The Trombonist Autumn 2008

british trombone society

www.britishtrombonesociety.org

Autumn 2008

Young players’ tribute to Lusher 21 year-old Robbie Harvey’s ballad playing is awarded the BTS Don Lusher prize in Leicester On Saturday, 3rd May 2008, some 40 trombone players, their families and friends, gathered at Leicester Grammar School for the first Don Lusher prize competition.

The three finalists, selected from CDs sent in by 15 young players were Rachel Botham, Matthew Walton and Robbie Harvey. They each performed Harlem Nocturne and Stardust arranged by Bill Geldard.

The judges were listening for performances reflecting the style of Don Lusher’s playing. All three finalists gave committed, musical performances that showed that the lyrical style of trombone playing is in safe hands with young players.

The three judges were Gordon Campbell (BBC Big

Robbie Harvey congratulated

by Don Lusher’s widow, Diana

Band), Bill Geldard (John Dankworth Big Band and arranger) and Jeremy Price (Head of Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire).

The first prize was a splendid YSL697Z Yamaha trombone, and the Don Lusher trophy awarded to Robbie Harvey

by Diana Lusher, wife of the

late Don Lusher. Thanks go to Yamaha and Diana Lusher for the prizes. In addition, the runners-up received a set of Denis Wick trombone mutes and a mouthpiece, kindly donated by Denis Wick.

Earlier in the day, BTS president Bob Hughes conducted the trombone choir who prepared two pieces for the evening’s concert: Saving Private Ryan and 633 Squadron.

Brett Baker and Chris Jeans gave very interesting illustrated talks on trombone repertoire in the brass band field and Jeremy Price demonstrated jazz improvisation techniques. He also demonstrated how to build up jazz phrases while practising at home.

Gordon Campbell gave a

fascinating demonstration, with recordings of the trombone greats, on the various types of vibrato available to players.

The evening concert was given by the Ratby Cooperative Brass Band conducted by Michael Fowles who played a number of pieces and ably accompanied Robbie Harvey, Chris Jeans and Brett Baker in solos and duets.

Two world premières were performed: Ballade and Spanish Dance and Twin Slides for two trombones and Brass Band, both by Bruce Fraser who was present in the audience and helped make this one of the most memorable BTS events of the year.

Geoff Wolmark

Peter Gane’s leadership marked by Guildhall students & staff 37 years after joining the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Peter Gane is stepping down as Head of Woodwind, Brass and Percussion. In a surprise party in celebration of his tenure, colleagues, and current and former students, many of whom have been launched into illustrious careers, toasted his inspiring teaching and leadership.

Peter, who recently turned 60, humbly attributed the success to his talented team of professors and students.

The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 |

NEWS

Musical-chairs for principal trombonists Simon Cowen has taken the principal trombone seat at the RLPO, following on from Rob Holliday. After studies at Chethams and Guildhall, for a while Simon worked in the Remix Ensemble in Portugal and is also well known for his past work in Black Dyke and YBS Bands.

The CBSO has appointed Ed Jones their new Principal Trombone, since Phil Harrison

left after his tenure 1996-2006.

Ed studied at Chethams School, King’s College London and the Royal Academy of Music and was a brass finalist in BBC Young Musician in 2000 and 2002.

Dávur Juul Magnussen is the new RSNO Principal Trombone. Read more about him on page 21.

Andrew Berryman is concluding his time as

Principal Trombone at the Hallé Orchestra having clocked up 20 years in the hot-seat. In recent years he’s become Musical Director of Wingates Brass Band. Since this appointment the band has had success in the French Open, the US Open, the Senior Cup and the Area contests, plus developed close ties with Michael Nyman, recording two CDs of his music.

Chris Mowat receives honour from RWCMD On 4th July 2008, Chris Mowat was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in recognition of his work in Manchester, London and most recently Cardiff. During the presentation, the college’s Principal, Hilary Boulding, spoke proudly of the college’s former Head of Brass and Percussion: Christopher Mowat has been heavily involved in working creatively with young people and music for the whole of his long and illustrious career.

While at Emmanuel College Cambridge, Christopher was awarded the silver medal at the Concours International d’Execution Musicale in Geneva.

On leaving university Christopher became the Principal Trombonist in the BBC Philharmonic. Following this he served for 32 years as a principal player in leading British orchestras including the Halle, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Christopher also developed a wide range of musical interests outside the orchestral profession – as chamber musician, composer, arranger, editor, educator, writer and critic. He has performed as a concerto soloist on Radio 3 and appeared at the first night of the Proms.

His compositions and arrangements have been

performed and recorded by instrumentalists ranging from beginner trombonists to the Berlin Philharmonic Brass. As well as editing brass ensemble music he has written for the BBC Music Magazine and the Guardian newspaper.

He was Professor of Trombone at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music before becoming Head of Brass and Percussion at the Royal Welsh College. Here he led his department during an important time in the College’s development, increasing its size, setting up the Brass Band Pathway and establishing student placement schemes with both the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and orchestra of Welsh National Opera.

Although he retired from his full-time post in 2005

Christopher is still active in the College as lecturer and ensemble coach.

Christopher’s passion for music and empathy for young musicians drives him to provide inspiration and support for current and past RWCMD students and he sacrifices much of his leisure time in the service of others. This rare combination of musical excellence and personal compassion makes Christopher a treasured member of the RWCMD staff.

The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is therefore proud to honour Christopher Mowat in recognition of both his distinguished professional career and his contribution to music for young people in Wales, culminating in his role as Head of Brass at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Chris Mowat (left) is congratulated by current RWCMD Brass Head, Kevin Price

The Acrobat – a duet for trombone and piano, at the school concert Fat girl on the trombone How I love you With your thick glasses And puffy red legs prised into white socks With molto gusto you whack out your solo From deep and merry farting Glissando to nimble cartwheels And God help the right notes If they stand in your way.

But look at that poor talented bugger At the piano, full of promise.

With his Dad’s good cufflinks, Angst set in gold, Too keenly aware One wrong note will Infect all others, Like a malignant tumour.

But you, You don’t give a damn About notes on a page While there are yet Whole galaxies of sound to be heard Bravo Brian King From ‘A Bairn in my Broth’, an anthology for youth-inspired poetry.

BTS in the South-West and East Midlands Wells Cathedral School (Somerset) hosts a BTS day on Sunday 28th September 2008, 10.30am - 5pm. So far Bones Apart and the London Serpent Trio are booked. And of course there will be the massed blow!

The BTS day at Oundle School (Northants) returns on 5th October, organised by Ben Bouzan. There will be the final of the BTS Young Trombonists Competition, youth workshops with Adrian Taylor and hopefully an appearance from Bones Apart. At Oundle the BTS AGM will be held at 1pm.

There will be a proposal to amend the constitution to increase the number of advisors from the current 10 to 15.

Full information at: britishtrombonesociety.org The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 |

NEWS

NEWS

Band solos explored in Bury event The first BTS day in the North-West for several years, on the Saturday 19th July, a tremdously successful event celebrated the trombone in the brass band and new solo works for trombone and band.

The day started with the forty attendees in a massed blow with Bob Hughes. Brett Baker (who had organised the whole event) then performed some of the mass of new solo repertoire, including a trombone concerto being prepared by Rob Wiffin and Bruce Fraser’s Duet and Ballade and Spanish Dance. Brett was also keen to highlight some recent slow melodies from the Salvation Army.

Nick Hudson gave a recital featuring 20th century works

by John Kenny, Eric Ewazen, Nicola Ferro, Elizabeth Raum and Jacques Casterede. He went on to coach Kate Salter from Hebden Bridge Brass Band and Jonathan Parton and James Howard from Rochdale Music Service.

The Black Dyke Trombone Quartet displayed their skills after lunch, performing pieces including a new quartet by Philip Sparke called Tokyo Tryptych, before tutoring the Slide Show Quartet.

Lorna Macdonald of Bones Apart rounded off the daytime events with a talk on ensemble playing and the bass trombone.

The evening concert featured the Stockport Brass Band conducted by Mike

Fowles. Brett Baker performed Roy Newsome’s Concerto Olympic, followed by the Slide Show Quartet, showing real enhancement as a result of their workshop session.

Brett then performed the UK première of Johan Evanepoles’ Concerto, brought to light in a composition competition.

Lorna Macdonald showed off her lovely sound and musical phrasing with her own arrangement of My Love is like a Red Red Rose. The first half was wound up with Stephen Sykes, Kevin Wilson and Brett Baker performing James McFaddyn’s demanding but rousing trombone trio with band, Every Day Light.

Stephen Sykes gave an oustanding performance

BTS Solo and Quartet Festival

with multi-phonics of Basta

by Folke Rabe, followed by Brasilia by Robin Dewhurst.

Peter Moore then stunned the audience with the jazz inspired Shout by Rob Wiffin and an agile and mature performance of the Larsson Concertino.

To round off the trombone playing of the evening, I performed Freaks written for me by Gavin Higgins, based on a 1932 horror film!

The day was certainly a hit with all the trombonists and audience, and it was inspiring to hear the number of young, talented and dedicated trombonists in the North West, who have grown up in the banding movement. Here’s to more events like this one!

Lisa Sarasini

Forthcoming concerts and events Ian Bousfield has been invited

by Ricardo Muti to perform the Nino Rota concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic in the opening concert of the season in Vienna and on a world tour. As a young man, Muti studied composition with Rota and some of his film music will feature in the same programme. This is probably the first time the historic orchestra has performed a trombone concerto! Vienna 3/27/28th Sept, Lucerne 10th Sept, Tokyo 18th Sept.

Trevor Mires will be performing with his band, “Plumstead Radical Club”, on Tuesday, 9th September

2008. He’s been the trombonist for Jamiroquai, Incognito, Beyoncé and Tony Christie, but this concert will feature music from his own band’s debut album, “the Coast is Clear” (Impossible Ark Records).

Admission is free. South Norwood Conservative Club, 10 South Norwood Hill, London, SE25 6AB. Last issue’s cover feature Peter Moore went onto even greater success in the BBC Young Musician competition, eventually winning outright.

He presents a lunchtime recital at the Wigmore Hall on Tuesday 14th October 2008. Music by: John Kenny,

Christian Lindberg, Johan de Meij, Jan Sandström, Richard Peaslee, Lars-Erik Larsson, Arthur Pryor and Jiggs Whigham.

Robbie Harvey competes as one of six young jazz musicians in the Jazz Medal Competition on 28th September. Tickets £15. Pizza on the Park, Knightsbridge, London. Organised by the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

Christian Lindberg is back in London to perform the Leopold Mozart concerto and the London première of Jan Sandström’s Cantos del la

The British Trombone Society is delighted to announce it will be holding a solo and quartet competition, at the University of Salford on the 7th December 2008.

The categories for the contest are: Junior (Under 16) Slow Melody, Junior (under 16) Quartet, Open Slow Melody, Open Air Varie and Open Quartet. The competition is already heating up with players from some of our top bands putting themselves forward to be judged in the Open Quartet section (it is widely rumoured Queensbury and Sandbach based ensembles might just make an appearance!).

The deadline for completed applications is the 1st of October 2008, so please register your interest with Gareth Westwood soon!

For full details check out the BTS website: britishtrombonesociety.org/ competitions

Mancha. He is accompanied by the London Philharmonic.

Onyx Brass are central to a concert marking the 10th anniversary of trumpet player John Armitage’s death, whose legacy has prompted major brass and choir commissions and concerts. This special concert on 3rd December will feature a Gabriel Jackson world première for brass, choir and organ. Several of the John Armitage Memorial’s previous commissions will also be performed, including Judith Bingham’s 2006 British Composer Award winning My Heart Strangely Warm’d and a work by Paul Patterson.

Competitions and reviews Young brass players are invited to take part in a solo competition the Newark Brass Festival 24/25 January 2009.

Entrants will be divided into three sections: Grade 5/6, 7/8 and diploma standard.

With John Kenny on the judging panel, prizes will total £1500 and a chance to play a concerto with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. Entry deadline is 1st October. Full information at newarkbrassfestival.co.uk The entries are in, the judges have deliberated and the finalists chosen for the BTS National Competition for Young Trombonists 2008!

The successful competitors are: Haley M O’Connelley (Durham), Charlie Osborne (Purley) and Andrew Savill (Taunton). They are invited to compete in Oundle on 5th October, with the judging panel set to comprise Carol Jarvis, Mark Templeton and composer of the test-piece Hellas, Bruce Fraser.

Experienced composers and those that fancy the experience are reminded about the BTS Composers competition. With eight categories there is opportunity for everyone to come up with something, with the chance to hear it played and recorded by top professionals. The deadline is 1st November and other details are at: britishtrombonesociety. org/competitions The trombones in the Schubert E mass played at the BBC Proms last year by Collegium Musicum 90 were praised by reviewer Ben Hogwood on musicomh.com: “Hickox placed great emphasis on the intervention by the three trombones, signalling an altogether darker Domine Deus. … Philip Dale, Emily White and Adrian France the understated stars of the show.”

The recording is out on CD on the Chaconne/Chandos label.

Adrian described how the set of Egger instruments based

on 1780s trombones helped: “the bones went down very well with the choir as they produced a very dark and rich sound which blended very well.” (F classical bass pictured)

UK Diary Dates Trevor Mires Fine Arts Brass Fine Arts Brass BTS Day Robbie Harvey BTS Day & AGM Fine Arts Brass Boston Brass etc Christian Lindberg Peter Moore Fine Arts Brass Onyx Brass Sound of J&K Bones Apart Fine Arts Brass Bones Apart Bones Apart English Cornett/Sackbut Onyx Brass

London West Lothian North Wales Somerset London Northants Wiltshire London London London Bedfordshire Cardiff Devon Sheffield North Wales Scarborough Milton Keynes Warwick London

| Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

South Norwood Conversative Club, 020 8653 2501 West Lothian Festival, Regal Community Theatre, Bathgate North Wales International Music Festival, 7.30pm, St. Asaph, Denbighshire 10.30-5.00, Wells Cathedral School Pizza on the Park, Knightsbridge, 020 7235 5273 Oundle School Marlborough College Concert Society Regent Hall Brass Arts Festival With London Philharmonic, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall 1pm, Wigmore Hall, London 020 79352141 Luton Music Club, 7.45pm, Library Theatre, Luton Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Mark Nightingale & Alistair White, Teignmouth Jazz Festival 7.45pm Upper Chapel, Norfolk St 7.30pm, Aston Hall, Wrexham Stephen Joseph Theatre, 01723 370541 8pm, The Stables, 01908 280800 Venetian Christmas, St Mary’s Church, w/Armonico Consort 7.30pm, St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster

©Gary Russ

9 Sept 15 Sept 21 Sept 28 Sept 28 Sept 5 Oct 5 Oct 9-11 Oct 10 Oct 14 Oct 20 Oct 24 Oct 14 Nov 21 Nov 21 Nov 22 Nov 23 Nov 2 Dec 3 Dec

Boston Brass, 10 Oct The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 |

FEATURES It was the God-like sound of trombone playing that scared away the native American indians who were gathering to attack the Moravian community in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The apocryphal event and this fascinating tromboneloving religious community is explored in this extract, taken from Chapter 11 of The Trombone by Trevor Herbert (Yale University Press 2006).

The Moravians and their trombone playing traditions I

t was during the early seventeenth century – perhaps from a little sooner and perhaps for a little longer – that the basic functional utility of a trombone ensemble as a part of popular worship became evident. The point of change can be traced to the time when the singing of homophonic hymns and chorales by an essentially vernacular congregation became commonplace in continental Europe. Congregational singing of chorales was imbedded into the Lutheran rite – for example, congregational singing took place as the preacher was ascending to the pulpit (Kanzellied) and when the communion was distributed. Such chorales were usually preceded by a chorale prelude played on an organ, but a trombone choir was used to accompany hymns and chorales. The appeal of the trombone for Protestant doctrine is easy to understand. The sound of a group of trombones heightens and beautifies vocal sonorities, but does not obscure meanings enunciated in sung scriptural texts. It could thus be said that the trombone has been valued in Protestantism for dual and somewhat paradoxical reasons: on the one hand, its ability to enhance the artistic status of sacred music; and on the other, the relative neutrality of its impact on scriptural meaning.Thus, a choir of trombones, or trombones and cornetto, might be seen in the same aesthetic terms as the organ, as providing a complementary musical underpinning of meaningful worship.

The popularity of the instrument can be further explained by reference to simple practicalities: the near-exact matching of vocal parts to a homogenous family of | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

Trevor Herbert

Trevor Herbert is Professor of Music at the Open University. Formerly a professional trombone player, he has edited the The British Brass Band: A Musical and Social History (2000) and co-edited The Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments (1997).

instruments (sometimes with cornetto), and the ease with which they could be adapted to the intonational vagaries of church organs. The sound of a group of trombones playing in close harmony, perhaps with an organ, was perceived as a particularly apt accompaniment for spiritual communication. The manner and style in which trombones have been used in such contexts is enormously varied, and it has to be said that other instruments and groups of instruments may have similarly found a place in religious ritual. But for some congregations the trombone has a special place. The most striking and sustained example is that of the Moravians, especially those who settled in North America. Indeed, it is the phenomenon of trombone playing in Moravian communities – one of the most remarkably continuous traditions of trombone playing – that provides the primary rationale for a discus-

sion of popular religion in a discrete chapter of this book. But other related themes are also dealt with here: in particular, the role of evangelical movements in establishing musical contexts in which trombones have been used, and the interesting and somewhat undocumented story of the use of trombones and other brass instruments in Asian and African countries where brass instruments were introduced by Christian missionaries. Here too trombones had no primacy over other brass instruments, but it was through such agencies that trombones reached places that were as cultural distance from their place of origin as they were geographical distant. Such phenomena are especially interesting, because the hybrid styles ands processes that developed were to impinge as much on secular as on sacred life.

The Moravians The Moravian church stands alone in having an extensive and continuous tradition of amateur trombone playing from the eighteenth century to the present time; it provides a unique example of continuity of association between the instrument, a vernacular community and its sacred and secular rituals. The church can be traced to fifteenth-century Bohemia and Moravia and the followers of the radical Czech religious reformer Jan Hus, who was executed as a heretic in 1415. The more modern manifestation, the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), developed from a Protestant community that gained protection from Catholic persecution on the estate of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf in BoheThe Trombonist | Autumn 2008 |

FEATURES mia in 1722. This community created the German town of Herrnhut, the first of many settlements formed throughout the world

by Moravian communities.

Moravian religious values are distinctive, but based upon disarmingly simple ideals which have conditioned both community life and religious ritual, with musical practices being prominent in both. The basis of the Moravian musical tradition is choral, but musical instruments were used from the eighteenth century, and a rich musical culture developed that was central to Moravian life. Trumpets and horns are mentioned in early records, but the practice of using trombones appears to date from 1731. In May of that year at Berthelsdorf, the local pastor was serenaded on his birthday, when ‘Songs [were] sung in the parsonage yard with the accompaniment of trombones’. At a funeral in June of the same year, ‘There was singing…all with the accompaniment of trombones’.1 Subsequent references to groups of trombones are encountered regularly. According to the Lebenslauf (memoir) of a congregation member, Herrnhut acquired a set of trombones in June 1731: ‘…we went to Herrnhut where we arrived in the evening after the Singstunde [song service].…There on this very day the congregation had gotten the first trombones, and so they welcomed us with them.’2 In 1764 the Synod of the Moravian church implied some official status for the trombone choir when it agreed that: ‘where there is a trombone choir, one can make use of it at burials. This makes a lovely impression of our hope on the hearts of the people.’3 The players in the first trombone choir at Herrnhut were Hans Raschke, Joseph Seiffert and Daniel Johann Grimm. Raschke was the leader of the group and its teacher. None of these were professional musicians – Seiffert, for example, was in the linen trade.4 The spread to America As new Moravian communities were set up in other parts of Germany, more trombone ensembles were formed. Brass (almost certainly trombone) groups were established in Marienborn and Niesky in 1742, Gnadenberg in 1743 and Herrnhag in 1747. By this time the Moravians had commenced a worldwide evangelical mission. They settled in Zeist in Holland in 1746 and Christiansfeld in Denmark in 1778, and both of these communities had trombone choirs. By 1790 there were ensembles in 15 European settlements.5 But from the musical point of view the most important and enduring Moravian communities were established in America. In 1747 the British parliament passed an Act which granted this ‘sober, quiet and industrious People’ permission to ‘settle in America [which] will be beneficial to the said Colonies’.6 The largest and | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

FEATURES most thriving settlements were those in the east, particularly in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Nazareth and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Moravian communities believed that all worldly goods belonged to God. They held that there could be private property, but in practice the basis of their society was a sophisticated variant of communalism. They were mutually supportive and in many ways enlightened, but there was no clear demarcation between sacred and secular power. The homogeneity of their society was strictly ordered so that all aspects of life could function as a form of devotion. The community as a whole was the primary family unit, and stratification within that family was based on marital status, gender and age. The different sectors of the community were referred to, appropriately enough, as ‘choirs’; but while it seems that there were occasions when such choirs literally sang together as a unit, the word ‘choir’ was employed to signify a grouping within the society – a grouping that defined the basis of a particular ‘household’. Thus, for example, there was a widows’ house, a widowers’ house, a single brothers’ house and a single sisters’ house.

Some female categories were even indicated by aspects of their dress.7 Because Moravians recognised no discernible limit to the opportunity for spirituality, all music-making – including that which took place outside the church – had a devotional quality. Singing was of prime importance, but there was also a wide variety of instrumental music. While trombone ensembles were not universal in the Moravian church, in the USA the Posaunenchor quickly became established as a characteristic feature of Moravian life. By 1754 the first trombone choir had been formed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The earliest recorded use of the instruments in that town is found in a description of trombones playing ‘for the obsequies of a child’, whose remains were interred on 15 November of that year.8 Further confirmation of the establishment of the group by that time might be taken from a report that has high currency in the Moravian communities of Pennsylvania. On Christmas morning 1755 – so it is said – the trombone group played from the church tower to avert an attack by Indians who may have been coerced by French settlers. The story goes that intelligence of an attack reached the community through the agency of an Indian who was a Christian convert. Urged by their Bishop that ‘no one shall permit a hostile feeling against the Indians to arise within himself…but …[shall] trust in the Lord our God’,9 the Moravians resorted to prayer and the power of music. On Christmas morning the trombone group played from the church tower at 4 o’ clock. The time that the trombones played appears to be significant: it was exactly an hour earlier

than the usual time for the community’s awakening. The sound of a trombone chorale mystified the Indians, who took it to be a sign of the Moravian’s spiritual protection, and fled. The Bethlehem community saw the event in somewhat similar terms and regarded it as a divine intervention. Of course, the story has more than a hint of the apocryphal about it, and there is little hard evidence to support its detail, but it holds strong in the town of Bethlehem to this day, and the unusually early (possibly unique) Christmas Day awakening is verified in the Diaries of the Bethlehem Congregation for that year: ‘Early in the morning this day, towards 4.00 o’ clock the birthday of the Saviour was proclaimed by trombones in a most pleasing manner.’10 Perhaps the most we can conclude from this is that by 1755 the trombone choir tradition was established in the town, but the willingness of the community to absorb the story into its vernacular heritage may attest to an equally important point: that the trombone choir was seen as a potent ingredient in its quest for spirituality.11 Trombones’ suitability The Posaunenchor was usually four in number (though some groups were larger), and was made up of instruments that matched the soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices. At various points in their history, communities may have had more than one such choir. For example, on 2 December 1793, the death of one of the church’s greatest early leaders, Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg, was announced from the roof of the Single Brethren’s house in Bethlehem by two quartets of trombones.12 In 1919, the trombone choir appeared to be able to call on sixteen players.13 There is also evidence that players from more than one community sometimes combined for special festivals. It stands to reason that the practice of using trombones owes much to the tradition established at Herrnhut, and it has been argued that this in turn might derive from the German Stadtpfeifer tradition, but it is equally possible that the credibility of trombones in religious worship is aided by references to Posaunen in the Lutheran Bible.14 By the end of the eighteenth century, the sonic quality of the Posaunenchor, together with its versatility – particularly the fact that it could play anywhere, indoors and out – had given the trombone group a wider utility than other instruments and combinations of instruments used by the Moravians.

The Posaunenchor had four principal formal functions: it played ‘in lieu of passing of bell’, in that it played from the church tower or wherever a service of worship was to take place, to summon the congregation; it played to announce the death of a church member; it played at gravesides to ‘heighten the solemnities of burial serv-

The Trombone, Yale University Press, March 2006, ISBN: 9780300100952

ices’; and finally it was used to ‘impart the majesty of sound on high feasts and holy days, to the paraphernalia of the liturgy’.15 In this latter role the Posaunenchor had a specific part to play in festivals such as Christmas, the New Year’s Watchnight and Easter Sunrise services, and the musical services known as ‘Lovefeasts’.16 It also played for the announcement of Holy Communion.

The repertoire for the trombone choir was mainly made up of chorales from the Moravian version of the Lutheran hymn book. Particular chorales performed by the Posaunenchor alone were endowed with special meaning. Some were seasonal or reserved for particular festivals, but others were used effectively as signals to communicate messages to the community at large. Prominent in this regard was the designation of specific chorales as announcements of the death of church members.

Additionally, particular hymns were played at designated points in funeral rites, and even as early as 1731, funeral singing in Herrnhut was ‘all with the accompaniment of trombones’.17 Funeral practices The practice of signalling a death by sounding a chorale designated for a specific ‘choir’ probably originated in Europe. In April 1751 in Ebersdorf in Thuringia, ‘The “going home” [death] of a Single Sister was announced to the congregation through the sound of horns and trumpets’,18 and the Bethlehemische Diarum (Conferenz des Jünger Collegi) of 4 April 1757 refers specifically to ‘a custom already current in the German Moravian churches’.19 By this time the custom was evidently well-established in the American Moravian communities also, because in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,

as early as November 1751, Martin Christensen, a Single Brother, ‘departed to be with the Saviour, and his passing was made known to the congregation…by means of a stanza played by trumpets from the gallery on the Brethrens’ House’.20 By 1757 the practice of death signalling had devolved to the trombone group. When a member of the community died, the trombone choir announced the death by playing an appropriate chorale from the church tower.21 It is not entirely clear either why or how particular chorales were ascribed as signifiers for different sectors of the community, or the extent to which local preferences could be applied, but while European tradition was being followed, variants of it were also developing in north America.

The Bethlehem chorales were prescribed in an entry in the Bethlehemische Diarum: the sounding of the death announcement came in the form of the chorale O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden, which was then followed by another chorale that signified the choir of the deceased person. The Bethlehemische Diarum specified six categories of signal, but the chorale for the death of a widower was not entered: Married: O Gott du kausches hämmlein Single brethren: Horst du’s Aeltester Single sisters: Drin singt die selige Assemble Widowers: [Blank] Widows: Was Macht ein Creuzluftvogellein Children: Ihr Kinder wo send ihr ohnfelhbar gebrogen22 At Winston-Salem, the procedure was somewhat different: ‘When someone departs this life, the whole community will know at once to which Choir the departed soul belonged.

If the familiar Choir tune is played after the tune Nun wieder eins erblassets, etc., as is customary in Europe, and then the first tune is repeated, we will have in mind the words, Wenn mein Mund.’23 The Posaunenchor death proclamation had three components: the trombone choir played the announcement of death, followed by the announcement of the choir of the departed soul and then a further chorale which ‘reminds the hearer that the Death Angel will some day come to him’.24 The schedule of tunes may have been made by Christian Gregor (1723-1801), a hymn writer and organist who became a bishop in the church. (Gregor was a truly prolific composer and it is estimated that more than eleven hundred of his works are in American collections. He appears to have visited Pennsylvania and North Carolina only once, in 1770-2.) It seems certain that the practice was well established by the second half of the eighteenth century, and the coding of chorals was in place – probably incorporating at least

some local elements – by the nineteenth century. In 1905, Adelaide Fries of WinstonSalem identified separate designations for married brethren, married sisters, widowers, widows, single brethren, single sisters, older boys, older girls, little boys and little girls.25 We can only assume that the trombones used in the first American communities were brought with the settlers, but by the end of the eighteenth century new instruments were being imported from Germany. In 1762, Bethlehem players obtained new instruments and soon after that the Posaunenchor of Bethlehem was frequently despatched to other churches to enhance their worship. Instruments were passed from one community to another as new ones were acquired or ensembles became defunct. The instruments formerly used by the trombone choir at Hope, New Jersey eventually found their way to Bethlehem. Bethlehem may have been a supply centre, for it also seems to have been responsible for supplying the community in Gnaddenhutten, Ohio in 1818, and the instruments provided for the Martinez Indian Mission in 1911 were supplied by ‘friends in Bethlehem’.26 Origin of the instruments The supply of new trombones initially came from Europe, and particularly from the workshops of the Schmied family of Pfaffendorf, Germany. The earliest of these instruments to survive was used in the Gnaddenhutten community, and is dated 1789. Stewart Carter has assembled an inventory of surviving instruments in Moravian communities, and has also looked at patterns of acquisition of instruments used by Moravians.27 It is clear that instruments were circulated on a purely expedient basis, but up to the second half of the nineteenth century, new instruments were imported directly from Europe. From the mid-nineteenth century the source of supply switched to the United States, primarily through New York dealers such as Zoebisch & Sons and Carl Fischer, though the Bethlehem players still imported some instruments from Europe. Carter has also made the point that the instruments bought by the Moravians were consistently well made and serviceable, but appropriate for the needs of amateurs rather than professionals.

If surviving instruments are anything to go by, it is evident that other lip-vibrated instruments were also used. Indeed, in the large collection of extant instruments there are valve instruments, cornetti and keyed brass. These instruments testify to the importance of music making generally in Moravian communities, but they are also indicative of an evolving palette of sound that was being used by Moravian musicians. In some places the traditional role of the trombone ensemble remained undisturbed to modern times. The PosauThe Trombonist | Autumn 2008 |

FEATURES nenchor was invariably close to the church hierarchy; indeed, in 1839, the senior class of theological students at Bethlehem appears to have formed a quartet of trombones as part of their training for ministry.28 Individual trombone groups seem to have enjoyed remarkable continuity. It is easy to cite instances where players held their positions from the time they joined until they were very old men. One quartet at Bethlehem entered the service of the church on Easter morning 1818 and remained together for almost half a century.29 The four players were Frederick Beckel, Jedidiah and Timothy Weiss and Jacob Till. Jedidiah Weiss was born in 1796 and was a watch and clock maker. Timothy Weiss was probably his brother and practiced the same trade. Their grandparents had been among the first settlers in the Nazareth community in 1743.

Beckel was born in Bethlehem in 1801, and was apprenticed to the elder Weiss on the death of another watch maker to whom he was indentured. Jacob Till, the remaining member of the group, was born in New Jersey in 1799, and moved to Bethlehem as a child. He was apprenticed to his father, a piano maker, and it seems that at some time in his life he made a living as a musician in Pennsylvania.30 The Moravians justifiably claim that their church is the longest established musical institution operating in the USA. The richness of its musical culture and the expertise of its musicians was unmatched in the eighteenth century and for much of the nineteenth century. Consequently its archives hold collections that are a particularly rich source for music historians. Moravian musicians have also performed in broader cultural domains and participated in some of the earliest American performances of large-scale works by canonical European composers. Naturally there was a propensity to be involved in works that had a religious theme, but the idea that all music was a device for devotion also allowed involvement in other repertoire – especially for instruments. A copy of Haydn’s Creation was obtained in 1810, and

FEATURES performance copies were made by John Frederick Peter for what appears to have been a partial performance of the work in 1811.

The Moravians also performed the same composer’s The Seasons.

Both these performances preceded others of these works in the USA. The demanding bass trombone part in the 1811 performance of the Creation was played Jedidiah Weiss.

The burden of duty for Moravian trombone players has often been demanding. In 1919 the trombone choir at Bethlehem was required to play at each of the Sunday services and at 79 festivals and other occasions. Additionally there were 37 death announcements and 35 funerals.31 The Bethlehem trombone choir remains an integral part of the community and continues to acquit traditional religious functions, and they still use soprano trombone on the top line. However, the group also has a brief to represent Moravian musical traditions in the wider community. There are also groups in California, Alberta, North Carolina and Ohio.32 The tradition endurance of the tradition through the nineteenth century was that musicians were seen as key participants in Moravian ritual practices.

Notes 1 B. van den Bosch, The Origin and Development of the Trombone-Work of the Moravian Churches in Germany and All the World (Winston-Salem, NC: Moravian Music Foundation, 1990), pp. 4-5. 2 Ibid., p. 5. 3 Ibid., p. 6. 4 Ibid., p. 8. 5 Ibid., p. 24. 6 Parliament of Great Britain, 29 November 1747, ‘An Act for encouraging the People known by the Name of Unitas Fratrum or United Brethren, to settle in His Majesty’s Colonie in America’. 7 For example, by custom and decree the ribbon or bow with which a woman’s cap (Scheppelhaube) was tied under her chin was coloured according to her choir – pink for single, blue for married, white for widows. C. E. Beckel, ‘Early marriage customs of the Moravian congregation in Bethlehem, Pa’, The Pennsylvania German Folklore Society, 3 (1988), 5. See also G. L. Gollin, ‘Family Surrogates in Colonial America: the Moravian Experiment’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 31, no. 4 (1969), 650-8. 8 There is a suggestion that there was a trombone group in Bethlehem somewhat earlier than 1754. A note in a single Brothers’ Diary for 12 July 1747 mentions ‘Wald Hörner u. Posaunen’ being played by a group of single brothers at Gnadenthal near Nazareth. I am grateful to Stewart Carter for sight of his unpublished paper ‘From trombone choir to church band: brass instruments in communities of the Moravian Brethren in America’, in which he refers to this diary entry. 9 Anon., ‘Did the trombones play at Christmas?’ The Moravian, 106, no. 12 (December 1961), 6.

10 Ibid., 7. 11 See also A. Franks, ‘Unity Archives Friends’ Day Address, March 13, 1999’, unpublished typescript. Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, PA. I am grateful for having had sight of this source. 12 Rev. W. C. Reichel, Something About Trombones and the Old Mill at Bethlehem (Bethlehem, PA: Moravian Publication Office, 1884), p. 6. 13 178th Annual Report of the Board of Elders of the Moravian Church of Bethlehem, PA (1919), p. 17. Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, PA. 14 New Grove 2, s.v. ‘Moravian music’. 15 Reichel, Something About Trombones, p.

5. 16 Lovefeasts appear to have their origins in the meetings in which simple sustenance was taken following the celebration of the Last Supper, but evolved into services that are almost entirely musical. See J. T. Hamilton and K. G. Hamilton, History of the Moravian Church: The Renewed Unitas Fratrum 1722-1957, 1967, 2nd edn (Bethlehem, PA.; Winston-Salem, N.C.: Interprovincial Board of Christian Education, Moravian Church of America, 1983), p. 655, n. 12. 17 van den Bosch, Origin and Development, p. 5. 18 Ibid., pp. 5-6. 19 Quoted in K. G. Hamilton, Church Street in Old Bethlehem (Bethlehem, PA: Moravian Congregation, 1942), p. 20. 20 Ibid., p. 19. 21 Ibid., p. 20. 22 Ibid., p. 19. 23 Quoted in ibid., p. 20. 24 Fries, A., Funeral Chorals of the Unitas fratrum of Moravian Church (n.p., 1905), p. 4. 25 Ibid. 26 Hamilton and Hamilton, History of the Moravian Church, p. 515. 27 Carter, ‘From trombone choir to church band’, (unpublished). 28 Reichel, Something About Trombones, p. 6. 29 R. A. Grinder, Music in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, from 1741-1871 (Bethlehem, PA.: J. Hill Martin, 1873), p. 20.

30 Reichel, Something About Trombones, p. 9. 31 178th Annual Report of the Board of Elders, p. 17. 32 I am grateful to Don Kemmerer, Musical Director of the present Posaunenchor in Bethlehem, PA, for providing this information.

The BTS would like to thank Trevor Herbert and Yale University Press for permission to reprint this article.

10 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

Having worked alongside Arthur Wilson in the Philharmonia for most of the 1970s, Peter Bassano pays tribute to his distinctive approach and wide influence.

Arthur Wilson a personal view A

rthur Wilson, a third generation professional trombonist has just celebrated his eighty-first birthday.

His eightieth birthday party was held at the Lamb and Flag near Covent Garden on 2nd July 2007 when scores of the great and good of the brass profession joined him. The party almost didn’t happen, Arthur, suffering from Parkinson’s Disease experienced a bad fall a few days before and was admitted to hospital. It was only

by Arthur’s sheer determination aided by the skilful diplomacy of Fiona, his wife who, against all odds persuaded some sympathetic ambulance staff at the Whittington Hospital to taxi Arthur to and from the celebrations, that the event took place. This dogged determination to succeed is a less obvious quality of a gentleman whose courtesy, generosity and kindness are clear to everyone who knows him.

When I entered the Royal College of Music as a trombone student in 1965 I had been an admirer of Arthur’s playing for a number of years since I often attended Philharmonia concerts (Arthur was a member 1951-1979) and listened to their recordings. When I first heard the Orchestra I was immediately taken with the distinctive brass section sound quality – Philip Jones was principal trumpet and Alan Civil, principal horn. The London orchestras in the 1960s all had very distinctive and diverse playing characteristics – unlike now, you could tell the difference! It was the Philharmonia’s warm cantabile approach to the playing of repertoire that best suited it – Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, Sibelius, Verdi – that I found most beguiling. They did, of course work a lot with singers – Walter Legge, the founder was married to Elisabeth Schwarzkopf – and the Philharmonia Chorus, whose chorus master, Wilhelm Pitz had been a trombone player may well have had an influence on the Orchestra’s ‘singing’ style. They sported a roster of conductors including Barbirolli, Frübeck de Burgos, Giulini, Karajan and Klemperer, who cultivated the sound of an

Arthur Wilson – generous and kind

‘orchestra’ as a ‘choir’.

In recent years the Guildhall, quite rightly boast that they have produced all of the principal trombone players employed by the five main London symphony orchestras. Needless to say, excellent as they all are, since they all come from the same ‘stable’ there is, in my view very little difference

stylistically between them. This was not true of the London orchestras in the 1960s; Alfred Flazyinsky (BBC SO), Derek James (LPO), Harold Nash (Covent Garden), Denis Wick (LSO) and Evan Watkin (RPO) all came from quite different musical backgrounds and the diversity of styles showed in their playing. Of these, only a couple might consider themselves ‘soloists’, occasionally stepping outside of their respective sections – most simply regarded themselves as orchestral specialists. The most easily recognisable of the six was Arthur Wilson, his style of playing was highly individual, playing on a smaller mouthpiece (a Vincent Bach 6½) than his contemporaries and specialising in a cantabile approach to playing and impressive extremes of dynamic and a unique and a highly sensitive production, he would often use no tongue at all for the equale in the Brahms’ symphonies. His concern was for an homogeneous trombone section sound where the aim was towards perfection of blend, balance, intonation and a unity of style; much of his energy was spent in an effort to achieve this goal.

Philharmonia section, 1970s: Arthur Wilson, Peter Bassano, Ray Premru & John Jenkins The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 | 11

FEATURES

FEATURES

Above: New Philharmonia Brass Ensemble: John Wallace, Michael Thompson, John Jenkins, Arthur Wilson, John Miller Left: Philharmonia, RAH: Ray Premru, Ray Brown, Arthur Wilson, Philip Jones, Roy Copestake Far Left: Arthur Wilson as a younger man

He was the first London player to use the alto trombone, a controversial decision since elsewhere the playing of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique and Schumann’s Rhenish and other alto trombone parts were played in machismo fashion on the tenor. Arthur bought an E instrument from Lätzsch in Bremen but because of his ‘downstream’ embouchure and subsequent trombone hold he could only get mouthpiece to lips after a ‘dogleg’ modification to the bell section joint. You can hear this instrument to good effect in the Britten/ECO recording of Schumann’s Faust. Arthur’s distinctive ‘voice’ is clearly heard in the Klemperer Brahms and Mahler 2 recordings, as well as Mahler 5 with Barbirolli, Alexander Nevsky and the Verdi Overtures with Muti, the complete Daphnis & Chloë and Carmina Burana with Frübeck de Burgos.

Professional practice Arthur was half his current age when I first met him in 1967 in the Band Room of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden – I remember it as if it were yesterday. I was in my second year at the RCM where my trombone professor was Morris Smith, whose main job was as orchestral manager at the ROH. Arthur, myself and Ernie Benton (a long established freelance trombonist, then probably in his sixties) had been engaged to play the three stierhorn parts in Wagner’s Götterdämmurung with Georg Solti conducting. In terms of ratio of notes to fee, this was one of the best paid dates in forty years of performing that I have ever had – the stierhorns, pitched a semitone apart get one short blast each.

So on the evening of the Götterdämmurung performance I was looking forward to meeting Arthur and enthusiastic about my making a good playing impression – not easy to do on a stierhorn since it can really only be used to play a single note. Morris introduced me to Arthur and Ernie when we were given our bovine instruments 12 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

an hour or so before we were due play. I approached my warm-up with the high level of testosterone that I have now fully learnt to expect from 21 year old players – not to put too fine a point on it, in my effort to impress, I blew the s*** out of it!

I noticed that Arthur’s approach couldn’t have been more different – he blew the horn very gently with the sensitivity of an experienced diplomat as though he were stepping gingerly onto a frozen lake.

My first reaction was one of disappointment – “if he plays like that”, I thought, “he’ll never be heard!” How wrong can you be? Standing at the side of the stage we could see Hagen (Hans Hotter) preparing to mime the sounding of his horn to rally the Gibichung clan (his call is answered by two additional horns sounding a dissonant semitone apart). What came out when Arthur blew was a colossal sound – an earthquake registering more than 8 on the Richter scale. This was to be the first of a number of lessons from Arthur on “just how to do things” that started in 1967 and still continues today over forty years on.

Only a matter of months after my first encounter with Arthur, Morris Smith died quite unexpectedly and his position at the RCM (there was only one trombone professor in those days) was taken by Arthur.

This was an obvious appointment for the College to make since Arthur had himself studied at the RCM (a long established tradition of professorial appointment which disappeared soon after government interference) and was not only principal trombone of the Philharmonia, he had been a founder member of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and also principal of the English Chamber Orchestra (which boasted Barenboim as its MD and Britten as a regular guest conductor), and was offered numerous commercial freelance engagements making him one of the busiest studio players in London.

Arthur inherited a group of trombone students all of whom were to succeed in the

music profession: Noel Abel (London Philharmonic), Graham Bond (Music Director Royal Danish Ballet), David Evans (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra now Head of Brass, Winchester College), Edmund Fivet (Principal, Royal Welsh College of Music), Trevor Herbert (Taverner Players, Wallace Collection, Professor at the Open University and author of the best book on the trombone so far), Peter Mawson (Royal Opera House and Principal, Bromley Youth Music) and David Purser (London Brass, London Sinfonietta and Head of Brass, Birmingham Conservatoire).

Of course in the late sixties the competition was nowhere near as fierce as it is these days but none-the-less for each of us to find a place in the profession can largely be claimed because of Arthur’s influence.

His teaching method was influenced by his own playing criteria, so there was a great deal of emphasis on sectional playing and learning the orchestral repertoire with a strong leaning towards different styles for different composers. The trombone solo repertoire – concertos and sonatas – was to assume importance for teachers like Arthur only when final recital requirements and orchestral audition procedures were to place ‘solo playing’ above ‘sectional playing’ in the profession’s orchestral hierarchy.

between him and Ray Premru. Some landmark performances that I remember from those days include Berg’s op.6 with Abbado in Luzern – where the solo high E was perfectly achieved, Bruckner 8 with Giulini in Edinburgh, Mahler 1 with Barbirolli, Brahms 4 with Klemperer, Verdi Requiem with Muti, Sibelius 5 with Rattle and Tchaikovsky 6 with Svetlanov all at the RFH. Over time future generations of Arthur’s students were to become as equally successful as my contemporaries. Sue Addison (CBSO, OAE, HMSC), George Bartle (King’s Consort, Brass10), Robert Burtenshaw (Opera North), Alan Gout (MD, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company), Simon Gunton (Wallace Collection), Henry Hardy (BBC SO), Max Isley (Royal Ballet), Dan Jenkins (BBC SO), Ali Emer Kayhan (Turkish Radio Big Band), Steve Mathieson (RTE Concert Orchestra), Jonathan Pippin, Kevin Price (RLPO and Head of Brass RWCM&D), Lindsay Shilling (LSO, LPO and ROH), John Sibley (RPO), David Smith (BBC Welsh SO), Peter Thorley (OAE), Amy Wetmore (Brass10), Robert Wiffin (MD, RAF Central Band) and many others who are too numerous to mention here.

Arthur resigned from the Philharmonia in 1979 joining the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House as co-principal trombone, a number of the conductors that he had worked with in the Philharmonia – Maazel and Giulini in particular – were delighted to see him at the opera house and greeted him warmly. It is conventional for UK conservatoire professors to retire at age 65, Arthur remained a professor of trombone at the RCM until he was 72, this was entirely because it was easy for me to persuade the Director on an annual basis that he was “irreplaceable”. I have it on good authority that trombonists are still seeking Arthur’s advice over their playing. Recently a well-established player experiencing a particular technical problem had Arthur solve it in one minute flat. It would seem that as a description for Arthur Wilson, the word “irreplaceable” is as valid now as it ever was.

Peter Bassano is Music Director of the Oxford Sinfonietta and the City of Cambridge Brass Band.

National influence Shortly after his RCM appointment Arthur was to become the trombone coach of the NYO and although some of the NYO players from those days weren’t his personal students, without exception they all acknowledge his influence on their playing. I am thinking about Dudley Bright, Tom Clough, Eric Crees and Brian Lynn in particular.

Arthur was particularly kind to me personally inviting me to play as a regular extra with the Philharmonia and eventually appointing me as his second trombone in 1973, when it was my great privilege to sit The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 | 13

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Trombonist’s island discs

14 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

This BBC recording was made by the Denis Wick Trombone Quartet in June 1970. John Fletcher, who had been the LSO tubist since 1968, had persuaded his friend Martin Dalby, who had just been appointed as a BBC music producer, that they should have a trombone quartet broadcast. The BBC agreed, on condition that there must be some brand-new repertoire. Accordingly, I persuaded Ray Premru and Buxton Orr to write some trombone quartet music. Ray, the finest bass trombonist of his era – Philharmonia Orchestra and the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble – was also a stylish and very individual composer. Buxton Orr taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and had already achieved great success as a composer, particularly of film music. Ray’s piece was “Tissington Variations” and Buxton gave us his “Five Sketches for Four Trombones”.

We met as a quartet only spasmodically, all being busy with our respective orchestras: Peter and myself with the LSO, John with the RPO and Ray with the Philharmonia. Having consulted our diaries, we discovered that there was no co-incidental free time literally for months. Then we found that we were all free on the mornings of the same week, two months ahead, and furthermore, we all had that Friday completely empty. So arrangements were duly made and a studio booked.

We rehearsed at my house with the composers in attendance and worked carefully at the new pieces over four mornings. Having Buxton there was particularly useful as there were so many meter changes and balance issues in his new work. Ray’s piece was much more straightforward to prepare, but having him there made everything so much easier. John Iveson played 1st in Tissington, 3rd in the other pieces.

Our excellent producer, Martin Dalby, took great care with the recording, although we could not, of course, record and edit in the modern, digital way. We basically played the pieces through, with no editing. Martin was happy with the results.

Ray Premru sadly died in 1998. John Iveson had been appointed co-1st in the BBCSO in 1965, (at the age of 19!) had a brilliant career as 1st trombone with the BBC, RPO and Covent Garden, ceased his playing career in 1991. Since then he has been working as a teacher and examiner. Peter Gane, another exceptionally gifted young player, had been appointed 2nd trombone of the LSO at the age of 19 in 1967, remaining until 1973, when he gave up playing and became a sought-after teacher at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He became Head of Woodwind, Brass and Percussion at the GSM in 1989. I decided to give up my long-held seat (31 years) as 1st trombone of the LSO and resigned in 1988, in order to devote more time to my business.

I take great pride in the fact that both Peter and John studied with me; we all played in very much the same way. This recording gives today’s young trombonist some idea of what we were doing 38 years ago. I hope they enjoy this historic document.

Den­­is Wick

The CD comes in a simple plastic sleeve.

The suggested envelope is a ‘Featherpost size C’ padded envelope, measuring 22x17 cm when closed and with a 42p stamp. Any bigger and you may receive a surcharge.

Send SAE to: Geoff Wolmark BTS CD Offer 1-3 Church Street Hutton YO25 9PR We have printed 300 copies, to the full extent of the BBC license, which will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis to BTS members only.

For liner notes, take a photo-copy of this page, cut along the dotted lines and fold in the middle.

Equipment used l Denis Wick: Boosey and Hawkes Sovereign 930 Trombone, DW 4AL mouthpiece l Peter Gane: Boosey and Hawkes Sovereign 930 Trombone, DW 4AL mouthpiece l John Iveson: Conn 8H Trombone DW 5AL mouthpiece l Ray Premru: Boosey and Hawkes Sovereign 942 Bass Trombone, DW 2AL mouthpiece l Mutes: DW 5505 metal tenor trombone straight and 5509 metal bass trombone straight Photos: (top-bottom) Denis Wick, Peter Gane, John Iveson, Ray Premru Recording Copyright © BBC 1970

Dave Holland – L’art du ‘ud. Irak Two greats of British Jazz Dave Holland and John Surman meet an Iraqi Oud player. This was great for me to hear jazz musicians playing outside the “style” of jazz and meeting a virtuoso of another genre more than half way.

BTS members can get their FREE copy from Geoff Wolmark if they send a stamped and addressed envelope.

3’17 1’52 2’19 1’54

Coltrane – Bye Bye Blackbird (1962) This is a live recording with Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison. I love the way that the tune is so simple but the improvising is so evolved. Coltrane is in the same league as Bach here as you get a tireless working of musical ideas with such strong logic knitting everything together.

Elvin is on fire too. After Coltrane has played a simple turnaround for ages, Elvin thrashes around as if he needs to wait for all that electricity to finally be earthed. A truly inspiring record if you ever need motivation to practice.

Details of the offer

1’43 3’05 1’18 2’55 2’17

Frank Rosolino – Frankly Speaking A little later I tried to pursue the music of Frank Rosolino. The Lassus Trombones recording was on the other side of the tape that Melvyn had done for me, so I already knew the amazing and immaculate short solo bursts that Frank gets on this record.

Mole Jazz to the rescue again, this time I bring back a Kenton Presents record featuring Frank and a wonderful alto player called Charlie Mariano. Every time I here Rosolino play I’m just stunned by the energy and exuberance. I thought that if I could get 10% of this panache and vibe I’d be really getting somewhere. A school mate at the time played alto, and together we set about transcribing some of the arrangements and learning some of the solos by ear. This school mate has since gone on to play lead alto with the BBC Big Band, so this probably did him some good too.

Coltrane – Coltrane’s Sound (1964) This record is one of the many of John Coltrane’s output that makes it glaringly obvious why he is so highly revered. Supreme harmonic literacy, immense vibe and passion.

The rhythm section is also stunning.

Denis Wick called me earlier this year in a state of excitement – he’d been rummaging through his loft and found an old reel-to-reel tape recording of a trombone quartet recording he’d played on for a BBC Radio 3 broadcast in 1970.

The tape was still in excellent condition and Colin Sheen had successfully transferred it on to CD. Denis suggested that since this was such a historical recording it would be of great interest if it were made available to BTS members.

All the players on this recording were a huge inspiration to me and generations of brass players, and as you might expect the playing represents the highest level of the “British style” of trombone playing.

The blend of sound, intonation, and the sincere and sensitive musicality of all four players is clearly demonstrated in the three major works recorded for the broadcast.

Many thanks to Denis for paying for the issue of this CD and also to the BBC for agreeing to the release of this broadcast to BTS members.

Bob Hughes

2’09 2’59 1’54 1’13

and Star Dust. I still play them from memory now to see if I can get anywhere near JJ’s sound and beautiful delivery. JJ remains a great role model for any jazz musician, for how to construct a solo which tells a story and keeps your attention rapt as the ideas unfold.

Miles Davis – E.S.P. This record introduced Wayne Shorter to me and also opened my ears to a freeer, more interactive way to play, and was a springboard to help me understand Free Jazz.

✁

Denis Wick Trombone Quartet

Flor Peeters – Suite : Quatuor pour 4 Trombones op.82 1 Entrata 2 Lied 3 Dans 4 Final Buxton Orr – Five Sketches for Four Trombones 5 Madrigale 6 Cantilena 7 Scherzo Antifonico 8 Marcia Funebre 9 Campane Raymond Premru – Tissington Variations 10 Andantino – Allegro non troppo 11 Andantino 12 Presto 13 Adagio

JJ Johnson – I Grandi del Jazz At about the time of second year in secondary school I was getting into jazz, mainly through big band music but more significantly through a tape my trombone teacher, Melvyn Care, did for me of Urbie Green and 21 Trombones. I spent the summer holidays trying to play along with bits of this record, picking out licks I could manage and doing my first transcriptions, note heads only, to help me remember them. My physics teacher, Bob Ward, who also happened to be a very fine trad jazz trombonist (not necessarily a contradiction in terms!) had heard me playing Urbie Green licks. He had a book of JJ transcriptions which he said he would give to me as he couldn’t read music. Written music was just “tad poles on telegraph wires” to him, but he raved about JJ and said that he played all the pretty notes and was a wonderful melodicist. I was intrigued, had a go at reading the solos, but couldn’t make sense of them. I rattled up to Mole Jazz near Kings Cross on the Met Line, my first ever solo mission to central London, found an old Italian Import record of JJ which was a compilation with two of the solos I had transcriptions for and some Jay and Kai duets for good measure. I handed over my pocket money and went home to play the record with great anticipation. The beauty of the solos was revealed, the rhythm sections were swinging. I learned two solos: Satin Doll

Jeremy Price is Head of Jazz at the Birmingham Conservatoire and a trombonist on the current jazz scene, having worked with Stan Sulzmann, Mike Gibbs, Randy Brecker and David Murray. He is a jazz education author for IMP and the ABRSM. He is also a member of the London Jazz Orchestra and has played for London Sinfonietta as well as for numerous commercial sessions.

Jeremy is also the new BTS Jazz rep and will be answering your jazz questions soon.

Miles Davis / Gil Evans – Porgy and Bess If you’re a brass player it sometimes takes a while to “get” Miles Davis. You spend so long yourself working on intonation and getting even tone across the range and uniform articulation that it’s a shock to hear someone break all those rules. I’m still amazed at the amount of really fine classical players who think Miles didn’t have any chops! If you’re one of those, try this recording. It was a good way in for me: beautiful orchestrations and swinging rhythm section. Ok, Miles cracks a few notes and sometimes it’s not bang in tune, but so what? You can’t criticise a Picasso for not being like a photograph. The invention and the melodies are amazing. He’s also really pushing to get new sounds out of the instrument and deliberately playing on the edge and taking risks. This record opened me up to this crucial sensibility in jazz. It’s also worth getting this record for the wonderful lead trombone playing.

I was lucky enough to play this repertoire several times with London Sinfonietta, where I strived to do my best Jimmy Cleveland impression.

Denis Wick Trombone Quartet

Sibelius – Finlandia Perhaps it was 1982, at the age of twelve, that I first heard this piece. I had grade 4 trombone, and had just been given a fast promotion to the Hillingdon Schools Symphony Orchestra. It was pretty intimidating, especially the audition with Maisie Ringham.

The first piece up was Finlandia by Sibelius. I hadn’t really heard any orchestral music before and hadn’t heard of even the composer. The conductor Eric Stephenson entered the hall. I loved the way the orchestra went from the cacophony of everybody warming up to a hushed concentration.

The first down beat came: an enormous sound came from the brass of which I was a part. It was just us making this sound, no one else in the orchestra was playing.

I couldn’t quite believe the effect. How can a mere arrangement of notes in a certain order make you feel like this? I still don’t really know how music can do this for you; a feeling of awe, like you’ve just seen an angel, maybe you have! But I know that experiencing that ecstasy from music makes you seek out that feeling again and again and is powerful enough to effect real change in your life.

FEATURES

FEATURES ©Tas Kyprianou

Success with the slide

The BTS talks to three gifted young trombonists who have triumphed in prominent competitions this summer. Read on for their personal stories of how it happened and what the future promises.

Peter Moore, Winner, BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008 Peter Moore’s televised performance in the BBC Young Musician of the Year had a big impact on the judges as well as audiences across the country. Despite being 12 years old, his maturity in musicianship shone through during the competition, and Peter Moore scooped the prize that no British trombonist has won since Michael Hext, thirty years ago.

Since the television exposure, there has

been plenty of praise for Peter, such as BTS Vice-President Brett Baker who said to The Trombonist: “I would say Peter is one of the most pleasant, dedicated, talented and gifted players I have ever met.”

Peter has been playing in a fun and productive environment since the early days – most of his family have been playing in brass bands together. His father Grenville has also been a member of the Ulster Orchestra horn section, and Peter has gained awareness of professional life and talks with a maturity beyond his years. “I’m

very privileged to be here. My family have been really supportive throughout and I wouldn’t have been here without them.”

Not interested in being paraded around as a wunderkind, Peter has his feet firmly on the ground, letting it all happen organically. “I want to play in lots of different concerts, in different places, a real variety.

That’s fun. I’d love to be a soloist, but if you’re going to make it, you have to do a bit of everything, don’t you?”

Peter plays a lunchtime recital at the Wigmore Hall on 14 October – see diary p4.

Hari Eustice, Winner, Trinity College of Music Solo Prize 2008 Interviewed by Mike Hext MH Congratulations on winning Trinity College’s top award. And it’s always nice to see a trombonist getting the upper hand!

How did it feel? Were you surprised or did you think you were in with a chance?

HE Despite avoiding listening to the other performers, I had heard that they were extremely good, and I knew I’d have my work cut out to win.

I had worked really hard over the course of the competition and I went in with the attitude that as long as I played well, I’d be happy. When the adjudicators announced the result, it definitely took a few minutes to sink in.

MH Tell me, which instruments you were competing against? Were they what we would regard as ‘solo’ instruments? Violins or pianos for example?

HE You guessed it! A violinist and a pianist.

MH Have you entered many competitions before?

HE I have only entered one competition in the past, a long time ago when I was about thirteen. I think it was called the Sunbury Arts Young Musician of the year.

MH Do you find there is a big difference between performing in a competition and performing say in a recital?

HE Not particularly, I tried not to think of it as a competition, I just did my best to entertain and perform for the audience. I know there are some competitions where you just play to a panel of judges, which I’m sure must be a lot more difficult, and yes,

16 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

very different to performing in a recital.

MH Do you think competitions are a good thing generally?

HE I have two views on this really, I would say that the result in a competition is highly dependant on the personal preference of the judges, and a lot of people feel that competitions aren’t really a fair way of comparing people.

However on a more personal note, I have never practiced so much until this year, and I feel my playing has significantly improved thanks to the work I’ve done for this competition.

HE Do you feel any extra pressure at college now that you have won the competition or are you revelling in the celebrity status?!

HE In the first week or so lots of people at Trinity were congratulating me which was nice, but we’ve all been working hard for end of year exams and finals so it’s all back to normal now. I felt a fair amount of pressure at the Trinity Prize Winners Concert at Blackheath Halls. I was representing Trinity, and the audience were expecting a good show, but I think probably less pressure than the competition itself.

MH Do you have any advice to anybody who is thinking of entering a competition?

HE If you decide to do it, I think you should really give it your best shot. It might mean upping the workload a bit, but it will pay off.

I think it is so important to have something to work towards, rather than just sitting in a practice room for the sake of it. Also, don’t be scared of trying: people will respect you a lot more for entering a competition and not doing particularly well, than just not bothering at all. I really surprised myself with this competition, and it has paid dividends with my playing.

Robbie Harvey, Winner, BTS Don Lusher Prize 2008 & ITA Carl Fontana Prize 2008 Robbie describes how there was plenty of music going on in his school days in Jersey.

But whichever style it was, it was usually the same people involved! He really got started with jazz when he was 15, when he travelled to London for a week to attend a Jamey Aebersold course. Because he was interested in playing all styles, Robbie went to the Royal Academy of Music on the classical trombone course.

“My teacher at the Royal Academy was Denis Wick, who was brilliant at helping me improve on the basics of playing.

I found myself playing in jazz groups all the time, busy with NYJO etc, and Denis was really understanding when half way through my first year I told him I wanted to change course. The deadline had passed at the RAM so he smoothed the way for me to transfer to jazz at Guildhall, starting in the 2nd year.” Robbie is now entering his 4th year, receiving lessons with Malcolm Earl Smith, visits from Jiggs Wigham, and even the occasional lessons on orchestral excerpts with Eric Crees!

Robbie looks up most to Mark Nightingale not just for his playing, but also in the way he has such variety in his career, covering solo, pop, film sessions, big bands etc.

Winning the Don Lusher and Carl Fontana prizes this summer seems to have helped get noticed professionally: “Only yesterday I was doing a big band gig in a section led by Mark Nightingale.

The trombones had heard about the win, so when Andy Wood couldn’t make it, Mark ask me to dep for him, which was amazing. I’m currently also really excited that Mick Rath has asked me to become a Rath Artist and I’ve been picked as finalist by the Worshipful Company of Musicians for their Jazz Medal competition at Pizza on the Park!”

Support Robbie, 28th Sept – see p4.

The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 | 17

FEATURES

FEATURES The consequences of the revolution led to the band being out of the prizes at the area contest that year. However, no one could have foreseen the sequel to this.

James Watson dismissed two players, and on the same evening six more walked out in protest. Massive changes in the personnel followed as within a month more than half the band walked out. It even ended up with an engagement having to be cancelled due to lack of players. However, the issues were soon resolved and within a week eight new players had been enlisted.

Almost caught in the cross-fire On the 18th April 1992 we departed for a ten day visit to Sierra Leone in West Africa, funded by the British Council. Since January an appeal for old instruments had been made, and the result of the appeal meant that about 100 of these, along with a large amount of band music, were shipped out

of my face to collapse just days after the Europeans and my doctor informed me I had Bell’s Palsy meaning that the chance of my face returning back to normal, or even the muscles being strong enough to play again, looked doubtful. Fortunately for me I went to a private clinic and they managed to sort out my problem and I was back playing within six weeks.

In September we tasted our first victory with James at the helm when we won the British Open. This was a remarkable achievement for a band that had faced such an upheaval, but then to go on to the 1992 British Open Championships and win was nothing but miraculous.

As the band had not qualified to participate in the National Finals we were alternatively engaged to perform with Enfield Citadel Band of the Salvation Army for a concert in Regent Hall.

In 1993 Roger Webster left the band. He

to Sierra Leone as part of the project. Eight concerts were given during this tour, but owing to the political situation the band was forced to make a hasty getaway and cut the trip short. The band has played to some pretty rough audiences over the years but when machine guns and mortar started going off we realised it was time to get out.

The pictures published in the Mail on Sunday supplement however failed to capture the dangerous position the band members were placed in, and at the time my naivety regarding the civil war situation meant that I was oblivious to the majority of what was actually happening around us.

Within days of our return from Sierra Leone the band was defending the European title in Cardiff. We took 2nd prize and also performed in the evening Gala concert in St David’s Hall.

On returning from Africa I picked up an ear infection which caused all my right side

had been employed by Black Dyke Mills in the sales department but had recently become unemployed.

His successor was Ian Porthouse, but a mere 18 months after his appointment he was replaced by Matt Baker.

The big event for the band in 1993 was a visit to New York to give a concert in the world-renowned Carnegie Hall. Philip Smith, principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was the guest soloist, and whilst in New York we also gave a masterclass and concert at the famous Juilliard School of Music.

The trip was not without its difficulties, however. These started with the problems of getting our visas through in time.

We even had to ask former Prime Minister Edward Heath for his help and support. Another was that they wanted us to change the name of the band, as our name in America a ‘dike’ being lesbian and ‘black’

A musical journey – my time at Black Dyke Chris Jeans has played for some of the finest bands: Stanshawe (Bristol), Rigid Containers, Grimethorpe Colliery, Ransome, YBS and Desford Colliery, but some of his most memorable playing experiences occurred in Queensbury.

18 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

I

t was November 1991 when I received a phone call from Roger Webster asking me if I would be interested in the Principal Trombone position at the Black Dyke Mills Band. At the time I was a member of the Rigid Containers Band, formerly the GUS Band. I was to replace Norman Law who had been the band’s solo trombonist for six years and had resigned in order to pursue a conducting career. For me this was a very exciting proposition, as even as a boy I used to dream of playing for Black Dyke, and never thought that one day I would be a member of the band.

At the time I lived in Leicestershire so it involved a round trip of 246 miles from home to Queensbury for rehearsals.

The band was conducted by David King at the time I arrived, but he was soon to be replaced by trumpet legend James Watson. James was Principal Trumpet of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

in London at the time, and I had worked with him before during my spell at Desford. During this period at Desford Jim had led the band to four National Champion Band of Great Britain titles and so I was confident that once again we would enjoy many successes and victories. The news of David King’s departure seemed to have been totally unexpected within the band, not least by David King himself, and no specific reason for the dismissal was ever made public, but the general perception was that the band was not winning enough major titles.

During this time of unrest, there were resignations, making continuity difficult and having an unsettling effect on the band as a whole. John Foster Black Dyke Mills Band had survived a number of turbulent periods in its history but had probably never faced the kind of revolution which occurred in 1992.

being racist was not considered to be politically correct. The band however insisted upon the correct band’s name being used in publicity.

All time peak Many good contest results were to follow, with second prizes at the British Open in 1993 and 1994, and between 1993 & 1995 the band produced nine new CDs. The band then went through the trauma of losing the support of John Foster & Son Ltd which, along with the rest of the textile industry, fell upon hard times at the end of 1993.

In May 1994 it was announced that though Foster’s would continue to provide rehearsal facilities, the band’s main sponsor was to be Bradford & Bingley Building Society.

We won the title of Champion Band of Great Britain in 1994.

In 1994 we also performed at the Royal College of Music on Friday, the Albert Hall on Saturday and on the Sunday we played at the Barbican with the LSO Brass.

1994 was also the first year the band was involved in the Canford Summer School.

A trip to Switzerland proved to be fantastic experience and to make many new friends.

Important changes were now secured in the management structure of the band bringing a newfound stability leading into 1995 which was the most successful period during my tenure, and certainly good for the trophy cabinet of the band.

Firstly there was the win in the European Championships and then the victory at the British Open leading through to another National Champion Band of Great Britain title, completing the band’s Grand Slam for that year.

As all good things though, they have to come to an end, and at this point where I felt that as a band we had achieved every accolade possible I decided that it was my time to leave. The Grand Slam had fulfilled my last ambition as a player, and due to a change in personal circumstances I now wanted to spend more time at home, which was not going to be possible with the commitments that this successful band undertake. With a heavy heart, I took with me many fond memories and pride that I had been part of this wonderful institution for four years. We accompanied some great soloists, such as the percussion virtuoso Evelyn Glennie and opera star Lesley Garrett, and the venues we performed in were impressive, but the most magical feeling is encountered in the bandroom. There was always the feeling that you were not on your own during rehearsals (and I am not just referring to the Pondashers), and the appreciation that just being part of the band is a small contribution to the history of the phenomenon that is ‘the Black Dyke Band’ – long may it continue!

The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 | 19

FEATURES

FEATURES

Sheila Tracy gives a personal take on this year’s International Trombone Festival 2008

Salt Lake City T

he location of this year’s ITF, the University of Utah turned out to be a big surprise. No ordinary campus this, but situated on a former military fort established in 1862 originally known as Camp Douglas. In 1878 it became Fort Douglas and served as a mobilization and training camp in both World Wars.

The red brick houses with white paint are a joy to behold as are the newer University buildings, all designed to blend in with the originals. The Libby Gardner Concert Hall at the Music School, is truly magnificent and it was here that I heard Utah Premiere Brass with featured soloist, our own Brett Baker. Described as a British type brass band, they were not in the same league as Black Dyke, but nevertheless Brett gave a performance that can only be described as breathtaking. He included a couple of Arthur Pryor numbers and I swear a number of mouths in the audience were open in amazement when he launched into Fantastic Polka.

Several players urged me to catch 29 year-old Marshall Gilkes from New York, a graduate of the Juilliard School and currently a member of Maria Schneider’s Orchestra and David Berger’s Sultans of Swing. One comment was ‘he is miraculous, you’ve never heard anything like it’. Quite correct, I’d never heard anything like it and have no great desire to hear anything like it again, although I was destined to do so before I left the ITF. Backed by an excellent trio who sat silent for the first ten minutes of the recital, we were treated to a display of technique that was quite unbelievable.

Here was complete mastery of the instrument from the very top

20 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

of the range to the very bottom, but, and it’s a very big ‘but’, what on earth had it to do with music? It was as if he was saying to the audience, “I can play high, I can play low. I can play any number of notes in the fastest possible time”. Agreed, but does it make good listening?

How great a contrast in the same concert hall later that day when Hollywood studio legend Dick Nash enthralled everyone with that glorious tone, heard on the sound tracks of so many Hollywood movies. This was the sound that surely the trombone was designed to produce. He may have retired from the studios but is playing as well as ever at the age of 80. He reminisced between a familiar selection of standards leading to a well deserved standing ovation which certainly inspired every player there including our own Robbie Harvey, who having won the Don Lusher Trombone Soloist Prize a few weeks before the ITF, had on the very first day here, carried off the Carl Fontana Prize!

All miked up I only managed to catch one of the various trombone ensembles: The Capitol Bones from Washington DC, led by Matt Niess, lead trombone with the US Army Blues Jazz Ensemble. An original composition is not the ideal opening for a recital but from then on it was mostly standards, with at one point the three tenor trombones softly backing the two soloing bass trombones – very effective. I am not sure that five microphones were necessary as players of that calibre don’t need amplification, unless they happen to be Bill Watrous!

Never having had the slightest idea of how to set about improvising, I found Andy Martin’s clinic “Building Ideas for Improvising” the clearest explanation yet. I first met Andy in 1999 when, over here for Vic Lewis’ 80th birthday celebrations, I interviewed him for the BTS. It was Vic who first drew our attention to the ‘whiz kid’ from L.A. and since then I’ve heard him playing a number of times on the West Coast, where he is currently one of the most sought-after studio musicians. Andy was also one of three soloists on the Friday evening concert appearing with the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra.

First to take the stage was Marshall Gilkes and true to form, the orchestra was tacet for a long solo opening to a well known ‘oldie’, “For Me and My Girl” which was then filled with more notes than seemed humanly possible. Andy Martin was the second guest soloist treating us to the arranging delights of Tom Kubis and Bill Holman. Andy’s jazz is not only inventive but also accessible and he was the highlight of the concert, taking us up to the interval when Dick Nash was presented with the very first ITA Lifetime Achievement Award. He also carried off the ITA Award for 2008, which was won by Don Lusher in 2006.

And so to the second half and the final guest, the highly acclaimed Robin Eubanks, founder member of the Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band. The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra remained silent while we were treated to a ten-minute technical display of pure self indulgence on the part of the soloist before he unleashed an accompaniment of weird electronic sounds, by which time the orchestra had joined in. This continued for the best part of twenty minutes. There was time for one more original composition but at that point, along with several other members of the audience, I quietly upped and left!

I have covered but a fraction of the feast of trombone playing on offer over a remarkable four days. Only one complaint… it’s well nigh impossible to buy a beer in Salt Lake City!

Darren Kramer

Salt Lake City

Buddy Baker

Capitol Bones

Ko-ichiro Yamamoto

Faroe Isles proved fertile musical ground for new RSNO principal trombonist 22 year-old trombonist Dávur Juul Magnussen has only just finished his second year at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and has been appointed Principal Trombone of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He has also been applauded by the Glasgow Herald critic, who described his recent solo performance of David Bedford’s Canzona accompanied by the Academy Brass as “simply brilliant. He demonstrated his beautiful tone throughout the entire range of the instrument”. The Trombonist asked him to talk about his journey to Scotland.

I was born in the Faroe Islands where there is a relatively big brass band environment, and took up the trombone aged 12. But to give students like me a taste of the life outside this small and isolated society, the Faroese Public Music School makes a point of sending students away from the islands, like courses and competitions in Scandinavia. When I was 16 I won the Berlingske Gold Medal and Talent Prize and played the David concerto with the Danish Radio Orchestra in another competition final. All these experiences showed me that it was

possible to make a living from playing the trombone, and I decided to give it a go.

I did as much freelancing as there was on the islands, such as playing in horn sections for visiting bands, and studio sessions. I’m really excited to be on some of the best selling Faroese albums, including some by hit band Lawetz.

I started studying here in Glasgow almost two years ago, and am really enjoying it. It’s a relatively small school, but that means that everyone knows each other, and we help each other out a lot. That, combined with the generally friendly and welcoming nature of the Scots, makes it an easy place

to feel at home and thrive.

Our Head of Department, Bryan Allen, is also very good, and is always ready to help out the individual, so that they get as much as possible out of the course.

Glasgow has a vibrant music scene for every taste, and therefore it is easy to do some playing outside the college as well.

These gigs have been a very valuable source of experience and it also helps with the rent. I have been doing everything from orchestral concerts, through big bands, school concerts and the odd solo recital.

The trial period with the RSNO was my biggest test so far, and I’m very happy to have completed it succesfully – I couldn’t have dreamt it better. This band has got a special aura about it that I like very much, and I’m now looking forward to repay all the trust that they have put in me.

But this is not my final destination.

That means that I am not going to call it enough now. The professional and financial security that the job provides frees me up to try out ideas that I have had in my head for a long time. It will be a journey.

The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 | 21

FEATURES

FEATURES

London amateurs with high standards BTS treasurer and executive committee member David Carnac explores the thriving amateur orchestral trombonist scene in London and talks to some of those involved.

U

ntil recently, I’d abstained from trombone matters for nearly 20 years. In that time I didn’t play at all, mainly because, after having the privilege of playing professionally many years ago, I believed I’d be very frustrated by the standard of any amateur orchestra. Throughout this period, primarily due to my constant involvement with the music business due to my business activities, I would periodically be told how well this-or-that amateur orchestra sounded by a client in order to encourage me to get my trombone out. For many years though, these words of praise fell on stony ground.

However, after eventually realising the trombone playing candle had never quite gone out, I found myself booked to play with Alan Hazeldine’s excellent Corinthian Chamber Orchestra and with very little idea of what to expect, a couple of minutes into the first rehearsal, my previously held opinion that most amateur bands would be at best, the standard of a reasonable county youth orchestra, had been blown into pieces. Here I was playing in a band that was at least as good as a fair number of the scratch bands I’d worked with in the 1980’s. Although it’s fair to say that I had been very fortunate with the orchestra I’d managed to get booked for, after my initial high from performing at a standard I thought I would never have experienced again, I was left really annoyed and frustrated by the many musical experiences I would have missed due to my previously, and rather arrogantly, held misconceptions.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve gotten to know the amateur music scene really quite well and have had the real privilege to have met, worked with and made friends with a significant number of the London based amateur trombonists playing with the likes of Kensington Symphony, Forest Philharmonic, Corinthian Chamber and Ernest Reed Orchestras. To get an understanding of the standard of these orchestras can perform at, over the last couple

Forest Philharmonic trombones (l-r) Mark Horton, Nasser Pervez, Ben Bouzan 22 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

of seasons, between them they have given real justice to, not just a good attempt, at such orchestral showcases as Shostokovich’s 4th, Strauss’s Alpine and Mahler’s 3rd Symphonies to name but a few.

Forest’s trombone section for that Mahler 3, led by Mark Horton, being described by Craig Brown in “The Wayfarer” as “glorious, dark, fulsome and superbly accurate”. Mark, as you might expect, is one of the cream of London’s amateur players and is quite typical of the genre: busy during the day with his day job inevitably just making it to rehearsals on time and having, very importantly, perfected the art of playing without any warm up!

Mark studied at the RCM with John Iveson and is now a successful peripatetic, and sort-after private teacher who is also very much in demand as a player.

Another really highly regarded player is Phil Cambridge, Kensington Symphony Orchestra’s principal trombonist of 12 years.

Unlike some however, Phil didn’t do the music college thing, choosing to study Physics and Electrical Engineering at Imperial College, London, and now works in telecommunications and speech recognition.

“Not feeling obligated to do a gig, whether paid or not, is one of the real benefits of having the day job,” says Phil, a theme continue by Mark: “I’ll consider a gig on the basis of what’s in it for me and often it’s the musical experience that will be more important than just picking up a cheque”.

Cross-over groups Indeed it’s very fair to say that the whole concept of being either a pro or an amateur musician is so much more blurred now compared to my professional days in the 80’s. A good example of how the two groups combine is South-East based, large trombone ensemble Trombonanza, in which pro players join trombonists from the amateur and military worlds to perform and record some of the most challenging four to sixteen piece repertoire.

Over a pint after a rehearsal, I asked the LPO’s David Whitehouse for his thoughts on the whole amateur / pro trombonist thing: “Tonight’s rehearsal really shows how professional and amateur trombone players mix so well. The use of the terms ‘amateur’ or ‘professional’ has nothing to do with standard of playing, and is merely a reflection on how people have chosen to make a living. In Trombonanza, there is a great deal of respect amongst the members – all the parts get equally shared around in the interests of both fairness and tired lips, and the ensemble also gels well both on and off the platform.”

Trombonanza’s founder, Edward Solomon is another leading amateur player, bass trombonist with amongst others, ERSO and Hatfield Philharmonic. Like Phil Cambridge, Ed never gave playing professionally a serious thought: “The insecurity of freelancing meant that as a career it was never a viable option. I also realised that my passion for playing

Kensington SO trombone (l-r) David Musgrove, Jeff Miller, David Carnac, Phil Cambridge

would inevitably be reduced if it became the vehicle to paying the mortgage” So, what does the standard of trombone playing bring to the amateur music scene then? During a rehearsal break, I asked this question to Kensington Symphony Orchestra’s Musical Director Russell Keable: “For an orchestra like KSO, having a strong trombone section is vital. Fortunately for us, Phil and his section are not only committed to the orchestra but also play to the very highest standard which is absolutely vital as we programme so much large 19th and 20th century repertoire with Bruckner, Mahler and Richard Strauss at it’s centre. Having a trombone section that is game for, and capable of rising to the challenge, is crucial to our ongoing success”.

Obviously the standard of an orchestral performance isn’t just confined to that of the trombone section. Recently, whilst cover-

push ourselves to achieve higher and higher standards, ultimately we all have to find our own level and it’s wonderful that London’s music scene can cater for musicians of all standards.

Lets face it, if you go to see the likes of the leading London professional orchestras, with the absolute wealth of world class talent fighting to make a living out there, you are assured of a magnificent evening’s listening, both from the trombone section and the orchestra as a whole. Just how many cities in the world can boast the number of professional orchestras, opera companies and other playing work such as the West End shows, choral societies and studio work that our capital has going on?

Of course, from the professional player’s perspective, the complication is that a large number of conservatoire graduates each year try to join the profession. Not surprisingly then, the amateur scene has increasingly become a place that aspiring professional players can gain valuable hands-on experience. As someone who fixes a few trombone sections, I’m regularly emailed by students and trombonists fresh out of college looking for deputy playing and despite the number of really good amateur players on the amateur circuit, often they do get asked, which whilst broadening their performing experience, also develops the underestimated skills for marketing themselves for professional work.

Nowadays, even in the amateur bands, when you get an opportunity, you have to do a great job or there is always someone else waiting in the wings to take your place. That in essence, maybe the biggest difference in the amateur scene between now and a generation ago: that the amateur music has become, over the past years, very “professional” in its attitude and quest for the highest possible standards.

One thing is for sure though, the combination of the magnificent standard of British trombone playing and the superb standard of London’s best amateur orchestras can only add to this wonderful, but maybe not so obvious, addition to the wonderful musical culture of our capital city.

“the musical experience is more important than just picking up a cheque” ing a Forest Philharmonic concert for Mark Horton, I had the real pleasure of sitting back during a few bars rest in a performance of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and enjoying some absolutely superb wind solos and of course relishing in the brass section’s “best friend” – a full symphonic string section that can produce sufficient texture to accommodate and complement a decent brass section in full throw. Added to some outstanding recent performances with the Kensington Symphony and Corinthian Chamber Orchestras and I have some musical memories that will remain with me for many years to come.

Sharing experience Quite justifiably, Forest Phil’s Artistic Director Mark Shanahan is very proud of his whole orchestra. Talking specifically about the brass section he reminisced: “We have had players who have trained at the leading music colleges, most of whom choose a different career path. For me, what unifies them all is a deep desire to play a wide range of orchestral pieces to a very high standard, giving our orchestra a wonderful approach, where player’s skills and experiences are shared.”

Of course, it goes without saying that the scene, in London, isn’t just limited to a couple of orchestras, A quick “Google” for amateur orchestras in London produces a staggering number of ensembles, catering for players of all standards so that players of all abilities can enjoy making music at all levels – quite rightly, for many of London’s amateur players, trombonists or not, it’s not about playing at the very highest level, it’s about finding a level that one is happy to play at and also providing a fantastic social scene and a life enriching pastime. Although many of us will continually The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 | 23

REVIEWS

REVIEWS

SERVING SUGGESTION CHRIS LOWE jazzcds.co.uk Serving Suggestion is a most welcome addition to the all-to-few real jazz trombone albums around at the moment. UK trombonist Chris Lowe, has been involved on the London jazz scene for a number of years now, playing a mix of early styles and free music. In 2002 he put together this quintet which he describes as “free-bop avant-garde inspired by Grachan Moncur III”. The group has developed considerably since their first album Changing Direction.

Chris has really created a band sound with his stalwart team of Brian Edwards (tenor), Jim Hart (vibes), Larry Bartley (bass) and Nick Smalley (drums).

The new album contains five Lowe originals, fresh and forward looking yet firmly connected to the jazz tradition: hints of Monk and Ellington and at times the Dave Holland Quintet, check out One More Thing! with a great drum workout from Smalley leading into a Hollandesque angular riff. I particularly liked the lively opener Run, Don’t Walk with some excellent solos round the band (in my opinion another uptempo track like this might have sat well on the album). The final track Bring Out The Bandwiches! is imaginatively arranged and has an especially outstanding solo from Bartley showing what a highly articulate player he is.

Other delights include a lovely Brazilian piece Ponti Io featuring some wonderful free-flowing blowing from Lowe and Edwards. There are also a couple of imaginative re-workings: Coleman Hawkins’ Queer Notions (tremendous vibes solo from Hart plus some full-bodied tenor from Edwards) and the Ellington classic Mood Indigo particularly notable for Lowe’s magnificent plunger mute playing (it has

always seemed a great shame to me that the venerable tradition of plunger trombone has rather demised in contemporary jazz – although for further listening, check out Malcolm Earle Smith’s Vox City 5 Things Are Looking Up and also Paul Taylor’s Trombone Poetry).

Mark Bassey THE NON-CLASSIC BASS TROMBONE ELIEZER AHARONI Eliezer Aharoni will be well known to most bass trombonists for his iconic publication New Method for the Modern Bass Trombone.

This book has been part of my practice routines and teaching methods for around 25 years now, so I am delighted to be able to introduce you his latest book The Non-Classic Bass Trombone.

The Non-Classic Bass Trombone is a book about just that!

It explores the bass trombone’s role in genres other than the symphonic field, ie.

Jazz, Rock, Latin and Popular music, and is an ideal source of reference for players that wish to develop their skills in these areas.

There are so many things covered in this book that it would be impossible to mention them all here, but I will do my best to

give you a real idea of the scope of material included.

The Non-Classic Bass Trombone starts with a fascinating section that describes the history of the bass trombone in the “light” side of the music business including who the players were and the development of the instrument itself.

Mr Aharoni then discusses and lists players that are leaders in this field today and the instruments and valve combinations that are available and suitable, plus there is a very useful section detailing the different mutes that are used in light music, with photographs.

If you want to learn how to construct a walking bass line, how to use different styles from Funk-Bop to Soul, characteristic phrases to use in your solos and the effective use of ornaments in jazz then this book is for you. There are many examples, studies and pieces for you to study and practice, which are fantastic to help develop your playing in the different styles you will need to master. Many of these you can play along with the two CDs that come with the book.

These CDs also have very helpful demos

by Micha Davies, current bass trombonist of the Israeli Philharmonic.

Also included in the book are duets and a very useful bibliography and discography. With many great pieces and recordings listed, this could save you hours when looking for your next solo piece, or just something good to listen to.

The Non-Classic Bass Trombone offers you a wealth of knowledge and practice material to help you develop your skills for performing in the world of jazz and pop.

In my opinion this book is an excellent addition to bass trombone literature and all serious students of the instrument and performers should include it in their library.

Adrian Morris

would be best as a teaching aid and the original works will be a challenge for even the most competent student. A nice selection of pieces – something for every occasion!

George Bartle & Amy Wetmore

Fugue Onyx Brass Chandos CHAN10462 The Well-tempered Clavier may well have been composed for Bach’s family and students for tutoring them in keyboard playing and composition, but they turn out to be masterworks for public performance too. Here Onyx Brass have paired a selection of the fugues with Shostakovich’s series of fugues inspired by the Bach.

The thought of 20 fugues in arrangement for brass did not immediately appeal, but the quality of the music really shines through. It is a rare delight to have an A-list composer on a brass disc! Onyx provide a convincing argument for playing this repertoire, and they have usefully published their Bach arrangements.

This ensemble has uniquely focussed almost entirely on contemporary music for ten years, working closely with many composers, and you can hear it in how they play: Onyx present music clearly, brightly, letting the music speak for itself. They put the genius of the composition centre-stage, structuring the overall shape of each piece very elegantly and giving transparency to the important lines when the texture starts to thicken. On repeated listenings though I started to wish for more shape and variety of articulation in each line.

Overall this recording is very high quality music, superbly played and really refreshing and enjoyable to listen to.

David Read A Trombone Journey: 15 Concert Pieces for 2 Travelling Trombones Jan Reinelt Uetz Music BU 2307, €12 This is a tuneful selection of short original works for two tenor trombones, each one

The Tuba Family Clifford Bevan www.piccolopress.info £35

inspired by a different part of the world or period in time. These range from a Gladiatorial Fanfare to a swing piece entitled The Secret; Where is Mr. Bond?. They are generally well written and are light-hearted and jazzy in style. All in bass clef, they are well suited as student and teacher duets for about ABRSM Grade 6 standard and above, or just some fun sight-reading.

George Bartle & Amy Wetmore Characteristic Duets: for two trombones Richard Roblee Uetz Music BU 2301, €12 Another book of 15 duets for tenor trombones, but this time alternating between arrangements and original compositions.

On the whole, the compositions work more successfully than the arrangements, which seem a little plain. The difficulty level ranges between Grade 6 and Grade 8 ABRSM, as the range of the notes and also number of tricky keys that are used could cause problems for the younger player. The arrangements

I know that some BTS members will be concerned at space being given to a review of a book about the tuba in our magazine. To them: my apologies.

If, however, like me, you are interested in the wonderful beast that is invariably at the root of our sections, this book is a must.

I have to say straight away that I am briefly mentioned in it in my guise as an ophicleide player but, against that, I am doing this review from my own copy bought with my own money!

The Tuba Family has to be the ultimate reference book regarding the tuba and all its manifestations. Consisting of 16 chapters and 3 appendices occupying over 600 pages, it covers the contemporary tuba and the historical development of instruments from Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe, France, America, Britain and Italy.

There are chapters covering valved buglehorns, serpents, bass horns, keyed bugles, ophicleides, the tenor tuba/euphonium, saxhorns, helicons, the sudrephone, the cimbasso and “other exotica”. All have been painstakingly researched in great detail and are clearly and logically explained, invariably with charm and humour.

If your interest is stimulated by this book, and I really believe that it will be, the museums and collections that house many of the instruments featured are listed and, as an added bonus, they all have trombones as well!

Tom Winthorpe

UK Thein enquiries: www.mrtuba.com mark@mrtuba.com Tel – 01633 871506

24 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

The Trombonist | Autumn 2008 | 25

REVIEWS

SURPRISE LONDON BRASS LB-CD-002 I was very happy to review this CD, as I had already listened to it extensively. For me it sums up the incredible versatility and excitement that can be achieved within a brass chamber group, and of course the enjoyment from being part of it. The exuberance is transmitted to the listener from the very first note, and certainly kept me interested for the whole performance.

There are rhythm players on some of the pieces, but the group really doesn’t need it, as they have such a fantastic communal sense of rhythm. The other fortunate thing for London Brass is that they have great arrangers and composers in their MORCEAU SYMPHONIQUE OP. 88 FOR BASS TROMBONE AND PIANO GUILMANT ED. GÖSS MUSIKVERLAG UETZ MUSIC, BU 1318, €10 While the repertoire of quality, original, music for bass trombone is ever increasing, we will always lack much composed before the middle of the 20th century, so for many years transposed editions of major works for tenor trombone have been made: the David Concertino and Defaye Deux Danses to name but two.

This edition of Guilmant’s Morceau Symphonique for bass trombone is not a first – Edition Marc Reift has published one for some years – but Uetz has produced the definitive version due mainly to the clarity of the layout. Uetz are rightly proud of the typesetting which they use in their publications, and so I would also recommend seeking out their original tenor trombone version as it is visually far superior to the other rather cluttered editions on the market.

Not much needs to be said about a work known to virtually every trombone player, except to say that the transposition down by a 4th makes the opening Adagio, whilst still in a very flat minor key, sound strangely bright in comparison to the original. The 26 | Autumn 2008 | The Trombonist

midst who write with specific players in mind. I should make particular mention of Richard Bissill, who arranged an impressive four out of the seven pieces, and made full use of the virtuosic players and tone colours available to him.

A new commission, Surprise Variations, comes from the pen of Paul Hart, with a good sense of humour and some fun poked at orchestral excerpts. He makes well-informed use of the ‘effects’ available to him, mouthpiece buzzing and trombone glissandi amongst them, but it is done with such style you can’t help but smile!

How they managed to get all of those incredible players in one place to record is in itself an achievement, but to create a recording of such quality is testament to a lot of hard work from the musicians and production team.

On the face of it, this disc appears to consist of a lot of music of the same style, but it still manages to hold the listener’s attention; there are some beautiful quiet moments amongst the razamatazz. This recording is truly inspiring for any brass player or enthusiast looking for some uplifting and classy playing to enjoy. I will continue to play it to students to show how effective it can be to change your sound to suit different musical styles, and of course how enjoyable and rewarding brass chamber music is!

Katy Jones piece challenges the bass trombonist in the same way as the tenor, requiring good control of articulation, slide technique and dynamics, particularly the piano pedal-F at the end of the cadenza. As such this edition is a great addition to the bass trombone repertoire.

Alastair Warren

British Trombone Society

www.britishtrombonesociety.org Executive Board

S. E. Shires CUSTOM TROMBONES

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 Treasurer David Carnac treasurer@britishtrombonesociety.org Education Liaison Stewart Drummond education@britishtrombonesociety.org

Staff Membership Manager Derrick Parker 020 8144 6575 membership@britishtrombonesociety.org Webmaster Edward Solomon webmaster@britishtrombonesociety.org Associate Webmaster Mike Saville webmaster2@britishtrombonesociety.org

The Trombonist Editor David Read 07812 080933 Flat 31, Langdon House, Leather Lane, London, EC1N 7TN Advertising Matt Parry 07779 016164 advertising@britishtrombonesociety.org Designer Rebecca Caro The Trombonist is published in January, 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.

S. E. Shires trombones can be found exclusively at

Regional Representatives Scotland Chris Stearn 01360 860220 scotland@britishtrombonesociety.org Wales Mark Eager 07850 374018 wales@britishtrombonesociety.org North & Midlands Co-ordinator Andrew Berryman northmidlands@britishtrombonesociety.org North East & Yorkshire John Ingman 07947 134777 northeast@britishtrombonesociety.org North West Gareth Westwood 07756 105524 northwest@britishtrombonesociety.org Midlands vacant Northern Ireland Stephen Cairns 02892 602646 northernireland@britishtrombonesociety.org Central South Phil Tarrant 01491 832109 centralsouth@britishtrombonesociety.org South Paul Coker 01428 609741 south@britishtrombonesociety.org South West Tony Evans 01752 263069 southwest@britishtrombonesociety.org East Anglia Ben Bouzan 07970 502509 eastanglia@britishtrombonesociety.org Brass Band Nick Hudson 01643 709250 brassband@britishtrombonesociety.org Jazz Jeremy Price jazz@britishtrombonesociety.org Young People Tony Boardman youngrep@britishtrombonesociety.org

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