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This week I have been conducting groups that for one reason or another have had to add new players to the ensemble. These are players who have not had the rehearsal time with me during the year and are, as a result, not always able to blend in with the ethos of the group.

The result can be a severe setback if the existing members do not take the responsibility and keep up the high standards of musical communication that they generally expect.

So what is it that makes the whole group slide backwards when this sort of thing happens?

Firstly, let’s face it, it is much more difficult and far harder work to make music talk. The phrasing, clarity, balance, intonation and stylistic standards expected of the “first team” are what make the ensemble tick but when enough inexperienced players are added, the dilution can cause players to switch off and so the ensemble suffers more than it should.

The result is that the group sounds as if no rehearsal has ever been done. It does not take a great deal of careless playing to damage precision, which is by its very nature extremely precise. Once one element of the playing begins to deteriorate, all the other aspects are dragged down too; tuning, dynamics, focus of tone, the lot!

The solution?

The players who are already in the group must keep up the standard; in fact they must dictate the phrase, note shapes, space clearing devices, rhythmic precision, and as a result intonation. Then the new players will stand out like a proverbial thumb injury, allowing them to make an attempt to buy into the programme. This will be hard for them but it is made easier when the experienced players show them clearly the way.

The danger?

The worst thing is to rehearse all the musical elements again because it encourages the group that they don’t have to do this independently and the conductor will always nurse them into it. Only when the ensemble begins to automatically interpret the phrasing with authority when a new piece comes out, will they truly feel that progress has been made and a new standard established. The real proof of improvement is often when a group revisits a work that has been played years before and chooses to play it with renewed attention to detail and musicality. Rehearsing it all again is also a big turn off for amateur players who do like to keep things fresh.

The smaller the group, the greater the problem. Harlequin Brass are only ten, but they are a very tight unit and even they can get distracted from the programme by a “dep” who is just reading the notes. Again, the section needs to integrate the new player by dictating the phrasing in an uncompromising way. After all, it is natural for all players to try to blend with the new arrival, but that is entirely the wrong approach for established and disciplined ensembles.

PS

People often ask me, "Was it us you were writing about?"

Well the groups in question are NSC who have a lot of new players joining at the moment. Harlequin Brass, who do have some established deputies but have recently been using new ones. NSWO who are mixing up the two groups for the tour of Italy. Phoenix concert band has also been adding players over the past few years but generally the new players have been more experienced.

Update:

I tried the above methods with Harlequin and with the combined NSWO group. The results, I have to say, were very good. There was a pronounced improvement in the ensemble ethos of both groups. The experienced/rehearsed players took the initiative and the newer players found it easier to find the way to fit into the mix. The tour to Italy will be more of a test for NSWO and although it is a holiday, I will be expecting high standards from the players. This sounds a little mean, but they will have a more fulfilling experience on tour if they feel good about the musical side of the week. I will report on the whole thing when I return mid-August.