Jonathan West writes a comprehensive post that some of you strongly agree with,
making the case for seniority rule in amateur ensembles. I want to submit a
minority opinion, that amateur horn sections thrive when there is a good
section leader, the principal, who doesn't necessarily need to be the best
player in the section, but he needs to be competent relative to the performance
level of the ensemble. Whenever the horn principal is significantly below the
competence level of the ensemble, the section does not thrive, has frequent
turnover, and often has vacant positions. To a director, when I plead my case
to him, I don't need to insist that I am right about this, since all he has to
do is recall for all the past years that he hasn't had a stable horn section
and that he often has had vacancies in the horn section. I don't feel that I
need to plead my case with any of you. If you have an example of a thriving
horn section that has an incompetent
principal (relative to the level of the ensemble), I would like to hear of
your experiences with this. It is great when a principal can also lead, help,
set standards, and encourage the other section players.
Regards,
Larry
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