The Trombonist - Winter 2022

President’s Welcome

SIMON MINSHALL

Dear Members,

It's now been a full year since my first message to you in the role of President of our wonderful Society. Over that year I have seen the BTS accomplish more and more.

Last year I spoke about the planning for the first British Trombone Festival, chief organiser Matthew Gee and fronted by Jon Stokes. To all the C ommittee and everyone who helped bring the weekend together, I can't thank you enough. Thank you too to all the sponsors of the Festival and the BTS competitions: your ongoing commitment to helping us do as much as possible is really appreciated. The Festival, I know, has lit a fire under trombone players far and wide to get together more and enjoy each other’s playing.

Looking ahead to 2023 two regional Trombone Days are already confirmed, for the South West at Wells Cathedral School on Saturday, 21 January and for the North East on Sunday, 30 April at Collingwood College, University of Durham. Keep an eye on the BTS social media, website and emails for further details.

Now, off you go to find friends/colleagues and play some Christmas carols. Maybe even enjoy a mulled wine and mince pie.

Have a wonderful festive period and a Happy New Year to your families and loved ones.

Editor’s Welcome

ALASTAIR WARREN

Welcome to the Winter 2022 issue of The Trombonist.

In this issue we focus on the British Trombone Festival 2022, which saw probably the biggest gathering of trombonists in the UK since the International Trombone Festival of 2006, coincidentally both events hosted in Birmingham. The Festival welcomed delegates of all ages and experiences, celebrating the very best the British trombone family has to offer.

Continuing the celebratory mood, we congratulate the winners of the 2022 BTS Awards, the 2022 BTS Performance Competitions, and the 2022 BTS Composers’ Competition. Elsewhere we review debut albums from two rising stars, Isobel Daws and Dave Sear, and interview Dave about his career to date and the challenges of writing and releasing a jazz album.

Hoping to one day play like Joe Alessi? Read on to find out the secrets he revealed during his recent marathon masterclass and Q&A session hosted by Opera North, and if you find practice a pain in the neck Dr. Alan Watson shares some of his research into the causes, and prevention, of neck and shoulder pain experienced by trombonists.

Finally, as you join Simon with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie check out The Listening Lounge and listen in awe to some of the artists who featured across the Festival weekend.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Simon Minshall president@britishtrombonesociety.org

Alastair Warren

editor@britishtrombonesociety.org

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BTS ANNUAL AWARDS 2022

The winners of this year’s BTS Annual Awards were announced by BTS Vice-President Jon Stokes at the British Trombone Festival. Congratulations to all the recipients on their well-deserved awards.

Emily studied trombone at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and baroque violin at Trinity Laban. She loves the freedom that can be found in early music performance practice and contemporary music and has commissioned many new pieces for sackbut. Her trio, Pandora's Box, with John Kenny and Miguel Sevillano Tantos has toured their improvisatory take on contemporary and early music across Europe and the USA. She is a member of The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, regularly plays principal for Il Giardino Armonico in Italy and works with Alte Musik Berlin, B'Rock, Les Talens Lyriques, and the 'crack British ensemble’ (The Observer), In Echo.

Emily directs Sackbut Frenzy, which includes current and former students of hers. Their first album A Cry Was Heard, of new and old music for early instruments, was released in October 2022. She is professor of sackbut at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, teaches trombone and sackbut at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and trombone at Wells Cathedral School, and has recently been a guest sackbut tutor at Trossingen Conservatoire in Germany. She was awarded an ARAM for services to early music and is a Conn-Selmer affiliated artist.

Teacher of the Year – Lindsay Shilling

‘This is a massive honour to be named ‘Teacher of the Year’ by the BTS membership and the certificate will proudly go up on the wall next to the FRCM certificate that I was awarded earlier this year. Many thanks for this recognition!’

Lindsay studied, as an Associated Board Scholar, at the Royal College of Music with John Iveson and Arthur Wilson. Months after graduating in 1981 he accepted his first teaching post, teaching all brass instruments, for Kent Music School. In 1992 he was asked to deputise for John Iveson which led to his official appointment as trombone professor at the RCM in 1997. Lindsay’s tenure of 25 years at the RCM has run in tandem with a successful orchestral career including positions with the London Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra, and since 2003 Section Principal Trombone with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Sheila Tracy Award – Emily White

British Trombone Festival 2022

EDITED BY ALASTAIR WARREN

The

weekend of 29–30 October saw a total of over 200 trombonists descend on the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for the British Trombone Festival 2022, the first edition of the new BTS biennial National Festival.

Across the two days delegates were treated to workshops, lecture recitals, and concerts spanning 500 years of trombone history, as well as the BTS performance competitions. Reporting in detail on every moment of the Festival would fill an edition of The Trombonist many times over, but I hope the following gives a flavour of the experience, in the words of several of those lucky enough to attend. Many of the sessions were recorded and will be made available to BTS members at a later date via the members section of the website, and in future editions of The Trombonist Watch out in particular for Callum Au’s ‘Lecture Recital – Writing for the Trombone’, Chris Augustine and Josh Cirtina’s ‘Orchestral Trombone Playing’ and Emily White’s ‘Welcome to the Sackbut’.

Both days started with a warm-up session, led on Saturday by Amos Miller and Sunday by Katy Price. Both stressed the need to warm up both body and mind, leaving delegates suitably energised for the day ahead.

Youth Day – Becky Pepper

Running a National Festival after a pandemic was always going to bring some uncertainty, but one thing the committee was committed to from the outset was the desire to ensure our youngest and newest players were nurtured and welcomed. They have missed so many opportunities at crucial stages of their music education over the last few years, and we wanted to bring some

KATY PRICE LEADS THE SUNDAY WARM-UP SESSION.

PHOTO CREDIT: JONATHAN BUNT.

AMOS MILLER LEADS THE SATURDAY WARM-UP SESSION.

PHOTO CREDIT: GEOFF WOLMARK.