PROGRAMME NOTES
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DE FERRERS HIGH SCHOOL BRASS BAND, STAFFORDSHIRE Musical Director/Conductor: David Halting
EXETER SCHOOL SAXOPHONE QUARTET Musical Director: Sill/on Foxall
Age range of performers: 11-18 years Let's Face the Music and Dance Berlin, an~ G Richards Farandole (from 'L'Arlesienne') Bizet, an F Wright
Age range ofperfonners: 16-1 8 years Oh Lady be Good Gershwin, an: A Marshall Pavane for the Earl of Salisbury BYI'd, an: P Harvey Brown & Blue James Pmvel; an: 0 Gril1ard
De Ferrers High School has been involved with the National Festival of Music for Youth si nce 1987, and groups from the school have visited the Royal Festival Hall at the South Bank Centre every year since then, 1996 marked the fourth appearance of the Brass Band at the Royal Festival Hall; in their first (I 992) they achieved a Highly Commended Perfonnance Award, but the band is delighted I,' have been given the Outstanding Performancc Award this year. This is the third time th~ 'c+' " I has made an appearance at the Schlw l , Pc m 'Let's Face the Music and Dan c,' \'.. :' m .:,:,' famous by Fred Astairc. an,1 !1,"'~ " L·,·c!1: i:. has been used in an ad\ cn t~ ,; Per"on.!! insurance. The op~ nin :,: !:- ~ i c' " Ther: nu:trouble ahead _. " h"i"'(U: ':!, ::; ,' 0<l nd ' :1\'. '-'.! 'j not be inclicaI!'. L' ,'( :,1T11:;ht:- r('rfL)nnanCc Onginall;. "F :l r,lnci,)k' \ \.1, Ih~ incid~ntal music 10 Daud et"< rla~'. ·L\rk ,;i~ nne' . Biz~l adapted the music into l\\ 0 suites: the 'Farandole' is the most famous movcment from the first suite and features the tenor drum. The music builds up in tempo, texture and dynamics to provide an exciting finale.
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AYLESBURY MUSIC CENTRE DANCE BAND, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Musical Director/Conductor: Nick Care Age range of perfonners: 14-18 years Sing Sing Sing Louis Prill/a Bill Bailey an: T KlIbis The Aylesbury Music Centre Dance Band, aged 14-18 years, is one of twenty-seven ensembles organised by the Aylesbury Music Centre as part of Buckinghamshire County's Music Service. The band has broadcast many times for BBC TV and Radio and has appeared at venues such as the London Palladium and Montreux Jazz Festival with eminc nt musicians including Maynard F:,;:I"0n. C leo Laine and Don Lusher. They h., ... !.:,, 'i,,'J ninc national awards in seven ,:m 2 il' c BBC Big Band t Their mo st recent CD has n. lWol '· k Cc\ iews. not least nL· .....t')() nal . from ,:le J..n I
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The quartet \\ ';1, l"ctrIned in the winter of 1994 and has bc~n I(-:Ilur~d recently on local telc\ i,i,'n. "'1.':11 radio (fi\'e times) and in ne'.'. 'r:I ll,'r < r li\ e times). The quartet made a CO ,, ;" ;h :!r Illl1 :,ic and won the Exeter ( " " ;P C'I :I'. c Fe;ti\'al in 1994 and the Exeter " '," ;; '..:i Pcrlc>nnance Challenge in 1995. The gr~'!! t' ,)ft ~ n 'busks' and plays at private '·,Ilkti,)Il:'. They have had much fun since their r,'nnatio n by their tenor player, Adam Hardy. L nf,lrlUnately, their lead player, Charlie \ I"rgan, is leaving for university so the (j1l3 r!ct is currently looking for a replacement. These are some of the quartet's favourite [li nes. The first two are what they consider to be excellent arrangements of two well-known pieces, and the last tune is one which is less '.\ ell-known but is one in which they can show ,)IT their talents by improvising! The programme demonstrates different moods and :'tyles, from straight moving Baroque to lighthearted Blues.
BERKSHIRE YOUTH STRING ORCHESTRA 'vlusical Director/Conductor: Paul Cox Age range of performers: 14- 18 years Finale Carl Nielsen
(from 'Little Suite', Opus 1) The Berkshire Youth String Orchestra is at the pinnacle of the string progression within the Berkshire Young Musicians Trust. Drawing members from all quarters of the County, the Orchestra rehearses on a course basis during holiday periods. It has performed at the Edinburgh Festival (under the auspices of the National Association of British Youth Orchestras), the Festival Hall with members of the Philhannonia Orchestra in a developmental workshop involving improvisation, and, as the string section of Berkshire Youth Orchestra, the Requiem by Verdi, in the Royal Albert Hall. Although Nielsen's 'Little Suite for Strings' is his first numbered work, two other pieces were published during the same year, and the 23-year-old composer already had a number ,of unpublished \\ orks to his name. From the "' C .!"min" [hi, i, :1 \\ or/.: of e:-.[rcme optimism. wlk ' ,'," ihi, li: elinC! mJ\!l1ified ulltil. f .. , 1i:1 it:,.: "....: ~ :~'~ll ;"' . tile I ~~t>:\..:
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KINGSWOOD JAZZ, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Age range of performers: 16-18 years Partido Alto Charlie Bertrall/i, an~ Artl1llrs Au Privave Charlie Parkel; an: Arthurs Kingswood Jazz is based at The Kingswood School in Corby, Northamptonshire. It was fonned in 1995 by trumpet player, Tom Arthurs, who also writes the band's arrangements. The members of the band are Tom, Peter Shelley and Claire Lees on saxophones, Lewis Hubbard on bass and Kieran Brain on drums. In their first appearance at the National Festival of Music for Youth the band were very pleased to be presented with an Outstanding Perfonnance Award. Both of tonight's pieces feature improvised solos. The first piece, 'Partido Alto' is a funk/Latin chart, which was played by South American drummer, Airto Moreira's band. It is followed by the Charlie Parker be-bop classic 'Au Privave'. This piece shows off the band to great advantage, especially the tricky soli section.
CHANNEL ]SLANDS ORCHESTRA, GUERNSEY Musical Director/Conductor: Keith Smith Age range of performers: 13-19 years
Intrada, Introduction and March Leighton Finale (from 'Dance Suite No. 2') Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 Elgar 'Land of Hope and Glory' The Channel Islands Youth Orchestra has been in existence for just two years. The Orchestra comprises some of the most talented young musicians in the Channel Islands. It is organised jointly by the Education Departments of Guernsey and Jersey and is sponsored by Midland Bank plc. It includes pupils from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney. It meets for three weekends each year and gives concerts in the major islands. The conductor, Keith Smith, is well known for his work as a choral conductor and is at present the director of the Hampshire County Youth Choir, which he founded in J 991. Leighton's attractive 'Dance Suitc \ 0. 2' \\:1S commissioned for the Farnham Festival of 1971. The orchestra will perfonn the first and last movements. The opening movement has a vital rhythmic impulse throughout in triple measure. All the melodic material C!ro\\, from the initial motif presented b: (he 5tril1:':, . The Introduction to the final March is itself both rhythmic and majestic. ending wi th a fanfare climax involving all the bra;;s. The crisp rh yt hm s of the March. along \\ ilh :l broader counter-theme. combine to gi \ e :l tri1l111phan! finale to the suite. Th: 1\'111p and Circ u111stance "!:t r,'ile, ,; 'C;" ., .::::-i(':- l,r t1\ C Inilitary Illafchc-- I~\r I'i"i..":r..>.. l: :--.:. ;~ \1:: 1."'1' \\ hiLh dale froln bl.,.'(\\ (',-' !1 . ~JI I: .. :n,-; ;'1.. . ::~ci ih: b5[ I,'om 1931l. Th~ ,'~ i ,· "~.:!,oJ pa \\r'rd~ l)f :\
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