Sunday 11 June 2006 saw the final of the BTS Jiggs Whigham Jazz Trombone Competition at Uppingham School. This was the Society’s first competition for many years and was hosted by BTS Education Officer and Head of Brass at Uppingham School, Stewart Drummond. The venue was the Recital Room in Uppingham’s impressive new Music School, which was an ideal venue in every way.

The adjudicators were Jiggs Whigham, Jeremy Price (Head of Jazz Studies at Birmingham Conservatoire and jazz trombonist), Stewart Drummond and Chris Houlding (principal trombone, Opera North and senior trombone tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music). The competitors were accompanied by an excellent trio consisting of Alan Savage (drums), Zoltan Dekany (bass) and Jason Ashworth (piano).

Five finalists came to Rutland and they were all treated to an afternoon of workshops given by Jiggs and Jeremy. Elements of improvisation and performing skills were covered in opening talks by each of the two educators, followed by a masterclass, which gave each finalist an opportunity to perform and have their improvisation skills honed by Jiggs and Jeremy.

The more formal element of the competition took place in the evening, when the competitors each performed their set works: a standard tune and a blues, both to include set numbers of improvised choruses. The adjudicators sat amongst the audience to listen to the whole concert and withdrew at the end to consider their verdicts, whilst the trio entertained both audience and competitors.

The judges decided to award two prizes, the first prize to be the Jiggs Whigham King 2B Trombone and a lesson with Jiggs at the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham, the second prize a lesson with Jiggs at the International Trombone Festival. The panel also gave honorable mention to the three remaining finalists.

Results
First Prize: Robbie Harvey
Second Prize: Tom White

Honorable Mentions
Ben Deerey, Kieran Joy and Alistair Burrows

The famous Fairey Band have appointed Lisa Sarasini to the Solo Trombone chair as she graduates from the Royal Northern College of Music, writes Brett Baker.

Speaking after her final recital at the RNCM on 8th June 2006, Lisa was looking forward to her first official rehearsal as solo trombone at Faireys that very evening.

I’m quite excited, I have already played with them in a couple of concerts and a recording.

At her final recital she performed:
John Kenny Fanfare
Henri Tomasi Concerto
Enrique Crespo Improvisation No. 1
Jan Sandstrom Song to Lotta
Stjepan Sulek Sonata (Vox Gabrieli)

Lisa comes from Rochdale and played and studied at Wardle High School before going to Huddersfield University and had lessons at this time with Jonathan Beatty, she did her masters class year at the Royal Northern Conservatoire before doing a one year diploma in performance. She also plays with Tempus Brass, a brass quintet that won the Philip Jones award last year, and she has helped out Opera North and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra while studying in Manchester.

The Philharmonia Orchestra is hosting a concert in memory of former fourth horn Oliver Green, who died suddenly last November. The concert will feature a performance of a concerto written for and premiered by Olli by his father, Stuart Green. The concerto will be played on Tuesday by members of the Philharmonia horn section, who will perform a movement each. The orchestra’s brass section with a number of Olli’s friends and colleagues will also perform Strauss’ Festmusik der Stadt Wien.

Tickets are free.

Tue 27 Jun 2006, 6:00pm
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

David Corkhill conductor
Nigel Black horn
Laurence Davies horn
Cormac O’hAodain horn
Strauss Festmusik der Stadt Wien
Stewart Green Concerto for Horn and Orchestra
Humperdinck Hänsel und Gretel

Full information on the Philharmonia Orchestra website.

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is presenting a special concert that ties-in with the International Trombone Festival. Entitled “Slides Rule!”, the CBSO will be featuring their Principal Trombonist Phil Harrison in the Trombone Concerto by Gordon Jacob.

The celebration of British brass also includes Elgar’s Cockaigne, Walton’s Crown Imperial, tuneful pieces from Arnold and Percy Grainger and finishing with a selection from Holst’s The Planets.

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Simon Wright Conductor
Philip Harrison Trombone

Walton Crown Imperial
Arnold Cornish Dances
Jacob Trombone Concerto
Elgar Cockaigne
Grainger Irish Tune from County Derry
Holst Mars, Saturn & Jupiter from The Planets

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, UK
21 July 2006, 7.30pm

Tickets: £8-£38
ITF attendees have a basic £8 ticket included but can choose to upgrade - details to be announced.
Tickets on general availability from Symphony Hall Box Office in person, by calling 0121 780 3333, or online (full price tickets only; £1 postage and admin fee applies). Special prices for Groups, Families, Disabled Patrons and Young People available.

Star trombonist of the Black Dyke Band, Brett Baker will be living out of a suitcase this summer as he plays an extended solo tour around Japan, Australia and New Zealand. After successful smaller tours in previous years he’s been invited to several more destinations this time, allowing him to expand his role as an ambassador for the strong British brass band tradition.

At the end of June he will be flying to Japan for concerts, followed by performing in the New Zealand Championships in July. This is immediately followed by Australian guest solo performances with bands in Cairns and Adelaide, then back to New Zealand for soloing in Wellington, before a CD recording back in Melbourne and once again back to New Zealand for concerts in Christchurch and Dunedin. The tour extends until 20th August when Brett can finally come home. No doubt when he returns he’ll be straight back into intensive rehearsals for the British Open with Black Dyke!

This year’s renowned Cheltenham Festival will feature the unique talents of John Kenny in a late night concert of trombone and carnyx. Other brass performers at the festival include:

• Markus Stockhausen, contemporary trumpet
• Black Dyke Band
• Neil Roberts, Arutiunian trumpet concerto

John Kenny carnyx and trombone

John Kenny Ancient Voices: plainchants from C7th-C12th century Scotland, Ran Na Madadh-Allaidh, The Voice of the Carynx / 47’
Etienne Rolin - Quick Sands / 6’

A splendid late-night setting for the intriguing and ethereal sounds of the carnyx – a six foot Celtic war trumpet. In this hour-long concert John Kenny brings together contemporary compositions, multi-tracking layered sounds and material that includes plainchants from the Holy Island of Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth, Aboriginal and Polynesian melodies. An atmospheric event full of spiritual and spacious sounds.

1st July 2006, 10pm
St. Matthew’s Church, Clarence Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 3PL
£10, concessions available

Further info here

30-year old trombonist Mark Templeton has recently been appointed Principal Trombone of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. A former student of Eric Crees, Simon Wills and Peter Gane, Templeton has been freelancing in London with the likes of the London Symphony, Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras.

The LPO trombones have had the highlight of recording the Lord of the Rings soundtracks in recent years, but since the closure of the Royal Festival Hall for refurbishment, the orchestra has been concentrating on smaller repertoire and the trombones have been involved less. In the past couple of years, first trombone Lindsay Shilling has moved to the Royal Opera House, and bass trombonist Dave Stewart has left to concentrate on freelance and session work. With the announcement of Mark’s appointment comes the news that second trombone Brian Raby will leave too. This will leave Mark with a chance to build a brand new trombone section and look forward to next summer’s reopening of the Royal Festival Hall.

Mark’s appointment means that the Guildhall School of Music & Drama can now boast that the Principal Trombone post at all five major London symphony orchestras is now held by Guildhall School alumni.

Mark Templeton: Principal Trombone of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Graham Lee: Principal Trombone of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Byron Fulcher: Principal Trombone of the Philharmonia Orchestra
Helen Vollam: Principal Trombone of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Dudley Bright: Principal Trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra

As announced in the spring 2006 issue of the BTS magazine, The Trombonist, and on the home page, the Jiggs Whigham Jazz Trombone Competition will take place on Sunday 11 June 2006. Open to trombonists aged 16-25, the first prize is a King 2B Jiggs Whigham model trombone and the opportunity to perform a solo live on stage with the BBC Big Band at the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham this July.

As of the week commencing 5 June 2006, a few places are still open to potential applicants. For further information, including how to apply, see the Jiggs Whigham Jazz Trombone Competition page.

BTS Jiggs Whigham Jazz Trombone Competition
Uppingham School Memorial Hall
(for directions see http://www.uppingham.co.uk)

1.00pm Registration, coffee and warm-up
2.00pm First Round
5.00pm Break
6.00pm Competition Final

All are welcome to attend. The format of the event will be an afternoon workshop followed by an evening concert.

This weekend, Londoners look forward to a feast of brass concerts, from both the LSO and ROH Brass but some gremlins have got into the BTS system, so make sure you have the correct details:

The LSO invites us to “Discover the 10-piece Brass Ensemble” tomorrow lunchtime (not the date in the BTS newsletter).

And on Sunday at 3pm (not the time in the calendar) you can hear the a selection of Ballet Music and Malcolm Arnold at the Royal Opera House.

The BTS apologies for these errors and will work harder to ensure the news, calendar and newsletter agree in future.

Midlands-based quintet ViVA Brass will be performing a recital in Birmingham next week. The principal brass players of Orchestra ViVA, including BTS member Martha Ann Brookes, will be performing a range of traditional and modern chamber music to raise money for the church repairs, following last year’s tornado.

Tuesday 6th June, 7.30pm
All Saints Church, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14
Free entry, retiring collection
For more details, contact Martha Ann Brookes on 0121 444 5655

ViVA Brass are:
Anthony Thompson trumpet
Gordon Truman trumpet
Mark Smith horn
Martha Ann Brookes trombone
Michael Johnson tuba

Programme to include:
Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor
M. Redfearn Quartal
Poulenc Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone
Rimsky-Korsakov Dance of the Buffoons
G. Goldsmith First Contact
Dufay Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Johnson Confliction (Tuba solo)