THE FRONT PAGE: ROB BURTENSHAW

THE FRONT COVERAfter more than 40 years as sub-principal trombone with the Orchestra of Opera North, Rob Burtenshaw retired on 23 September following a final concert at Huddersfield Town Hall that included a performance of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony and Elgar’s Cello Concerto. To mark the occasion, I caught up with him to look back over his career, and to share tributes from his colleagues in the Opera North trombone section. Alastair Warren: When did you first pick up a trombone, and what was your route to Opera North? Rob Burtenshaw: Originally from Scarborough, I started on tenor horn with Scarborough Town Band and then quickly moved on to the trombone, being taught by the aptly named Joe Blewitt. I enjoyed playing with the Band on Sundays, at holiday camps or at the Spa, and the cricket festival. Attempting to play 76 Trombones at a tender age certainly pushed my technique. After having lessons with Nev Roberts when the Hallé played in Bradford with Barbirolli I got a place at Chetham’s School of Music where I was taught by Peter Lacey. Chet’s was an all-round education; Residents (Boarders) had a weekday trade sweeping or cleaning bins, then 30 minutes practice before breakfast! And on Saturday’s, if you didn’t play rugby, you had extra jobs,

The Front Cover: One of a Kind – AN INTERVIEW WITH ROB BURTENSHAW BY ALASTAIR WARREN such as replacing light bulbs or moving pianos. The trombone lessons were a delight in comparison, and so were the many orchestral, chamber and solo concerts. In the 6th Form I would be sent off, with David Hall on the piano, to perform such pieces as Saint Saens’ Cavatine, a Handel Concerto or the second of Defaye’s Deux Danses. We were usually joined by David Greed (who went on to become the founding Leader of Opera North, a post he still holds today). And you always had to be ready for the Boss (headmaster) to call you in to tell you to play a piece for some visitors. I then went to the Royal College of Music as an Exhibitioner and was taught by the legendary Arthur Wilson. I have fond memories of trombone section sessions with Arthur taking Sue Addison and I and Dave Gordon through lots of repertoire, especially Brahms. In those days there was much paid work for the students at weekends with amateur orchestras and choral societies. My first gig at the end of week one was La Creation du Monde by Milhaud up near the top of Norfolk and by the third year I was becoming quite familiar with the Requiems of Verdi, Berlioz, Mozart and such like. In my final year I won the Arthur Somerville brass prize and gained the ARCM diploma with honours. Whilst in London I freelanced and got to enjoy playing second trombone with the English Chamber 22

THE FRONT COVER Orchestra and Northern Sinfonia and regularly with the Oxford Pro Musica. Alan Gout, Bernard Bean and Roger F. Payne were especially helpful to me then, and we performed many concerts from Et exspecto by Messiaen, to Star Wars, Tubular Bells and brass ensemble gigs. I played in West End shows, Kismet, Oliver, one starring Tommy Steele, national tours of The Threepenny Opera, Pal Joey, My Fair Lady and Wizard of Oz and started teaching for the Inner London Education Authority. In 1978 I joined the newly formed Orchestra of Opera North, becoming the sub principal trombone. That was an exciting time with a brand-new orchestra starting with a busy opera schedule and quickly developing a regular concert identity thanks to the vision of David Lloyd Jones and Ian Killik. I quickly grew to enjoy living in the Pennines where I could take part in many outdoor pursuits. I got married in 1989 to Melanie and now have two grown up children. AW: Can you share some highlights from your career? RB: The highlights are plentiful after 43 years! Gary Howarth conducting Verdi’s Nabucco with the widest range of dynamics ever! Operas such as Prokofiev’s For Love for Three Oranges (scratch and sniff!!), Berg’s Wozzeck, Britten’s Billy Budd and Puccini’s Turandot. Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Monte Carlo was fun; we were finished after 15 minutes and could ‘get out of the pit’. Concerts; Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony with Dietfried Bernet. Outside the classical world playing Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s I Need It with Guy Barker in the Landscape offshoot, the Gardeners. Away from Opera North I freelanced with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and toured the Canaries, China and bits of Europe with the RPO. I played in the Proms with the LSO and RPO, and recorded Gabrieli with the LSO Brass. My teaching experience has been extensive, teaching trombone at Chetham’s and Leeds University, as well as all brass at schools such as Bingley Grammar and Giggleswick. I’ve also taken part in many Opera North education projects, Chetham’s outreach days and helped to lead a masterclass in the Canaries with Roger Argente and Matthew Gee. I claim to have learned much from my pupils and have discovered useful teaching techniques from coaching adventure sports! AW: Why did you decide to stay with Opera North for so many years, and what plans to do you have for your retirement?THE FRONT COVER 24 RB: The Opera North schedule is quite helpful with planning family and professional life because despite it being restrictive in allowing time off, it is set in stone six weeks in advance. This has made it a difficult job to leave, especially in the last 10 years being part of an inspirational trombone section sat between Blair Sinclair and Christian Jones. Now I’ve retired I’m hoping to be able to go skiing more often and when at home pursue many outdoor activities such as hill walking, mountain biking and para gliding. CYCLING THE STELVIO PASS, ITALY. PHOTO CREDIT: MELANIE BURTENSHAW

Christian Jones – Principal Bass Trombone, Orchestra of Opera North Music making with Rob Burtenshaw over this past decade has been sublime. One of the last remaining founder members of Opera North, Rob’s final concert in September was performed with the total dedication and focus that became a hallmark for his numerous adoring brass colleagues over 43 years. Even before moving to Leeds, I knew that working in a section with Rob would be special, having basked in the warm sound and solid technique of his many ex-students around the country: their artistry stands as testament to a remarkable career which nurtured aspiring players, inspired professional colleagues … and still managed to find time for plenty of fun, whether cycling to the Craven Arms in Appletreewick or flying over it! To hear Rob at his best, search out English Northern Philharmonia/Orchestra of Opera North recordings: especially Walton’s First Symphony and Howard Blake›s Sinfonietta from the mid-1990’s, plus our Ring Cycle from 2016 available via YouTube. Blair Sinclair – Principal Trombone, Orchestra of Opera North I cannot emphasise enough how lucky I feel to have been able to work with Rob (Burt) for the better part of the last decade. Every single day was made better by having him there. His playing was flawless, all of the time. His dedication to getting the right balance in chords, the right style, and the best sound was always inspiring. However, it wasn’t just the playing, it was his personality. Rob was almost always happy and was a very calming presence to sit next to. I have never been in a section who laughed as much, or as often as we did, and when the instruments were back in the case, Rob was always more than willing to socialise and rehydrate with his colleagues. I think I can simply sum it all up by saying that Burt made our jobs easy. One of a kind. ◆ 23 SEPTEMBER, HUDDERSFIELD TOWN HALL, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ROB’S FINAL CONCERT; L-R ELIZABETH BANNAN, BLAIR SINCLAIR, ROB BURTENSHAW, CHRISTIAN JONES, BRIAN KINGSLEYTHE FRONT COVER 25