THE NEWS

BY BARNEY MEDLAND

More Success for Alex Paxton

In February Alex Paxton received one of three Composers Prizes awarded by the renowned Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. The Foundation said the composer and improvising trombonist manages to marry the best of three worlds: classical music, jazz and pop. ‘Alex transfers his playful desire to improvise into his compositions and writes refined, passionate music full of pulsating energy and stylistic diversity’. Last December Alex received the Hindemith Prize, given in commemoration of the musical pedagogy of Paul Hindemith to promote outstanding contemporary composers. The award includes a commission from the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

Trombone Spotlight at Black Dyke Festival

On Sunday, 4 June, the Black Dyke Festival, to be held at Huddersfield Town Hall, will feature a Trombone Spotlight. Led by the band’s trombone section, Dr Brett Baker, Gary Reed, Adam Warburton and Adam Reed, the Spotlight will include lessons, workshops and ensemble playing. Players of grade 5+ standard can register to take part by emailing brett.trombone@googlemail.com, cost £10.

Kris Garfitt Releases Debut Album

Thursday, 25 May will see Kris Garfitt officially launch his debut album, Kaleidoscope, at the Royal Over-Seas League, London, returning to the venue where he won the 2019 ROSL Music Competition. The recording features ‘the many voices that composers have given to the trombone as a solo instrument in a programme of music ranging from George Frideric Handel to Ernst Krĕnek.’ A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Kris is Solo Trombone with the WDR Symphony Orchestra and a multiple international competition winner, most recently taking first prize in the 2022 International ARD Music Competition in Munich. Advance copies of Kaleidoscope can be ordered here.

New Member Benefits

The BTS is pleased to announce Voigt Brass as a new addition to our Member Benefits, offering members a 15% discount on instrument repairs and servicing.

Bobby Lamb Concerto Reconstructed

In April, Mick Marshall, second trombone with the RTE Concert Orchestra, Dublin, will record Bobby Lamb’s Concerto for Trombone and Violin as part of RTE’s annual New Music Week. This year the focus is on Irish composers of all genres and the recording will be broadcast on Ireland’s National Classical Radio Station “Lyric FM”.

Mick writes, ‘Bobby wrote this concerto, entitled Conversations, many years ago and the RTECO hired Paul Campbell pre-Covid to reconstruct it from Bobby’s original handwritten score. Paul has done an absolutely fantastic job. Conversations is an interesting piece about a lowlife jazz trombonist who meets a pretty, virtuosic Classical violinist.’

Now aged 92, Bobby Lamb will be best known to many as Director of Jazz Studies at Trinity College of Music from 1982 to 2007 but he first moved to London from Ireland in 1952 to work with the bands of Teddy Foster and Jack Parnell. A three-year stint in the U.S. followed playing with Charlie Barnet, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman before Bobby returned to the UK to join the BBC Show Band. Over the following two decades Bobby worked with, amongst many others, Geraldo, the BBC Radio Orchestra, as well as co-leading an orchestra with Ray Premru and frequently touring Europe and the Middle East with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Buddy Rich. Alongside performing, Bobby developed a considerable reputation as a composer and conductor, winning an Ivor Novello Award for his 1970 composition

The Children of Lir.

Award for Joshua Herman

Congratulations to Lance Corporal Joshua Herman, Principal Trombone of The Band of the Prince of Wales, who has been awarded the Band’s Porter Performance Award. The award is based on outstanding and consistent musical performance and recognises LCpl Herman’s musical excellence. When not at his day job LCpl Herman can be found playing second trombone with Tredegar Town Band.

The Saga of the Errant Trombone

We are absolutely delighted to report that our missing trombone has finally been returned! After five long months of wrangling with DPD, a small but dedicated team within the bowels of Trombone Towers, led by BTS Administrator Chris Sowerby, emerged triumphant following what seemed like an endless pursuit of justice and honour against a foe hiding behind countless emails and buck passing.

Rewind to August 2022 and the Yamaha YSL-882 GO trombone recently donated to the BTS Instrument Loan Scheme by Peter Moore, Principal Trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra, was winging its way to an excited young student in need of a quality instrument when … it vanished.

Last seen at the DPD Aldridge Depot on 31st August according to the Parcel Tracker, one would have thought that a trombone was an item not easily overlooked but after several weeks of ‘searching’ DPD returned with a standard reply of ‘whereabouts unknown.’

Then…

The instrument was spotted on the internet being offered for sale in the West Midlands area. At this point it was natural to assume the instrument had been stolen and the police became involved. After a short investigation, it was determined that the instrument had been sent by DPD to an auction house (without the authority to do so), which is how unclaimed ‘lost’ items are dealt with, and it had subsequently been sold. The person who bought the instrument did so in good faith but despite having learned of the trombone’s provenance chose to offer it for sale and profit rather than return it to the auction house.

Several months of impasse followed with DPD stonewalling and legal advice being taken by the BTS before someone within DPD was found who was willing to pick up the baton and assist in the instrument’s recovery. Persistent pressure ultimately paid off and DPD agreed to buy back the instrument. The trombone has been checked over and is now ready and waiting for the opening of the BTS Instrument Loan Scheme on 1 July.

New Principal Bass Trombone at BBC SSO

Alex Kelly has been appointed Principal Bass Trombone with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Alex studied at Chetham’s School of Music with Les Storey, Rob Burtenshaw and Phil Goodwin, before going on to complete undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Bob Hughes and Keith McNicoll, and the Royal College of Music, studying with Dave Stewart and Paul Milner. Prior to his appointment, Alex freelanced with many of the UK's major orchestras.

RPO Appoints Sub Principal Trombone

Rupert Whitehead has been appointed to the position of Sub Principal Trombone (No.4) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra after being an Associate Member since October 2017. Born in Carmarthenshire, Rupert grew up in Llandeilo and moved to London in 2006 to study at the Royal College of Music with Byron Fulcher. He then completed a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music. Since graduating, Rupert has enjoyed a varied freelance career, working with some of the UK's leading orchestras as well as recording for TV and Film, and was recently appointed to the BTS Committee.

And Finally a Well-Earned Rest

All at the BTS would like to offer their best wishes and congratulations to two long serving trombonists on their retirements. Martin Wilson retires after 30 years as Principal Trombone with the Ulster Orchestra, and Mike Crowther leaves the English National Ballet Philharmonic after a truly remarkable 49 years. ◆