Next week Fiona McLean will be performing the Arnold’s Fantasy for Trombone at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. It comes as part of Brass Spectrum’s lunchtime concert in tribute to the late Sir Malcolm Arnold. The brass quintet are resident as a fellowship ensemble at the Guildhall School. The programme also features Arnold’s Quintet No. 1 and his three other Fantasy pieces for solo instruments.

Brass Spectrum
Wednesday, 25 October 2006, 1.05pm
Music Hall, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London
Free admission

In addition there is a trombone masterclass tonight in the Guildhall featuring Jiggs Whigham.

Lancier Brass are celebrating their latest prize, this time courtesy of the Tunnell Trust for Young Musicians. Already this year, the young brass quintet, with trombonist Matt Gee, has won the Royal Over-Seas League Chamber Competition and performed a Purcell Room recital having won a place in the Park Lane Series.

Following auditioning against other young chamber ensembles, the judges from the Tunnell Trust have awarded them five professional music club recitals in venues across Scotland. The two other ensembles selected are string quartets.

We make a point of offering concerts to Music Clubs even in small and remote places the length and breadth of Scotland and winners must be prepared to undergo the rigours of a Scottish winter.

Tunnell Trust

It is six years since brass quintet Lancier Brass formed from players studying in London, and now two of their members - Matt Gee and horn player Rebecca Hill have recently won positions at Scottish Opera.

At the BTS Annual General Meeting held on Sunday 8 October 2006, Bob Hughes was voted in as President of the British Trombone Society. The retired bass trombonist of the London Symphony Orchestra was delighted with being given the opportunity to drive forward projects for the benefit of all members.

There will be more information available soon.

The next broadcast date has been fixed for the 2006 International Trombone Festival BBC Big Band concert, following on from the previous programme: Monday 23rd October 2006 at 9pm.

BBC Radio 2 will broadcast excerpts from the evening which featured soloists Mark Nightingale, Jiggs Whigham and Wycliffe Gordon in the UK. In addition the show will be available to hear on the Internet for seven days following the broadcast. Full details will be available on the BBC Radio 2 website nearer the time.

Young professional trombonist Amy Wetmore is presenting a joint recital with trumpet player Simon Sturgeon-Clegg in the Two Moors Festival based around Exmoor and Dartmoor. In their lunchtime concert in two weeks time, Amy will be featuring Wagenseil’s Concerto on the alto trombone and Axel Jorgensen’s Romance.

Friday 20th October 2006, 1.30pm
The Two Moors Festival
St John the Baptist’s Church, Hatherleigh
Lunchtime Concert

Amy Wetmore trombone
Simon Sturgeon-Clegg trumpet
Anna Tilbrook piano

Goedicke Concert Etude
Wagenseil Concerto in Eb
Saint-Saëns The Swan
Hummel Trumpet Concerto in Eb
Jorgensen Romance
Glazunov Albumblatt
Peter Maxwell Davies Sonatina for solo trumpet
Bernstein Elegy for Mippy II
Mercer Something Stupid

Trombone player Amy Wetmore is a founder member of the award-winning ensemble Brass 10. She is joined by trumpeter Simon Sturgeon-Clegg for an exciting concert of pieces which show the enormous range of sounds which brass instruments can produce.

Tickets: £8. Under 18: £2.
Box Office Tel: 01643 831006

Trombones feature in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra October 2006 podcast. The PodGuide to the Orchestra features CBSO principal trombonist Philip Harrison and bass trombonist Alwyn Green as they reveal their instruments’ characters and talk about the great trombone solos in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 and Ravel’s Bolero.

CBSO October 2006 podcast.

I hope I find everybody well and raring to go this Sunday. I am so excited about the Eastern Area Trombone Day at Oundle School, especially after last year and hope you find as much enjoyment from the day as I know I will. Everyone who plays the trombone is welcome, so please invite every trombonist you know. This includes all trombonists, whether young or not so young for the third time. This day is for every trombonist!

The emphasis once again on everyone getting involved playing their trombone, plus a fabulous line-up of artists to listen to. Headlining are Big Parade, Jazz Trombone Quintet led by Rick Taylor fresh from their ITA debut. We’re very pleased to welcome the widely praised Black Dyke Trombone Quartet led by Brett Baker. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in the mass blows, led by Bob Hughes and Chris Fower and in addition Liam Kirkman will be leading a jazz workshop accompanied by professional rhythm section. And of course there is the BTS AGM at 6pm for anyone interested in having their say.

The day will start with registration at 9:30am at the Great Hall, Oundle School, Oundle. The day is free to BTS Members (Please bring your BTS Membership card or have your BTS Membership number to hand), Non-Members who join the BTS on the day and persons under 16 (There is no age limit for BTS Members so please do not feel afraid to put your child forward for membership! We are dedicated to all trombonists whatever age, standard, height etc.!!). Non-BTS members over 16 years of age who do not wish to join on the day must pay a fee of £10.

Parking is in the car park at the Gascoigne Building which is the Music Department of Oundle School. Please do not park at the Great Hall as this is reserved for traders who have quite a lot of gear to shift.

There will be a morning break (tea, coffee, water and squash will be provided), lunch break (lunch is not provided so please bring a packed lunch, or, if you fancy something more substantial there are two pubs within walking distance and other eateries that I will direct you to) and an afternoon break for you to talk amongst each other, speak to performers, speak to BTS representatives and trade stands in the Great Hall and the Arthur Marshall Room – opposite the Great Hall – to peruse. There are three stands at the moment, but I am in talks with two others who are hoping to make it but are waiting on staff levels as they both have stands else where in the country. Music, instruments and accessories will all be available so do not hesitate to bring pocket money (cheque books and credit cards are OK too); I already have mine stashed and ready to go. Even if you want to window shop, please feel free to look at the stands and speak to the traders as they are there for you and all your needs, questions and ideas.

The day starts off at 10:00am sharp with two separate warm-ups and massed blows. The more challenging of the twp will be in the Great Hall downstairs, led and conducted by Bob Hughes, Professor of Bass Trombone at the Royal Academy of Muic and former bass trombonist with the Philharmonia and London Symphony orchestras. This is open to everybody, but can be a little bit tricky in some pieces. There is no age limit, so, if you fancy a challenge, whether you are young or not as young as you once were, this is the group for you! The less challenging of the two will be upstairs in the Cecil Lewis Room, led by Chris Fower, Hertfordshire Music Service Leader of Wider Opportunities, Faculty Leader in lower brass and Co-Director of Hertfordshire Youth Jazz Ensemble. Chris is also a well established freelance bass trombonist in professional big bands and West End shows. This is a much less demanding group, with a big emphasis towards younger players. Please do not be afraid to join in if you feel you would be happier in this group, you are never too old or young to have a go at anything you want to do!

Big Parade, Jazz Trombone Quintet

Trombonists: Rick Taylor, Jeremy Price/Dave Holt, Liam Kirkman, Martin Gladish; Bass Trombonist: Chris Fower and Rhythm Section: Gareth Williams on piano; Arnie Somogyi on Bass and Clark Tracey on Drums.

Black Dyke Mills Band Trombone Section

Trombonists: Brett Baker, Garry Reed; Bass Trombone: Adrian Hirst

BTS East Anglia Trombone Day Attendee’s beginners Jazz Improvisation Workshop

Liam Kirkman will lead, with some of the Big Parade trombonists, a beginner’s jazz improvisation workshop. This will involve all of us with the backing of Big Parade’s rhythm section. Like you, I do not know exactly what Liam and the boys have lined up, but I am very much looking forward to this. I am just hoping that everything goes according to plan and I do not have to run around at this stage.

Unfortunately The Spitfire Quartet, who were advertised on the BTS website – www.britishtrombonesociety.org – as performing on Sunday, have unfortunately had to pull out due to unforeseen circumstances. They are very keen to perform for the BTS and they will appear at a later date. May I take this opportunity to congratulate them on their success at the International Trombone Festival in winning the Trombone Quartet Competition.

At the end of the day at 6:00pm we will be holding the 2006 British Trombone Society Annual General Meeting. All members are most welcome – including people who join on the day – to help plan future activities, developments, and to consider the work of the BTS over the last year.

Our performers and conductors for the day are not being paid to attend. The BTS and I are grateful to them for giving their time and passion to us for our enjoyment, learning and sheer pleasure!

Big Parade are also putting on a full gig in The Ship Inn, Oundle, West Street (very good real ale!) in the Function Room at the back of the pub from 8:00pm to 11:00pm later the same evening.

Hot from their highly acclaimed reunion gig at the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham this summer, Big Parade, which was forged from the trombone section of the acclaimed Creative Jazz Orchestra, is once more on the road. Rick’s accessible, eclectic and hugely listenable compositions are a tour de force for his jazz trombone ensemble and represent a melting pot of world music from Cajun to Celtic. The line up contains some of the most individual and exciting voices from the UK jazz trombone scene together with a simply extraordinary rhythm section.

Tickets for the evening are only £8 each and are available throughout the day at the Great Hall (this money is to help pay for the rhythm section and travel expenses for the performers). The evening promises to be an amazing extension to the day. It is an amazing chance for us as BTS members and the general public to be able to go to a jazz gig outside of a city and pay an unbelievably low price as well. I heard them at the ITF and the quote is absolutely correct.

Ben Bouzan
eastanglia@britishtrombonesociety.org
BTS East Anglia Representative

Dennis Rollins describes it as his “funkiest yet”. With his BBC Radio 3 Jazz Award winning band Bad Bone and Co, Dennis has just released his third album called “Big Night Out”. It is available for £12 (including postage and packing) from JazzCDs.co.uk.

The Royal College of Music will host jazz trombonist Richard Edwards in a masterclass next week.

Well-known for his solos on the London Trombone Sound album, Richard is a member of London Brass and frequently found recording television, film sessions, deputising in West End shows and many varied jazz engagements.

Friday 13th October 2006, 2pm
Royal College of Music, London
Recital Hall
Brass Faculty Masterclass
Richard Edwards jazz trombone

For many a British trombonist, the big event of 2006 will undoubtedly be the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham in July, but players from Stockton-on-Tees and the surrounding area were able to whet their appetites for all things trombone-related at the North-East region’s first BTS Trombone Day in May. Hosted by Tees Valley Music Service, the event attracted beginners, students, teachers, amateurs and professionals from across Teesside and beyond. Headline artists were ITA vice president Jiggs Whigham and former BTS president Chris Houlding, both of whom gave inspiring and entertaining recitals and masterclasses during the course of the day.

Chris welcomed the 40-or-so participants and led the Massed Blow, which included pieces as diverse as Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and that Tutti’s Trombones favourite, Lassus Trombones. The trombone choir, in which a wide range of ages and abilities were represented, sounded terrific and clearly made an impression on some of the youngest players in the room who then stepped up to contribute to the next item on the itinerary, Tees Valley Music Service’s Endangered Species Project. The aim of the project, as TVMS trombone teachers Steve Baxter and Stuart Gray explained, was not saving the giant panda(!) but ensuring that sufficient numbers of pupils take up the trombone to prevent the instrument from becoming extinct in schools and colleges. The two small groups of beginner and intermediate players performed a short selection of pieces, some with CD backing tracks, my particular favourite being a funky version of I Want It That Way by Backstreet Boys! The pupils’ obvious enjoyment and the level of achievement reached after only a few months of tuition were indicative of the success of the Endangered Species scheme – an encouraging sign for the trombonists of the future.

After a brief session in two separate groups (advanced and not-so-advanced) to play through more trombone choir music, we reconvened to hear Chris Houlding give a brief recital in which he aptly represented the diversity of solo trombone repertoire. John Kenny’s Fanfare provided a declamatory and concise opening, and was followed by a Sarabande from one of Bach’s Cello Suites in Lafosse’s transcription, a masterclass in controlled and sensitive playing. For a ferocious and explosive finish, Chris played Hauptposaune by Anders Hilborg – exhausting to witness, never mind playing it! With lunchtime rapidly approaching, Chris gave a brief masterclass with the keenest volunteer, 12-year-old Graham Thorpe, who performed Cavatine by Saint-Saëns.

The afternoon session consisted of a performance, masterclass and improvisation workshop presented by Jiggs Whigham, backed by local rhythm section the Paul Donnelly Trio. Having flown in from the States that day, Jiggs came straight from the airport and, playing a brand new Conn-Selmer King ‘Jiggs Whigham’ model (unwrapping it from the plastic and greasing the slide as he talked), launched straight into a recital without a warm-up. The whole room was wowed by Jiggs’ simply stunning playing, and his explanation of modes used in jazz improvisation was truly enlightening. He got everyone involved – singing, dancing and playing – and eagerly encouraged questions from his attentive audience. Jiggs explained that this was an historic moment – his contribution to the day’s events marked the inauguration of TAPAS, Trombone Artists Playing for Amateurs and Students. This recently-conceived initiative aims to encourage more student and amateur players to join the ITA and BTS through performances given by leading well-established trombonists who donate their time to the cause once a year. I don’t suppose many people often have the opportunity to hear a performer of such stature in such an exclusive setting, and the two young masterclass participants, David Gerrard and Sam Sankey, both 15 years old, were clearly inspired by their chance to play for and jam with Jiggs, as were those of us watching the proceedings. Any scheme that brings world-class artists closer to audiences – particularly small events outside of big cities, where access to high-quality live music can sometimes be difficult to come by – is an extremely positive step towards widening the appeal of the instrument and securing the future of trombone playing. Long may it continue – more TAPAS please!

Claire McIntyre