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well, i see only one possibility!!! they were going out secretly!! and they were in on it the whole time!!! or maby!! the section leader figured out there's a plan to suck the soloists blood and he loves your music so much that he cant stand to have your blood sucked out by aliens!! so he had her go in your place so he can keep you for future solos(if the aliens decide to stop doing that)

Well, that's the dilemna of the section leaders. I'm a section leader personally, and having an audition is about the only way to decide whos better. It's not necessarily who he liked more, it's more about who played with the same style as the group, and who could help the group sound better. As long as he was fair with the audition, yes, it's what I personally would have done.

I get screwed like that ALL THE TIME. I am so glad I am going to college...No more stupid high school band crap.

I'm sorry, but if a section leader promises a solo, then they should stick to their word. Section leaders have to be trusted by those that they lead, and this is just the sort of mistake that many make...

In my opinion, as a section leader dealing with giving a solo to someone, there are only two reasonable options...

1) Do a survey to see who wants to try out, then have the audition. Don't promise anyone the solo until everyone who wants to has tried out. Then, even if someone else shows up saying they changed their mind and they now want the solo, you have to say "So? You didn't try out. I already gave it to someone else."

2) Determine who you think is the best musician/soloist in the section, and offer the solo to them. This is not as good as the former choice, but still better than what happened to you... (this is often how I get solos...I play baritone/euphonium loud and well...)

If you are section leader and feel compelled to promise someone a solo, you NEVER should withdraw the offer...

Even if there is someone better, since you both are on flute if I'm not mistaken, and flutes are hard to hear, even in a concert setting and especially in a marching band one, so you could theoretically have the solo played as a unison duet thingy. That, or you could alternate phrases (I've seen this scenario happen and it can work EXCEPTIONALLY well, and doesn't often fail...). Both are good options, and though they still pose the threat of ticking the one who was initially promised the solo off, it will almost certainly tick them off less than withdrawing the offer completely...

Sorry, I did actually have this happen once...

Though it turned out okay...

We were playing Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl in county band. There was a euphonium solo at the very beginning; I was offered it, and accepted, but another person "stole" it from me. I kept practicing it, because I was made the back up. At the concert, his nerves got the better of him and he played the first lick okay, but started falling apart as his nerves got the better of him. I joined in to reiforce him, but he just stopped playing. I finished the solo in his place. Later, my section leader flipped out at me over interrupting the solo, even though I was simply trying to save the solo. However, the original soloist intervened, saying that it was fine, and that he was actually relieved that I had saved it. The section leader left me alone after that (the two were best friends, and the section leader was chewing me out because he thought that his friend would).

So, the moral of this story is that it can still work out okay. Work on the solo and get yourself listed as the alternate. Then just work on figuring out how to injure/sicken the original one! biggrin