NORTHERN IRELAND FLUTE BAND LEAGUE
Published in The Corps of Drums Newsleter 'The Drummers Call' 1996
By Major (Retired) Richard Powell
To ignore a music because of political overtones would omit pretty well all traditional or 'folk' music; in addition to music by Bedrich Smetana and that nice Mr. Beethoven! Similarly, were mention made to you of flute bands in the same breath as Ulster, almost cetainly the images filling the cranium would be those of the whirling dervishes of parades, whose performance seem to owe more to bottles that to Bach. But, all is not thus, as Anthony Askew and Richard Powell (the 'Military Music Archive') found in their visit to record the Northern Ireland Flute Band League's annual own-choice event.
The day, Saturday 24 February, began with Carrickfergue Leisure Centre's lithe staff clearing athletic detritus from the halls in readiness for upwards of eleven hundred spectators and, whilst this was underway, the had was rigged for sound - four microphones worth at least £7,000 (never mind stands, cables, mixer and digital recorder!) in a hope that one day issue may be made of a compact disc, on the principle that one must first take one's own music seriously where the world is expected to follow.
It was Pastor Alvin Mullan's letter to the Corps of Drums Society about his collection of 200+ flutes that began contact but it was Corcrain sounding good, despite being on cassette, which finally determined the need for a visit. The Archive's elderly gentlefolk staged contently overnight chez Mullan, recorded an interview, saw the flutes and Alvin's fine start to a collection of drums (including a rare 'skeletal' drum - an old, nine-inch deep side drum with panels removed). All this represents great family kindness, from the hospitality to son William's preparations of the drums display - a kindness this which seemed to be echoed wherever was visited.
The contect itself comprised a bottom grade offering bands whose flutes played melodies only ('Melody' Grade); Grade Three, Melody Grade back but this time to play part music; Grade Two and finally, the Championship Grade. From the opening at 11 a.m. to the national anthem at about 10.30 there was not one unattractive or amusical performance.
The Melody bands largely offered marches ranging from Schetinno's Juarez to such fine local works as Glenmore. The winners were the last band in the grade, whose technique was perhaps a shade behind some of their peers but whose performance of a set of Irish tunes under the title Auletic Trad (Auletic pertaining to the flute) just sparkled from the beginnning to end. Had you been there you would have seen a bunch of young teenagers called the Mullaghdubh Band, standing like Guardsmen and with not one note of music in front of them (actually, the occasional adult was there, mayhap on sufferance!).
The Grade Three bands moved to more difficult pieces, some local light music and some extracts from the light classical repertory, with Ballywillan's Bizet a worth winner. It was at this stage that Melody-graders returned to play part music, several of the choices of which were specifically from the flute band tradtion, with names like Blythe and Turpin appearing amongst the composers. William King Memorial Band, led by Drew Porter, play Juarez with a fire that would have had them as contenders anywhere but hot on their heels were the Ballymacarrett Defenders (Sons of the Brave/Three Irish Jigs), whose conductor, the amiable Fred Johnston appeared with several bands, so much so that one wondered a furtive team of dressers lurked offstage! Grade Two emphasis was very much composititions from the classical repertory with names like Lalo and Verdi evident. For all that, second were Johnston Star playing Michael Balfe's Bohemian Girl with first place taken by Churchill who had Verdi's Force of Destiny overture central to their performance. By now the drama found in earlier performances of such simpler pieces as marches was making itself evident in the bigger works. Perhaps the music choosen by the bands (other than marches and folk music) is outside the flute band tradition; however, this version is Ireland's tradition who, very properly, will doubtless do with it what they will!
Late afternoon saw the Championship bands begin and here the music was of a fine quality, reflecting just why these bands were in this grade of competition. Corcrain (with stress on the second syllable) offered Herold's Zampa overture and a playing of Carl Teike's Steadfast and True that would have earned an 'A' grading from Kneller Hall. Other performances included works by Handel, Mussorgsky, Saint-Saens, Bartok and, starting at 10 pm, an exhilarating Sicilian Vespers, from the pen of one once declined a music scholarship on the grounds of lack of talent - Guiseppe Verdi. There was, of course, much besides from the eleven stunning performances but there has to be a first and few could match the glorious solo and ensemble performances in Rossini's William Tell overture (in full) from Ballygowan, conducted by Dr. Windsor Hylands (the author, incidentally, of a recent history of Irish flute bands).
The authors of a day like this always merit mention and the impish, scholarly Frank Browne (Chairman of the League) and the ever-present and friendly Fred Johnston are no exception, finding themselves tied up predictably with much besides the music they themselves had either to play or conduct. they and their committee colleagues took delight in so grand an event but especial pleasure emerged in the participation of bands from Eire and Scotland and visitors from County Wexford, who with luck will shortly compete here too. But, let this article not end without the affirmation that lovers of corps of drums or flute bands, by whatever roseate title, will find the most immense pleasure should they attend a future contest. The music is excellent, the company and country ditto. I look forward to seeing you there.