|
Building on the success of the 2004 Festival of Brass – described by one
reviewer as ‘the
most important festival of brass band music ever mounted in Great
Britain’ - the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester has put in
place
an even more ambitious and far-reaching festival for January 2005. The
2005 RNCM Festival of Brass takes place at the College from Friday 21st
to Sunday 23rd January.
Galaxy of Soloists
for RNCM Festival of Brass
Six great soloists and a World Premiere!
The 2005 RNCM Festival of Brass boasts a superb line-up of bands,
conductors and a veritable galaxy of soloists who will be celebrating
significant birthdays of two of England’s finest contemporary composers,
Edward Gregson and Elgar Howarth.
Opening the Festival on Friday evening 21st January,
Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal) Band conducted by Elgar Howarth will see
Grimethorpe’s principal tenor horn, Sandy Smith, give the world premiere
performance of Howarth’s Concerto for Tenor Horn and Brass Band.
On Saturday afternoon (3.00pm), the Buy As You View Band conducted by
Dr. Robert Childs will feature in their programme David Childs, the
band’s principal euphonium, fresh from his historic BBC Proms concert
concerto performance. David Childs will perform Elgar Howarth’s
euphonium concerto Stories of
Saroyan. Stories of Saroyan was originally composed for David’s father,
Robert, in 2001.
On
Saturday evening (7.30pm), the British Open Champions, Fodens Richardson
Band, who will be conducted by Bramwell Tovey, have programmed Edward
Gregson’s Concerto for French Horn and Brass Band. For this concerto the
soloist, who is traveling from Canada especially to perform this work,
is the horn player of Canadian Brass, Jeff Nelsen.
Sunday
lunchtime sees the Brighouse and Rastrick Band give their RNCM Festival
of Brass debut under the baton of their Professional Conductor and
RNCM’s Head of School, Wind and Percussion, James Gourlay. During this
concert James will swap the baton for the tuba to perform the Gregson
Tuba Concerto and the composer and RNCM Principal, Professor Edward
Gregson, will conduct his own work.
The International Staff Band conducted by Bandmaster Stephen Cobb will
perform the Sunday afternoon
concert (3.00pm). During their performance, long time principal
euphonium of the ISB, Derick Kane, will perform Symphonic Rhapsody for
Euphonium and Band by Edward Gregson.
The climax to the 2005 RNCM Festival of Brass will feature the newly
crowned National Champions, The Black Dyke Band, conducted by Dr
Nicholas Childs. Black Dyke have chosen to feature their principal
trombone, Brett Baker performing Elgar Howarth’s Trombone Concerto.
Tickets are now on
sale from the RNCM Box Office, telephone 0161 907 5555. A ticket
allowing entry to all concerts can be purchased for as little as £39.
Individual concert tickets and concessions are also available.
For further information please contact:
Philip Biggs, Festival Administrator, telephone 01223 234090 or 07710
505689 philipbiggs@bandstand.demon.co.uk
or: Jacqui Dale, RNCM Director of Marketing, on 0161 907 5282,
jacqui.dale@rncm.ac.uk |