News

Nick Hudson is to feature as one of the guest soloists at the inaugural Ottawa Brass Festival in Canada. The festival is the first of its kind in Ottawa and will also feature brass players from the National Arts Centre Orchestra and their ensemble, Capital Brass Works. Spread over two concerts, Nick will be featuring music by Jacques Casterede, Nicola Ferro, Gareth Wood and John Kenny.

Following a series of workshops in Ottawa, Nick travels to Toronto to feature works by Steadman Allen and Donald Morrison, alongside others in a concert with the North York Temple Band conducted by Glenn Barlow.

Upon touchdown back at Heathrow, Nick will swiftly make the long drive up north to Cumbria to conduct a workshop and recital in the Queens Hall, Sedburgh on 8th June 2008.

Come to a Devon venue to hear BTS member Bob Martin play some jazz.

Jazz at the Anchor
Thursday 15th May 2008, 8.30pm-11pm
Fore St Sidmouth, Devon
01395 514129
FREE admission

Featuring:
▪ Bob Martin trombone
▪ James Clemas keyboard / vocal
▪ Mike Thorn bass

Jazz to the Left and Right of Mainstream

Gordon Campbell will be in Somerset next month, featured in a trombone quartet performance.

The second ‘Trombonicity’ event, also featuring trombone solos and piano will take place on Tuesday 27th May at St Mary’s Church, Bruton, Somerset. The ensemble will also feature Garfield Austin, Keith Thomas and Andy Fawbert, with Elizabeth Hayley at the keyboard and the bass vocals of Christopher Sheldrake. The music will range from Haydn to Thelonius Monk.

stunning passages…breathtaking pyrotechnics…an entertaining and exhilarating evening from start to finish…” (Frome Festival review)

Tuesday 27th May 2008, 7.30pm
St Mary’s Church, Bruton, near Wincanton, Somerset
Tickets £8 (£5) on the door

This Sunday, 10-piece ensemble Westminster Brass will be celebrating the 60th birthday of Chris Hazell, famous for his Brass Cats and connection with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. The Blackheath concert also features the music of Byrd, Bach and Gershwin.

Sunday 20th April, 4pm
Westminster Brass
All Saints, Blackheath, SE3, London
Tickets on the door £5/£3

There will be plenty of brass playing to greet the Olympic Flame in London this weekend. There will be four brass groups on Sunday involved in the march through London in the celebrations:

• Redbridge Brass Band a Championship brass band
• Superbrass, a 10-piece composed of top London orchestral and session players
• Dennis Rollins’ band
• Balkan Brass

Between 11.30 and 12.00, the brass groups will play their own thing and come together for a joint piece. At 1pm there will be a massive trumpet fanfare from a raised platform in Trafalgar Square.

The march commences from Wembley Stadium at 10.30am and finishes at the Dome by 6pm. So do come and support, but watch out protesters…

Brass Collective invites Londoners to avoid the chaotic Friday evening rush hour next week!

Browse the paintings, grab a coffee and then hear some quality brass music at the National Portrait Gallery.

Brass Collective
Friday 11th April 2008, 6.30pm
Admission: FREE
National Portrait Gallery, near Trafalgar Square, London

Brass Collective was formed at the Royal Academy of Music by some leading young players, many of whom have played with the country’s leading orchestras. ‘BC’ will be directed on the night by Richard Ward.

Heaton Toccata
Bourgeois Concerto Grosso
Henze Ragtimes and Habaneras
Duration: 1 hour

The remote Western Isles of Scotland will be resonating to the sound of the trombone in a couple of solo concerts in a fortnight’s time. The ‘Kaleidoscope Festival’
on the Isle of Lewis features Phil Goodwin and Carol Jarvis on consecutive nights.

17th April 2008 - Phil Goodwin plays ‘Bluebells of Scotland’ - at An Lanntair, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis 7:30pm

18th April 2008 - Carol Jarvis and rhythm section - at Town Hall, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis 7:30pm

The RWCMD presents Jonathon Warburton in a recital of new music for bass trombone next month. The programme will include an amazing four UK premiere performances. Bass trombonists are invited to attend this concert free of charge. To claim a free bass trombonist’s ticket, email Kevin Price, (Head of Brass, RWCMD) at Kevin.price@rwcmd.ac.uk

Friday 25 April 2008, 1pm
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Weston Gallery

Fire - Gareth Wood (UK premiere)
Warble-Tone Tango and Gymnastics - Mark Nightingale (UK premiere)
The Smell of Wet Dogs After a Summertime Rain - Richard Zarou (UK premiere)
Speaking Angels - Steven Verhelst (UK premiere)

Pictured: Richard Zarou, whose piece is described as “a hip-hop work for bass trombone and CD”

Top 10-piece brass ensemble London Brass will be heading to Cambridge to lead a day of brass music next month. The workshops and masterclasses are open to all standards of players (Grades 1 - 8+) and will allow participants to play side-by-side with the top professionals. The day’s activities will be topped off in style with a full evening concert by London Brass.

The day follows on from previous brass days organised by Cambridgeshire Music, where have involved over 170 pupils with evening concerts featuring trumpet and trombone ensembles, tuba quartets and brass bands tutored by James Gourlay, Nick Hudson and John Miller. There have also been “endangered species” days for trombones and french horns led by David Purser and Simon De Souza.

London Brass Day
Thursday 20th March 2008
Workshops 10am - 5.00pm, Evening Concert 7.30pm
Concert tickets: £12.50 for adults, £8 for children
Workshops and concert combined ticket: £20
The workshops are for students in full-time education only

Please download the full details and application form (both are 10KB and PDF format). For concert tickets or more information, contact: Paul Rademeyer at Paul.Rademeyer@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or 01480 832857

UPDATED - new London date and programme details

During February, young brass quintet Lucerne Chamber Brass will be visiting Britain for a pair of performances in Cardiff and London. They’ve won a number of prizes since they were formed at the Musikhochschule Luzer in 1999: prizewinners in the Jan Koetsier Competition in Munich 2001 and winning ‘Best Brass Quintet’ at the Concours International Philip Jones, Guebwiler, France in 2003. Their foundation on familiar brass quintet repertoire has now led to an exploration of Swiss folk music.

Of course, Swiss folk music conjures up images of yodelling, alphorns and accordians. But the ‘Bauernmusik’, or ‘farmer’s music’ of 19th century Switzerland would have been a mix of strings, wind and brass playing marches and dances - polka, waltz, mazurkas and gallops etc.

LCB have studied the music and traditions, spent time working with instruments dating from around 1900 and the project has culminated in a CD. The music includes that found in recently discovered part-books of the Music Society of Hunwil in Canton Appenzell, dating back to 1854.

Their recitals will represent their wide repertoire, including works which were composed in association with the Academy of Music in Lucerne, with the aim of exploring and playing Swiss folk music from the 19th Century.

Programmes to include:
Rossini Finale grande
Ewald Quintet Nr. 1, op. 5
Bozza Sonatine
Bauernmusik (farmer’s music) traditional and revisited

Tuesday 26 February, 1.05pm
Old Royal Naval College Chapel, SE10, London
Recital is part of the Trinity College of Music Brass Experience 2008
Entry: free

Wed 27 February, 7.30pm
Swiss Church in London, 79 Endell Street, London WC2H 9DY
Entry: £10, concessions £6, including refreshments

Thursday 28 February 2008, 1:05pm
Weston Gallery, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff
Entry: £4, £2