Eric Ball (composer)

British composer, arranger and conductor

Eric Walter John Ball OBE (31 October 1903 - 1 October 1989) was a British composer, arranger and conductor of brass band music, described as "one of the most prolific writers and influential figures in the brass band and choral world".[1]

## Biography

[edit]

He was born in Kingswood, Gloucestershire, the eldest of 16 children whose parents were active in the Salvation Army. When he was a child, the family moved to Surrey, Kent, and London. He learned piano and organ, and in 1919 started work in the Salvation Army musical instrument department in central London, soon moving to the Musical Editorial Department as a composer.[2][3] He became an officer in the Salvation Army, and in 1928 re-established the Salvationist Publishing and Supplies (S. P. & S.) Band.[1] The 18-member band, led by Ball, was used extensively at Salvation Army meetings, and recorded. In 1935, Ball also became the conductor of the Salvation Army's National Orchestra, and also conducted and accompanied the Salvation Singers, and trained band members. In 1942, he became bandmaster of the International Staff Band (I.S.B.), the premier Salvation Army band, with the rank of major.[3]

Ball resigned unexpectedly from the Salvation Army in 1944, after he started attending spiritualist meetings following the death of his sister-in-law.[3] He soon became involved in judging brass band competitions, and in 1945 became conductor of the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, winning the national championships with them the following year.[2] He also became editor of The British Bandsman magazine. In 1948, as conductor of the CWS (Manchester) Band, he won the British Open brass band championship, and he also performed with other bands including the Ransome & Marles band and the City of Coventry Band.[1]

By the mid-1950s, he withdrew from conducting brass bands competitively, to concentrate on teaching and composing music. He became active in teaching brass band courses in Cornwall,[2] and wrote many test pieces for bands, including "Resurgam" (1950), "Tournament for Brass" (1954), "Main Street" (1961), "Journey Into Freedom" (1967), and "The Wayfarer" (1976). He also wrote cantatas for chorus and band.[1]

Ball was awarded the OBE in 1969.[4]

In 1972, Ball assembled the Virtuosi Brass Band of Great Britain, a recording ensemble of top players, including James Shepherd who occupied the principal cornet seat and helped Ball assemble the rest of the band. The ensemble which would go on to record nine LPs for RCA Records, with Ball serving as musical director for the first four.[5][6]

He died in Bournemouth in 1989, aged 85.[1]

## Selected compositions

[edit]

* 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[7]
* 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

[edit]

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.[8]

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
2017  | Tournament for Brass  | 1st  | Final
2017  | Petite Suite de Ballet  | 4th  | Final
2024  | High Peak  | 1st  | 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 | Ludwig van Beethoven | 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

[edit]

* Cooke, Peter M. Eric Ball, the man and his music \- biography[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Gammond, Peter (1991). The Oxford Companion to Popular Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 34. ISBN 0-19-311323-6.
2. ^ a b c Hunt, Phillip (2004). "Eric Ball in Cornwall". Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
3. ^ a b c "Dennis Taylor, Eric Ball: His Life and Music, 1903-1989, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012, pp.1-18". Archived from the original on 2 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
4. ^ Taylor, Dennis (14 January 2013). Dennis Taylor, Eric Ball: His Life and Music, 1903-1989, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 12013, p.33. Cambridge Scholars. ISBN 9781443845458. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
5. ^ Cite error: The named reference `newsome` was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
6. ^ "A History of the Virtuosi Brass Band of Great Britain". 4barsrest. 2004. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
7. ^ "Sound of brass". BBC. 2003. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
8. ^ "Eric Ball". Brass Band Results. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
9. ^ Eric Ball: the man and his music Archived 20 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Wiltshire Virtual Library

## External links

[edit]

* "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.

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