The Trombonist - Spring 2010

british trombone society

The Trombonist Spring g 2010

www.britishtrombonesociety.org w ww.british htro ombonesocciety.org

Leaping into the music

NEWS

2 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

NEWS

Spitfires feature at Oundle This was the 5th Annual East Anglian British Trombone Society Trombone Day held at Oundle School’s Great Hall. It was also the 5th year in a row that the sun was shining! It all started with registration, coffee and a first chance of many to look over the two trade stands at 09:30 on Sunday morning, 4th October.

Derrick Parker from Warwick Music and Sharon McCallum had travelled down and up respectively to bring trade stands for people to browse over and buy from.

John Hudson, former Principal Cornet for GUS Band, conductor for various top bands and husband of the school’s Head of Brass Adele Hudson had very kindly stepped in at the last moment to conduct the first of our infamous massed blows. We started with Derrick Parker’s arrangement of The Earle Of Salisbury’s March, a beautiful arrangement and not too tricky to start the day off with! This led on to Gabrieli’s Battaglia where John worked on the articulation and dynamics of the piece, producing in the end a much more expressive response and a fantastic sound. The younger players, of which I am glad to

say there were many, certainly had their work cut out! As a member of the Watford School-based trombone choir Trombonanza, I’m priviledge to have easy access to their pad of music and when I spotted Band of Brothers recently, I could not resist bringing this to Oundle for a blow... even though the first alto trombone part goes up to a super F! (Thanks David and Mark!) This was a wonderful way to finish the first session where everyone had worked extremely hard.

A very much needed coffee and trade stand break followed, after which we were extremely fortunate to be able to hear the fantastic Spitfire Trombone Quartet, who in 2006 after their first performance at the Warwick Arts Centre won the quartet competition at the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham.

Matthew Eckland, Ian Jackman (Deputy for Chris Gill who was working in Gran Canaria on the day), Richard Watkin and Jonny Watkins performed a stunning set of pieces to an avid audience, showing the dexterity, huge range and dynamic capability of the trombone to us all. A truly

Les Lake’s retirement parties Les Lake was given a suitably merry send-off before Christmas, with not one, but two drinks parties to celebrate his long career at English National Opera.

The first party actually took place during a performance of Turandot. Les invited friends for a drink at the pub by the stage door, whilst during the evening, he and the rest of the stage-band departed for brief moments to play their calls!

Section principal David Whitson had also been planning a surprise party for a few days later. This time the drinks came out after the curtain call, so that many more

members of the company, could join him. There were also surprise arrivals from more old friends and colleagues.

Following speeches from David and MD Edward Gardner, Colin Sheen made a presentation on behalf of the BTS for his 43½ years at ENO. Colin praised Les’ last two shows: he’d played both contrabass (Turandot) and alto trombone (Bluebeard) - a remarkable all-round player.

Les received farewell presents to take on his travels to New Zealand and Australia.

And after that he plans to take it easy and spend some time in his house in Spain.

memorable experience. I am sure we will be seeing and hearing a lot more of them over the coming months and years!

After lunch the BTS Annual General Meeting was held, chaired by our President, Bob Hughes. At the same time, Mark Horton, a good friend, fabulous teacher and player took a massed blow for the younger generation with the added help from the Spitfire boys (they worked extremely hard that day! Huge thanks!).

They played through and worked on a selection of pieces. We could hear it very clearly from where we were holding the AGM – it sounded absolutely amazing!

The day finished with a

final massed-blow involving everyone, very kindly taken by Bob Hughes. We worked on and played through Battaglia and Band of Brothers from the morning rehearsal and brought out Hymn to the Fallen from the film Saving Private Ryan to finish with. The youngsters played through Canzon XIII by Gabrieli and all of us played through Battaglia for the small audience who had gathered.

There are many people to thank, other than those who I have named already, you know who you are so please accept my huge thanks and best wishes for helping produce yet another successful day at Oundle.

Ben Bouzan

Opposite page: (top) Spitfire Quartet (2nd row) Bob Hughes directs the massed blow; (3rd row, L) Ben Bouzan supports during the young peoples’ performance; (4th row, L) Edward Gregson with Les Lake; (5th row, L) A trombone section reunited from their youth: Les with Philip Priest and Peter Harvey (with inset of them in the 1960’s); (Bottom-right, L-R) David Whitson, Martin Kelly, Les, Tony Lincoln, Tom Winthorpe, John Smith Front page: Emily White (Photo © Hugh Beauchamp)

Birmingham Conservatoire BTS Day Sunday 9th May 2010 10.30am-7.30pm Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Circus, Birmingham A spectacular day for trombonists of all abilities, with a host of workshops, competitions and exciting events featuring: Massed Trombone choir directed by Bob Hughes Don Lusher BTS solo trombone competition sponsored by Yamaha UK Celebrity recital Jazz stars: Jeremy Price, Gordon Campbell, Pete Beachill CBSO Low Brass Section Birmingham Conservatoire Brass Band with soloists Sue Addison with Elgar’s trombone Trade Stands with instruments, accessories, CDs, music Free to BTS members, £10 for non BTS members, or join the BTS on the day. To register please email BTS Secretary, Geoff Wolmark: secretary@britishtrombonesociety.org Children under 16 are most welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult who takes full responsibility for supervising the child whilst they are on Conservatoire premises. If you are intending to bring a group of children, please contact Geoff Wolmark.

The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 3

NEWS

Trombone days around the UK in 2010 Rochdale BTS Trombone day Sunday 12th September 2010 Fieldhouse School, Green Rd Workshop 10 - 5.30, free to BTS members Concert 7pm, £5 Brett Baker, Rochdale Youth Band

Northern Ireland BTS Day Sunday 21st March 2010 Time: 11:00am - 4:00 pm Venue: Portadown Town Hall Special guest: Brett Baker (Black Dyke Band) Organised by: Stephen Cairns

North-East BTS Day 2nd October 2010 East Riding near Hull

RNCM Brass Day 19th June 2010 RNCM, Manchester

Birmingham BTS Day Sunday 9th May 2010, 10.30am-7.30pm, Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Circus, Birmingham Full details - see p. 3 BTS East Trombone Day Sunday 3rd October, 2010 Oundle School, Northants Ben Bouzan organising For full details and updates on all these events, please see the BTS website!

Rugby BTS day 23rd May 2010 Brett Baker, Black Dyke Trombone Quartet & others Venue TBC

Quartets invited to battle it out at the Royal Military School With the success of the Don Lusher jazz trombone prize, the BTS is pleased to announce the launch of another biannual competition.

2010 is the launch of the BTS Open Trombone Quartet Competition, to be held at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, as part of the London trombone day on Sunday 17th October.

The competition will as follows: • Set piece: Bagatelles for

Four Trombones by Alun Hoddinot (duration approx 4 minutes) available from www.deniswick.com at £8 + p&p.

• Own choice: score to be provided for the judges but entire programme including set piece not to exceed 10 minutes.

The full list of judges and prizes will be available soon – check the BTS website for the latest details.

Kneller Hall BTS day October 17th 2010 Chris Mackey organising

Bromley SA BTS Day 20th March 2010 Workshop 9.45 - 5pm, £9 / £5 BTS members (includes lunch).

Concert 7pm, £3.

Bromley Temple Salvation Army Brett Baker and Black Dyke Trombone Quartet MAP: OPENSTREETMAP.ORG

4 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

NEWS

Message to BTS Members BTS Treasurer David Carnac introduces the new subscription rates, urges members to get the most of the society and justifies how the society’s money is spent.

New BTS subscription rates, with effect from April 2010 Regular Student Over 65 Under 16 International

£24 £18 £18 £10 £30

Note: affiliate membership of the International Trombone Association is an available to BTS members for 40% off.

See BTS website for full details.

At the recent AGM, the Executive Board proposed, and the members in attendance agreed, to a revised set of membership rates, which broadly represents a 10% increase. These rates will come into force from the 1st of April 2010. This increase is our first in a significant period, and follows a review of the Society’s finances and current levels of activity. As the Society’s treasurer, my overall responsibility is to ensure our ongoing financial stability, and secondly, to ensure that we can fulfil our constitutional aims, namely “to further the advancement of the trombone, its teaching, performance and literature, and to provide a forum for an interchange of ideas and social contact.”

The Executive Board felt it appropriate that we provide details on the way we are financed and how we spend the Society’s income. The first thing to remember is that the Society is a totally non-profit making organisation and that members of the Executive Board are not paid for their involvement.

As an organisation, we receive around 75% of our income from membership subscriptions, and the rest from advertising and other income from our commercial sponsors. It may surprise you that the magazine costs around £4500 per issue to produce, design and distribute. For an organisation with an annual turnover of around £18,000 this represents by far its biggest expenditure.

Also, for members who miss out or elect not to attend the events that we organise, it is the most tangible benefit of membership. As I am sure it cannot go unnoticed, under David Read’s stewardship, the magazine that is sent out to members three times a year has

substantially increased, both in size (from 4 pages to 28 pages), and in quality over the past couple of years. Inevitably however, to achieve this quality of production has resulted in significantly increased costs. However, this is one that the Executive Board has felt it only right to prioritise, and the feedback from members regarding the magazine has been very positive.

The other potentially big expense of the Society is to provide events for our members. Just a brief scan through both the website and our magazine’s photos shows these events to be vibrant and full days for all members who attend, with master classes and recitals from the cream of British trombone players (far too many to mention individually, and they are sent a heartfelt thank-you from me). With the help of the regional representatives, who help organise these days, potential costs have been kept to the minimum.

No trombone player is paid to perform or tutor at these events, so generally they are self-financing; a testament to the

organisational and bartering powers of the organisers. Their hard work ensures that not only is the financial security of the Society maintained, but we continue to offer excellent events to our members.

I would certainly urge all members to attend their nearest event (your membership provides free entry to all BTS events) so that you get a feel for the great work that is being done. These events take tremendous organisation and again, I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to all those who have successfully organised events in the past year.

Below, in true “pinstripe suit” financial style, are a couple of pie charts, showing the breakdown of both our income and our expenditure in the last year. I sincerely hope that both this article and the charts help you understand both how your society is run financially, and the need for the modest increase to the subscription rates.

And finally, the website which was fully updated in 2008 to allow online membership management, enables all members to check their membership details. Can I urge you to take 5 minutes of your time to check that all your membership details are correct. Vitally, if you pay by standing order, please check the correct amount is being sent as this is out of our control. In the next issue, our new membership manager, Lisa Penn, will explain how this system works, the changes that we are making to the membership process and the benefits for both the society and its membership.

With very best wishes, David Carnac, Treasurer

BTS Finances Dec 08 - Nov 09 Expenditure: £18865 Bank Service Charges 1% Postage and Delivery 2% Software 4% Events 7% Administration costs 15%

Travel & Ent, Professional Fees, Office Supplies, Web hosting ~1%

Publications 71%

Income: £17991

Events 5%

Interest 0.02%

Advertising 19%

Membership Dues 76% The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 5

NEWS Diary Dates 23 Mar 24 Mar 26 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 27 Mar 16 Apr 21 Apr 30 Apr 2 May 8 May 13 May 25 May 29 May 30 May 7 Jun 17 Jun 19 Jun 22 Jun 26 Jun 27 Jun 3 Jul

Davur Magnussen, RSAMD Wind Orch Mark Nightingale and Bone Supremecy RSNO Brass Bones Apart Bones Apart with Risca SA Band English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co Fine Arts Brass recital His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co Dennis Rollins’ Griots t Garage RWCMD brass ensemble Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts Quintessential Sackbut & Cornett Ens. Alastair White and Bone Supremecy

News in Brief Dennis Rollins has been awarded a Visiting Professorship at Leeds College of Music.

BTS rep in the South West Tony Evans is thrilled to have formed a quartet with three of his former students: Andy Skinner (ex Coldstream Guards and Metropolitan Police Band), Chris Speadbury (Cardiff University music graduate) and bass trombonist local lad “Big” Darrell Alexander.

The best-known piece written before Bach, Monteverdi’s Vespers, celebrates its 400 year anniversary, and sackbut and

Glasgow Hampshire Glasgow Cardiff Newport, Wales W. Yorkshire Shropshire Cardiff N. Ireland Devon Humberside Stafford Suffolk Hereford Hereford Cardiff Jersey Staffs London Devon Coventry Dorset

7.30pm, RSAMD. Solo piece by Christian Lindberg 9pm, www.theconcordeclub.com 1pm, RSAMD 1pm, RWCMD www.riscasalvationarmy.org.uk Wakefield Cathedral - Monteverdi Ludlow Assembly Rooms 1pm, RWCMD Weston Gallery 7.30pm, Portaferry Presbyterian Church. “Grand Tour” Plymouth Jazz Festival Ropery Hall, Barton Upon Humber Stafford Festival - Monteverdi Bury St Edmunds Cathedral – Monteverdi Hay Literary Festival Hay Literary Festival 7.30pm, Llandaff Cathedral Jersey Arts Centre 7.15pm Stoke Minster – Monteverdi St Paul’s Cathedral – Monteverdi Exeter Cathedral - Monteverdi Coventry Cathedral Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis

cornett players have enjoyed a huge increase in demand to perform the work this year with cathedral choirs and choral societies up and down the country. Listen out for not only His Majestys, but also Quintessential and the English Sackbut and Cornett Ensemble.

Northern Ireland trombonists can take advantage of a guided tour of playing music from the renaissance and baroque in a brass workshop run by His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts. Open to all brass players, the workshop will take place at 10am on 1st May at Portaferry Presbyterian Church, following on from the previous evening’s concert “Grand Tour” given by soprano

Dávur Juul Magnussen, 23rd March

Julia Gooding and HMSC. Workshop £5, lunch £5.

then on to the International Trombone Festival in Texas.

Peter Moore’s win at the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008 aged 12 came exactly 30 years after fellow trombonist Mike Hext. At his recent performance of the Gordon Jacob trombone concerto in Tunbridge Wells, Peter was congratulated in person by Mike Hext (photo below-left).

Supporting Peter’s performance on this occasion was BBC Symphony trombonist Roger Harvey, who was moonlighting in the viola section of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra.

Peter Gane agreed from the stalls that Moore is “quite exceptional!”

As this magazine goes to press, John Kenny is in Munich working on another music theatre show – this one based on the strange life and work of Edgar Allen Poe. It features two actors, two musicians and a dancer. John writes “We’ve been working for two weeks, and open on Friday in Stuttgart. I find I have rather a lot on my plate, since I have a principal acting role in the first half as well as playing the music – it’s a long time since I took on quite so much dense text work and physical theatre!

Bones Apart are following up their 10th Anniversary Tour of the UK with trips to Canada and the United States.

In June they feature at the International Women’s Brass Conference in Toronto, and in July they are guests of a Marine Band in San Diego and

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Stephen Lomas (pictured below) won the BTS Trombone Soloist contest in Salford in December. Adjudicator Neil Samuel praised Stephen’s musicianship during a performance of Variations on a Welsh Theme. The day was suitably rounded off with a short concert by the trombone quartet of the Brighouse and Rastrick Band.

NEWS

Mendelssohn celebration in brass Clifford Bevan’s recent composition in the style of Mendelssohn was played by two different American groups last year, using both modern and original 19th century brass instruments.

Mendelssohn’s Seasons is scored for choir with natural horn, trombone, English bass horn, and ophicleide. Setting texts by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was an American poet contemporary with Mendelssohn, the piece celebrates the bicentennial year of Mendelssohn’s birth.

British low brass expert Bevan, who studied both trombone and composition at the Royal Academy of Music said about the piece,

“it’s a sort of Vivaldi-inspired concept that Mendelssohn never wrote. “ The commission from Berlioz Historical Brass follows Bevan’s earlier composition “Les mots de Berlioz” for choir, buccin, ophicleide, serpent and bassoon.

Mendelssohn’s Seasons was first performed last July at the Early Brass Festival, held at Connecticut College, and staged by Berlioz Historical Brass, The Anglican Singers with early music brass specialist Wim Becu as guest conductor. In November, the choir staged the premiere of the work with modern brass, including two horns, trombone, and tuba.

Above: Berlioz Historical Brass (l-r): Craig Kridel, English bass horn; Ralph Dudgeon, keyed bugle; Jeffrey Snedeker, natural horn; Wim Becu, conductor; Douglas Yeo, ophicleide; David Loucky, trombone Right: Clifford Bevan

Robert Stevens 1954-2009

Echos in time Bruce Collings visited Huddersfield trombone maker Michael Rath in November with something rather special in mind.

Bruce is part of Musik Fabrik, a German contemporary music group where Marco Blaauw, the ensemble’s trumpet player, had been using a double belled trumpet for some time.

Bruce was keen to try this concept on a trombone and Rath was happy to put this together for him.

The second bell is actually their alto sackbut design, which gives a great contrast between the two bell flares.

Bruce also experiments with trumpet mutes in the sackbut to give many more possibilties.

The second bell fits into the valve wrap and can be used with a rounded crook which brings the second bell round to the front of the trombone, or a straight crook which takes the second bell straight out behind Bruce!

It gives a whole new meaning to antiphonal playing!

One of the Thames Valley’s best known professional trombonists died in November after a short illness, age 55.

Robert Stevens was born in Oxford on 17th February 1954, brought up in Berinsfield and attended The Abbey School and Peers School. He was one of the earliest to benefit from Oxfordshire County Music Service’s instrumental tuition in schools and his excellent potential was quickly realised.

He studied trombone and composition at Royal Northern College of Music where his playing won him the Hiles Gold Medal before returning to make Bicester his permanent home.

Robert performed countless concerts, classical and popular - both as an orchestral player and a solo performer - as the county’s premier trombonist, performing for over 25 years with the City of Oxford Orchestra. He also taught and inspired generations of brass instrumentalists – including over 30 years as visiting brass

teacher at Magdalen College School. Many of his pupils are now making their own careers in music including international conductor Daniel Harding.

In 1998 he founded and managed The Mad Hatter Band and Agency – the perfect vehicle for all his talents – in which he was bandleader/MC, trombonist and singer as well as arranging over 300 pieces and composing his own works. TMHB became the region’s leading provider of live music for ballroom and latin dancing, ceremonies and celebrations of all kinds, and performed widely across the south of England including exclusive London clubs, Blenheim Palace, The Pump Rooms in Bath and Oxford colleges.

Robert was a keen amateur dancer - recently being awarded an IDTA bronze medal – and loved walking and horse riding. He leaves Sarah, his wife of 29 years, and Charlotte, his 19 year old daughter.

Andrew Claxton Principal, Oxford School of Music The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 7

FEATURES

This brass group is no “cover band”!

Brass Quintet and tabla? The BBC commissioning music for brass and electronics?

Twenty five years strong, Chaconne Brass have found that modern sounds are no passing fad. The BTS speaks to Emily White about the group’s adventures and motivations.

Chaconne have been playing a lot of modern music – what attracts you so much to it over the standard repertoire?

As a trombonist I love contemporary music.

It is period in which the trombone is celebrated for all it can offer, rather than doing its best job when discrete, or imitating other instruments. I also relish the freedom that being the first to play a piece brings!

As a brass quintet, there is such a wealth of music written for the inimitable Philip Jones Ensemble, that to play the standard repertoire is by definition, to be their cover band. It is a spur instead, to be inspired by them to hunt down our own voice.

String quartets have such a glorious historical array of music. The relatively short history of brass quintet repertoire can

8 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

be turned into an advantage, prompting imaginative, searching new works.

Congratulations on the anniversary of the quintet. How did you get involved in the group and what sort of work does it do?

Chaconne’s founding trombonist decided on a change of career five years ago and I was really delighted to be asked to join them in his stead. I love chamber music, and to have one’s own group is chamber music on tap. It also provides room to experiment and develop ideas. Rehearsing to get to the essence of a piece rather than simply to put it together is a rare treat for us freelance musicians.

What’s the relationship with the composers that are writing for you? Do they get involved in the rehearsing or even use play-throughs to iterate their ideas?

Well two composers who write for us, and whose works are on the new disc, are our trumpet players – so they certainly get involved in the rehearsing! It is very interesting, the tactics needed to winkle out of ones colleagues the performance you want. Mark managed to get us into a laid back, banghra style party mood for his piece Nachna and Torbjörn into a knife-edge, notes-flying accelerando for the extraordinary Lullaby.

Our other composers generally keep their distance, and it makes rehearsing simpler and more pragmatic. I like throw-

FEATURES

Sukhvinder Singh Namdhari tabla

ing pragmatism out the window sometimes though, and really getting to the precise heart of a piece.

Has anyone written for tabla and brass before? Do you get good dance music out of the combination?

I believe John Kenny has written for trombone and tablas before, but as far as I know we are the first brass quintet to play with them. Sukhvinder had an amazing presence. He sat facing us and smiling, his tablas like extensions of his hands. We didn’t need him miked up at all: he spoke so clearly with his drums, and the only rehearsal needed was for our benefit. The long piece, Nachna, with its time changes and solo sections needed no explanation or music to read from. We all felt very humbled by him.

We are looking forward to more collaborations with tablas, and extending the repertoire.

In Torbjörn’s piece you play along to a pre-recorded track. How does this add to the usual quintet sound-world?

Lullaby, the BBC commission from Torjorn Hultmark, was broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction a couple of weeks ago - which indicates that it hits the ‘out of the ordinary’ button. It is quite an event to prepare as well as perform. There is a pre-recorded soundtrack, that Torbjörn has compiled.

It contains quarter-tone bells and sounds which we need to tune to, and there is a long wind up of tempo and dynamic, ending in a sudden leap into stillness. This has to be in perfect synchrony, for which we have click tracks in our ears, with the accelerando built in. There are also live electronics over the top, at which Dave Gale starred in at the premiere in Cadogan Hall last year.

It has a fiendish, wild and crazy feel and there is a shiver down the spine by the end.

I can’t wait to get a chance to perform it again .

Chaconne Brass: Torbjörn Hultmark trumpet James Doherty tuba

Aside from the contemporary music, you’re also known for your diverse performances on sackbut and even baroque violin. What is your motivation to cover all this different music?

Musical greed. There such a fascinating range of music to play – I want it all!

As well as the very tromboney role in a brass quintet, I love the team-work of the orchestral section, the beautiful soloistic

Simon de Souza horn Mark Kesel trumpet Emily White trombone

performing works from our new CD in our recitals, and our year is a busy one on the UK recitals circuit. The recession has sent everyone running for their brass quintets! It might have something to do with our new manager, who has taken on the hard work that we brass players find so unrewarding.

We are also looking forward to developing a project this year with ‘Filou the Clown’, who we met during our recent Berlin tour, and performed with in the Philharmonie.

Sukhvinder had an amazing presence. He sat facing us and smiling, his tablas like extensions of his hands. repertoire of sackbut playing, and to get a chance to perform Monteverdi, Bach, Handel and Mozart on the violin as well – it’s all too tempting.

I am glad I have taken separate chunks of my life to focus on studying each, but now, each benefits the other. I am certainly a better trombone player than when I didn’t also play violin.

What other projects are there coming up for the group and you personally?

He is such a vibrant person to have on stage with us, and brings such confidence and fun to our educational events. Torbjörn has set the bar, with Lullaby – and a work to complement it would be nice. (Hint to any composers reading this…)

Highlights for my year ahead are my Huntly Summer School, which I set up last year, and coaching on the Early Brass Course at Dartington International Summer School. It is Gavin Henderson’s last year there, and we are determined to make it the most extravagant yet!

Chaconne is about to do a week in Scotland, Chaconne Brass launched their most recent CD Dancing in the Dark with the Deux-Elles record label in February 2010.

Richard Baker Keck Torbjörn Hultmark A Lullaby Vagn Holmboe Quintet Op. 79 Mark Kesel Nachna Cecilia MacDowall Tango Oscuro Edward Longstaff Symphony for Brass Quintet With the exception of the quintet by Holmboe, all music has been written for Chaconne.

The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 9

FEATURES

The story behind the Bones Galore album In 1969 sixteen of London’s top trombone players assembled at PYE Studios in Marble Arch to record the superb album “Bones Galore”, the British equivalent of “Tutti’s Trombones”. Pete Smith was the Musical Director and his dynamic arrangements are still being enjoyed by today’s generation of trombonists.

Bob Hughes interviewed Pete recently about those memorable sessions and other highlights of his musical career.

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FEATURES Pete, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. What inspired you to take up the trombone and get into the music business?

My father, Ernie Smith, was a society band leader either side of the war. I’d go along to his gigs in the west end and local ones in Clerkenwell where we lived. When I was about eleven or twelve dad brought a box down from the loft. Inside was a very old trumpet which I fixed up and got working and started blowing. One of the trumpet players in dad’s band gave me a few tips.

I was about thirteen or fourteen at Westminster City School when the music master produced some brass instruments and I asked for a trombone. I got the slide working and started making a few noises.

I used to listen to Jack Teagarden, George Chisholm and little Jackie Armstrong on the radio and on recordings. You could tell who they were just by hearing four bars of their playing on the radio. George had that unique style of jazz as well as being a very funny guy.

Who taught you?

Dai Trotman was the trombone teacher at school. He was bass trombone at Covent Garden in those days before he took the manager’s job. If he wasn’t there sometimes Derek James would turn up. I went to his house a couple of times. When I went to the Royal College of Music I had Morris Smith who I got on with very well. That’s how it all blossomed.

Did you start working professionally at the RCM? Morris Smith would send us to do the stage bands at Covent Garden: a few bars to play and then you’d go home. I also did many

gigs with my father’s band. The old man gave me a good grounding.

You must have heard some great players around then in the late fifties. Were bands like the Ted Heath band still working around that time?

I used to go regularly with a friend of mine to hear the Heath band at the Palladium on Sunday nights. We watched Bobby Pratt, Kenny Baker, Jackie Armstrong and those guys. Jackie would come out and make this beautiful sound and I loved the vib. he used.

Wonderful player. I got to know him quite well in the business. I used to call him Uncle Jack.

I went to numerous concerts and big band dates. Ken Macintosh, John Dankworth, Cyril Stapleton etc.

When I eventually started doing sessions I’d meet these guys who I idolised. Eddie Blair, Ronnie Hughes, Don Lusher, Keith Christie and the rest.

There were four guys who really looked after me when I first started in the business. Jackie Armstrong, Wally Smith, Johnny Edwards and Bill Geldard. They were smashing to me and I think of them all with great affection.

There were one or two older guys who objected to the youngsters coming in in those days. That’s what some of them were like.

To be with all these guys it really improved my playing. Johnny Edwards would hand me the part about eight bars before the solo and say “Play it!”. He’d say “watch the phrasing”, “breathe there”, and “stop stamping your feet”. All this would go on. He was my mentor. That was the early part of the scene.

When did you start seriously getting into the writing and arranging?

Pete Smith talks about the Bones Galore sessions with Bob Hughes (R)

About 1960. Johnny Gray who was a tenor player with the Heath band had a band called “Johnny Gray and his Band of the Day”.

Johnny Edwards used to send me to dep. in the band. Johnny Gray rang me up one day and said “Johnny Edwards is leaving, do you want to come in the band? And I need some writing done. We’re going into Hammersmith Palais for several weeks. I need twelve scores done.” I said “Certainly John.” He said “By the way, do you drink?” I said cautiously “I like a beer John.” He said “You’ve got the job” and put the phone down!

I’d done a bit of writing before so I must have been recommended by someone.

After that I was with Cyril Stapleton for three years and then with Johnny Howard for whom Steve Gray and I did the writing. That was for broadcasts and TV, Come Dancing, things like that. John was turning over scores like nobody’s business. We had to keep up with the hit parade and the charts. Steve and I would take covers down off records. Steve was probably, in my humble opinion, the best player/ writer I’ve ever worked with. We were good mates.

Can you tell us about the background to the “’Bones Galore” album you did in 1969 and how it came into fruition?

It was around this time that I met Irving Martin, who was a freelance producer. He was very, very good at what he did. We did a woodwind album, a percussion album and many other unusual instrumentations.

Irving rang me up and said he wanted to do a sixteen trombone album for Polydor records. He already had the list of twelve tunes in mind and three sessions booked for March 1969. I had about six weeks to write the arrangements. I had to farm two tunes out to Steve Gray because I was pushed for time and doing other things as well. What a busy period that was.

Charlie Katz fixed the players. I wanted two solo trombones, Don Lusher and John Marshall who was a tremendous player.

I named the rhythm section and the two valve trombones Keith Christie and Dave Horler. I thought Denis Wick would be lovely on alto with Roger Brenner who I grew up with. That’s how it worked. The rest was the way Charlie fixed it.

The band was set up at PYE Studios at Marble Arch. Looking at the photos the sad thing is that many of those guys are gone now.

Did the inspiration come from some of the recordings that had been done in the United States, such as “Tutti’s Trombones” and “Trombones Inc.”?

Irving might well have heard them. I had.

But to be honest with you I tried to do my own thing. Irving came up with a few ideas.

We didn’t want to copy anything. The thing The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 11

FEATURES was we’d already done a percussion and woodwind album with big line ups and rhythm section. He’d already come up with these ideas.

I think the sound on this album is completely different.

Hopefully it is yes. Irving never mentioned those American recordings. We just did it our own way.

The wonderful thing about it was we recorded four titles a session with no overtime needed. All in nine hours and that shows you how good those guys were.

They all came in and played their socks off.

All I did was make a few comments about things and let the guys get on with it. Don and John Marshall might have made a few comments to their sections. Ray Premru to the bass trombones. I left it to those guys to put it together.

They were such happy sessions and we had a good laugh as well, but when the light went on – boom – deadly serious.

And then off we go – whey!! I don’t think there were many times we had to stop

anywhere.

Irving rang a couple of weeks later to say he had a rough mix of the sessions. I was thrilled with what I heard. That was down to those guys being so good.

Irving was very good musically and would make his own valuable comments.

Having Steve Gray there was such an influence. He was such a talent.

That bunch of guys made that record for me.

It’s lovely now to see some of the younger generation playing these arrangements and enjoying them. The first time they were reproduced was at Guildhall with Eric Crees. I went to the concert and it was marvellous. The last time was in Watford with Trombonanza early in 2009.

How do you think the music business has changed in the last fifty years ?

Well for a while it wasn’t for the best was it?

All that stuff after “Rock Around the Clock” and the electronic bit with synthesisers came in which did a lot of the guys out of work. The big bands did diminish from

about the mid ‘70s. Before that there were always lots of ballrooms with a big band and a small band who were working at least five nights a week. That all collapsed. Of course all the BBC light and radio orchestras have gone. What hit me quite hard was when the BBC Radio Orchestra went. I did quite a lot of regular writing for that orchestra and the BBC Big Band.

There were one or two decent players in the newer groups. You could count the good players on one hand. The Alan Prices and Georgie Fames. Steve Winwood the keyboard/ guitar player was another one.

Some of the new groups used horn backing groups which was good from the work point of view but it was the big band setup that took the brunt of it. Such a shame.

Johnny Howard kept things going quite well playing mostly pop music but also instrumental scores. He had some good jazz players in the band. Tony Fisher on lead trumpet with Dave Maclellan and Dave Hancock. Harold Fisher on Drums and Steve Gray on keyboards.

John kept things going as much as he could then they cut the bands down. Joe

Anti-clockwise from far right: Ray Premru, Pete Smith (conductor), Ken Goldie (hidden by Pete), Dan Elwood, Jack Thirwell, Don Lusher, Keith Christie, Roger Brenner, Denis Wick, Maurice Pratt (hand on mouth), Bill Geldard (partially hidden by trombone), Ted Barker (dark glasses), Johnny Edwards (back)

12 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

FEATURES Loss followed. He heard what John had done with four trumpets, one trombone, tenor, baritone and rhythm section. It was good for me. Joe came to me and asked did I think we could borrow some of the new scores from John. John said “How dare he ask, these scores are mine!” So Joe asked me to do some writing for him. I did well out of that. Good guy to work for and still a big name albeit with the older generation.

keyboard.

I remember Andy as a young lad, he came on a couple of tours I was on. Anywhere we went on a plane, on a train, in the car his case would come out and he’d start writing. He’s blossomed into one of the top guys on the scene now.

Who are some of the younger generation of writers and arrangers you hold in high regard?

I always used to try and do that. Peter Knight used to say to me “don’t bother with the piano, try to do as much as you can without.” He used to sit in the back of his car writing while his driver drove him to sessions. There used to be a copyist waiting at the studio and Peter would say “right copy that for after the break”.

If you can write a certain amount and hear it without using the piano that’s a good start.

Steve Sidwell, Andy Panayi, Mark Nightingale. All tremendous writers. There are obviously lots more about but they are the three that stick out in my mind. Not bad players either!

Andy and Mark have got a quartet with bass and drums. They do a lot of the Gerry Mulligan stuff, originally with Chet Baker and then with Bob Brookmeyer. I saw them a couple of weeks ago. They aren’t half good. Andy and Mark play brilliantly together with just bass and drums, no

Could you do that – write a score away from the piano?

Looking back at a long career in music what are some of the highlights that stand out in your mind?

Obviously doing the “’Bones Galore” album.

Playing wise, Stan Tracey, Kenny Wheeler’s

big band and the band we formed in a pub in Sutton called “Nelson’s Column”. Derek Watkins and Alan Downey were in charge.

That was a roaring band and was born in the Lord Nelson pub. The governor was an ex-professional trombone player, Alex McGuiness. At the back of the band stand there would always be a large barrel of beer and glasses. That’s what attracted the guys I think!

When you think about that band – trumpets: Derek Watkins, Alan Downey, Dave Hancock, Bobby Haughey, Ronnie Hughes. trombones: Cliff Hardy, John Edwards, Chris Pyne, myself, Bill Geldard. saxes: Bob Burns, Duncan Lamont, Henry McKenzie, Olaf Ass, Tony Symes, drums: Harold Fisher, keyboard Don Innes – it was a tremendous band. We did a couple of jazz club broadcasts, gigs and the Fairfield Hall.

Alex McGuiness knew Spike Milligan, who played trumpet and was into jazz and we got him as the compere. So funny!

It was one of those bands: Whey! Yahoo!

No holding back... just play. So many good soloists. I always looked forward to playing with it. Absolute madness.

Anti-clockwise from top left. Dan Elwood, Ken Goldie, Ray Premru, Jack Thirwell, Johnny Edwards, Keith Christie, Roger Brenner, John Marshall (just forehead), Cliff Hardy (close up on left). Pete Smith’s daughter Alexis (aged 4) can just be made out standing in the recording box top right.

The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 13

FEATURES There are a few names you’ve written down here who you’ve worked with.

Lusher”.

They were my highlights.

Mel Torme – great writer and arranger. Tony Bennett – smashing man, I always love his singing. Maynard Ferguson. I did a few gigs for Maynard. A bit of scribbling as well. And of course the BBC Big Band. I always enjoyed going in to MD, after all Gordon Campbell was there. That can’t be bad!

Also playing and writing for Don Lusher’s ten trombone band formed for the BBC TV programme “The Musical World of Don

Not a bad CV, Pete!

Well some nice memories I must admit. Such a privilege to have played with so many great players. A lot of stuff that I wrote was played by those guys. That’s a nice feeling.

I try to keep in touch with it now. I went to hear John Horler and Tony Coe in Richmond the other day – wow what an education!

When I go out now, I get on the train or the bus and in a daft way I get quite excited.

I know I’m going to see so and so. I’m like a kid really. It just gets under my skin when I hear all these marvellous players. I don’t miss playing at all; I’m just a punter now!

But you play every day?

I put it on my chops in the morning for a short while but it ain’t very nice so I don’t last very long. Ha, Ha !!

Bones Galore Personnel Tenor Trombones Don Lusher, Johnny Marshall, Bill Geldard, Nat Peck, Maurice Pratt, Cliff Hardy, Chris Smith, Ted Barker Bass Trombones Ken Goldie, Jack Thirwell, Danny Elwood, Gib Wallace or Ray Premru Valve Trombones Johnny Edwards, Keith Christie or David Horler Alto Trombones Roger Brenner, Denis Wick Piano, Organ and Harpsichord Steve Gray Guitar Alan Parker String Bass, Bass Guitar Dave Richmond Percussion Jim Lawless Drums Barry Morgan or Ronnie Verrall

Above: a different release of the Bones Galore album, featuring skeletal artwork and named by its title track “Work Song”.

Tracks: Work Song, So Nice, The Frog, Plain Sailing, Scarborough Fair, What the World Needs Now is Love, Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly, Ain’t Got No, Penny Lane, Light My Fire, Wichita Lineman and Hey Jude.

Right: Don Lusher’s liner notes

Bones Galore enjoyed by a new generation Back in early 2009, and whilst recalling fond memories of performing the Bones Galore charts as a student at Guildhall, I suggested to a couple of other regular players with Trombonanza that we might want to put a set of them into our forthcoming concert. It produced the classic ‘head vs. heart‘ quandary, as it was obvious that the sheer scale of forces required would make this a very time consuming venture.

Nevertheless, 6 months later, the heart had won. At 9.15am on a Sunday morning, there were 16 bleary eyed trombonists, 5 in the rhythm section and a conductor assembled outside the Watford School of Music, together with, thanks to Pete Smith and Eric Crees, a carrier bag full of the very parts I had played back in the mid 80’s, in readiness for preparations for our lunchtime concert.

Not surprisingly, actually getting players to want to be involved was not at all difficult. My ex-Guildhall colleagues Andy Lester (bass trombone) and Dave Whitehouse (valve trombone) had played them before. Getting a couple of great lead players in Andy Flaxman and Keith Hutton to help out really added to the event and, interestingly but not surprisingly, whilst fixing the gig, there wasn’t a single player 14 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

who didn’t fondly remember listening to the original album.

Between the rehearsal and the gig, to keep us away from the pub obviously, Pete Smith added poignancy to the event by showing us photos taken at the original sessions showing the albums magnificent line up of youthful looking British trombonist “icons”, many of whom are sadly no longer with us.

The gig was huge fun and, despite the inevitable lack of rehearsal, was very well received. Any fears of not doing Pete’s arrangements justice were dispelled and Pete, in his inimitable manner, spent ages thanking us afterwards when, frankly, it was he who should have been, and was,

being thanked.

I fully intend to make sure that it won’t be another 25 years until I play these wonderful arrangements again.

David Carnac Alto trombones David Carnac, Andy White Valve trombones Dave Whitehouse, Evatt Gibson Tenor trombones Andy Flaxman, Keith Hutton, Phil Cambridge, Mark Horton, Graham Chambers, John Wells, Nathan Hamer, Nasser Pervez Bass trombones Andy Lester, Edward Solomon, Ben Bouzan, Adrian Jarvis, Lorna McDonald

FEATURES

Heaven sent?

The sound of the trombone can be pure, even heavenly. However, every instrument starts life as a simple lump of metal in a factory workshop. In a visit to the Egger instrument workshop in Switzerland, David Read meets the ‘angels’ who fashion the raw brass to give the special character of a trombone.

T

he process of turning raw metal into a beautiful trombone has remained remarkably stable since their invention in the 15th century. In the tour of the Egger workshop, we discovered some modern technology that helps make better instruments, but we were also learnt how they’d retried some of the traditional methods and found they made superior instruments.

Egger make other brass instruments, but for trombonists interested in early music, Egger is one of two of most popular makers in the world (along with German company Meinl). Their workshop is based in Basle, which is the somewhat cosmopolitan Swiss city right next to the border with France and Germany.

The workshop employs 16 people, half of whom are highly skilled instrument makers and the rest are semi-skilled. Cheerful workshop manager Gerd describes the allocation of people to jobs as a personality thing: “a person who is good at making trombone slides focuses on minutely measured adjustments to achieve technical perfection. But this person hates to make bells and is likely not very good at it! The person who hammers bells best is someone who works by feel.”

The main ingredient of a trombone is of course brass. In the old days it would have been made from heating up mined copper ore and zinc ore. The molten brass would be poured over large flat stones to cool as thick sheets and then hammered into thin sheets. These days things are rather easier – it arrives at Egger’s workshop on the back of a lorry already rolled into sheet brass.

The hammering later on in Egger’s process gives the metal a structure similar to that of the old days.

Compressed air hammering of the bell

The thinned bell by the oven

Bell mandrells and bells

The bell Hefty scissors are used to cut the sheet to a shape that resembles a flattened bell using a template (think of dress making…). This is hammered to make it super-thin. French horn bells are flattened to 0.4mm and trombones are 0.3mm, and they need to be even thinner towards the edge.

To help with the hammering, they heat the metal until it is soft and glowing (600ºC). In addition, at Egger they have a rapid fire hammer powered by compressed air that makes dents the size of a 50 pence

Gerd shows a big implement used to beat the bells when on the mandrels

piece in the bell metal, which is fed in carefully, like the material in a sewing machine.

With no modern compressed-air hammers back in the 15th century, they would probably have benefited from the power of a water wheel.

The bell becomes a tube by joining opposite edges, and to make the join strong, they cut out teeth on the edges. The teeth are alternatively folded up and down, gripping the opposing edge like jaws, before being hammered down and brazed with a blow-torch.

The final shaping of the bell is the most crucial part to getting a good sounding instrument. Getting a good bell is not just about getting the right shape and thickness, but working the metal in a particular way. Gerd explained the difficulties of this seemingly black art: “I can’t tell someone how to hammer a bell well – it’s not something we completely understand. Everyone hammers in a slightly different way and you just have to experiment and find someone who happens to make ones that sound great.”

The bell is hammered first onto an anvil to get the shape basically right. Then it’s transferred to a mandrel which is a solid piece of metal in the shape of a bell.

Tubes Traditionally all the tubes would start life as a long, flat piece of brass that is wrapped around a solid cylindrical mandrel. Where the edges meet, the seam is soldered shut and then you have the difficult task of hammering it to an exact circular shape. The seam left by these old manufacturing methods is difficult to make as smooth as we expect from a modern slide. So for the tubes in the slide, Egger revert to the modern ‘drawing’ machine which literally stretches solid metal into a tube that remains seamless.

Gerd described how the hand hammering of the tubes and bells works the metal in way that no modern machine does. He thinks of it like a varying internal structure, and suggests that unevenness gives the sound lots of extra internal resonance. I’ve no idea if there is any truth in the explanation, but agree that they play and sound fantastic!

Bending tubes without them getting a kink is apparently very tricky. You need The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 15

s

FEATURES well with the instruments. Once the basic shape is designed, Rainer Egger uses a computer program he has written to calculate the acoustics and it optimises the shape further to get the strength of the harmonics right.

to put something inside that keeps the cross-section circular, and this means a soft metal. In the old days they used lead, but what with modern health and safety regulations they now use an expensive cocktail of bismuth, lead, tin, cadmium and indium.

Heated to just 80ºC it becomes molten and pours into the tube without the brass melting. Once this cools it can be hammered round a suitable mandrel to the desired shape, before heating it again to get the inner metal to pour out again.

Options

Finishing An artist always signs his work, and good trombone manufacturers are no different.

Egger use a diamond tip to engrave the bell garland and stays. The garland is a circle of flat metal that strengthens the end of the bell. Egger uses beautiful angel designs, which reflect the traditional symbolism of the trombone with the supernatural.

The assembled trombone is placed in an acid bath which is agitated with ultrasound to give it a good clean! The metal is polished and buffed to give it a beautiful shine. Most modern trombones are lacquered, but very few sackbut players ask for lacquering. Whilst the coating keeps the brass shiny, it is reputed to dampen the resonance. Sackbuts are traditionally left exposed and this leads to gradually hazing of the metal as it oxidises.

The stays are soldered on to assemble the complete trombone. They give the trombone structural strength, but their positioning can dampen or enhance the instrument’s response to different frequencies. We’ve all known difficult notes on particular instruments and some players have noticed on some older sackbuts a muffling on the third harmonic (middle F down to B natural). The latest generation of Eggers play very easily in this register now and Gerd explained to me that moving the position of the stays in the design by less than a millimetre solved it.

Partially hand-hammered bells Below: the bell’s seam is clearly seen

Below: a mouthpiece cut on the lathe. The snaking arm is spraying cooling water/oil.

Below: Finished parts ready to play

The finished sackbut

Mouthpieces Basically you start with a solid cylinder of metal, set it spinning on a lathe, and then use a knife to cut the inside and outside shapes. Egger, like most mouthpiece manufacturers these days, use a computer controlled lathe and knife, so you just need to tell it what shape you want and let it get on with making it. It gets sprayed with water and oil to keep it cool during the scraping.

The back-bore is then finished by hand and the mouthpiece polished up.

Along with the copper and zinc (i.e. brass), the mouthpiece metal has some lead in it, which of course is pretty poisonous, so it’s wise to have it plated!

Historical mouthpieces vary a great deal in their shapes, so Egger have experimented a great deal to get ones that work 16 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

Egger let you choose how ‘historic’ you want your sackbut. The basic model uses modern manufactured tubes and soldered joints with the brass engraved. The more historic models have hand-crafted seamed tubes (apart from the slide tubes), the slide isn’t chrome plated, elaborate silver decorations on the stays and garland, and interestingly, many of the joints are glued instead of soldered.

Sackbuts that survive from the 16/17th centuries have many loose joints, which appears to help resonance. They may have used wax or resin to keep the trombone together. Egger uses glue as a compromise that keeps the resonance yet avoids the risk of bits falling off! They charge about 50% more for these historical features, reflecting the silver and extra labour costs, and I must admit to preferring the ease of playing and sound of the historic models I’ve tried.

There are a few modern features they are happy to add on request. A subtle waterkey is a common request and it is normal and simple to add a tuning slide in the bell. Some prefer the bell moved back to 3rd position to be like their modern trombones. Sackbuts usually have them around 4th position because that means there is a longer part of the bell free to resonate unrestrained by the bell stay. Seeing the bell in a different place out of the corner of your eye takes a bit of getting used to as a modern trombonist!

Below: Logo ready to engrave by tracing

It’s a wonder to imagine these beautiful instruments being played in the courts and cathedrals of Europe four or five hundred years ago – melting into the choir plainchant, or performing a chamber piece like Schütz’ classic Fili mi Absalon for solo bass singer, quartet of trombones and organ, a solo sackbut playing intricate and expressive solo divisions, or perhaps a large assembly of wind instruments and voices in an extravagant multi-choir Venetian canzona, resonating all around the congregation. It all started in a workshop like this, with muscular men skilfully beating the brass metal to within a fraction of a millimetre.

And although most modern instruments are made in factories these days, most of the principals stay the same. And one thing certainly hasn’t changed – although there might be more science in it, and highly repeatable outcomes – the mystery of how to make a truly great instrument remains.

FEATURES Luckily for us players, through years of commitment and experience, workshops like Egger have hit a rich vein and provide us with superb instruments. It is up to us to make them sound like angels now!

Below-left: Rainer Egger is the boss, pictured here with a mouthpiece that he designed.

Three sackbut players model Egger sackbuts: (L-R) Amy Wetmore with a borrowed Eb/D bass (she normally plays tenor), Claire McIntyre with an alto and Noëlle Quartiero with a tenor. The bass and alto instruments display the silver decorations. This photo was taken at the well-known early music college in Basel: “Schola Cantorum Basiliensis”.

Phil Parker Ltd The Brass Musical Instrument Specialists 106a Crawford Street, London. W1H 2HZ 020 7486 8206 sales@philparker.co.uk www.philparker.co.uk The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 17

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FEATURES

Teaching Network Amos Miller – Principal Trombone, Royal Ballet Sinfonia I use lots of singing interspersed into the playing, both for the sake of breathing and legato. Singing is such a natural thing, with no pressure-building expectations of how one should be doing it: good habits can be developed, which will gradually transfer to the trombone via osmosis.

Also for conceiving a legato tongue phonic sound I use “doh”, inspired by that legendary brass pedagogue, Homer Simpson. Get them to sing a passage using the “doh” syllable; this gives a nice soft consonant, and keeps the mouth in the right form (O) to maintain a good embouchure shape.

Peter Gane – Professor, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, EUYO Good breathing is the key to successful and rewarding performance. From the very beginning it is important to encourage students to develop a free, easy and well supported airflow.

So often, when playing legato, the movement of the slide affects the supply of air. This supply of air then becomes interrupted with bulges, starts and stops.

Moving the slide quickly and precisely between notes, so as to avoid glissandi, is very important. However, the fast action of the slide must be disassociated from the continuous and well supported column of air.

Away from the instrument, get the student to sing a long even note and at the same time simulate moving the slide quickly between two adjacent semi-tone patterns. Keep the airflow even and constant – don’t let the movement of the slide interrupt the constancy of the air flow.

This is a good beginners disassociation exercise.

Pete Lacey – trombone teacher, Midlands schools, universities and Birmingham Junior Conservatoire It’s always a big problem explaining legato to the very young trombonists who, let’s face it, probably have enough problems holding the instrument let alone understanding this difficult concept. Could I simply urge all to remember the following: • Always make sure the very young understand exactly what you mean by legato • I have found the use of comparable vocal sounds such as “ta” and “da” invaluable with young children. The use of even softer sounds such as “ra” and “ru” can also be useful.

Compared to our valved cousins, learning to play good legato is not straightforward. With the air, tongue and slide to worry about all at once, it can be difficult for the student to understand, let alone carry out. It’s also needed as early as Grade 1 pieces and scales.

Here experienced players and teachers offer their thoughts on teaching legato most successfully.

• Always stress the speed of the slide and explain how we can so easily produce a glissando effect instead!

• With legato I am convinced effective demonstration is worth a thousand words!

Especially in these modern times of large group tuition in a very limited time.

Neill Hadden – freelance trombonist, brass teacher in East London schools As with much teaching I find that any one approach cannot be applied universally and different students at different stages will respond (or not!) to different ways of tackling a technical problem.

Airflow and breath control are really the fundamental aspect. How do I teach it?

I always play in all my lessons so the students have a concept of the sound and what they are aiming for. Singing phrases often helps and I suggest that the printed slur is a picture of the airflow – not interrupted as the notes change. I introduce lip slurs from a very early stage and then it is a natural extension to slur ‘against the grain’.

The crucial thing is that the slide moves rhythmically – practising the slide movements without blowing helps here.

I guess the real issue is with slurs that lie within the same harmonic. I don’t worry too much about these in the early stages; later on I talk about using the tongue as a paintbrush rather than a hammer. Also useful are different consonant attacks – Ta, Da, Na, La etc.

As much of my teaching is at quite an elementary level and spread across all brass instruments rather than just trombone I spend the majority of my time talking about breathing and phrasing. If you get these concepts secure then the specifics of legato playing on the trombone

seem to present less of an issue.

At a more advanced level there might be talk of the glottis and using proximity slurs, but fundamentally my approach is to start with the sound desired and work towards that.

Emily White – Chaconne Brass, freelance trombonist Choosing between the lip slur, and legato tonguing, and how to achieve those two techniques with the air and tongue is a big subject, and well covered by many trombone teaching texts.

However, one other important aspect I find even advanced students neglecting is the slide arm. Moving it speedily is an essential part of legato, but sometimes ardent determination to move the slide fast causes a jerky dash to the note, resulting in a lumpy, frenetic phrase. This is rarely the effect the composer is aiming for when writing legato passages, and too often we trombonists allow the slide movements to dictate where the emphasis falls.

Observing a solo string player, as they zoom to the very top of their strings in a legato passage can be very informative for trombonists. Their left hand arrives in perfect time and accuracy – has moved very fast, and yet the sound is smooth, and the arm relaxed. If they attempted this with a tense, jerky gesture, the result would be lumpy legato and they would probably over-shoot the note. The slide arm needs grace as much as speed in legato.

How to practise the legato slide arm? It can be liberating to consider the arm as expressing the legato rather than aiming for machine-like peanut-butter smooth.

First softening the palm of the right hand releases the over-tension. Awareness of the issue begins to improve things instantly.

I find that practising the passage with just moving the slide is a quick way to become aware of sudden lunges.

The next ingredient is the air, but rather than aiming to produce ‘pitched’ air - let the right arm express the phrase, and the breath glide smoothly down the trombone. When this feels easy and fluid, add the trombone sound.

Some string players say that the bow is the ‘soul’ of the music. I think the trombone has two souls, the breath and the slide arm. It is impossible to perform a heartbreaking line of solo legato with an anxious right arm yanking the slide from note to note. I find just a few minutes of this focused way of practising has surprisingly dramatic results.

The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 19

FEATURES

Arlene MacFarlane Only a couple of years since leaving the Academy in Glasgow, Arlene was snapped up by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Recently she contributed to the successful BTS day in Cardiff, where Colin Barrett caught up with the young Scot to hear about getting the job, life in Cardiff and her particularly sparkly instrument.

Congratulations with your recent appointment as subprincipal trombone at the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

How are you settling in?

Really well, the orchestra is lovely and very welcoming! Although sometimes people don’t know what I am saying due to the accent! My mechanic told me he didn’t speak Welsh when I asked him to service my car.

My quintet has been involved in the Live Music Now Young Offenders brass project. It was a very rewarding and worthwhile experience, although it was quite challenging at times. This may not sound like much but I took my 45 strong school brass band that I conducted on a weeklong trip to Paris. Believe me – getting them all there and back was a huge achievement!

You were a member of the successful West Lothian schools Brass Band?

What is the best and worst thing about being the new girl?

Best thing: meeting lots of new and interesting people. Worst thing: Never knowing when my section are winding me up or not? They usually are!

Besides your recent appointment with the BBC NOW, what musical successes have you had in the last 12 months?

Yes, that’s where I started. I took up the trombone when I was eleven, joined the band when I was thirteen and was in it until my second year of college. It was a great experience being involved with the band. We went on tour to Australia, after the first month of joining which was amazing. We also went to Germany and Minnesota whilst I was a member. We won the British Championships about four or five times when I was in it; and the European Championships in 1998. It was a fantastic youth band to be part of.

If you could change one thing about the job, what would it be?

More tours!

Can you give an example of something that’s happened to you in your career that we can all learn from?

Always find out the programme!! I once turned up for a choral gig with my tenor and it was a horrific alto part. I had to do it all on the tenor, I was dreadful.

You’ve just been appointed the new BTS representative for Wales. Tell me more.

[Laughs] What I’m planning on doing?! I’m not really sure. I think education should play a big part in it certainly, but what you’ve done for the Cardiff event is wonderful so I’ll just carry on from that. You had a lot of visiting artists coming from all over the country down to Cardiff which is very important. I think we have to be concentrating on the younger generation of trombonists too; we need to showcase the fantastic trombone students at the RWCMD. What made you take up the trombone specifically?

It’s actually kind of a long story... My mum worked with someone who was at music college at the time and he wanted to teach, and so she said “I tell you what, he plays trombone, do you fancy it?” and I thought well that sounds quite cool, because it looked good and it was loud so I thought yeah definitely. I was eleven and it just took off from there, I’d never done any music before

20 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

FEATURES

I must have been about sixteen when my mum took me to see the RSNO do Pines of Rome. It was just fantastic and I thought yeah, that’s what I want to do.

that, and just thought it was a really interesting instrument.

How old were you when you realised you wanted to play professionally and what inspired this?

I must have been about sixteen when my mum took me to see the RSNO do Pines of Rome. It was just fantastic and I thought yeah, that’s what I want to do.

Besides the BBC NOW, you are a member of Thistle Brass.

What’s on the cards for this quintet?

We’ve just been appointed Quintet in Association with the RSAMD in Glasgow, so we’ve got an opening concert up there this year. We’ll basically be working on behalf of the Academy doing outside recitals and educational projects. We also have the Bongo’s & Brass project for Children’s Classics coming up and a recital at the Scottish International Trumpet Festival. We do a lot of music club recitals around Scotland which keeps us busy. We are hoping to get some tours lined up and we’ve just released our debut CD – Farewell to Stromness.

How do you find the travelling between South Wales and Scotland?

It’s a nightmare! I think to get to my parent’s house it’s about seven hours, at the weekend I just drove from Swansea to West Lothian after a concert and I’m shattered! So yeah there’s a lot of late night driving. I should fly but I’ve got a dog who goes everywhere with me!

Favourite non-musical past-time? Ways to relax?

I love to go to the gym and run a lot, I’m training for another half marathon in April so that’s keeping me busy when I’m not in work. I also like to walk the dog down by the lakes near my house.

What do you currently have on your iPod?

PHOTO © RICHARD CAMPBELL

Dr. Atomic Symphony by John Adams, as we have that coming up at work, The Killers, Take That, Oasis, Michael Buble, the list goes on. It’s really eclectic actually! Depends what I am in the mood for.

What’s the best single piece of advice you’ve been given musically?

“Every good note you make is like money in a bank.” We were told this at Junior RSAMD when all the brass players were fooling about warming up before a rehearsal. We got a proper lecture about time wasting!

If you could invite four musicians, dead or alive, to a dinner party, who would you invite?

Eva Cassidy – I love her!! She has such a beautiful voice. Mahler, for obvious reasons! Michael Kaman – his film scores are fantastic. His epic fusion between film and audio brings the on screen action alive. And also Liam Gallagher, as Oasis was the music of my youth!

Who are your musical heroes?

Kevin Thompson - teacher when I started the RSAMD, a true inspiration! Maurice Temple - conducted brass ensemble at junior RSAMD, wonderful work ethic and passion for brass playing.

Finally, I understand you have diamonds on your trombone.

Is this true? Please explain!!

I do, actually they are rainbow Swarovski crystals that I had to order in. I got an award from the Dewar Trust in Scotland for a new trombone, so I got a Greenhoe Conn from America. They made me a special valve cap with my name engraved on it then I added the crystals on myself. I would love to upgrade to diamonds one day!

The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 21

FEATURES

Newark Brass Festival features two young trombonists Now into its second year, this mix of competitions, masterclasses and concerts on a chilly January weekend has really started to hot up as an opportunity for young brass players and a celebration of brass music.

The Newark Brass Festival attracted young brass players from all around to the historic Nottinghamshire town for a full weekend of activities, organised by brass teacher Angela Smith.

Trombonist Richard Leonard won this year’s intermediate section, following on from the win by another trombonist last year: Michael Buchanan. Festival judges Paul Archibald (trumpet), John Kenny (trombone) and Stephen Wick (tuba) also picked two tuba players as winners of the Junior and Open sections, presenting £1500 of prizes.

Richard Leonard took part in the masterclass led by the judges on the Sunday morning. They listened to him Michael Buchanan playing the opening of Gordon Jacob’s Concerto. Amongst the advice John gave him was to play out more and make the opening of the piece a real statement.

Richard then went on the play the piece in the afternoon concert and went on to really impress the judges: “Richard certainly did command everyone’s attention with his rich tone and shows real potential as a player.”

The festival concert took place on the Sunday evening and featured last year’s overall winner Michael Buchanan. He performed the premiere of a work especially commissioned by the festival, composed by Cecilia McDowall. Afterwards the composer enthused, “Michael Buchanan gave a terrific performance of Skerry and Fjord.”

Skerry and Fjord for trombone and piano

by Cecilia McDowall

There is something so majestic and yet so dark and perilous about the Nordic, ice-scoured coastline. At the mouth of the deep-cut, resounding fjords, pinnacles of rock (skerries) pierce upwards and give menace to the incautious navigator.

The trombone seems the perfect instrument to draw out sonorous images of this powerful landscape. As I listened to a recording of the Canadian alphorn specialist, Mike Cumberland, playing at the summit of a glacier I was transfixed by the way in which the alphorn reverberated in that vast open space. The sound would slip behind the mountain, emerging transformed, many seconds later, from the other side of the valley.

In the opening and closing passages of Skerry and Fjord the major/minor third makes an interplay between trombone and piano, jangled and echoing. Long lyrical lines rise and fall above the ringing accompaniment, which often gravitates towards the lowest region of the piano. Occasional, fast patterned upbeats break the length of the solo line. The central section, faster paced and more urgent in manner, allows turbulence to surface before returning to the sustained, reverberating section which brings the work, which lasts for about 12 minutes, to a close.

Cecilia McDowall www.ceciliamcdowall.co.uk 22 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

Richard Leonard with pianist Asako Ogawa in the festival concert

Winner Profile

Name: Richard Leonard Age: 16 From: Beverley in East Yorkshire

“I cannot remember a time when I didn’t want to play the trombone. I’ve always loved the amazingly versatile and powerful sound, and of course the shininess and the slide are very attractive to a toddler. I’m now passionate about music – every note has the power to speak, to tell a story and affect you in some way.”

First musical experience: a ‘Musicale’ summer music course when 6 yrs old, when he realised that a shiny trombone was much better than a recorder. Starting on cornet at age 7, he moved to trombone a year later, as soon as he was big enough.

Teachers: since primary school by trombonist Peter Walker, Assistant Head of East Riding Schools’ Music Service.

Playing with: Principal trombone for East Riding Youth Orchestra, Senior Wind Band and Youth Jazz Orchestra. First solo performance was The Acrobat with ERSWB in 2007. Small jazz band with five friends – has a great time and loves getting paid to do gigs.

Also plays alto trombone in school orchestra and school brass band. 2nd trombone, Hull Philharmonic.

“The East Riding youth bands and orchestras are invaluable to my musical and social life. And I’ve been on exciting summer tours to Belgium, France, Switzerland and Catalonia.”

Studies: ‘A‘ level Music, Maths, Physics and French at Beverley Grammar School. Aiming to successfully audition for conservatoire this Autumn, to start in September 2011. Currently working towards diploma and conservatoire audition pieces, having passed Grade 8 in 2008.

“Being able to play at Newark Brass Festival, with renowned adjudicators, was a privilege, it was so inspirational and fun. I’ll keep going to as many BTS trombone days as possible!”

The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 23

REVIEWS TEA FOR TWO — DANCES AND RAGS SEND IN THE CLOWNS CHRISTMAS WITH LONDON BRASS MODERN TIMES LONDON BRASS Good news. The Teldec label has decided to reissue, at budget price, six of the ten recordings London Brass made in the period 1987-1993, in the first stage of its development after the end of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble (PJBE) in 1986. The first four reissues are now out (originally released 1988-1991), with two more to follow in 2010 (titles to be confirmed).

In its first decade, London Brass was developing its own style and repertoire post-PJBE, and these Teldec recordings chart that development. It was after the end of the Teldec recordings that the ensemble changed its line-up with the addition of jazz musicians John Barclay (trumpet) and Richard Edwards (trombone), which allowed the ensemble to take another musical direction.

The sleeve notes for these first reissues helpfully list the playing personnel, although the linking of names to tracks is not comprehensive and sometimes misleading. The trombone line-up varies a little from disc to disc, but Roger Harvey, Lindsay Shilling, David Purser and David Stewart are common to all four, with Roger Harvey directing some or all of each recording. Unfortunately Roger Harvey’s original sleeve notes have not made their way into these budget reissues, so some useful information is lost as a result.

Needless to say, given the reputation of London Brass and the players involved, all of these recordings are typified by brass playing of the very highest quality, and the recorded sound is good. And there is a number of very fine arrangements, with London Brass continuing the PJBE tradition of expanding the repertoire for brass ensemble.

Modern Times is of particular importance, as it includes, with one exception, original works only, and in some cases these are no doubt première (and perhaps still sole) recordings of these works. At the heart of the disc are two pairs of works. PJBE commissions by Takemitsu (Garden Rain) and Gordon Crosse (Peace) are for the standard ten-piece line-up and contain predominantly gentle music, all colour and texture. The combination of brass and piano is comparatively rare and two such works feature here: the substantial Eonta by Xenakis and Break-Dance by Poul Roders.

24 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

Rolf Hind is the excellent soloist, accompanied in both cases by a quintet of two trumpets and three trombones. (If the listener is inspired to explore further examples of repertoire for piano-and-brass, they should get hold of the NMC disc ‘Lucifer’ with works by Nicholas Sackman, Diana Burrell and Geoffrey Poole; while standard quintets might want to investigate works

by Howard Burrell and Peter Schikele). The other original works are by Tippett (Praeludium, for large symphonic forces), Britten (the ever-fresh Fanfare for St Edmundsbury) and Carl Ruggles (Angels in its less familiar original 1921 version for five trumpets and bass trumpet). With the exception perhaps of the Britten, none of this repertoire could be described as ‘easy listening’, and the final item on the disc brings some comparatively light relief in Roger Harvey’s wonderful arrangement of Lutoslawski’s Variations on a Theme of Paganini (originally for piano). It is just a shame that this arrangement remains unpublished and is not available for performance by other ensembles.

Send in the Clowns (previously released as ‘Clowning Around’ or ‘Kinderzirkus’) has the only original work among the four discs for standard brass quintet, the ninemovement Kinderzirkus by Jan Koetiser.

The other original works featured are: Homage to the Noble Grape by Goff Richards, a fun musical representation of five different wines; and Roger Harvey’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli, with Frank Lloyd the horn soloist. Indeed solos are a feature of this disc, with further examples from Oren Marshall (tuba), Anne McAneney (flugelhorn), Andrew Crowley (trumpet), Roger Harvey himself (all in arrangements

by Roger Harvey) and David Stewart on bass trombone (this time in an arrangement by another trombonist, John Iveson).

Altogether a fun disc.

Christmas with London Brass is likely to be of most limited interest, given its seasonal nature. But for any brass player planning next December’s concerts, you could do worse than choosing a few items from this disc, the sheet music for most of which

Tea for Two — Dances and Rags, by contrast, contains only arrangements, for ten-piece ensemble, of various composers’ responses to the dance form, from Praetorius through to Bartók, Villa-Lobos and de

Falla, via Schubert, Dvořák and Moszkowski, including a delightful version of Shostakovich’s Tahiti Trot (‘Tea for Two’). But of particular interest is the longest item on the disc, Henze’s Ragtimes and Habaneras. This 11-movement work was originally written for the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, and this version by David Purser was made with the composer’s assistance and approval. Indeed the ability of trombonists to arrange for brass ensemble is well illustrated on this disc, with further examples from David Purser and also from Christopher Mowat, Roger Harvey, David Stewart and Eric Crees.

– like many of the arrangements referred to above – is available from Brass Wind Publications or from Roger Harvey’s own BrassWorks. My favourites are Quem pastores laudavere by – trombonist again! – Simon Wills (published as ‘A Prelude and Fugue for Christmas’), in which the listener is challenged to identify numerous carols, against a constant undercurrent of ‘Summer is Icumen In’; and Festive Cheer by Roger Harvey, which is clearly also a favourite of Classic FM, judging by the number of times it played this recording at Christmas. Of special interest to trombonists is the close harmony setting for trombone quintet of ‘It came upon a midnight clear’.

All in all, this quartet of reissues is very welcome, and should be owned by anyone with an interest in brass ensembles, especially at budget price. I look forward to further reissues in the future.

Christopher Lawrence

REVIEWS RATHAMATAZ BRETT BAKER DOYEN DOYCD261 A CD arriving in the letter box is an event of great interest in our house. Add to that personal knowledge of the soloist, a great admiration for the accompanying musicians, and a strong affinity with the repertoire, and my day is complete.

Such were my feelings when Rathamatazz arrived. Brett Baker needs no introduction to trombone aficionados in the UK. Neither does the accompanying Black Dyke Band or conductor of this CD, Nicholas Childs. Doyen are a highly regarded label providing top-quality recordings of leading brass soloists. This recording benefits from all the above attributes, but my biggest attraction to this CD is the repertoire, which is more ‘main-stream’ than some of Brett’s recent ventures.

The repertoire included here includes new works specially commissioned by Brett (the title track being one...do I detect a sponsorship deal with Rath Trombones here?!), ‘standards’ such as Annie Laurie, By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Berceuse de Jocelyn, and Alfie, and some tracks previously recorded but nonetheless very welcome as part of this well-balanced CD, such as White Knuckle Ride and A Time for Peace.

This range of music and styles of play-

ing make this a very listenable CD, and one which younger players should acquire to broaden their own skills, something I know that Brett is keen to encourage in the brass-band world, but equally applies to other aspiring players in the jazz or more classical trombone worlds.

I recommend this CD very highly. It does not perhaps push forward Brett’s considerable technical achievements (of which as a mere trombone mortal I am very appreciative), but it does remind everyone who listens that music is about communication, and this CD achieves that ambition very well through careful programming and presentation.

Andrew Justice 20 JAZZY DUETS ANDREW DERRICK WARWICK MUSIC £7.95 These duets are each very short and appealing little numbers. Available in both bass clef and Bb treble, they are also progressive, so the second parts of the early duets are easy enough for a very young player to play with their teacher or a more advanced friend. The duets often move together rhythmically and stylistically, which could make them good

studies in listening and responding for a young player.

Some of the more difficult tunes towards the end could easily be played by two students around Grade 5 level, and could make suitable pieces for a GCSE ensemble piece.

Matt Harrison

Selected instruments at special prices to BTS members while stocks last New Tenor Trombones (B flat) Conn 8H .547 bore, rose brass bell Conn 100H (silver plate) three leadpipes Edwards 302R1 .500 bore, red bell Edwards 302Y3 .508 bore, yellow bell Jupiter JSL1032L .500 bore XO pro series jazz model King 2B Plus sterling silver bell King 3B King 3B valve trombone New Tenor Trombones (B flat/F) Conn 88H .547 bore, rose brass bell Jupiter JSL636R .547 bore demo model Yamaha YSL620 .547 bore, yellow brass bell Yamaha YSL882GO gold brass bell, heavyweight New Bass Trombones Conn 110H bass single plug, 10-inch rose brass bell Jupiter JSL740L bass double plug student model

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rosehillinstruments.co.uk 64 London End, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2JD Telephone: (01494) 671717 Email: info@rosehillinstruments.co.uk

The Trombonist | Spring 2010 | 25

REVIEWS OUT OF THE BOX MARK NIGHTINGALE QUINTET WOODVILLE RECORDS

British Trombone Society

Stop Press! You need to get this album!

Mark Nightingale’s newly formed quintet with frontline partner Nigel Hitchcock on alto sax and the stellar rhythm section of Laurence Cottle, Ian Thomas and Graham Harvey is a must have addition to your jazz cd collection. The title of the album boldly infers that you will get to hear Mark in a less familiar setting than the straight ahead jazz that he clearly feels he has been pigeon holed into. This new setting for Mark could be described as Brecker Brothers meets the Crusaders as seen from the perspective of top London session musicians. But it’s not entirely retro. There’s much more to it than that. There’s plenty of nutrition for the discerning jazz ear with expanded composition techniques, contemporary harmony, blowing on odd meters, great ensemble interaction and wonderfully coherent solos that are equally virtuosic and melodic.

The material has an impressive range with tracks varying from humorous to reflective, angry to super cool. You also get a couple of passionate ballads, lots of pop and blues inflexion plus some great “outside” playing.

“Out of the Box” is a relative term and is a title that invites you to place it in terms of concept. It certainly invites comparison to other trombone masters who are pushing boundaries on the instrument. Hal Crook, Nils Wogram, Joshua Roseman would all be impressed and will have to take note.

The formidable duo of Robin Eubanks and Chris Potter may well have found sparring partners in this frontline combination. (NB track 3) In short, the music is world class.

This album sounds great with the volume way up; the production is superb.

(Quel surprise with Laurence involved.) I advise car stereo listening so as not to disturb the neighbours as you won’t be able to contain yourself! And I can safely bet that this will be the album that you don’t take out of the CD changer when you get bored of all the others.

Jeremy Price

Executive Board

26 | Spring 2010 | The Trombonist

www.britishtrombonesociety.org

SCHMELZER & CO CAECILIA-CONCERT CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72339 In between the Gabrieli era of glorious multi-choir music (c.1580-1630) and the likes of Mozart and Albrechtsberger (late 18th century), there is another wonderful period of virtuoso trombone music – the baroque – that is relatively unexplored, as music is gradually being discovered in libraries. A quick listen to the quality of the music on this disc is sure to win many over to the possibilities of a trombone in chamber music.

Here are 13 tracks, mainly of sonatas for 2 to 5 instruments, by German and Italians: Neri, Ferro, Schmelzer, Fux, De Selma, Muffat, Buonamente and Bertali.

Adam Woolf’s beautfiul and stylish playing is heard clearly throughout this disc, for those interested in hearing the sackbut at its best. In the Bertali Sonata for 2 violins and trombone Woolf takes an extended solo with relish and makes stylish work of a long run of quick semiquavers, but his phrasing and nuance throughout these works attract the ear just as keenly.

Also in the spotlight are other stars of the younger generation: Wouter Verschuren (dulcian), Kathryn Cok (harpsichord & organ), Bjarte Eike (baroque violin) and Antina Hugosson (vn/viola) and they are joined by cornetto legend Bruce Dickey.

Musically these pieces can be seen as conversations between the instruments, developing like a scene in a play. The elaborate and often dancing melodies are based on essentially simple harmony that, crucially, is spiced up by surprising twists, arresting chromatic crushes and peppered with rhythmic interest.

As with the best historical performers these players are real mavericks – unpredictable but utterly persuasive. Lie back and enjoy their natural flexibility, articulate freedom and spur-of-the-moment inventiveness: absolutely vivid chamber music.

Caecilia Concert are superb advocates for this music. Hear it and spread the word – the 17th century is a new world of very classy chamber music for the trombone!

David Read

President Bob Hughes (ex officio) 01494 433722, president@britishtrombonesociety.org Vice-President and Chair Brett Baker chair@britishtrombonesociety.org Vice-Chair Ben Bouzan eastanglia@britishtrombonesociety.org Secretary Geoff Wolmark 01377 202209, 1-3 Church Street, Hutton, Driffield, Yorks, YO25 9PR secretary@britishtrombonesociety.org Treasurer David Carnac treasurer@britishtrombonesociety.org Education Liaison Stewart Drummond education@britishtrombonesociety.org

Staff Membership Manager Lisa Penn 0844 445 7931 membership@britishtrombonesociety.org Webmaster Edward Solomon 07903 152148 webmaster@britishtrombonesociety.org Associate Webmaster Mike Saville webmaster2@britishtrombonesociety.org

The Trombonist Editor David Read 07812 080933 64A Dunlace Road, London, E5 0NE editor@britishtrombonesociety.org Advertising Chris Gill 07790 260140 advertising@britishtrombonesociety.org Designer David Read The Trombonist is published in February, May and September.

Editorial and advertising deadlines are 1 Dec, 1 March and 1 July Reviews: Please send all material for review to the editor.

Representatives Scotland Chris Stearn 01360 860220 scotland@britishtrombonesociety.org Wales Arlene MacFarlane 07773 290975 wales@britishtrombonesociety.org North East & Yorkshire Paul Woodward 01924 823840 northeast@britishtrombonesociety.org North West Gareth Westwood 07756 105524 northwest@britishtrombonesociety.org Midlands vacant Northern Ireland Stephen Cairns 02892 602646 northernireland@britishtrombonesociety.org South Chris Mackey 07758 451146 south@britishtrombonesociety.org South West Tony Evans 01752 263069 southwest@britishtrombonesociety.org East Anglia Ben Bouzan 07970 502509 eastanglia@britishtrombonesociety.org Wessex Bruce Harding 01202 880814 wessex@britishtrombonesociety.org Brass Band Paul Woodward 01924 823840 brassband@britishtrombonesociety.org Jazz Jeremy Price jazz@britishtrombonesociety.org Young People James Howard youngrep@britishtrombonesociety.org

Makes practice perfect

The Yamaha Silent Brass™ system is available for Cornet, Piccolo Trumpet, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trombone, Bass Trombone, Alto Trombone, French Horn, Euphonium and Tuba.

On the road or at home, Yamaha’s revolutionary Silent Brass™ system lets you practice wherever and whenever you want.

The lightweight, active muting system is hardly noticeable in use, and with the newly-designed, pocket-sized Personal Studio, you can mix in audio accompaniments from CD and MP3 players.

Built-in digital effects allow reverb to be added to re-create the ambience of a live performance through headphones.

For perfection in practice, the new Yamaha Silent Brass™ system is unrivalled.

Visit us at yamaha-music.co.uk to hear more. Or maybe less.

The Classic has long been a favourite of trombone players and is seen in orchestras all over the world.

It is responsive and gives excellent flexibility combined with a rich tone.

The Heritage design combines thin walls with a heavy cup, creating a unique mouthpiece which is highly responsive in quiet playing yet powerful when played in fortissimo passages.

The HeavyTop, now available in either gold or silver plate, is designed for symphony players looking for a powerful sound which will project through loud orchestral textures. The huge mass of this mouthpiece gives it enormous carrying power.

Heritage 5AL mouthpiece:

“This combination of traditional and futuristic design promotes a wealth of overtones to produce a unique, beautiful, ringing tone and vivid articulation.”

Chris Houlding, Professor at the Folkwang Hochschule, Essen, Senior Tutor in Brass at the RNCM, Ex-Principal Trombone, Opera North.

Denis Wick is now introducing the new Ultra range of mouthpieces for euphonium. Initially available in only SM4U and SM3U sizes, these brand new designs are available in silver and triplethickness gold plate. Reviews for the new range have been ecstatic:

“If you liked the former Steve Mead mouthpieces you will LOVE the newly designed Denis Wick SM Ultra series!”

Aaron Tindall Besson/Buffet Crampon USA Inc. Euphonium and Tuba Artist/Clinician

“The new ultra mouthpieces are simply sensational! I fell in love with the SM3U immediately and this is what I will always use now.”

Riki McDonnell International Euphonium Soloist

“Fantastic! fantastic!! fantastic!!!”

John Starkes, Solo Euphonium, Boscombe SA Band

Denis Wick wooden mutes are often preferred by European orchestras for their special tone quality, which is very effective for the misterioso sounds needed in early 20th Century music and film scores. Their distinctive timbre is an essential colour in every trombonist's palette. Available for alto, tenor and bass trombone.