South West Trombone Day

BY TOM LEES

Wells in Somerset is known as the UK’s smallest city (by area) and the setting for the film Hot Fuzz, as well as countless period dramas making use of the Gothic cathedral and medieval Vicar’s Close. On 21 January 2023, Wells Cathedral School’s renowned music department hosted 55 trombonists aged between 9 and 81 for a day of warm-ups, ensemble playing, secret lessons, masterclasses and performances, all expertly led by the members of the Bones Apart Trombone Quartet

After refreshments – much-needed by those who had travelled from as far away as Newquay and London

Helen Vollam and Becky Smith led the mass group warm up in the Eavis Hall (named after old Wellensian Michael Eavis, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival). The focus was on making a blended sound and good intonation (‘watch out for 5th position, it’s like the Bermuda Triangle!’). Nicely warmed up, the players went off into three pre-designated groups to work on repertoire for the gala performance at the end of the day. The youngest players went with Jayne Murrill to work on We Will Rock You and Wallace and Grommit, with the emphasis on ensemble skills and having fun! Becky took the middle group who played the Raiders March, and the third group went with Sarah Williams to work on Spanish Gypsy Dance by Pascual Marquina and the Theme from Jurassic Park

While all of this was going on, Helen gave free one-toone lessons to those lucky trombonists who had their names drawn out of the hat in the ‘Lesson Lotto’.

A Young Trombonist writes … By Alex (aged 9)

The BTS event at Wells Cathedral School was over 2 hours away from where I live in London, but it was worth it because the day was fantastic! I made new friends of all ages who shared a love of all things ‘trombone’. Bones Apart were there and they were brilliant and inspiring. I even won a private lesson with Helen from Bones Apart while the other members were busy conducting different groups. Helen is great at playing and teaching and helped me with my Grade 5 piece. At the end, the parents, friends and relatives watched us all in a concert. Bones Apart played wonderful pieces and did unusual things with their trombones to make different sounds, like putting the mouthpiece in the tuning slide and playing through only one outer slide tube. Then the different groups played pieces, some with audience involvement. Finally, the whole lot of us came together to play a couple of fun pieces; it was amazing to play in an ‘orchestra’ of over 50 trombones. A very big thank you to everyone who helped organise the whole event along with Bones Apart. I can’t wait to do it again!

A well-earned lunch break gave everyone a chance to explore historic Wells or visit the John Packer trade stand that was in attendance, to stock up on accessories or try a selection of Bach and Conn instruments and play some high ‘C’s!

After lunch there was a chance to do some listening, as three students from Wells Cathedral School – Theo, George and Morgan – took part in a masterclass coached by the members of the Quartet; they were joined by a young volunteer on the day, Seth.

First up was Seth who played The Parsons Nose by Christopher Mowat. Seth breezed up and played unaccompanied and was just going to sit straight down again before Sarah grabbed him and explained what he had let himself in for! She helped him highlight the contrasts in this characterful little piece. Next was Theo who has started to work on the bass trombone and played Alwyn Green’s arrangement of Bruch’s Kol Nidrei. Sarah was able to help him make a more open sound in the lower register and imitate the sound of a cantor chanting the liturgy in the synagogue. George has just joined the National Youth Brass Band and played Arthur Pryor’s Thoughts of Love. Amongst the dazzling virtuosity, he was helped to find more line and direction in the theme of the piece. Morgan is a new member of the National Youth Orchestra section and gave a stylish performance of Guilmant’s Morceau Symphonique. The quartet suggested some complimentary slide positions and worked with him to find even greater expression.

After the masterclass it was time to assemble the massed ensemble, expertly directed by Jayne. She put us through our paces in arrangements of Bill Conti’s

Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme) – lots of fun for the bass trombone section! – and The Speak Up Mambo (Cuentame) by Al Castellanos, which tested our Spanish vowels. All of the arrangements had adapted parts so that the many young players, some of whom had only been playing for a few months, could take a full part.

Following a short break, the audience filled the hall for the gala concert which began with a performance by Bones Apart. They played a selection from their Wonder Women: Muses, Queens and Warriors programme, which they would be performing the next day down the road in Frome. They began with Becky’s arrangement of Un barbaro rigor, an aria from Sant’ Alessio by Camilla de Rossi composed in Vienna in 1710. The vocal line and virtuosic continuo line were shared amongst the Quartet in this spirited opener. Next up was Torc, composed by Helen Vollam in 2021. Helen gave us some insight into the composition and the Quartet illustrated some of the key themes and effects used:

‘Torc is a type of gold necklace which was worn by Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe, and the composition is a portrayal of some imagined scenes from Boudicca’s life. It starts with a distant call on an animal horn (actually the detached tuning slide and mouthpiece played by Jayne). Then the mist gradually clears, and a small Celtic village comes into view. A folk tune can be heard played on a Celtic flute (Helen took off half of the outer slide and played a beautiful melancholy melody), but the atmosphere is uneasy, and a sense of danger is in the air. A battle cry from a Carnyx raises the alarm (the main tuning slide is taken out and put back in on the gooseneck side) and it’s into battle. Boudicca’s chariot thunders across the plains and an ugly battle with the Romans commences. On this occasion, Boudicca is undefeated.’

The work created an amazing atmosphere and looking round the audience I saw many captivated young faces.

Next, Jayne’s group of young players took to the stage to play what they had prepared for their proud audience of friends and family, after which Bones Apart gave us more of their ‘Wonder Women’ programme. Kehaar’s Theme from Watership Down composed by

Angela Morley was a delightful moment, and the quartet finished with The Windy City from Calamity Jane, channeling the spirit of Doris Day!

The remaining groups performed their morning’s work before the massed ensemble of 55 trombones took to the stage. The performance of The Speak Up Mambo with audience participation had them as tongued tied as we had been earlier (“IOA IOAE – pronounced ‘ee-oh-ah ee-oh-ah-ay’), and the Rocky Theme was loud. Fortunately, the Eavis Hall is equipped with absorptive wall panels that can be adjusted to manage the acoustic, and these were set to the levels used for the Onyx Brass Day and The Cory Band’s visit a couple of months earlier!

As always with these events, it was great to see trombonists bump into old friends and make new ones too. Huge thanks to Bones Apart for their tireless energy and enthusiasm on the day, to Conn Selmer for supporting the event, to John Packer for bringing the shiny things, and to the Head of Brass at Wells Cathedral School, Ross Brown, and his team who organised the event and made us feel so welcome. The school is keen to develop the relationship with the BTS and host events in the future, so watch this space … ◆