News

The British Trombone Society presents:

A spectacular day of trombone music and playing

Leicester Grammar School

Saturday 3rd May 2008

• Celebrating the lyrical trombone playing of the late Don Lusher
• The trombone in the Brass Band

Artists confirmed include:
Nick Hudson (former Principal Trombone of YBS and Fodens Bands),
Bob Hughes (Royal Academy of Music - Trombone Professor)
Brett Baker (Principal Trombone of the Black Dyke Band)
Chris Jeans (Principal Trombone of GUS Band and formerly of Desford and Black Dyke Bands)
Gordon Campbell (Principal Trombone of the BBC Big Band),
Jeremy Price (Jazz trombone soloist and Head of Jazz, Birmingham Conservatoire),
The Ratby Co-operative Brass Band

The programme for the day is as follows:
10.00am Introduction and massed trombone choir led by Bob Hughes (juniors with Chris Jeans)
10.45am Chris Jeans and Brett Baker. Demonstration and discussion of Brass Band repertoire and new compositions
11.30am Nick Hudson workshop on the art of solo playing, using volunteers
12.30pm lunch
1.30pm Improvisation workshop with Jeremy Price
2.30pm Don Lusher Competition
4.00pm Junior choir lead by Chris Jeans
4.00pm Senior choir led by Bob Hughes
5.00pm Workshop with Gordon Campbell
(5.00pm Rehearsal with Ratby and Don Lusher finalist)
6.00pm Concert. Brett Baker, Nick Hudson, Chris Jeans and Don Lusher prize winner.
The evening concert will also feature the Ratby Co-operative Brass Band (Championship Section) and the artists in a full concert.

The three Don Lusher prize finalists will be performing an arrangement of either Stardust or Harlem Nocturne, by one of the judges: world-famous arranger and composer, Bill Geldard. The other judges are Gordon Campbell, lead trombone with the BBC Big Band, and Jeremy Price, International Soloist and Head of Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire. The main prize is a new top-of-the range tenor trombone, kindly donated by Yamaha UK Ltd. The Don Lusher prize will be awarded by Don’s widow, Diana Lusher.

There will be a number of trade stands present with instruments, sheet music and CDs to try and buy.

Date: Saturday 3 May 2008
Times: 10.00am - 8.00pm
Venue: Leicester Grammar School, 8 Peacock Lane, Leicester, LE1 5PX - directions on the Leicester Grammar School website.
Prices: Admission to the workshops and daytime events is free to BTS members and £10 to non members. Tickets for the evening concert and competition final will be by ticket, available on the door at £5 for all.
For further information, please contact Brett Baker by email: chair@britishtrombonesociety.org

Glasgow sees an brass festival at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in a couple of weeks time. The RSAMD Brass Department, in association with both the National Association of Brass Band Conductors and The Scottish Amateur band Association, present an day packed with brass music.

There will be concerts on the hour, every hour from a variety of bands and ensembles including the Scottish Champions and Open Champions Whitburn Band and Kirkintilloch Band, Scotia Brass (an all star Salvation Army Band), West Lothian Schools Band and Royal Scottish Academy Brass. There are workshops and masterclasses from artists including Simone Ribello and James Gourlay, and the day starts at 1.00pm. What’s more, it’s all free!

Sunday April 20th 2008
Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, Glasgow
Free admission for all events (one ticket gains access to the whole day).

Concerts -
1pm RSAMD Brass, conducted by Bryan Allen, with Davur Magnussen (trombone)
2pm The National Youth Brass of Scotland, conducted by Richard Evans
3pm Scotia Brass (All Star Salvation Army band), conducted by Allan Ramsey
4.30pm West Lothian Schools Brass Band , conducted by Nigel Boddice, with Simone Ribello (percussion) and David Thornton (euphonium)
6pm The Kirkintilloch Band present a session on the testpiece for the forthcoming European Championships
7.30pm The Whitburn Band, directed by Andrew Duncan, with Simone Ribello, percussion

Workshops (Guinness Room)
2.30pm Alan Fernie - Repertoire for Junior Band
3.30pm James Gourlay - Techniques of Teaching
5.30pm David Thornton (euphonium) - in Recital
6.15pm Simone Rebello (percussion) - Meet the Player

Full information available from the RSAMD.

The British Trombone Society presents:

The Trombones of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra & Guests

Sunday 24 February 2008
The Royal Academy of Music
Marylebone Road, London NW1 5WT

10.30 Registration and coffee
11.00 Massed trombone choir – director Denis Wick
12.30 Break (lunch not provided – plenty of restaurants nearby)
14.00 Talk and demonstration by Gordon Campbell (BBC Big Band)
15.00 Discussion with Ian Bousfield and Denis Wick
16.00 Orchestral Workshop with Trombones of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra:
Ian Bousfield, Hans Ströcker, Jeremy Wilson and Mark Gaal
Also, guest appearance by the London Symphony Orchestra trombone section
17.30 Break
19.30 - 20.30 Quartet Concert – Vienna Philharmonic Trombones – Dukes Hall

Admission to the events 10.30 - 19.30 are by ticket only because the hall is limited to 110 people. To book your ticket, please contact Geoff Wolmark (secretary@britishtrombonesociety.org or telephone 01377 202209). Tickets are free to BTS members or £10 for non-members. The 7.30pm concert is free and ticketless.

Geoff Wolmark reports that tickets for the BTS/RAM Vienna Trombones Day on the 24th February are going quickly. About three-quarters of the 110 places available have been allocated, so get your skates on if you want to attend.

If you have not received your ticket through the post yet, please contact Geoff urgently on 01377 202209 to ensure you don’t miss out.

The tickets are required for the events during the day only, because it takes place in a smaller hall in the Royal Academy. The evening concert at 7.30pm is in the Duke’s Hall which has a much greater capacity and tickets will not be required.

The Brazilian Trombone Festival 2008 takes place 18–22nd February 2008 in Sao Joao Del Rei, Brazil.

International artists booked to perform include Nathaniel Brickens, Brandt Attema and Tony Baker. Of particular interest to visitors will be the wide selection of local artists including: Renato Farias, Radegundis Feitosa, Joao Luiz Areias, Alciomar de Oliveira, Julio Rizzo, Wilson Dias, Nilsinho Amarante, Trombominas, UFMG Trombones and Tuba Choir, BTE - Brazilian Trombone Ensemble, Trombonada (Recife), Quarteto de Trombones of Paiaiba, Trombones of Maceio, Porto Alegre Trombones and more to come.

For more information, see this fact sheet (25KB, PDF format).

Due to some technical gremlins, some requests for tickets to the Vienna Trombone Day may not have got through. BTS Secretary Geoff Wolmark has suffered problems with his BTS emails, so if you didn’t get a reply of confirmation, then you should email him again.

The event at the RAM on 24th February, featuring the trombones of the Vienna Philharmonic, promises to be a very exciting day, and it is important for those coming that they reserve a ticket for the afternoon events, which are limited to 110 people.

To book your place please contact the BTS secretary, Geoff Wolmark, preferably by email: secretary@britishtrombonesociety.org or tel: 01377 202209. For full details see the original post.

Stephen Cairns is pleased to provide details of this year’s Northern Ireland BTS day.

Once again it is hosted in Bann House in Portadown (many thanks to the Southern Music Service) on Sunday 3rd February 2008, 10:30-4:00.

We are delighted that our guests this year will be the entire Black Dyke trombone section - Brett Baker, Paul Woodward, Garry Reed and Adrian Hirst, as well as a welcome return visit from Bob Hughes (BTS President) to direct the trombone choir.

On Sunday 24th February 2008 the BTS, with the support of the Royal Academy of Music, are pleased to present an exciting day of trombone playing and workshops featuring the trombones of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra plus other distinguished guests.

Coffee and registration is at 10.30am. The morning’s activities will kick off at 11am with a trombone choir under the direction of Denis Wick. The afternoon programme will feature a class with Gordon Campbell (BBC Big Band), an interview with Denis Wick hosted by Ian Bousfield, followed by an orchestral performance workshop with the trombones of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

At 7.30pm in the Duke’s Hall of the RAM, the Vienna Philharmonic Trombones - Ian Bousfield, Hans Ströcker, Jeremy Wilson and Mark Gaal - will give an hour’s performance of trombone quartet music.

There will be trade stands for you to try out new instruments and equipment, plus the opportunity to buy music and CDs.

Tickets for the daytime events will be limited (max 110). To get your ticket, contact the BTS secretary, Geoff Wolmark, preferably by email: secretary@britishtrombonesociety.org or tel: 01377 202209. Entry for the day is free to BTS members or £10 for non-members.

Top trombone soloists will once again be featured in January’s RNCM Festival of Brass.

Mark Frost will be stepping into the spotlight in a world premiere of Spooks, an outrage for bass trombone and ensemble by Elgar Howarth. The piece has been commissioned for the festival by a consortium led by the RNCM and the Brass Band Heritage Trust, and promises to be most entertaining.

Brett Baker will also be giving the concert premiere of Knightmare by Derek Bourgeois.

In the Cory Band’s concert, Chris Thomas will feature in an old favourite: Sparke’s Year of the Dragon.

All concerts take place at the Royal Northern College of Music 25-27 January 2008. Tickets and more information from the RNCM.

The Clifton Trombone Choir, based in West Yorkshire, invites trombonists to join them for a Sunday afternoon of blowing, directed by their MD, LSO legend Frank Mathison. Starting at 2pm on Sunday 25th of November 2007, the event takes place at the Clifton and Lightcliffe Bandroom at Bailiff Bridge near Brighouse.

Fuller details appear on Steve Ford’s post on the BTS Forum. For directions, contact Steve Ford on 01422 369847 or email tromford@hotmail.com