View from the Box - Gary Davies on Bliss' Music from 'The Royal Palaces'
Adjudicator, Gary Davies, shares with Brass Band World his thoughts on Michael Halstenson new arrangement of Music from 'The Royal Palaces' by Arthur Bliss, ahead of its use as the Section 3 set work at the 2025 National Finals in Cheltenham.
MUSIC FROM 'THE ROYAL PALACES' - SIR ARTHUR BLISS
When preparing a piece for any contest, it is always important to get the mood correct, to try and portray the musical picture of the composers / arrangers vision.
The title of this work immediately demands, a sense of regality of sovereignty and kingship / queenship! To prepare this testing arrangement of Michael Halstenson, its always good to research each historical event portrayed, to try and put yourself, and in turn the adjudicator in that historical moment with a descriptive, accurate and musical story of each movement.
The individual movements have their own challenges, but consistent throughout each is attention to tempo, musical flow and accuracy of ensemble playing. Intonation as always will play a major part in the outcome, as we adjudicators look forward to “crowning” the new 3rd Section National Champions of Great Britain.
1. Queen Victoria’s Call to the Throne
A short unison fanfare opens the piece. Not that difficult at first sight, but intonation, quality of sound, accents and tight ensemble are essential in the first 2 bars. This is followed by a full band sound that needs to be balanced, in tune and the music needs to flow, even at this relatively slow tempo. Attention to dynamics is required and it’s not long before our first solo contribution from the Soprano, which needs to float above the ensemble. This is followed by numerous dynamic changes and some rhythmic interjections before coming to a quiet close, with ascending chords, over a unison bassline, where precision and intonation will play a major role.
2. The Ballroom at Buckingham Palace
A fantastic Ballroom, but I feel full of hidden trap doors! A short Sharp Fanfare (dotted throughout the movement) leads us to a Tempo di Valse, which as expected is key to the style of this movement. A light accompaniment is required under a main theme that although marked ‘F’, needs to sit lightly on top with lots of poise, especially when negotiating the tricky dotted quaver, semiquaver rhythm. Care needs to be taken with the staccato quavers throughout. Play them too short, they become brittle, too long and you lose the bounce effect of the accompaniment.
The movement has numerous 'Ralls and pauses' at the end of the phrases that need to be measured in the style of the movement, not rushed or overdone!
11 – sees another tricky triplet quaver, quaver rhythm to navigate around…. Key to this is in the stated direction of 'A Tempo'! 14 – Piu Animato. Be careful control is not lost here. The established style of movement can easily become untidy if things become a little over animated, especially as accents replace staccato and the dynamic increases. It could feel like a race rather than a Waltz to the end.
3. Joust of the Knights in Armour
This movement commences with a distant fanfare from the cornet followed by horn both required to be in the same style, interjected by small percussive features, an announcement of the start of this martial game. 18, Lively is the set Tempo and style, and a unison feature for cornets. This rhythmic pulse for the movement, (established earlier), now gains momentum, quaver, semiquavers, triplet quavers so tight ensemble is required. Although lively and now competitive in nature, one feels, the dynamic is only ‘F’! A build-up of tension is supplied by the Euphoniums and Basses via the grace note feature (still its only ‘F’.)
20 sees a ‘FP’ so the dynamic needs to be held to ensure the Sop and Rep are heard in bar 3. 21 is now ‘FF’ but only crescendo’s in the Sop, Rep and side drum. Apart from that 21 has impact (FF), which is sustained to the end of the movement!
I feel this movement, although it’s a joust, the music should build in tension and cannot get to too aggressive too soon. As to who the victor is, perhaps one for post contest refreshments!
4. Melodrama: The Murder of Rizzio in Holyrood House
On Saturday 9th March 1566 Mary, Queen of Scots private secretary David Rizzio was murdered in the Queens private chambers at Holyrood House.
This movement is very descriptive, and will test all Musical Directors' ability to tell the story of that fateful night. As noted in my opening paragraphs, test piece research is always key to a performance and none more so than this movement..
A ”slow and sinister” beginning no tempo is indicated here, the only movement not to give direct0ion to start. These first 4 bars are almost a movement on their own, and it will be interesting to see what the Musical directors make of this!
23 “agitated” and tempo set at 136! The scene is set for the arguments, intimidation and fighting that led to the Death of Rizzo. The music is full of accents, aggressive dynamics, syncopated rhythms that give the movement tension. 25 sees an exchange between the basses / euphoniums and Timp. Make sure the ‘5’s’ are tight enough to allow the Timpani to speak clearly on their allotted beat! Tight ensemble is again required, be careful that the dynamic ‘F’ is measured and can be superseded by ‘FF’ to get that extra colour required for when the fatal blows are made.
The movement ends on a chord whose dynamic concludes on a ‘P’, when the realisation sets in of the death that has occurred…. This is a point where intonation could cause the downfall of many a performance!
5. The Royal Palace Theme
A stately start to this movement, a movement that (apart from small solo contributions in other movements) leaves the showcasing of a band soloists to the very last. The Euphonium, followed by the Flugel, and finally the Principal cornet at 32.
This movement is a fitting finale as again style, tight ensemble, dynamic control is vital. Inner band chords need to be balanced, and the music required fluidity at all times given the tempo is only crotchet = 80. Interchanges between cornets and horns / lower brass at 31 require precise hand over, and precision a must in all triplet quavers so that all beats are accurate within the bar. At 33 “ff” returns and remains until the end. A Molto Rall is noted 4 from the end, not before, so with all the excitement that proceeds it (especially movement 4), quality need to remain and the Molto Rall needs grading through to a last full well balanced chord.
Summary
Hopefully, the above will assist bands in their preparation. However, key to all of the above, is that everyone not only enjoys the preparation of the Test Piece, but enjoys the day and the occasion. This piece is full of musical styles, dynamics, storytelling and historical references for all players and musical directors to enjoy preparing, All bands have done extremely well to get to the finals, so play with confidence and enjoy being part of our movements flagship contest – the National finals of Great Britain.
GARY DAVIES
