever chair is > offered to me. If I'm asked my preference, I say that I prefer high parts > to > low, but I'll go wherever is thought best for the section as a whole. > > It sometimes happens that after he has heard me play for a while and I have > gained his confidence, the first horn offers to rotate, so that for > instance > I play first for the overture &/or concerto while he does the symphony. If > this happens, I accept gratefully and make it clear that even though we are > rotating, I still regard him as section principal. > > Occasionally it will happen that the first horn voluntarily moves down. I > don't ever do anything to encourage this, but if it happens and the rest of > the section is OK with me moving up, then I'll do that. > > If the first horn is not up to snuff and remains attached limpet-like to > the > principal's chair, then the decision is whether to stay and accept it, or > to > move on to another group. The issue is not whether the first horn is better > than me, but whether he is good enough to make a decent fist of being > principal. My approach here has been to try and gain the first horn's > confidence and see if he is willing to accept suggestions for improvement. > If that gets nowhere, then I move on. That has happened to me just once. > > But on principle, I never attempt by politicking to remove a first horn in > occupation. I've seen it happen in other sections in various orchestras and > the bad feeling caused is hardly ever worth it, even if the attempt > succeeds. > > I also dislike the idea of auditioning for specific pieces. It puts the > players in competition with each other when they ought to be working to > play > as a team. > > Regards > Jonathan West > _______________________________________________ > post: [email protected] > unsubscribe or set options at > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/yateslawrence%40googlemail.com > -- Lawrenceyates.co.uk _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
