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President’s Welcome
TOM LEES
Welcome everyone – I hope the sun is shining on you now Spring is upon us. 2025 is an important year for the BTS as it marks our 40th anniversary, though sadly it is already a year in which some important members of the trombone world have passed away. At such times I am reminded of the strength of our community as people rally around to offer their support.
In this anniversary year we have already had significant events at Wells Cathedral School and in Northern Ireland, and there are plenty more things planned, so please look out on the BTS Socials and website. We are planning a very special BTS@40 Celebration to be held at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on Sunday, 16 November, and it will be an occasion for everyone. There are many exciting artists and groups being lined up (keep an eye out for details) and there will be an emphasis on bringing everyone together. There will be a special performance from an intercollegiate trombone choir (and an intercollegiate sackbut choir too – thanks Emily White!) and we have launched a competition to have a fanfare composed for the occasion that will include parts specifically for young players to play on the day. We will also be referencing the 30th anniversary of the London Trombone Sound album with a special opportunity for everybody to perform Eric Crees’s arrangement of 76 Trombones (hopefully with even more than 76!).
It promises to be a wonderful celebration, and a tribute to all those who have contributed to the BTS over the years to make it what it is today – I look forward to seeing you there!
Editor’s Welcome
Welcome to the Spring 2025 issue of The Trombonist, The Official Organ of the British Trombone Society, as it was styled in Issue 1, Autumn 1985!
Across this anniversary year we will be looking back at the history of the Society, beginning in this issue with an account of the first Covent Garden Piazza Trombone Spectacular in 1986. Sadly, we also mark the passing of Denis Wick, BTS founding member, Past-President and father of modern British trombone playing; remembered too are Peter Bassano and Marty Wilson. In advance of the BTS@40 Celebration in November the Society continues to support a busy programme of regional events. Tom Lees and Nathan Moore report on very successful and well attended Trombone Days at Wells Cathedral School and in Northern Ireland in February and March. We can look forward to a BTS event in Durham later this month, featuring Katy Jones, Dávur Juul Magnussen and the Carlton Main trombone section.
Looking to the future, this issue sees the launch of Young Bones, a section aimed at the junior members of the Society, though many of the tips and topics discussed will be of value to trombonists of all ages, and in the Trombone Toolkit Tom Lees presents some ideas on teaching and practising our instrument drawn from personal experience and the latest research in psychology, neuroscience and pedagogy.
Elsewhere we review two new CDs releases, the latest solo album from Peter Moore and an album celebrating the music of Dorothy Gates, featuring Isobel Daws. Finally, From the Stage to the Pit and What’s On once again highlight some of the best jazz gigs, concerts and opera performances the UK has to offer.
Tom Lees president@britishtrombonesociety.org
Alastair Warren editor@britishtrombonesociety.org
ALASTAIR WARREN
EDITOR
Alastair Warren editor@britishtrombonesociety.org
SUB-EDITORS
Peter Chester and Alison Keep
NEWS EDITOR news@britishtrombonesociety.org
EVENTS EDITOR events@britishtrombonesociety.org
REVIEWS EDITOR
Jane Salmon reviews@britishtrombonesociety.org
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Chris Valentine advertising@britishtrombonesociety.org
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Martin Lee Thompson content@britishtrombonesociety.org
MAGAZINE DESIGN
Sára Mikkelsen saramikkelsen.com
FRONT COVER
Denis Wick
CONTRIBUTORS
Alastair Warren
Becky Smith
Simon Minshall
Josh Cirtina
Tom Lees
Nathan Moore
Tom Winthorpe
Becky Pepper
Jane Salmon
Chris Brewster
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THE NEWS
ROSL Success for Meggie Murphy
Congratulations to Meggie Murphy, current BTS Student of the Year, who in February won the Phillip Jones Memorial Prize for an outstanding brass player, in the Brass, Wind and Percussion Section Final of the 2025 Royal Overseas League Annual Music Competition.
Bill Ashton OBE, RIP
Bill Ashton, OBE, founder of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), passed away on 8 March. It is impossible to know just how many trombonists have benefitted from rehearsing and performing with NYJO since its inception in 1965, but ex-members are to be found in every facet British jazz and in many pit bands and session orchestras. Callum Au’s tribute to Bill in UK Jazz News sums up the unique NYJO experience familiar to so many.
New appointments at RAM and RCM
James Buckle, currently Professor of Bass Trombone at the Royal College of Music (RCM), will be moving across London in September to take up the same position at the Royal Academy of Music, succeeding his former professor, Bob Hughes, who is retiring after 36 years of service.
At the RCM Josh Cirtina, Principal Bass Trombone of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director of Slide Action, has been appointed as the new Professor of Bass Trombone, and Clare Farr, Principal Bass Trombone of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, has been named a Visiting Professor. She will lead a multiday residency, working with RCM brass students in classes, one-to-one lessons and ensemble coaching.
Award nominations for Slide Action
Slide Action’s debut recording RE:BUILD has been nominated in both the Newcomer and Premiere categories of this year’s BBC Music Magazine Awards. Results will be announced at a ceremony to be held at Kings Place, London on Wednesday, 23 April.
Wizz Bannan joins Ulster Orchestra
In January, the Ulster Orchestra welcomed Wizz Bannan as their new Principal Trombone No. 2. Wizz hails from the North East of England, beginning her musical life as a young cornet player in the local brass band, before moving to trombone at the age of 15. She quickly took up the principal trombone seat of Championship section Easington Colliery Band.
CLARE FARR.
Wizz studied trombone at the Royal Northern College of Music, generously supported by the John Fewkes (Leicestershire) Instrumentalist Scholarship Fund, receiving tuition from world-class trombone players including Simon Cowen, Roger Cutts, Jiggs Wigham, Roger Holliday and Chris Houlding. During her time at the RNCM, Wizz successfully auditioned and won places for a number of projects and training schemes, including being a member of the 2013–14 European Youth Orchestra. After graduating, Wizz remained in the North West area, working as a freelance musician, with professional orchestras and ensembles across the UK and Europe.
Nathaniel Dye MBE
In recognition of his work raising cancer awareness and campaigning for an improved NHS, Nathaniel Dye was awarded an MBE for Political and Community Service in the 2025 New Year Honours List.
Since being diagnosed with terminal bowl cancer Nate has raised tens of thousands of pounds through numerous fundraising activities, including running the London Marathon while playing trombone, walking from John O’Groats to Lands’ End, and releasing an album.
Read more about Nathaniel’s achievements and upcoming plans on his website
Brass Band Achievements
In February the trombone section of Ebbw Valley Band, Gareth Robinson, Maia Wilson and Rowan Hunter, were awarded the Ciswo Cup for Best Trombone Section at the Welsh Open Brass Band Entertainment Championship.
In March, Joshua Parkhill of the Dalmellington Band won the John Campbell Award for best Championship Section trombone at the Scottish Brass Band Championships.
At the London and Southern Counties Area Championships two awards were made for Best Trombones: Ben Douglas, Becky Smith and Tom Williams of East London Brass in the Championship Section and Darren Gale, Lee Bell, and Jack Mitchell of Jersey Premier Brass, in the Second Section.
At the North of England Areas, Elizabeth Pearce from City of Hull Brass won Best Trombone in the Championship Section, and the trombones of Durham Miners Association Brass Band were awarded Best Trombones in the First Section.
Rath wins OHMI Award
On 15 March, at the One Hand Musical Instrument Trust Conference and Award Ceremony, hosted by Birmingham City University, Michael Rath’s bespoke design of a trombone bracket and support stand system won an award in the Enabling Equipment category.
The system was created for long time Rath customer, Willie McLean, a Northern Ireland based brass educator and freelance trombonist. Willie had a huge stroke in October 2017 that left him with left arm paralysis. Rath’s ingenious design and craftsmanship has enabled Willie to play again.
The stainless-steel bracket clamps easily to the main bell stay of the trombone using two hexagonal head screws. A clearance hole through the centre of the main head of the bracket allows the trombone to slide comfortably over the stand spindle. This is attached to an adapted heavy-duty cymbal stand, ensuring the trombone is at the correct angle for the player. Height and angle are adjustable. ◆
WIZZ BANNAN
RATH
Trombone Toolkit
BY TOM LEES
We buzz and slide away to our hearts content, and most importantly, as Marcus Brigstocke reminded us, we PLAY the trombone.
There are things that we do in common to produce the sounds that we do, and yet the interpretation of these concepts are wide-ranging; Peter Moore does not necessarily sound like Wycliffe Gordon!
Most interesting for me when teaching are the ways that we choose to communicate the ideas that help someone to play the trombone. Every student is different, and it follows that the way they learn is different too. Having a large teaching toolkit with as many well-maintained ‘tools’ in it as possible, can only help.
People have their own thoughts on teaching and how it should be done, and sometimes those opinions are quite forthright! (look on any trombone forum or Reddit thread). Talk to someone who teaches the trombone and you are more than likely to acquire something new to add to the toolkit. It might be a new resource or study book, or it might just be a turn of phrase to help with something technical or musical that someone has found useful: ‘Just place the trombone on your imagination’, Ian Bousfield said recently in a class at Wells Cathedral School (we all wrote that down!)
The quote, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ is variously attributed, and I do like to encourage my students to explore their imaginations and think of images, scenarios or stories that accompany what they are playing; interestingly, sometimes their legato/ articulation/high register improves as a result!
I’d like to share a favourite video I use when teaching articulation to both beginners and older students alike. It comes courtesy Brad Edwards, from his ‘Trombone Tip Tuesday’ series. It’s pretty self-explanatory! Brad has produced some great playing/teaching
resources and produces a free monthly newsletter packed full of goodies – check it out.
Emily White put me onto Susan Williams’s book Quality Practice. The information and tools in it are grounded on current knowledge from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and pedagogy, and applied to the teaching and self-teaching of performing musicians. It has many fascinating strategies and is intended to be used as a workbook in the practice room and in the lesson, in order to enhance creative learning processes.
One of Williams’s ideas is that although in the very first stages of learning, repetitions are needed to learn something to the point where it is automatic, beyond that, repeatedly playing through repertoire does not always ensure that it is better the next day – i.e. learned. During repetitive practice, the information stays in your short-term memory and your brain does not recognize the necessity of getting it right first time; rather it relies on playing everything several times.
Williams suggests that in order to keep the mind alert, it helps to frequently change the task (section of music). Try playing difficult fragments or phrases randomly, playing each fragment once then move onto another. Repeat fragments but not directly (e.g. A C B A D B etc).
The aim is to help your mind stay alert and to practice getting it right first time. The scientific explanations for the benefit of random practice suggest that it results in a more elaborate representation of the task in the player’s memory. You can watch a video of random practice in action on page 21.
The most important thing to say here is that there are no right or wrong ways. We can try out different methodologies for ourselves and our students and see what works best in any given situation. Most important of all is that we remember that we PLAY the trombone!◆
Denis Wick The Trombonist
BY ALASTAIR WARREN
Born in Braintree, Essex on 1 June 1931, Denis taught himself the trombone from the age of 10 when he received an instrument from the Chelmsford Salvation Army band. He played with the band until the age of 15, then joined Luton Brass Band, which was enjoying considerable national success at the time.
Still self-taught, he won the ABRSM Gold Medal for achieving the highest mark in the country for grade 7, the trombone syllabus not extending to grade 8 at the time, as the instrument was considered incapable of reaching the necessary musical heights.
At the age of 16 Denis heard his first orchestral concert, given by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, performing in the rather prosaic setting of the canteen of the Vauxhall Motorworks in Luton. Malcolm Arnold’s trumpet playing so inspired him that he decided to pursue his own career in music.
Denis briefly became a student at the Royal Academy of Music, but claimed he was frustrated with not learning anything there. Sid Langston was the professor, but he all but refused to pass on any of his experience in case his students ‘stole’ his work. Fate intervened. After playing an amateur date in Salisbury with
trombonists from the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, now the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO), when the 2nd trombone job came up in July 1950, they called to invite him to audition, having already heard many of the final year students at the London music colleges. He won the audition, becoming a professional player at the age of 19.
Two years later he won the audition for first trombone with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), a year after conductor Rudolf Schwarz had moved there from Bournemouth. The audition was particularly rigorous, to persuade the administrators that Schwarz was not practising favouritism towards an ex-colleague.
Whilst in Birmingham Denis worked with Gordon Jacob on his seminal Trombone Concerto, giving the premiere on 20 November 1955, accompanied by the CBSO. This piece shows off the advances in technique which he was making: the cadenza in the last movement makes great use of warm-up and flexibility studies that Denis had developed, and which remain hugely influential in the teaching of brass players to this day.
Denis moved to London in April 1957, becoming Principal Trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra
Denis Wick passed away on 12 February at the age of 93
DENIS WICK PICTURED IN 1948.
(LSO). He had also been offered the same position with the London Philharmonic Orchestra but chose the LSO on the advice of Schwarz. Denis remained with the LSO until 1988, his tenure coinciding with the recording boom brought about first by stereo and then digital recording. Iconic recordings from this period include John Williams’s scores for Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Superman. The brass playing on these soundtracks has encouraged a whole generation of brass players, particularly the thrilling sound of Denis in partnership with Principal Trumpet Maurice Murphy. Other recordings worth searching out include Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 from 1966 and an amazing Walton Symphony No.1 from 1967, both conducted by Andre Previn, and this live recording of Mahler’s Symphony No.3 from 1961.
In his early years at the LSO, Denis was at the forefront of the move away from the traditional British small-bore tenor and G bass trombones to large bore American instruments, pioneering a new, though still distinctly British trombone sound, retaining in Denis’s own words, ‘something of the small-bore character; be absolutely massive in loud playing but have that very special clarity and real beauty in p and pp.’ Denis’s essay 20th Century Orchestral Trombone Styles in the UK is a must read for anyone interested in the radical changes that took place during this period.
Denis taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1967 to 1989, and at the Royal Academy of
Music from 2000, having also worked with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra since 1993. His book, Trombone Technique, was first published in 1971, becoming an indispensable guide for students worldwide. After retiring from teaching at the Academy in 2011, Denis remained a regular visitor to conduct brass repertoire sessions, his boundless enthusiasm, knowledge and ready wit as a raconteur always present. As a conductor he led the Second Essex Youth Orchestra from 1977 into the 1990s.
During his time in the LSO Denis began experimenting with new designs for mouthpieces and mutes, being dissatisfied with the products available in the shops. The only way to achieve the sound that he wanted was to have a mouthpiece made to his own specifications. In 1968, he eventually finalised his design. He wanted one for himself and a couple for colleagues and students, so he ordered five. His mouthpiece maker explained that he would have to order a minimum of 80. Denis famously replied he would never be able to sell 80 mouthpieces, but he took the plunge anyway and so the business, Denis Wick Products Ltd, was born. 57 years later the business has become one of the world’s leading mute and mouthpiece manufacturers, though as Denis’s son Steve notes, ‘ironically many thousands of people all over the world know the name Denis Wick but they have no idea it is the name of an actual person, to them it’s a brand name stamped on a mouthpiece or mute.’
Denis was a founding member of the British
LSO LOW BRASS C. 1958.
DENIS WICK – THE TROMBONIST
Trombone Society. During his time as BTS President, from 1992 to 1995, he strengthened ties with International Trombone Association (ITA), believing greater access to, and interaction with, the American trombone community could only benefit British trombone playing. In 1993 he negotiated the reduced ITA membership fee from which BTS members still benefit. He went on to serve as ITA President from 2004 to 2006, bringing the International Trombone Festival to Birmingham in 2006, and made great strides to internationalise the content of the ITA magazine, The International Trombone Journal. In 1989 he was awarded the ITA Award, presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the trombone community, and in 2006 received the ITA Neill Humfeld Award for Excellence in Trombone Teaching.
Denis’s funeral took place on 10 March, his coffin welcomed into the church with Beethoven’s Drei Equali performed by the Slide Action trombone quartet. Matthew Gee, Principal Trombone of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BTS Past-President and former student of Denis gave the eulogy:
‘In 2021 I wrote an article for The Trombonist celebrating Denis’s 90th birthday. I spoke to Denis on the phone for almost an hour, and what followed was a wonderfully lucid nostalgic chat. Denis was exactly as I remembered him from my student days enthusiastic, firm and a wonderful raconteur. When Steve, his son, asked me to say a few words about Denis at his funeral
I was a mix of emotions, honoured, overwhelmed, nervous, so I dived headfirst into his book Trombone Technique and went over my notes from the chat we had. Somehow, even though only present in spirit, Denis added clarity, his customary confidence and made the daunting prospect of speaking entirely manageable, maybe even enjoyable.
Denis’s legacy as a teacher is vast, generations of trombone players have been taught by him, Peter Gane, Dudley Bright, Helen Vollam, to name but a few. Even a brief flick through Trombone Technique makes clear how knowledgeable Denis was. Every aspect of playing is explained with the clarity of someone who both loved and had mastered the instrument. As a student I was particularly fond of the passage in which Denis talks about Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra, whereby the high D almost literally falls out of the instrument. This was something I needed. In my final year of university, I got the chance to study with Denis and to learn some of these secrets from the man himself. At the time I was living near Waterloo, so we decided it would be easier if I took my lessons at his home in Oxshott. I was rather nervous the first time we met, after all he was a household name in the brass bands I’d grown up in, everyone had a mouthpiece and some of his mutes, so I made my way to Oxshott, alighted from the train and was immediately bellowed at through the window of a rather smart red Jaguar. I said bellowed but as we all know Denis had the most wonderfully deep, rich voice. A firm handshake followed and before I knew it, we were cruising through the Surrey countryside.
We entered the driveway of a magnificent house. As students we used to call it Wick Towers. It had white pillars either side of the doorway and I naively thought that it was a sort of place you could own if you landed a principal job with a London orchestra. It was here, in his rather impressive library, where I would receive my weekly lessons. What I didn’t know at the time was how fundamental these lessons would be to my entire career as both a player and a teacher. He showed me how to work on my sound by absolutely leathering Mahler 3 with one of his practice mutes. He would then dive into a 20-minute story about one of his colleagues in the LSO back in the 1970s, when the brass section were absolute world beaters, about the way they played a particular piece or interacted with the famous conductor. It was usually funny and almost certainly something that no musician would ever get away with these days. And it was told with such colour and enthusiasm that every bone in your body wanted nothing more than to be a professional trombone player. Then I’d be on the train home, making notes from the lesson and realising that during the story he had perfectly described the sound and style of what I’ve been trying to do on the instrument an hour
DENIS WICK IN 2018, WITH TWO OF HIS FAMOUS MUTES.
DENIS WICK – THE TROMBONIST
earlier. This was one of his great gifts, slipping bits of information into stories which only later you would realise were integral to your development. Another of his strengths as a teacher was the confidence he would install in you. His tireless energy and enthusiasm were infectious. If I was preparing for an audition, he would make me feel invincible, like there was no possible way the audition would be anything other than a success and that confidence would somehow transmit into my breathing and then into my airstream. Suddenly you realised that playing the trombone in an orchestra for was for Denis as natural as breathing and talking, and if you could copy just some of those mannerisms maybe, just maybe, you stood a chance of becoming a professional trombone player. I also spent a few weeks being tutored by him as a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. These weeks were highly insightful and gave a glimpse of just how good a principal trombone Denis was in his heyday. It was not just about playing the notes, it was the way the first trombone led, the way
they set the tone and style for the section. We would play endless Bach Chorales, hear yet more anecdotes, all delivered with boundless enthusiasm and unwavering encouragement. Eventually we would get around to playing the actual music for the course. By that point he had fine-tuned us into a wonderful orchestral trombone section, meaning everything was prepared swiftly and efficiently in the very final sectional. When someone needed taking down a peg or two, he would grab their instrument and play a series of ear-splitting top F’s followed by pedal B flats in quick succession like it was a game, muttering “that’s OK” or “the body remembers”. As he says in Trombone Technique the trombone can be made to move with comparative ease from the lowest pedal notes to notes far up above well perhaps in your hands Denis.
Denis is also responsible for the very British obsession with playing large bore Conn trombones. Although an American-made instrument, Denis brought back one from Brussels when on tour with the
LSO TROMBONE SECTION REUNION MAY 2017. L–R DENIS WICK, PETER GANE, FRANK MATHISON. PHOTO CREDIT: SARAH KELLY.
WITH THE CURRENT BSO TROMBONE SECTION, CHRISTMAS 2024. L-R KEVIN MORGAN, JOE ARNOLD, ROBB TOOLEY, DENIS WICK.
LSO around 1958. Barry Tuckwell, principal horn, who was in the shop where Denis tried out it out, remarked, “well, it sounds just like you, but more so!” Denis would bring four or five back for his students whenever he went on tour to America, and this started to redefine the British school of trombone playing, Denis leading the charge with his 8H. I think it’s fair to say that Denis is the father of modern British trombone playing, his name is up there with other pedagogical greats such as Arnold Jacobs and like them, he inspired generations of brass musicians. His decision to leave the LSO when he did was both brave and, by his own admission, one of pure vanity. He didn’t want to be remembered as some old codger who could just about play the trombone, so thought he would quit while he was ahead. After all, maintaining one’s playing to that high a standard requires selfless dedication. A passage from Trombone Technique for example states, “I’ve even heard it said that a really passionate kiss can spoil a trombonist’s embouchure for several hours”, there must
have been many challenges in his highly successful second career as a businessman but presumably this wasn’t one!
Denis’s influence reaches far outside the brass world. Just last week I was chatting to one of our viola players and it turned out Denis conducted his youth orchestra. He had nothing but admiration for him and it’s wonderful to know that a player who shaped British trombone playing also shaped many non-brass musicians over the years.
I’d like to finish with a final quote from the last chapter of Trombone Technique entitled Advice to Conductors, “Cherish your trombone section, they can do more to bring an audience to their feet at the end of a performance than an entire string section.”
Well said, Denis.’
DENIS WICK.
DENIS WICK – THE TROMBONIST
BTS Northern Ireland Trombone Day
BY NATHAN MOORE
The 2025 Northern Ireland Trombone Day took place on Sunday, 23 March, at Bann House in sunny Portadown, hosted by Willie McLean and myself. We welcomed 22 trombonists who gathered to warm up, play trombone choir music, and enjoy performances from our wonderful guests — RTÉ Concert Orchestra principal trombone Steve Mathieson and BTS President Tom Lees. This marks my fourth event since taking over as Northern Ireland representative, following the superb work of Stephen Cairns. Despite the trombone community in NI being relatively small, Willie and I continue to meet new trombonists from across the province each year. Many discover the event through social media and word of mouth, highlighting the importance of using the right channels for promotion. We began the day with a group warm-up led by me, focusing this year on ‘sound.’ We started with a full breath, imagined the focused tone we wanted to produce, and then played the note together. The blend
of sound in the room was fantastic! When leading warm-ups for mixed abilities, I find it essential to keep exercises simple and visual — showing slide positions rather than using note names (to avoid any treble and bass mix-ups!). With so many new faces in the room, we weren’t sure what to expect from the trombone choir, but by the end of the warm-up, we knew we were in for a glorious sound.
Stephen Cairns and I then got everyone on their feet for the first trombone choir rehearsal. This year, we worked through 633 Squadron, Scarborough Fair (arr. Bill Reichenbach), Washington Post (arr. Parkin), and Here’s That Rainy Day (arr. Hankin). Thanks to the BTS library, we had plenty of mixed-ability options, including simplified parts and Bb treble clef versions. Special thanks to librarian Geoff Wolmark for his work with the Society and for sending everything we needed.
To kick off the first of our two guest sessions, Steve joined Willie for a ‘blues jam,’ introducing us to the Bb
STEPHEN CAIRNS LEADS THE MASSED CHOIR.
blues scale before leading C Jam Blues (in Bb!) as part of our jam session. A few participants even stood up and played their first-ever jazz solos! Steve Mathieson is not only a phenomenal principal trombonist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra but also a brilliant improviser. He demonstrated that learning to stand up and play a blues solo is a process, not just a leap. Over the years, I’ve had many discussions about improvisation with colleagues, and I still don’t understand why so few trombonists learn it. A higher percentage of trumpet and saxophone players tend to improvise, and when I’ve spoken with guitar and bass tutors, they consider the skill essential. Hopefully, some of our participants went home and played a few blues choruses after realizing just how accessible it can be!
After a well-earned cup of tea and a biscuit, Tom gave a demonstration on the sackbut and shared his approach to early music. Northern Ireland once had a thriving early music scene, but most of our participants had never heard a sackbut played live! Tom showcased its majestic sound through his own playing and a selection of recordings. He also brought a beautiful arrangement of Kyrie by Andrea Gabrieli for us to add to our choir repertoire.
We wrapped up the day with a performance for friends and family, featuring all the pieces we had worked on throughout the afternoon, conducted by Stephen, Tom, and me.
I’d like to thank all the participants and their families for giving up a beautiful Sunday afternoon, as well as our guests, Tom and Steve, for their insights and performances. A huge thank you also to Stephen and Willie for their help and support. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the British Trombone
Society and EA Music, and we truly appreciate their commitment to hosting events and keeping them free in Northern Ireland.
Looking ahead, I plan to introduce smaller but more regular events throughout the year—junior and senior trombone choirs, back-to-school sessions in September, and Christmas trombone choir performances. I already have ideas for NI Trombone Day 2026, but I’ll save those for another occasion! ◆
STEVE AND WILLIE LEAD THE BLUES.
STEPHEN CAIRNS LEADS THE MASSED CHOIR.
L–R STEVE MATHIESON, TOM LEES, WILLIE MCLEAN, NATHAN MOORE.
HORN SECTION
From Jazz to Motown classics, and from Pop hits to Latin grooves, the horn section has left a big impression on popular music. Learn how to play as a professional horn section with three new Rockschool syllabuses.
For the first time, RSL is celebrating the horn section as a unit. Students learning Saxophone, Trumpet, and Trombone, can play together from their very first note. Six specially arranged pieces in each grade cover a wide range of genres, building the skills and experience to become a great horn section player.
A Tribute to Marty
BY NATHAN MOORE
Martin Wilson (or Marty, as we all knew him) began his musical journey in the same way many of us did—a new teacher walked into the classroom and asked, ‘Who wants to learn a brass instrument?’. Marty eagerly raised his hand, along with many others, and was chosen. Though initially disappointed at not being given a trumpet, he quickly fell in love with the trombone, playing in his school band and orchestra. His passion deepened when he was introduced to brass bands, an experience that would shape the rest of his life. Marty joined the local West Calder Band, where he became immersed in band contests and solo competitions. At just 14 years old, he won a solo competition performing Arthur Pryor’s Love’s Enchantment — a piece well-known among brass players for its difficulty. In his late teens, he joined the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland and, of course, the Whitburn Band
In 1981, Marty left West Lothian on a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where he studied
under John Iveson and Peter Bassano. In London, he showcased his remarkable skills, not only as an orchestral player but also as an arranger and jazz musician. One of his notable projects was the London Trombone Ensemble, a trombone quintet featuring himself, Simon Gunton, Stephen Bainbridge, Pat Jackman, and James Casey.
After completing his studies, Marty freelanced and spent time performing on cruise ships before being appointed Principal Trombone of the Ulster Orchestra in 1989. At the time, Northern Ireland was still deeply affected by The Troubles and was not an obvious choice for many musicians. However, Marty embraced the move, making friends and enjoying the famous Belfast craic. He joined the section alongside Stephen Barnett and Adrian Morris, during a period when the orchestra was producing acclaimed recordings and touring worldwide. Those who listen to BBC Radio 3 will still regularly hear Ulster Orchestra recordings from that era, particularly of Irish and French music under conductors
THE KINGS OF SWING.
Yan Pascal Tortelier and Vernon Handley, and this Mahler Symphony No.3. The trombone section remained remarkably stable throughout Marty’s tenure, with only Richard Ashmore and Neil Gallie later stepping in for Adrian and Stephen.
In November 2024, Marty’s band, The Kings of Swing, celebrated its 35-year residency at Jenny Watts Bar in Bangor, Co. Down, where they played live jazz every Sunday afternoon. Originally joining as a trombonist, Marty — an avid Frank Sinatra fan — eventually took up the microphone to sing a few standards. Anyone who worked with him knows he was always singing or whistling a melody when not playing one in his warm-up. I have fond memories of a Christmas a few years ago when a small group of us played carols in nursing homes on a day off. Marty brought along his amplifier, and to give our lips a break, he sang classics like You Make Me Feel So Young and Misty while Neil Gallie and I played solos. At one point, we even found ourselves dancing with members of the audience — Marty, as always, completely in his element.
Marty’s legacy also extends to his teaching across Northern Ireland. During his time with the Ulster Orchestra, he participated in numerous education concerts and workshops, leaving a lasting impression on many young musicians. He taught at Campbell College for nearly 30 years, working alongside his wife, Gillian, a class teacher at the school. Generous with his time, he would rehearse passages during tea breaks, listen to mock auditions after rehearsals, and share wisdom from his years in the orchestra and on audition panels. He also sat on the panel for final recitals at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, supporting the next generation of brass players. Many musicians, me included, got their first ‘break’ in a professional orchestra thanks to Marty’s trust and recommendations.
Upon retiring from the Ulster Orchestra, Marty was thrilled to finally join a brass band in Northern Ireland. He played solo trombone with Downshire Band for a few years before moving to Laganvale Band, where he competed in the European Brass Band Championships. He also guested with Bo’ness & Carriden Band for contests, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Despite not playing with a brass band during his professional career, he kept up to date with contests and all the latest happenings in the brass banding world. I remember a rehearsal when we were playing Rossini’s Semiramide Overture, and Marty leaned over to tell me, ‘There’s a great brass band arrangement of this!’
We were all shocked by Marty’s passing in early January this year. True to his personality, he kept his illness very private, never wanting a fuss. He spent only a few weeks in the hospital before passing away during treatment. His funeral was held at Bangor Parish Church, where it was standing room only. Some of his
colleagues played reflective music before the service, and Laganvale Band accompanied the hymns. Friends and colleagues from far and wide gathered to pay tribute to him, both at the church and afterward at his old haunt, Jenny Watts Bar.
Marty cherished time with his family, loved playing golf, and took great pride in his beloved rose garden. He will be deeply missed by his wife, Gillian, and his sons, Brian and Alan.
The word that comes up most often when describing Marty is character — he played trombone with joy and truly loved his work. He was always upbeat and had a story to share, often leaving us clutching our sides with laughter.
I want to leave you with a story from Richard Ashmore that sums him up perfectly:
‘I sat in the section with Marty for over 22 years, and we shared many experiences. One that stands out was at a Prom shortly after I joined. We were in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, and we had plenty of time to relax in the traditional manner. As the strings started the buildup to the last movement, I looked down the line, not entirely convinced my counting was right. Marty just looked straight back at me with his classic cheeky grin and a wink, picked up his trombone, gave the lead, and off we went. The review, as I recall, was that the symphony was rather average — until the arrival of the marvelous trombone section. Couldn’t have done it without him!’ ◆
MARTIN WILSON.
BY BECKY PEPPER, ALASTAIR WARREN, TOM LEES AND JANE SALMON
Young Bones
SPOTLIGHT ON … RILEY
How old are you, how long have you been playing the trombone and who teaches you?
12, six years, Alex Crutchley and Sam Haigh.
What made you want to play trombone?
There was a shortage of trombone players, and I got free lessons for a term. It also helped that I had a good ear and played piano.
If you could go back to being a beginner, what would you tell yourself?
Work on the lip flexibility and upper register – it’s a pain but worth it.
What groups/ensembles do you play with?
I am in my school’s jazz band, brass group and help at the junior band. I’ve just taken part in the New Sounds Jazz Workshop at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and will be going to Chetham’s Summer School.
What are you working on right now?
Currently I'm working towards my Grade 7 exam, which I aim to get in the summer.
What skill or piece would you like to learn next?
I’d like to learn the Hindemith Sonata and improve my higher register.
What’s your favourite piece to play?
Probably Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, I like the flowing melody with the jazzy harmonies.
What’s your favourite piece or music to listen to?
In general, just jazz and swing (1920s) although I do like electro-swing.
What do you NOT like playing?
Lip flexibilities and studies, I find them boring or uneventful.
Who are your biggest trombone inspirations?
Mark Nightingale and J.J. Johnson.
Can you give us a hot trombone tip?
For higher notes, forget how hard you think the note is, try to get good airflow and move the slide up and down and for lower notes just incorporate them into your pieces, like playing them down the octave.
What is your ultimate trombone dream?
To complete all grades and be able to easily play any piece I come across, as well as create jazz pieces of my own.
What do you want to say to other young players who may be finding things hard at the moment?
No matter hard you think it is, it will always be easier after you practice and keep going.
Very important question! What is your favourite pre-performance snack?
Some dried mangos.
Random Practice
In Trombone Toolkit, Tom Lees talks about the benefits of random practice, but what does that actually look like? Watch this video of Tom and his student Morgan to find out.
There is one problem with random practice though: making it truly random! When deciding what to play next, we can subconsciously pick things we like better or feel more comfortable with, so using a tool like Wheel of Names to choose for us can be useful. Enter a list of what you want to work on, your scales, sections of pieces, or a mix of both, then just click on the wheel to start a completely random practice session. To see how it works, here’s one we made for the ABRSM Grade 4 scales
Metronome or metro-No!
Practising with a metronome is a fantastic way to help develop a strong sense of pulse, but that click can get really annoying! Mix things up by using a drum loop app instead. If you are working on a jazz, latin or pop/ rock piece it also helps lock in the correct rhythmic feel. There are lots of drum loop apps available from the Apple App Store and Google Play but Quick Drummer and Loopz are good options. The basic versions of both are free!
How
to … play pedals
When we asked our students what they most wanted to see in a ‘How to’ guide, the number one answer was pedal notes. So, we asked James Buckle, Principal Bass Trombone of the Philharmonia orchestra and current BTS Teacher of the Year, to help us out.
Have you seen this!
Trombonists are a pretty adventurous bunch, but we’re not sure we would want to try either of these! How about you?
Bass2Lead
Looking for material to help develop your big band skills? Australian trombonist Roger Schimdli has you covered with his Bass2Lead duet books.
Roger says, ‘These duets are designed to develop the skill set for aspiring lead or bass trombonists who want to improve how they play in a big band setting … articulation, stylistic phrasing and strong rhythmic independence will be enhanced if the student listens to the demonstration duet recording and then works carefully with the ‘minus one’ recording for their part. It’s great for tuning and developing a secure internal pulse – essential elements for good big band players. I really hope you have fun with these. These duets are free to download as a pdf from my website. Print them off as much as you like and tell your friends about them.’
Backing tracks can be purchased here. We highly recommend downloading them, to listen to and learn from the great playing, and to support the project.
Turn the page to try out There It Is Then! from Book 1.
Get in touch
If you would like to be featured in the Young Bones spotlight, or have any ideas about things you would like to see in this section, please do get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!◆
RANDOMISED PRACTICE PRESENTED BY TOM LEES & MORGAN.
TROMBONE PARAGLIDING.
TROMBONE SKIING.
Honouring a Legacy: A MEMORIAL CONCERT FOR PETER GANE
BY CHRIS BREWSTER
Peter Gane’s passion for music was boundless, and his influence stretched across generations of brass players. As a teacher, mentor, and performer, he shaped what seems like an endless number of musicians through his work with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the National Youth Orchestra, and the European Union Youth Orchestra. When it came to celebrating his life and legacy, there was no question that it had to be done through music, and the most fitting place for this tribute ended up being right on his doorstep in Tonbridge, the town he called home.
A long-standing member of the Tonbridge Music Club committee, Peter was deeply involved in its musical life, making it the perfect setting for a concert in his honour. He had kindly invited my quintet Connaught Brass to perform in June 2024, a performance that would unknowingly be the last time that we saw him. That poignant memory, along with the town’s close connection to Peter’s life and work, made Tonbridge
the natural place to bring together those who had been touched by his mentorship and friendship. What began as a small tribute quickly grew into something far greater. As word spread, musicians from across the country who had been inspired by Peter eagerly jumped forward to be part of the event.
The concert became a powerful testament to his influence, assembling a remarkable ensemble of players spanning multiple generations.
Trombone: Simon Cowen, Byron Fulcher, Simon Minshall, Amos Miller, Isobel Daws, Chris Brewster, Tom Lees, Paul Lambert, Felix Rockhill, Alex Froggatt, Ben Loska, David Cox, Sam Dye, Adam Quilter, James Bruce, Sam Cox, Ben Pritchard.
Trumpet: Alison Balsom, Alan Thomas, Anne McAneney, Aaron Akugbo, Kaitlin Wild, Harry Plant, Katie Lodge, Sam Balchin.
PHOTO CREDIT: PAT GANE.
Horn: Zoë Tweed, Jake Bagby, Joel Ashford, Tom Pollock.
Tuba: Aled Meredith-Barrett, Chris Claxton.
Percussion: Ryan Hepburn, Peter Rayner, Peter Ashwell.
Bringing this concert to fruition was truly a testament to the remarkable unity and camaraderie within the brass community, qualities that Peter showcased and fostered deeply. Since Peter’s passing, his wife Pat has often remarked on how she had been taken aback by the strength and interconnectedness of this network that Peter brought together – the collaboration of so many musicians and organisers for this event truly embodied that spirit. Pat, alongside the team at Tonbridge Music Club, led the way in ensuring every logistical detail was carefully managed. This included dedicating all funds raised by the concert to The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the Tonbridge Music Club Awards Scheme for Young Musicians. Musical direction was in the hands of the incomparable Eric Crees, who not only conducted, but also contributed many of his arrangements.
Every piece in the programme was carefully chosen, each carrying a special significance tied to key moments in Peter’s life. Arthur Bliss’s Fanfare for the Lord Mayor of London honoured Peter’s long-standing connection
with Guildhall and the City of London. Debussy’s La Puerta del Vino and Syrinx paid tribute to Peter and Pat’s deep ties to France. The Bernstein selections, including the Overture to Candide and Suite from West Side Story, were a nod to Peter’s years leading brass ensembles in the European Union Youth Orchestra alongside his close friend John Miller. One particularly moving moment was a performance of Peter’s favourite aria Nessun Dorma, arranged by Eric for 16 trombones.
Beyond the musicians on stage, the audience was filled with people whose lives had been touched by Peter. Close friends and former colleagues, including those from GSMD, NYO and EUYO, gathered to celebrate his legacy, making the evening not just a musical event, but a celebration of his enduring impact.
This concert ended up being more than a memorial; it was a celebration of the community Peter fostered, a gathering of individuals united by their connection to him. It was a physical and musical materialisation of Peter’s legacy, enduring in the many students he mentored and colleagues he inspired. Perhaps most importantly, we all hope that it exemplified what Peter was so good at – bringing people together to share in the joy of making music.
This concert was just one way of honouring him, but in truth, Peter’s spirit will always be present in the brass community he helped shape. ◆ Specialist Brass Music lies at the heart of Wells
Generous financial funding of up to 100% available for exceptional young brass players
Recent visiting artists include Ian Bousfield, Bones Apart, Tredegar Band, Onyx Brass and the Cory Band.
Find out more https://wells.cathedral.school/brass admissions@wells.cathedral.school
WouldyouliketoBeaSpecialist MusicianfortheDayon Wednesday7thMay?Clickon theQRcodetofindoutmore.
BTS Wells Trombone Day 2025
BY TOM LEES
In previous years we have played roulette with the weather, as either Storm Isha or Storm Darragh ravaged the West Country, but this time Wells Cathedral School was bathed in sunshine as it welcomed over 50 trombonists aged seven to 77 to the annual BTS event.
This year’s guests were from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: Head of Brass, Ed Jones brought a Trombone Choir and a Quartet of students, along with Trombone Tutor, Richard Watkin, Principal Trombone of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. They were joined by Yamaha Artist, Matthew Lewis, Principal Trombone of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and Meggie Murphy, a former pupil of Wells Cathedral School (an ‘Old Wellie’). Meggie was BTS Student of the Year in 2024 and is currently in her second year studying a master’s degree in performance at the Royal College of Music. In addition to her studies, she is currently on trial with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
After refreshments, Ed Jones led a group warm-up for everybody: physical stretches for the body and gentle slurs to warm up the chops, with a focus on the
airstream and making a beautiful sound. The Wells Day always has a focus on group playing, and so after the warm-up, we divided into groups to focus on repertoire that would suit everybody and still provide a challenge. Following a full morning of playing, the lunch break gave everyone an opportunity to rest, explore the beautiful small city of Wells, or try out the shiny things on the John Packer trade stand. Then it was time to listen to a masterclass featuring students from Wells Cathedral School, led by Richard Watkins, before we were treated to performances by some of the visiting artists. Meggie gave a beautiful performance of the Stojowski Fantasie, before Matt dazzled us with an arrangement of an aria, Tanzlied des Pierrot, from Korngold’s opera, Die tote Stadt, and the Crespo Improvisation No.1. He said he had heard Ian Bousfield play the Korngold aria at a BTS event many years ago and it had left a real impression on him then; I’ve no doubt that he will have done the same for those who heard him play it in Wells! Meggie and Matt then joined forces for a bravura romp through Eric Cook’s Bolivar.
PHOTO CREDIT: JOSHUA LAW.
Masterclass
The afternoon session started with a masterclass given by Richard Watkins, featuring two Wells Cathedral School students.
First up was Thomas, who played the opening movement of the Grøndahl Concerto. Richard complimented Thomas on his great sound and recognised that, although it is nerve wracking playing in front of people, they are supportive, so this was the place to make mistakes and take risks. Richard noted that the opening dynamic marking of mezzo forte can be deceptive; this is the dynamic that should reach the audience but is often played too quietly, usually because the soloist has failed to consider the acoustic of the performing space. Playing at a slightly higher dynamic level also allowed Thomas to inject some more energy into the semi-quaver passages, which Richard felt was lacking initially. In the contrasting legato sections, Thomas was encouraged to think about airflow, using more tongue than needed and utilising alternative positions to help the slide flow. To work on developing legato, Richard suggested first playing passages with a slow slide, glissandoing between each note, using no tongue, while keeping the air moving, then again with a fast, precise slide, before finally adding in a little legato tongue to clean up the articulation where needed.
Following Thomas, Morgan performed Barat’s Andante and Allegro, displaying a fine tone and great technique. Richard asked him to critique his own performance, stressing the need to develop an objective opinion of one’s own playing. Morgan felt he had got the musical ideas in the piece across and had taken risks in quiet playing, but this had resulted in some small inaccuracies which he thought detracted from his performance. Richard disagreed and encouraged Morgan to take just as many risks in the louder passages as well, to achieve a more characterful performance, which reflected the changing styles within the piece with even greater contrast.
Alastair Warren
PHOTO CREDIT: JOSHUA LAW.
PHOTO CREDIT: JOSHUA LAW.
The massed ensemble is always a highlight of the day, with the youngest players playing alongside Conservatoire students and professionals, and this year was no exception as Ed Jones took us through Derrick Parker’s arrangement of the Quincy Jones classic, Soul Bossa Nova. A drummer from the school, Alex Sturman, kept the group grooving, and everyone had a blast, not least Tom Pilsbury on his contra bass trombone (if you know the tune, you’ll know what I mean!)
Parents and friends arrived for an informal presentation of everything that had been prepared throughout the day, interspersed with contributions from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students. First, their Trombone Choir played an arrangement of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, demonstrating a beautifully balanced vocal style. Later the B4 Bones Quartet, Sam
Franks, Seth Evans, Ed Mellor and Dan Huggins, got the hall swinging with Mike Forbe's arrangement of St James Infirmary.
As always with these events, it was great for everyone to see old friends and make new ones too. Many thanks to Matt, Ed, Richard and Meggie for giving their time and sharing their expertise. Thanks to the RBC students for their contributions, and for supporting young and old players in the groups with good humour. Thanks also to John Packer for bringing a great selection of accessories and shiny new things. And finally huge thanks to Ross Brown, Head of Brass at Wells Cathedral School and his team, for their generous support and for making us feel so welcome as always. Plans are underway for next year’s event, so watch this space …. ◆
MEGGIE MURPHY AND MATTHEW LEWIS. PHOTO CREDIT: JOSHUA LAW.
The1986 Covent Garden Piazza Trombone Spectacular
BY TOM WINTHORPE
The British Trombone Society came into being in 1985. It was created by a group of enthusiastic trombone players who thought that something akin to the American International Trombone Association could, and indeed should, be formed in the UK. Those players included the likes of Denis Wick, Don Lusher, Nigel Barr, Sheila Tracy, Peter Gane, Harold Nash, John Edney, Tony Parsons, Colin Sheen and many other players who were keen and able to get to the ad-hoc meetings held in the Royal Festival Hall foyer, often on a Sunday at 5.30ish. It quickly became apparent that the obvious way to ‘kick things off’ would be some sort of mass trombone blow.
During the early eighties, the old Covent Garden fruit and veg market moved to Nine Elms and the amazing central area that we all now know, and love was earmarked for re-development. A group of determined enthusiasts fought those development plans and thankfully won. By 1986 ‘Covent Garden Piazza’ was established in its current form, albeit somewhat haphazardly. There was an office in King Street where it seemed anyone could apply for permission to perform in front of St Paul’s Church. Armed with the desire of those early BTS enthusiasts to try for 76 trombones in the Piazza, one day in April 1986 I knocked on the King Street office door, let myself in, and found someone to pitch the idea to. They liked it! I had joined the Royal Opera House (ROH) orchestra the year before and frequently had breaks between rehearsals and what better thing to do than wander around the Piazza. I can’t remember why Sunday, 13 July was alighted upon, but it was. The second of my many visits to the King Street office confirmed that date and the time, 12.30pm. What could possibly go wrong?
In those days the ROH orchestra never worked on Sundays so at least Harold Nash and myself could guarantee our presence. As time went on Tony Parsons (BBC SO) was able to do likewise. To spread the word of the event, with no widely available social media and internet then, we organised ‘phone-a-bone’. Each of the original committee members agreed to phone six other trombonists and cajole them into phoning six more themselves and so on. OK, it was a ponzi-scheme, but for once it was an honest one for a good cause and it worked! All of a sudden, every trombonist that you met knew about the mass trombone gathering to be held in the Piazza. The idea had been launched and there could be no going back.
As the realisation that what we had started really was going to happen, we tried to foresee how it would work. Distribution of music? Music stands – and pegs in case it was windy? A quick rehearsal – where? This last stumbling block was alleviated by the then Orchestra Director of the ROH Bram Gay – former Principal Cornet of The Foden Band and former Principal Trumpet of both the Hallé and ROH orchestras. Talking to him, the idea of using the Opera Rehearsal Room was suggested. This is a vast space into which complete stage sets can be constructed for rehearsals. Bram offered to talk to Sir John Tooley the then General Director of the ROH about that possibility. Sir John also liked the idea and gave it his blessing – but nothing was put in writing (note to anyone planning anything similar – always get it in writing if you can!)
As I mentioned earlier, the ROH orchestra never worked on Sundays except, unbelievably, Sunday, 13 July 1986. An out of contract recording of Richard Strauss’ opera Arabella (featuring Kiri Te Kanawa), amounting
to nine sessions in total, was announced, with two of those sessions being on that Sunday, so both Harold and I were required. The orchestra fixer at that time ran a ‘tight ship’ and I knew that I would not be let off the Sunday morning session. Jeffrey Tate was conducting and at the first session I found a quiet moment to cheekily put to him the idea that he might let me off the Sunday morning session, given the circumstances that I was now in – i.e. liaising between the BTS, the King Street office, and the administration of the Opera Rehearsal Room. He said he would consider my request and at the next session a very tight-lipped orchestra fixer informed me that Mr Tate had agreed to my request to be replaced by my dear friend and colleague David Chandler for the session. For anyone out there who might be interested, in the third act of Arabella there is an ‘exposed’ passage for the second trombone –beautifully played by David!
Although before social-media, e-mail and so on, even within the Opera House, communications had moved on from quill pens and pigeon post. We now had the ‘Yellow Peril’. These were freely available books of yellow paper (printed in copper plate) with the usual ‘To: From: Date: Message:’. With their sticky strip (like a post-it note) they would turn up, for example, on your music (from the library, announcing the tenor’s aria would be transposed down a semi-tone that night), on your band-room locker (letting you know, for instance, that the Scottish National Orchestra were in town) or a request from the Orchestra Office to pay them a visit on the fourth floor. The week before the gathering, I wrote one myself to Peter on the stage door. It was to confirm that Sir John had approved the use of the Opera Rehearsal Room on Sunday, 13 July from 11.30am until 12.30pm for a rehearsal of The Trombone Gathering in the Piazza. That turned out to be a crucial document.
Also, in that week, due to Sheila Tracy’s BBC contacts, I was contacted by the BBC to do an interview with Derek Jameson the next day Friday, 11 July on Radio 2 at 8.00am regarding the gathering.
‘Bring your trombone and play that piece with all the glissandos’ (The Acrobat), they suggested. Knowing how unforgiving voice studios can be to musical instruments I initially declined, but they insisted. And so, at 5.30am I could be found doing a concentrated warm up at home. At 7.30am I was parked outside Broadcasting House listening to Derek Jameson saying ‘Now, can we get 76 trombones in Covent Garden Piazza on Sunday? Listen to the programme and find out!’. I freely admit to thinking ‘what have I got myself into?’. At 7.50am I walked through those famous front doors, was taken to the studio, and at 8.30am Derek introduced me to the 2 million listeners that the programme had in those days. He was just brilliant – he made me feel relaxed and I was able to get the message out to the whole country
regarding the gathering, including a plea for participants to bring a music stand and pegs. He managed to segue into my performance of 76 Trombones (which seemed to me to be more appropriate than The Acrobat) and then it was all over!
Except, the main event still lay ahead.
On Saturday, 12 July I made my final visit to the King Street office checking that all was still well for 12.30pm the next day. ‘Oh, the trombones, ah, yes, you may have to make it later because of the church service …’ In fact, after feeling my blood draining away, I heard her say ‘Oh, actually it will be OK, the church service finishes at 12.00pm’.
Sunday, 13 July I arrived at the Opera House to find that the stage door man wasn’t Peter after all but an agency stand-in. I explained that I was here in advance of the trombonists arriving to rehearse in the Opera Rehearsal Room. ‘Yes – you’ll be outside the Stage Door’. He had obviously heard the Derek Jameson broadcast in which I had said ‘Come to the Stage Door in Floral Street’. I was getting used to that feeling of my blood draining away. However, at that moment, I spotted the ‘Yellow Peril’, which I had written to Peter and he had stuck up in their office. I pointed out to the agency man that it confirmed Sir John’s approval of our use of the Opera Rehearsal Room. As I mentioned earlier, that small document saved chaos in Floral Street and allowed us to get on with the proceedings. The agency man did a tight-lipped grimace (I was getting used to them), muttered something about him personally not being responsible, and retired into the stage door office. Tony Parsons had volunteered to conduct the gathering which he did with his usual aplomb. After the quick rehearsal everyone walked round the corner to St Paul’s Church. Once again, I felt my blood draining away as I heard the unmistakeable sound of roadmenders’ drills. As I approached them to try to explain that over 100 trombone players were about to arrive to perform there, they miraculously finished their job – it does give you faith doesn’t it!
So, at 12.30pm exactly, with what turned out to be a total of 156 trombonists playing alto, tenor, bass, contrabass and valve trombones, we started playing. We finished at 1.00pm with a huge and appreciative crowd around us. By the by, in all sincerity, an enthusiastic member of the crowd asked Tony Parsons, ‘Do you do this every Sunday?’
No matter, I feel a sense of pride at having been a cog in the organisation of this event from which the BTS has gone on to be a Society to be cherished by all trombonists. ◆
IN MEMORIAM Peter Bassano
BY ALASTAIR WARREN
Trombonist and conductor Peter Bassano (born Peter Goodwin) died suddenly on 1 February, at the age of 79.
Born in 1945, Peter was fascinated by the trombone from an early age, watching the Southend-on-Sea Salvation Army Band march past him as a child at weekends. His father subsequently signed him up to the same organisation’s Young People’s Band, first playing cornet, but quickly switching to the trombone. An early influence on Peter was Maisie Ringham’s 1944 78-RPM recording of Percy Scholes The Conquest, which he purchased at the age of 11, struggling to play along ‘with what at that time sounded to me like a display of pyrotechnical brilliance that I felt I would never be able to match’ on the wind-up gramophone in his father’s tailor’s workshop.
Peter moved to Hackney with his family at the age of 15, transferring to the Cambridge Heath SA Band, joining Ernest Reed’s London Junior Orchestra and taking up a job at the Stock Exchange. Being essentially self-taught he had developed several technical eccentricities, so colleagues in his new band suggested lessons might be a good idea. Having become a fan of the Philharmonia Orchestra through attending their concerts, he first approached Ray Premru, the only Premru in the London telephone directory, who, unable to take on a student, put Peter in contact with Denis Wick, Principal Trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra. In an interview with the website 4barsrest
SOUTHCHURCH HALL SCHOOL BRASS QUINTET C.1958–60.
Peter recalled his first lesson with Denis, saying he learned more about trombone playing in that hour than he had done in the previous seven or eight years, crediting Denis’s influence as the major factor in him becoming a professional trombonist.
Peter studied trombone and voice at the Royal College of Music from 1965–68, before embarking on a career which encompassed all the London orchestras, playing in West End musicals and with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. He can be heard on the soundtracks of films such as The Meaning of Life, Oliver, Ryan’s Daughter, The Lion in Winter, and Watership Down and television series including All Creatures Great and Small, Black Beauty, and I, Claudius. He toured and recording with the Bee Gees and Pink Floyd and can be heard singing and playing on the Beatles chart topping Hey Jude Peter first worked with the Philharmonia in 1968, during his final year at the RCM. He subsequently becoming a regular deputy before joining the orchestra permanently as second trombone in 1973, on the recommendation of then Principal Trombone Arthur Wilson, completing a legendary section that included Ray Premru on bass trombone and John Jenkins on tuba. Peter remained a member of the Philharmonia for over 27 years, serving two terms on the orchestra’s Council of Management and as a member of the orchestra’s Artistic Planning Committee.
In 1977 Peter founded the quintet, Equale Brass. Composed of fellow Philharmonia players John Wallace and John Miller (trumpets), Michael Thompson (horn),
and John Jenkins (tuba), Peter served as trombonist and Artistic Director. The ensemble made seven records, toured worldwide, and commissioned 27 new works, from composers as diverse as David Bedford, Peter Skellern, Roger Smalley, John Tavener and Edward Gregson.
A champion of new music for the brass band movement, Peter commissioned and conducted the first performances of works including Tim Souster’s Echoes, Joseph Horovitz’s Tuba Concerto, Andrew Powell’s Falstaff: Theme and Episodes, Chris Batchelor’s Weasel Words & Winning Ways, Simon Dobson’s Four Britten Sketches and Fanfare for Peter, Gabriella Swallow’s Spit, Robert Saxton’s Sonata on a theme of Orlando Gibbons, and Christopher Gunning’s Wicken Fen.
Passionate about the performance of early music on period instruments, Peter played for David Munrow’s Early Music Consort, Musica Reservata, the English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, the Gabrieli Consort and His Majesys Sagbutts and Cornetts. He adopted his grandmother’s surname, Bassano, when he discovered that he was directly descended from Anthony Bassano, the eldest of six Venetian brothers brought to England by Henry VIII and described in the 1540 Calendar of State Papers as ‘the new sagbutts’. He presented research on the Bassano family, authoring a book Shakespeare and Emilia, exploring the possible relationship between Shakespeare and Emilia Bassano, and featured in the BBC documentary Shakespeare in Italy with Franceso da Mosto. His recording, Venice Preserved, of music by the early Bassanos and their musical associates, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi, received critical acclaim.
Peter returned to the Royal College of Music as a professor of trombone in 1978 and was subsequently appointed Head of Brass Faculty and Staff Conductor in
L-R ARTHUR WILSON, PETER BASSANO, RAY PREMRU, JOHN JENKINS. PHOTO CREDIT: GERRY DRUCKER.
EQUALE BRASS.
1993, a position he held until 2004. During this period, he conducted the RCM Chamber Choir, including the first performance in modern times of Beethoven’s Trauerklange, introduced a standing RCM Symphony Orchestra to an historically aware performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and directed the Baroque Orchestra in performances of three of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos at Buckingham Palace. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 1997.
In the face of considerable institutional opposition, Peter formed the RCM Brass Band in the late 1990s.
A genre often seen as on the outside of the Classical establishment, he argued that this uniquely British tradition not only represented the highest of artistic standards but had been, as it continues to be, the formative experience for so many of this country’s finest brass players, so should form part of a comprehensive conservatoire education. So successfully did students get the brass band ‘bug’ that it led to the founding of Championship Section band Zone One Brass in 2002.
As Head of Brass Peter is remembered by ex-students, me amongst them, as a great ‘encourager’, always willing to give people a shot when others might not. He actively supported the study of related and period instruments, gave podium time during rehearsals with College ensembles to any aspiring conductors amongst us, offered student composers commissions, and was always ready to share stories and anecdotes, often unrepeatable, from his time in the music profession.
Peter gave masterclasses and lectures at conservatoires and universities around the world and served as a competition adjudicator for the BBC Young Musician of the Year, European Music Prize for Youth, Royal Over-Seas League, and Royal Philharmonic
Society, as well as Brass Band Championships in Norway, Austria and the UK.
Throughout the second half of his career Peter also worked as a conductor, using his broad playing experience to shape a distinctive and historically aware approach to interpretation. He was assistant conductor to Paul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Consort and Players on the award-winning Venetian Coronation and Music at San Rocco and Sir John Eliot Gardiner, for his Berlioz Romeo and Juliet recording projects. In January 1995 he was one of the first conductors to appear at the newly-built Cité de la Musique in Paris, conducting the complete instrumental music of Gabrieli’s 1597 Sinfonae Sacrae. He returned to the venue in July 1998 to conduct two concerts with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band to ecstatic reviews and high-profile TV coverage. In addition, he made several Festival appearances, including at Aldeburgh and the Three Choirs, and appeared as guest conductor with major orchestras in the UK, Portugal, Finland, Hong Kong, Australia, Oman, and Mexico.
Peter had been Music Director of many ensembles in the UK and was due to conduct a concert with his City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra only weeks after his passing. He kept a close, if somewhat occasional connection to the brass band world through links with the City of Cambridge Band (conducting them for over a decade), Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Leyland and Brighouse and Rastrick. He was due to take Brackley & District Band to the Midlands Regional Championships this year.
More details and colourful anecdotes from Peter’s career can be found in his book Before the Music Stopped ◆
HIS MAJESTYS SAGBUTTS AND CORNETTS IN AUSTRALIA. PHOTO CREDIT: SUE ADDISON.
CD Review
SHIFT
PETER MOORE
BY ALASTAIR WARREN
SHIFT celebrates Peter Moore’s life-long association with the Brass Band movement, Moore citing his early involvement in the brass band culture in Northern England as crucial to his rapid development. The diverse and very well-chosen programme includes major works such as Gordon Langford’s Rhapsody, written for Don Lusher, and the world premiere recording of Simon Dobson’s SHIFT, a concerto written for Moore. Moore also pays tribute to other great trombonists: Arthur Pryor, represented here by his air-varie Annie Laurie, was a soloist with the Souza band, I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You was a huge hit for Tommy Dorsey and Leidzen’s Concertino was written for Maisie Ringham. With the addition of Simon Wood’s arrangement of Blessed Assurance and Philip Sparke’s Sambezi, this album represents one of the most comprehensive collections of trombone solos with band available, and is worth owning for this reason alone, before one even considers the sheer brilliance of the performances contained within.
As one has come to expect, Moore’s playing throughout is superb. Technical passages are dispatched with seemingly effortless clarity, precision and musicality, but for me, the most impressive thing about the album is Moore’s masterful ability to manipulate his sound to suit the style of each work. Subtle changes in vibrato, articulation and tonal focus are perfectly judged to bring a distinct character to each piece.
Picking favourite tracks on an album of such high quality is something of a redundant exercise, but I do want to give special mention to three pieces. Anyone who has heard Moore perform Blessed Assurance live will be glad that he has chosen to commit a version to disc, a simple melody played with absolute conviction the sign of a truly great musician.
Leidzen’s Concertino was completely unknown to me, but I immediately fell in love with it. Its distinctly Nordic take on brass band writing (the composer was Swedish), is refreshing, the sometimes-sparse accompaniment and sense of spaciousness in cadenza-like passages for the soloist reminiscent of Sibelius.
Finally, Simon Dobson’s SHIFT is a masterpiece of contemporary writing for brass band. As Dudley Bright observes in his excellent programme notes, SHIFT references the trombonist’s colloquial term for moving the slide from one note to another, and shift the soloist must. Symphonic in scope, this work is a tremendously exciting addition to the repertoire. The first movement, On Frustration and Confusion, is disjunct, almost atonal and relentless, while the second movement,
On Solitude and Longing, is calm and meditative, the soloist left to sing a simple, soaring melodic line over a highly atmospheric background. The final movement, On Hope and Momentum, is based on a series of short, high energy motifs, passed between soloist and band, which build to a thrilling climax. The accompaniment in this work, from the Tredegar Band conducted by Ian Porthouse, is simply tremendous, as it is across the whole album, a genuinely creative partnership between soloist, conductor and band. Praise must also go to Chandos for the quality of the sound recording, which captures every nuance and detail.
SHIFT can be purchased here or streamed via your preferred streaming service. ◆
By Alastair Warren
What’s on
ONYX BRASS
7.00pm, Thursday, 24 April
Cedars Hall, Wells
1.00pm, Thursday, 8 May
Holy Trinity Church, London
7.30pm, Saturday, 10 May
St Mary’s Church, Horsham
4.30pm, Saturday, 7 June
Bradford Cathedral, Bradford
5.00pm, Tuesday, 10 June
Royal Academy of Arts, London
11.00am, Sunday, 29 June
Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Snape
4.00pm, Saturday, 5 July
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
7.00pm, Friday, 11 July
The Crypt at St Leonard’s Church, Hythe
GALLUS BRASS QUINTET
8.30pm, Saturday, 26 April
Low Port Centre, Linlithgow
PETER MOORE
Dani Howard Trombone Concerto w/Bishop’s Stortford Sinfonia
4.00pm, Sunday, 27 April
Bishop’s Stortford College, Bishop’s Stortford
ALAN BARNES/MARK NIGHTINGALE SEXTET
12.00pm, Sunday, 4 May
Ronnie Scott’s, London
SACKBUT FRENZY
Beautiful Eyes –a concert of 17th century and new music for sackbut
7.30PM, WEDNESDAY, 7 MAY
St. Michael & All Angels, London
3.00PM, SUNDAY, 11 MAY
St Martin’s Church, North Nibley
JESÚS AGUAJE RAMOS & HIS B.V. ORCHESTRA
8.00pm, Friday, 9 May
Royal Festival Hall, London
THE MUSIC OF JJ JOHNSON & KAI WINDING
Featuring Pete Whitehouse and Ross Law
7.30pm, Friday, 16 May
Goring Village Hall, Goring-On-Thames
ENGLISH CORNETT AND SACKBUT ENSEMBLE
7.30pm, Saturday, 17 May
Southwell Minster, Southwell
CALLUM AU’S TROMBAFONICS
8.30pm, Wednesday, 14 May
Boisdale, Canary Wharf, London
THE CALLUM AU BIG BAND
1.00pm, Thursday, 22 May
Pizza Express Jazz Club, London
DENNIS ROLLINS
8.00pm, Tuesday, 3 June
Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio, Jazz Knights, Swindon
8.00pm, Saturday, 14 June
Dennis Rollins’ FUNKY-FUNK!
Pizza Express Soho, London. Sunday, 31 August
The Groovin’ Weekender, Bristol
MILLY DEERING
World premiere of Andrew Campling’s Concerto for Trombone, Piano & Strings
St Paul’s Church, London
7.30pm, Saturday, 14 June
PETER MOORE
7.00pm, Wednesday, 25 June
St Mary’s Church Hall, Sandbach
INTERNATIONAL TROMBONE FESTIVAL
Wednesday, 16 – Saturday, 19 July
Western University, Ontario, Canada
LET BRASS & VOICES RESOUND!
Somerset Chamber Choir
Bones Apart Trombone Quartet and Friends
7.00pm, Saturday, 26 July
Wells Cathedral, Wells
VISIT THE BTS WEBSITE FOR UP-TO-DATE EVENTS LISTINGS ◆
From the Stage to the Pit …
Now we are well into 2025 I would be interested to know some of your favourite concerts so far this season. Personal highlights for me have been the return of Ricardo Muti to the Philharmonia Orchestra for Verdi’s Requiem, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s performances of Prokofiev’s 5th Symphony given around the UK - there was a particularly special one in Birmingham in March that is still sending shivers down my spine. Here’s some picks to look forward to as we head into summer.
BY JOSH CIRTINA // PRINCIPAL BASS TROMBONE IN THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA SYMPHONIC HIGHLIGHTS
EXPRESSIONS OF FOLK
– BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES
7.30pm, Thursday, 1 May
BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff
7.30pm, Friday 2 May
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea
Welsh Euphonium sensation David Childs steps into the solo spot for the world premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s new concerto Where the Lugar meets the Glaisnock, conducted by the composer. The folk music of England provides the scene for Vaughan Williams’s In the Fen Country. Also on the programme are Holst’s Capriccio and Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments and Symphony in Three Movements.
TECTONICS – BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Saturday, 3 and Sunday, 4 May City Halls and Old Fruit Market, Glasgow
Join the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for their deep immersion into funky contemporary music at TECTONICS 2025. If you haven’t been before, Tectonics is a festival all about pushing the boundaries of art. This year’s festival focuses on the profound act of listening and the potential of collaboration. Embrace the music with openness. Trust the composers, performers … and yourself! It often leads to exciting and transformative experiences. You’ll discover sounds and music you didn’t know were possible – I really recommend it!
EPIC FILM SCORES – ULSTER ORCHESTRA
7.45pm, Saturday, 10 May
Waterfront Hall, Belfast
Hans Zimmer and John Williams are two of the greatest film music composers of all time, creating epic scores for some of the most iconic films ever made. Join the Ulster Orchestra and conductor Pete Harrison to experience this incredible symphonic celebration of music from blockbusters such as Gladiator, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Superman, Batman Begins and of course Harry Potter and re-live your memories of hearing and seeing it for the first time. Expect a LOT of trombone heavy scoring.
ALPINE SYMPHONY AND YUNCHAN LIM – ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
7.30pm, Tuesday, 20 May
Royal Albert Hall, London
Youngest ever winner of the Van Cliburn competition back in 2022, Yunchan Lim joins the RPO and conductor Vasily Petrenko for what is sure to be a very special account of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2. Following this is Strauss’ monumental Alpine Symphony which needs no introduction –if you haven’t heard it then this is where you should be that night!!
KAZUKI CONDUCTS RESPIGHI & SAINT-SAËNS
– CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
7.30pm, Wednesday, 4 June
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Berlioz dreams of pirates in Le Corsaire Overture, Takemitsu of water in I Hear Water Dreaming and Respighi of fountains in Fountains of Rome. Saint-Saëns is simply epic in his ‘Organ’ Symphony no. 3, its big moment provided by ‘miracle musician’ Sebastian Heindl. The CBSO’s own Marie-Christine Zupancic delights in the Takemitsu with its stunning solo for flute.
SPECTACULAR SHOSTAKOVICH
– ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA
7.30pm, Friday, 6 June
Usher Hall, Edinburgh
7.30pm, Saturday, 7 June
Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
Officially, Shostakovich based his massive Eleventh Symphony on the Russian revolution of 1905, but this blockbuster of a symphony is still grippingly relevant today. As we pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death, conductor Thomas Søndergård brings the Concert Season to a close in truly epic style: opening with the jubilant trumpets of the Festive Overture and joining Daniel Müller-Schott (‘Fearless’ – The New York Times) in a Cello Concerto that feels more like a Cold War thriller. It doesn’t get more powerful than this.
GERSHWIN, BERNSTEIN AND STRAUSS – BBC PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
8.00pm, Saturday, 28 June Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Music for beginnings and endings. It’s hard to find a more famous, or iconically flamboyant, first few seconds than the clarinet solo at the start of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Before this sits Strauss’s spine-tingling Death and Transfiguration (one of my absolute favourite pieces) and the concert concludes with Bernstein’s roaring Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Anja Bihlmaier conducts, with Hyato Sumino at the piano. August Proms season! To-be-announced as of this article going to press, so keep an eye out for what is sure to be a great offering at the Royal Albert Hall and around the UK.
BY BECKY SMITH // PRINCIPAL TROMBONE AT THE ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA
OPERA PICKS
The summer opera season is fast approaching, so I thought it the perfect opportunity to look at the seasonal festivals happening in the UK. There is something for everyone, I can assure you! Starting with a classic by Puccini, Madame Butterfly is being performed at Grange Park Opera from 7 June until 5 July. Considered a masterpiece, it is the sixth most performed opera in the world and has some of the most beautiful operatic music ever written.
Garsington Opera has a busy season, with a diverse programme. My pick would be Rodelinda by Handel, even though he forgot to write for trombones! It is an example of some of the finest Baroque music and conducted by Peter Whelan so you will be in for a fantastic interpretation. Running from 13 June to 19 July.
An opera staple not to be missed is La Traviata by Verdi. One of his most popular works, it is being performed between 4 June and 6 July at The Grange Festival (not to be confused with Grange Park Opera). If you fancy some sumptuous French Impressionism head to Longborough Opera Festival where you can hear Debussy’s opera Pelleas and Melisande running from 28 June to 10 July.
The well-established festival at Glyndebourne is hosting a great selection of opera, including Janacek’s Katya Kabanova during August. Janacek uses huge forces in
this opera with maximum impact. On the other hand, the vocal lines are some of Janacek’s most romantic. It is a show of many contrasts and well worth a listen. For your Wagner fix get to Opera Holland Park! They are staging a new production of The Flying Dutchman, one of Wagner’s earlier works where you can hear influences of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Weber. If the Ring Cycle is a bit too much for you then this is a great introduction to Wagner, at only 2 hours 40 minutes including an interval! Running from 27 May to 14 June.
Finally, some other notable performances you should try to get to the BBC Proms begin mid-July, and I have inside knowledge that Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is on at the end of August. This is a fabulous opera by Shostakovich and certainly one to listen out for, especially the brass. If you need an opera fix sooner rather than later, head to one of Scottish Opera’s performances of The Merry Widow. This is a lovely operetta by Frank Lehár, with a host of good tunes and brilliantly written, which makes it a satisfying play for the trombones! It runs from 30 April to 28 June at various locations throughout the UK, do catch a performance if you can.
I hope you have an opera-filled summer, accompanied by some beautiful summer sun!◆
CD Review
REVIEWAnother World
THE MUSIC OF DOROTHY GATES
BRIGHOUSE AND RASTRICK BAND FEATURING ISOBEL DAWS AND ONYX BRASS
BY ALASTAIR WARREN
Brighouse and Rastrick Band’s recent release, Another World, provides a fantastic introduction to the music of Dorothy Gates. Originally from Belfast, Gates completed her undergraduate degree at Queens University Belfast, holds a masters degree in Trombone Performance from the University of Michigan and received her PhD in Composition from the University of Salford. Subsequently, Gates spent 20 years as the Senior Music Producer for The Salvation Army’s Eastern Territory in New York and Composer-inResidence for the New York Staff Band, the first female to be employed by The Salvation Army in this role.
The title track, Another World, is novel, being a concerto grosso for brass quintet, on this occasion the outstanding Oynx Brass, and brass band. Gates skilfully plays with the tonal differences of the two instrumental groupings, contrasting the textures of the two ensembles to create a compelling argument for further works of this type.
Isobel Daws features as soloist in two works. Gates’s concerto Servant of Peace is based on a poem, The Road, The Cup, The Truth by Swedish diplomat, Dag Hammarskjöld. Gates writes, ‘The first movement, The Road, is about Hammarskjöld’s life choice of service. The Cup is about surrender, specifically Hammarskjöld’s surrendering to God and his decision to serve humanity. The Truth is about how he lived his life after surrendering. I wanted to focus on the man and the incredible positive influence he was in the world for peace – not his untimely end (Hammarskjöld died in a plane crash in 1961).
Each movement of this piece begins with a chord progression that spells out his first name: D-A-G.
I use DAG’s name as a “calling” to his life of service to humanity. In addition, you will find his name melodically and harmonically throughout the piece …’
Since its composition in 2016 Servant of Peace has enjoyed regular performances and several recordings. It is not difficult to understand why. The work is an excellent showcase for the soloist, exploring some of the trombone’s many voices, progressing from serious and dramatic, via a beautiful ballad, to end with a jazz waltz, complete with improvised central cadenza. Daws’s performance is
exemplary, displaying an enviable clarity of articulation in the more technical passages and a flawless legato, put to wonderful use in the beautifully understated second movement.
For Ballyhornan, Daws is joined by the Brighouse trombone section, Ellena Newton, Charlotte Horsfield and Steve Lomas. This reflective piece, with its lush harmonies, evokes the atmosphere and charm of its namesake town and beach in eastern County Down, Northern Ireland, and features some wonderful, lyrical playing from the quartet. The blend between the Brighouse players is immaculate, providing a velvet cushion over which Daws sings the lilting melody.
The compositions featured on the album are diverse, ranging from sophisticated concert pieces to practical arrangements for use in everyday worship, but all are graced with Gates’s distinctive compositional voice, sometimes a little off beat, sometimes reminiscent of the melodies and rhythms of her Irish roots, but always engaging. The standard of performance by the Brighouse players throughout is exceptional, as is the quality of the sound recording. Highly recommended. Another World is available to purchase from World of Brass.◆
