Eric Ball (composer)
Eric Walter John Ball (1903-10-31[1]-1989) was an English composer and conductor of brass band music.[2]
His musical origins were founded in the Salvation Army, and he rose to become an officer (Ordained Minister) with the rank of Major, before resigning in 1946 and moving into the general British Brass Band movement.
During his time in the Salvation Army, Eric Ball conducted both the SP&S Band and also the International Staff Band.
After the Salvation Army, Eric Ball conducted the CWS (Manchester) Band, the Brighouse and Rastrick Band and many other significant brass bands of the day.
Selected compositions
- The Triumph of Peace
- The Kingdom Triumphant
- The Eternal Presence
- Journey Into Freedom
- The King of Kings
- The Old Wells
- Resurgam
- Song of Welcome
- Songs in Exile'
- Star Lake
- Torch of Freedom[1]
- Tournament for Brass
- Morning Rhapsody
- Sunset Rhapsody
- Festival Music
- Indian Summer
- Song of Courage
- Glory to His Name
- The Prospect Before Us
- Main Street
National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain
A number of Ball's pieces have been selected as test pieces for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, both at the area contests and the national finals.
Year | Piece | Section | Contest |
---|---|---|---|
1946 | Thanksgiving | 3rd | Area |
1947 | Akhnaton | Ch | Area |
1947 | Divertimento | 4th | Area |
1947 | Divertimento | 4th | Final |
1948 | Four Preludes | 2nd | Area |
1948 | Three Songs without Words | 4th | Area |
1948 | Four Preludes | 2nd | Final |
1948 | Three Songs without Words | 4th | Final |
1949 | Morning Rhapsody | Ch | Area |
1949 | Petite Suite de Ballet | 3rd | Area |
1949 | Petite Suite de Ballet | 3rd | Final |
1950 | Indian Summer | 3rd | Area |
1950 | Indian Summer | 3rd | Final |
1951 | The English Maiden | 2nd | Area |
1951 | The English Maiden | 2nd | Final |
1952 | Resurgam | Ch | Area |
1953 | A Holiday Suite | 3rd | Area |
1953 | A Holiday Suite | 3rd | Final |
1954 | Call of the Sea | 2nd | Area |
1954 | Call of the Sea | 2nd | Final |
1956 | Festival Music | Ch | Final |
1956 | Three Songs without Words | 4th | Final |
1957 | Four Preludes | 2nd | Final |
1958 | Devon Fantasy | 3rd | Area |
1960 | The Princess and the Poet | 4th | Area |
1960 | Call of the Sea | 3rd | Final |
1962 | Contest Day | 4th | Area |
1962 | Four Preludes | 3rd | Final |
1963 | Everybody's Child | 4th | Final |
1964 | Oasis | 2nd | Final |
1964 | The English Maiden | 3rd | Final |
1966 | The English Maiden | 3rd | Area |
1966 | Everybody's Child | 4th | Area |
1967 | Festival Music | Ch | Area |
1967 | Journey into Freedom | Ch | Final |
1968 | Fowey River Suite | 3rd | Area |
1968 | Third Rhapsody on Negro Spirituals | 2nd | Final |
1968 | Homeward | 4th | Final |
1969 | Petite Suite de Ballet | 4th | Area |
1969 | High Peak | Ch | Final |
1969 | American Sketches | 4th | Final |
1970 | A Psalm for All Nations | 4th | Final |
1971 | The Ancient Temple | 4th | Area |
1971 | Celebration | 2nd | Final |
1972 | A Kensington Concerto | Ch | Final |
1973 | St. Michael's Mount | 4th | Area |
1974 | Devon Fantasy | 3rd | Area |
1974 | Youth Salutes a Master | 4th | Final |
1975 | Journey into Freedom | Ch | Area |
1976 | Tournament for Brass | 2nd | Area |
1976 | Sinfonietta for Brass Band – The Wayfarer | Ch | Final |
1976 | Third Rhapsody on Negro Spirituals | 3rd | Final |
1977 | Morning Rhapsody | 2nd | Area |
1978 | Call of the Sea | 3rd | Area |
1980 | Main Street | 3rd | Area |
1981 | Contest Day | 4th | Final |
1984 | Divertimento | 4th | Area |
1985 | Celebration | 2nd | Final |
1987 | Scottish Festival Overture | 3rd | Area |
1988 | Sunrise | 2nd | Final |
1991 | Journey into Freedom | Ch | Area |
1992 | Celebration | 1st | Area |
1992 | Holiday Overture for Brass | 2nd | Final |
1993 | Impromptu | 4th | Area |
1993 | Journey into Freedom | 1st | Final |
1994 | St. Michael's Mount | 4th | Final |
1999 | Main Street | 3rd | Area |
1999 | Indian Summer | 4th | Area |
2001 | The Undaunted | 1st | Area |
2003 | A Kensington Concerto | 1st | Final |
2003 | Sunset Rhapsody | 2nd | Final |
2003 | Four Preludes | 3rd | Final |
2003 | Call of the Sea | 4th | Final |
2007 | Sinfonietta for Brass Band – The Wayfarer | 1st | Area |
2008 | Festival Music | Ch | Area |
2011 | Resurgam | 2nd | Area |
2013 | Devon Fantasy | 4th | Area |
Several of his arrangements have also been used.
Year | Piece | Original Composer | Section | Contest |
---|---|---|---|---|
1946 | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 2nd | Area |
1957 | Themes from Symphony No. 9 | Ludwig van Beethoven | Ch | Area |
1960 | Themes from Symphony No. 5 | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Ch | Area |
1964 | A Rural Suite | Charles Woodhouse | 4th | Area |
1965 | Themes from the First Symphony | Ludwig van Beethoven | Ch | Area |
1967 | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 3rd | Area |
1970 | Themes from Symphony No. 9 | Ludwig van Beethoven | 2nd | Final |
1971 | Suite Gothique | Léon Boëllmann | 2nd | Area |
1978 | Four Dances from Checkmate | Arthur Bliss | Ch | Final |
1981 | Froissart Overture | Edward Elgar | 2nd | Final |
1983 | A French Suite | Alexandre Pierre François Boëly | 3rd | Final |
1995 | Suite Gothique | Léon Boëllmann | 3rd | Final |
2003 | Theme and Eight Variations from Enigma | Edward Elgar | Ch | Final |
In addition, several pieces were used as the youth section area contest test piece: The Young in Heart in 1965, Petite Suite de Ballet in 1975, and Rhapsody on Negro Spirituals in 1983.
Further reading
- Cooke, Peter M. Eric Ball, the man and his music - biography[3]
References
- 1 2 "Sound of brass". BBC. 2003. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ↑ Hunt, Phillip (2004). "Eric Ball in Cornwall". Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ↑ Eric Ball: the man and his music, Wiltshire Virtual Library
External links
- "The music of Eric Ball (1903-1989) a complete catalogue, with a commentary on his life and work" Masters Thesis by Dennis John Taylor (1994), Durham University.