The Trombonist - Summer 2013

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IN this issue: Guest Editor Ian Bousfield His Majestys Sackbutts an d Cornetts Bill Geldard John Iveson Joseph Aless i Jonas Byland Dudley Brigh t Peter Moore Karol Gajda

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Contacts British Trombone Society www.britishtrombonesociety.org Honorary Patron: Gordon Campbell Executive Board President Carol Jarvis president@britishtrombonesociety.org Vice-President Christian Jones vicepresident@britishtrombonesociety.org Past-President Brett Baker 01606 783869 pastpresident@britishtrombonesociety.org Chair Ben Bouzan eastanglia@britishtrombonesociety.org Secretary Geoff Wolmark 01377 202209 1-3 Church Street, Hutton, Driffield, Yorks, YO25 9PR secretary@britishtrombonesociety.org Treasurer vacant treasurer@britishtrombonesociety.org Development Officer Stewart Drummond education@britishtrombonesociety.org Staff Membership Manager and Bookkeeper Chris Sowerby 01924 437359 membership@britishtrombonesociety.org 1 Ullswater Road, Dewsbury WF12 7PH, Webmaster Edward Solomon 07903 152148 webmaster@britishtrombonesociety.org Associate Webmaster Mike Saville webmaster2@britishtrombonesociety.org Please submit news items for the website to Geoff Wolmark: news@britishtrombonesociety.org The Trombonist Magazine Editor Dr. Joanna Cambray-Young 07901 733719 editor@britishtrombonesociety.org Magazine Director Brett Baker 01606 783869 pastpresident@britishtrombonesociety.org Publishing and Distribution British Bandsman Advertising Gregan Quick 01933 445474 adverts@britishbandsman.com Design and DTP GK Graphic Design The Trombonist is published quarterly.

Review-related correspondence should be sent to Brett Baker at pastpresident@britishtrombonescoiety.org Representatives Scotland Chris Stearn 01360 860220 scotland@britishtrombonesociety.org Wales Jo Hirst wales@britishtrombonesociety.org North East & Yorkshire Simon Mansfield 01484 602401 northeast@britishtrombonesociety.org North West Kerry Baldwin 07920 022395 northwest@britishtrombonesociety.org East Midlands Paul Emmett 07974 137693 eastmidlands@britishtrombonesociety.org West Midlands: Martha-Ann Brookes 0121 444 5655 mb 07966416198 westmidlands@britishtrombonesociety.org Northern Ireland Stephen Cairns 02892 602646 northernireland@britishtrombonesociety.org South Richard Debonnaire 07595 458984 south@britishtrombonesociety.org South West Tony Evans 01752 263069 southwest@britishtrombonesociety.org East Anglia Ben Bouzan 07970 502509 eastanglia@britishtrombonesociety.org Wessex Bruce Harding 01202 880814 wessex@britishtrombonesociety.org Brass Band Paul Woodward 01924 823840 brassband@britishtrombonesociety.org Jazz Jeremy Price jazz@britishtrombonesociety.org Young People James Howard 07906 392992 youngrep@britishtrombonesociety.org

Prelude

NEWS

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

INTRODUCTION from Guest Editor, Ian Bousfield It was with great pleasure that I accepted Brett Baker’s invitation to guest edit an edition of the British Trombone Society magazine. My brief was to fill the magazine with the kind of articles that I would personally like to read, so here it is. I’m actually looking forward to reading it myself!

Firstly, I really wanted to concentrate on the wonderful achievements of the groundbreaking work of the Baroque trombone specialists in the UK. Too little praise has been poured in the direction of these incredibly talented ladies and gentlemen; they truly are world leaders in their field, and more should be known about them in the UK. So please enjoy the articles on these exceptionally talented people.

To be honest, when I thought of the magazine, the first person I turned to was the great Joseph Alessi, who I asked to do the Trombonist Island Discs spot, and he immediately replied positively. I think you’ll be quite surprised at his choice of Trombonist Island Discs. I certainly was!

I was also keen to involve Jonas Bylund, someone who is perhaps not as well known in the UK, but who has a formidable reputation as an educator. He chose his Tips from the Top to be a guide as to how to teach and also, interestingly, as a guide for students on how to study.

Two of the greatest influences on me in my childhood are covered here as well. I was totally in awe of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the wonderful playing of John Iveson, the man who I still believe made the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard on the trombone. I studied with Dudley Bright so it’s appropriate that he appears as well. As far as the Rising Stars are concerned, I decided to try to think of who might be the most likely players to be influencing the trombone world in 25 years. The two names that came to mind were the prodigiously talented Peter Moore and Karol Gajda. Again, Karol may be someone who is not well known in the UK, but he’s a talented boy, and he’s winning pretty much every competition on the continent at the moment.

It is great to see the article on Bill Geldard, as he provided me with the arrangement of Autumn Leaves when I was 16 years old which, to be frank, I’ve played in almost every single concert with brass bands in the intervening 33 years!

As for me, despite my recent appearance with the Vienna Philharmonic in London, I did actually leave the orchestra last September and am now living in Berne, Switzerland, where I have a fantastic trombone class here at the Hochschule der Künste and am occupying myself with solo work, masterclasses and taking on the kind of things I enjoy doing. It’s a very luxurious part of life for me now, where I get to do what I really want to. I have also been hard at work developing my own range of mouthpieces, all individually designed from scratch, as well as a new trombone with Getzen, which I am really pleased about. Both products are about to be launched, so keep your eyes out for them.

One slightly worrying thing for me is that I received the ITA Award this year, and also the Trombonist of the Year award from the BTS! It does concern me that this is the kind of thing that happens at the end of someone’s career - I ain’t done yet!

So, here you go - this is my edition of The Trombonist. Enjoy!

In this issue: Guest Editor: Ian Bousfield His Majestys Sackbutts and Cornetts Joseph Alessi’s Trombonist Island Disks Iveson’s reflections on retirement Bill Geldard is interviewed by Sheila Tracy Jonas Bylund and Dudley Bright give their tips from the top Rising stars Peter Moore and Karol Gajda frontcover picture: Kevin Price

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

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From the Executive

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

From our Treasurer Dear Members, It was with a heavy heart that earlier this year I reached the decision to resign my position as the Treasurer of the BTS. Those of you who know me personally will know that I’ve recently become a father again and, coupled with an increasingly busy business and performing schedule, it has become very apparent that I have to prioritise my new family and increasingly demanding business activities. Over the next two years, the Society will also implement the process of becoming a registered charity and this will require someone at the helm with more time than I have at my disposal.

Therefore, the Executive Board has begun the process of recruiting a new Treasurer to whom I will hand over at the Society’s AGM in October this year.

I became Treasurer six years ago under the presidency of Bob Hughes. In this time, under Bob’s leadership and that of his successor Brett Baker and the current president Carol Jarvis, the Society has progressed from one that had a limited number of events and a very small magazine to the body we have now. I’m very proud to have been part of the development of an organisation founded with great energy by my old trombone teacher Peter Gane

during my student days at the Guildhall.

The members of the Executive Board work very quietly, but tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the Society continues to achieve its aims and I’m sure that none of them would mind me singling out Geoff Wolmark for special mention for his seemingly endless energy and total dedication (and not to forget his old school grammar and spell check functions!) to the BTS. Alongside the illustrious new board members - Mark Templeton, Matt Gee and Christian Jones - I am certain that under the current stewardship, the Society will continue to build on the progress achieved in the past years. I’m more than a little sad that I won’t continue to be involved on a regular basis with such a committed and talented group of people.

So to end with, and it wouldn’t be a message from me without saying it, please continue to support your Society by encouraging your fellow trombone playing friends and colleagues to join us and attend the events we arrange - your Society needs you!

With very best wishes David Carnac

Notice of change to Constitution Notice is given of the intention to change the BTS Constitution at the AGM, to be held on 6 October 2013 at Oundle School. This change is to satisfy the requirements of the BTS application to the Charity Commissioners for Charitable Status. The new draft Constitution will be posted on the BTS website before voting takes place at the AGM.

WILL THIS BE YOUR LAST BTS MAGAZINE? Most BTS members are paying the correct subscription rate and will carry on receiving their magazines as normal, but some members are still paying at the old rates and not updating your payments when Chris Sowerby, our Membership Manager, reminds you. This creates a lot of extra work for Chris and also deprives the BTS of money to spend on promoting the trombone, running events, competitions and so on.

To illustrate this, in November and December 2012, Chris had 60 subscription renewals and only 10 percent of these were at the correct rate, and most went to the wrong bank! He sent out emails, letters or left phone or text messages requesting the proper amount, and so far has only had 11 replies or payments.

So, please make sure that you update your membership payments

so that you will be guaranteed to receive your quarterly magazine. Unfortunately, if the wrong payment is received we will no longer be able to send the magazine, which I’m sure would be a massive disappointment. If your magazine does not arrive roughly when you expect please contact Chris to check nothing has gone awry with the payment. Here is a reminder of current rates: Regular: £28.00 Student: £22.00 65 and over, and retired: £22.00 16 and under: £14.00 International: £34.00 Our Bank details are: The Co-operative bank.

Sort code: 08-92-99 Account number: 65583520 On the topic of money, can I also remind you of the Secretary’s Challenge? We have now raised over £198 for the BTS through easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/bts, but we would like to have a lot more participants. So please join in and try to beat the Secretary!

Geoff Wolmark BTS Secretary

New BTS Treasurer sought With the imminent departure of David Carnac, our current Treasurer, due to family and work commitments, we now need a new Treasurer. For an informal chat about this unpaid position, please ring either David on 07958 280089, or Geoff Wolmark, Secretary on 01377 202209.

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

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Bare Bones

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

International Award for Ian Bousfield

by Peter Chester

A very cold Rotterdam in March was the venue for Slide Factory 2013, an international trombone festival organised by the Dutch New Trombone Collective.

This is a biennial event and was the fifth time it has been held. The New Trombone Collective is a team of leading Dutch trombonists committed to making great music and promoting the trombone and its music in all sorts of exciting ways. They certainly can organise a good festival and three days of wonderful music-making by some of the world’s great players, aspiring great players and a couple of hundred devotees soon dispelled any gloom induced by the unseasonal weather.

Photo courtesy of John van der Laan

This year’s theme was ‘Europe meets America’, so the leading players came from both sides of the Atlantic. From North America came Bill Watrous and Ray Anderson in the Jazz field, the Maniacal4, Weston Sprott (Metropolitan Opera) and Blair Bollinger (Philadelphia Orchestra), with Europe being represented by the NTC itself (with Jörgen van Rijen and Brandt Attema much to the fore), Stefan Schulz (Berlin Philharmonic) and Ian Bousfield (formerly of the LSO and Vienna Philharmonic). As BTS members will appreciate, Ian has recently started a new phase in his career, as Professor of Trombone at the Hochschule fur Kunste in Bern, from where he can further develop his passion for teaching.

Ian did indeed have a very busy time at the Slide Factory, giving masterclasses to students in the week before and at the Festival itself. These joint affairs with Weston Sprott and Blair Bollinger were very interesting to watch as each player gave their comments on student performances. Such a dialogue brought out the different approaches teachers and traditions have, all to the students’ benefit.

All the leading players gave recitals, of course, and to hear a quartet made up of Ian, Weston, Stefan and Blair was memorable indeed.

Ian’s own characteristically flawless recital was, however, interrupted, by none other than Brett Baker. Brett was there in his capacity as Chair of the International Trombone Association Awards Committee to present Ian with the very prestigious ITA Lifetime Achievement Award. Ian was a little concerned that this was something usually awarded to those at the end of their careers (!) but it was given to much approval and a standing ovation - a very proud moment for one of the world’s greatest players, to be so honoured by his fellows. Needless to say, Ian’s final performance on the last day, a breathtaking rendition of Blues Bells of Scotland, accompanied by the Trombone Collective, was greeted with further tumultuous applause.

The Slide Factory had also organised a composition contest and BTS member Michael Pilley, currently based in Cardiff, was one of the five finalists. There had been around 60 entries, but Michael has the pleasure of hearing his new work, Luminosity, for 8 Trombones and Tape, given its première at the inaugural concert by the NTC. At this level it is a shame that “someone has to win”, but Michael was rightly very pleased to have reached the final.

A final ‘British-based’ element to this festival was from our friends at Warwick Music. Not only there as major Festival sponsor and with its music on sale, the event saw the launch of the new Alto pBone, to much evident interest. Chris Fower, of course, has long been interested in promoting the trombone in the educational world. To that end, Warwick Music/pBone not only commissioned a new piece of music to be played by the participant trombone ensemble (over 100 players) and 50 local school children in a huge outdoor concert (with the odd flurry of snow in the air!), but also donated 50 pBones to the new Trombone Collective for use in educational projects in Holland.

The youngsters who took part will remember that event for a long time and it’s already on Youtube, so it will be a great investment for the future. No doubt some of them will be back at Slide Factory 2015!

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Bare Bones

International Trombone Association honours BTS President Carol Jarvis, BTS President, was presented with the 2013 ITA President’s Award on Sunday 28 April. The presentation took place at the BTS Jazz day at the Royal Northern College of Music and was made by ITA President, Jiggs Whigham.

The citation on the plaque reads: ‘To Carol Jarvis, a woman who will not accept the meaning of can’t or quit, for her courage, inspiration and multifaceted contribution to the world of trombones. Presented by the ITA Officers, Board of Advisors and Council of Past Presidents.’

Carol Jarvis Young Jazz Trombonist Competition winner

President Carol Jarvis with Jiggs Whigham

15 year-old Jasper Rose was announced as the winner of the Carol Jarvis Young Jazz Trombonist Competition at the final, which took place on Sunday 28 April at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

Jasper Rose studies at the Royal College of Music Junior Department and is a member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra 2. Jasper’s playing convinced the five judges - Carol Jarvis, Jiggs Whigham, Lee Hallam, Jeremy Price and Chris Fower - that he was the worthy winner of an all-expenses-paid trip to Seattle to the jazz week in July.

All four finalists were given a black pBone through the generosity of Warwick Music, presented by Chris Fower. The competition has also received generous support from Selmer-Conn.

Matthew Gee presents Chris Jeans with the 2013 All-England Masters International Dedicated Service Award On Sunday 26 May, Matthew Gee, principal trombone of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, presented the 2013 All-England Masters International Dedicated Service Award to his former teacher Chris Jeans, in recognition of his 37 years of dedicated Championship banding and over 30 years of youth band conducting. Event Organiser Philip Biggs commented: “Chris is a true legend of brass banding as a player, conductor, mentor and educator. His work with Youth Brass 2000 is nothing short of astonishing and to see the players Chris has taught, shaped and inspired really says it all. He is the consummate professional and a role model to us all. He was the unanimous candidate for this year’s award.”

Obituary Harold Nash

Harold Nash passed away in the early hours of Wednesday 24 April 2013 after a long illness.

Harold was born in the Rhondda in 1931.

His early musical experiences were with the Salvation Army Band at Pentre, where his father was in charge. On leaving school, he gained a scholarship to study trombone at the Royal Academy of Music with Sidney Langston. He was invited to join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at 19, the youngest player to become a member of Sir Thomas Beecham’s famous orchestra.

After a brief period at Sadlers Wells, he became principal trombone of the Royal

Jasper Rose with Jiggs Whigham

Chris Jeans with Matt Gee

Opera Covent Garden in 1956, where he remained until his retirement in 1997.

While at Covent Garden, he became regarded as Britain’s finest exponent of the bass trumpet.

Harold took over from Sidney Langston as Professor of Trombone at the Royal Academy of Music from 1974-92 and was Head of Brass at the Academy from 1990-92. Many of his former students have gone on to hold positions in Britain’s leading orchestras and lead successful careers in the music profession.

After his retirement Harold moved to Wiltshire with his second wife, Barbara.

He is survived by his daughter, Gaynor, and son, Geoff, from his first marriage.

Slides

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

BTS North West Event 1 December 2012

by Rosemary Abrams (BTS Events Co-ordinator) The select company who negotiated icy and congested roads to reach Manchester Metropolitan University certainly had their efforts well-rewarded at the BTS North West Event in Crewe last December. The event opened with a massed blow directed

by Brett Baker. This included numbers that whisked us from Notting Hill with the plaintive Ain’t No Sunshine (when she’s gone) to the Baltic coast the setting of the stirring Procession of the Nobles, each piece having parts to suit the abilities of all nine players. This led into the performance of a selection of pieces by the Black Dyke Youth Quartet, who gave us a preview of their repertoire for a forthcoming trip to Kentucky to take part in the Great American Brass Festival in June. Their performance was particularly impressive given that some items, such as Gareth Wood’s Four Pieces for Four Trombones, were new to the players themselves.

The quartet also accompanied Brett in a couple of pieces that will also be performed on his transatlantic trip, including Annie Laurie by Arthur Pryor.

Brett followed this by sharing with us some long-forgotten pieces, up to 300 years old, which he had uncovered during earlier international travels as part of a research undertaking. These included the

little-known St. Crispin by William Rimmer, which had been printed in Germany in the 1880s and turned up in New Zealand in 2012. Brett put his expert delivery of these demanding pieces into their historical context in noting that they “must have been played on peashooters!”

Moving to a very different genre, Kerry Baldwin gamely rounded off the morning by a meticulously executed rendition of Luciano Berio’s Sequenza V. The piece calls for many extended techniques including multiphonics (singing and playing at the same time), rattling a plunger mute against the bell of the instrument, glissandi, and producing sounds while inhaling. In addition, the trombonist mimes and must at one point turn to the audience and ask, “Why?” Numbers had swelled gradually and they were greatly augmented at lunchtime by the arrival of the RNCM trombone choir.

The afternoon session opened with two master-classes taught by Simon Cowen of the Liverpool Phil. He coached Dan Eddison of the Black Dyke Youth Quartet in the delivery of Alexandre Guilmant’s Morceau Symphonique and 13 year-old Hannah Stell in Cavatine by Saint-Saëns, in preparation for her Grade 8 examination. It was

Adrian Morris conducts the RNCM trombone Choir with attending BTS members

enlightening to hear Simon’s constructive feedback, which was well tempered by humour. It contained advice on breathing technique and the importance of aural tuning in scales, which was also valuable to the wider audience.

The final item of the day was a performance by the RNCM trombone choir led by Adrian Morris of The Hallé Orchestra. They offered an imaginative programme, which started with a rousing fanfare by Brad Edwards and ended with Grieg’s stirring Landerkennung, encompassing some attractive pieces by Brahms, Stephen Foster and Gordon Jacob on the way. Adrian gave added value to each piece by sharing background information including the dedication of certain of them to prominent musicians.

The soloist in Foster’s Beautiful Dreamer was, most fittingly, Ryan Watkins, the BTS Student of the Year 2012.

To round off the day Adrian invited all the trombonists present to join the choir in a rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus.

This was accepted with enthusiasm, as was participation in a final and joyful Christmas medley. Thanks are due to all concerned, but especially to Kerry for finding time in her busy life to pull this all together.

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Slides

Great Big Fat Manx Trombone Festival

by Jacqueline Grace

It was with great excitement that I arrived at the Isle of Man airport on the morning of Saturday 3 November 2012 with my young trombonist sons, Joe and Ivo. We were there to meet Brett Baker and his fellow members of the fantastic Black Dyke Trombone Quartet - Paul Woodward, Adrian Hirst and Garry Reed, and also Geoff Wolmark of the British Trombone Society.

The Great Big Fat Manx Trombone Festival, which ran over the weekend, was to be the Isle of Man’s first and much-anticipated collaboration with the British Trombone Society. With the Quartet, Geoff and a boot full of trombones in tow, we all set off for the beautiful Peel Centenary Centre. We were about to embark on a fun-packed weekend of workshops, performances and socials, culminating in a Sunday lunchtime concert and cream tea.

The idea for such an event on the Isle of Man had first been conceived way back in November 2011. Having spent a few years in early trombone ‘retirement’, I had found myself helping my eldest son Joe in the trombone section of the Neptune Street Nippers, our local children’s brass band. In my newly sparked determination to get back into playing, a conversation about trombone choirs with fellow parent helper Peter Cannell resulted in me contacting Geoff Wolmark at the BTS. The offer of the Black Dyke Quartet to lead a trombone choir on 3 November was too good to refuse. Then, when flights proved tricky and the event looked set to cover the whole weekend, it seemed only polite to move it to Festival status! Luckily, Peter was more than willing to get involved too and we set to work promoting the festival with a view to involving as many new, old, ex, even ex-pat(!) trombonists as possible.

How hard could it be? For a relatively small population, the Isle of Man has a thriving brass community with no less than nine brass bands, a wind band, a swing band, the Manx Youth Orchestra, the Manx Symphonia, numerous rock, pop and function bands, plus every other person I meet seems to have played a trombone at some point in their lives!

We were overjoyed when 25 Manx trombonists registered for the event, ranging from seven year-olds to way beyond, representing all the various genres of jazz, brass band, orchestral and wind band. There was even a contingency of interlopers who usually played other brass instruments!

After registration and a lot of chips for everyone, the Quartet took us into the concert hall where we arranged ourselves

Peter Cannell, Geoff Wolmark, Adrian Hirst, Paul Woodward, Garry Reed, Brett Baker and Jackie Grace in groups of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and bass trombones. Brett took us through some warm up exercises and then we launched into a four-part arrangement of the hymn Crimond, focusing on clear legato playing.

In no time at all this sounded stunning; the harmonies were beautiful and the effect of focusing on holding the notes for their full length was certainly a lesson to be learnt for many of us.

Next up, Brett’s co-principal Paul Woodward took us through Scarborough Fair. This was a real challenge of dynamics.

Once again, the new-formed trombone choir rose to the occasion. The effect of all those trombones working through the rising and falling dynamics and interchangeable moving sections was hair tingling. Our final challenge was RimskyKorsakov’s Procession of the Nobles - a fast little number which required some nifty tonguing and slide movements!

We then had a break after which we were treated to some solo pieces performed by Brett Baker, accompanied by local pianist, Chris Jagus. These pieces really showed off Brett’s talent as he demonstrated the incredible virtuosity the trombone can achieve. Brett’s own performances were followed by a spectacular concert by the Quartet itself, playing a variety of tunes that included a lovely arrangement of one of my own favourite hymns, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind. This was such a privilege and truly inspirational - giving us all something to aspire towards when the time comes to fully consolidate a regular Manx Trombone Choir!

After yet another break, six volunteer

trombonists braved the stage to play alongside the Quartet and had the opportunity to really blow themselves out with a rather challenging technical piece.

It was then time for questions and we were able to grill the Quartet about subjects such as practice techniques, avoiding back pain, how to warm up correctly and so on.

It was good to hear advice from such wellversed musicians as well as to know that we all have a great excuse to get regular massages! Everyone then went home at 5.00pm for a well-earned break.

Some of us hardier souls then headed to the Northern Lights Community Centre in Ramsey at 7.30pm for an informal social and ‘open mic’ evening, and what a treat this turned out to be for those who made it! Brett, Paul, Adrian and Garry blew the roof off the place with a formidable performance of James Bond themes! It sounded so good that even my three children - all James Bond obsessives - were stunned into silence! My son Joe then got the opportunity to play his Grade 1 tune, Pirates of the Caribbean, alongside members of the Quartet and Dominic Warrington - another young Neptune Street Nipper - performed Those Magnificent Men, this time with Adrian sticking in a bass line. I then roped in my friend and fellow Manx Swing Band trombonist, Mr. Terry Quayle, to help me lower the tone with a Mrs. Mills style singalong (performed on trombones), accompanied by my friend and fellow musician, Dilys Sowery, on a terrible keyboard! And then Peter raised the tone again, with some Manx poetry and

Slides

Manx songs accompanied by his daughter, Bethan, on ukulele. I noticed at some point during all this the Quartet snuck off to enjoy a few Manx pints and more chips!

Sunday morning saw a bright and cheery start, and I have to thank Geoff for being a wonderful houseguest. I collected the Quartet and we drove back to the Peel Centenary Centre for final rehearsals before our grand finale - a cream tea oh, and a concert, of course! Brett also said a few final words about technique, particularly practice routine and high register playing. It hit me that I always say I can’t play high notes, but actually, I don’t ever practice them. I also took on board a few good comments about practicing scales. I generally avoid them because I don’t like the high notes, but since the weekend I have been practicing them AND incorporating the high notes - thank you Brett.

After all the rehearsals, the audience, which included many children, filled out the auditorium and our truly spectacular concert began. It kicked off with the Quartet playing Wilfred Heaton’s March Praise, followed by a storming collection of James Bond theme tunes, kindly dedicated to my own children. These were followed by some great arrangements including Libertango by Astor Piazzolla, Fantastic Polka by Arthur Pryor and a collection of numbers by Erik Leidzen, including a breakneck finale of On the King’s Highway.

Next up was Brett for a few solo numbers, accompanied by Chris Jagus.

His performance included the second movement of an early Concerto by

Wagenseil (originally for alto trombone), Brazilia by Robin Dewhurst and Gardell Simon’s Atlantic Zephyrs.

Ramsey Town Band, led by Robert Quane, then took to the stage and launched into its signature march, Neptune Street by Alan Fernie. This was followed by a real treat, Bill Geldard’s arrangement of Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust, which managed to feature all four members of the Quartet.

It was then time for our own personal grand finale! The Festival Trombone Choir took to the stage alongside the Black Dyke Trombone Quartet to perform our rehearsed pieces. These were received with rapturous applause and cheers from our very supportive audience. Everyone was then invited to partake in the post-concert cream tea. And very special thanks has to be given the ‘A Team’, consisting of my mother-in-law, Kathleen Morrey, Peter’s wife, Angie, and his mother, Aalin Cannell, who provided a tremendous spread of various homemade soups, scones, bonnag and barabrith (local Manx specialities), all beautifully presented. Also thanks to my mother, Sue Grace, and friends Heidi Danaher and Maggie Silverston for serving.

The food amply fed over 130 people. When all was done and dusted, my father and my husband safely delivered the Quartet back to the airport.

There are so many people Peter and I have to thank for making the Festival such a success. Not least the British Trombone Society, the Black Dyke Quartet and the Isle of Man Arts Council, without whom we could not have run such a great event.

We also have to make a special mention of Warwick Music Supplies who donated

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

two pBones to feature as prizes in a competition to promote the Festival. Thank you so much. These were won by six yearolds, Poppy and Tom. We are also very grateful to IOM newspapers and Manx Radio for giving us such good coverage. We would also like to thank the musicians of Ramsey Town Band, Chris Jagus, our families for being so patient, illustrator David Lyttleton for our lovely little Tom Bone mascot and Claire Nelson for making a model of Tom Bone to raffle. This was signed by the Quartet and enabled us to raise £59 to present to the Manx Dyslexia Society to raise awareness of music dyslexia.

Last but not least, we have to give a very warm and special thank you to all the trombonists who turned out to take advantage of the weekend. You were all stars and we could not have done it without you. I am sure it was a memorable experience for all. Peter and I fully intend to make this the start of some great future projects so watch this space!

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

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Tips from the Top

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Jonas Bylund

Teaching/Studying I was asked by Ian Bousfield to write an article for this issue of The Trombonist and I immediately had difficulties finding one single subject where I felt I had something important to say, something that hasn’t been said already hundreds of times in these contexts. As I then started to reflect over my activity as a teacher (I have been the professor of trombone at the Hochschule for Music Theatre and Media in Hannover, Germany, for 18 years), I realised that I have collected a very wide range of experience in the field of teaching over the years.

Since 1995, I have worked with more than 70 students, all of them with various experiences, backgrounds and perspectives. I decided to write an article on the subjects of both teaching and studying at a music academy, partly the same thing, seen from two various points of view. My intention is to discuss what ‘instrumental study’ means or could mean. Everything is based on my own teaching experiences.

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Tips from the Top

Background I find that in this context my own history plays its own part. My intention is not to present my own professional CV, but what happened to my own playing many years ago has had a decisive effect on my teaching and what I consider pedagogy is or could be. I started my career as a professional musician in 1987. During the first eight years I was principal trombone of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. I think I can say that, despite quite a few deficits, I was quite a ‘natural talent’. Even if I always have had structure in my practicing, I was never, during the years as a student and during my first years as a professional, someone who needed to do much practice to reach my goals. This changed radically in the winter/spring of 1995.

During a period of a few months I completely lost my playing, I cannot describe it in a different way - it simply disappeared. Furthermore, I felt I could not do anything whatsoever about it. I will not go into the details of the matter (it would have to be a different article…), but because of this I truly have had to learn how to play the trombone twice in my life - once as a ten year-old boy, the second time at the age of 35. As a musician I cannot see anything positive about what happened to me, but as a teacher I am very thankful for the experience that this event gave me.

Each problem, crisis or whatever we decide to call it, is, of course, individual, but the reaction to it is in many ways similar for the majority of us. To learn what ‘weakness’ to this extent means is an invaluable experience for a teacher.

Principles During the process of writing this article I have been forced to think seriously about my own teaching. What normally happens spontaneously in a teaching situation has to be defined and deconstructed. Many issues need to be kept broad or general.

Since I believe that every lesson and teaching situation is unique, not being able to be systematic is challenging for me. One, however, comes across common patterns and I would lie if I claimed I didn’t develop methods (or even tricks!) that I use on and off. I find it most important to allow my students to become independent individuals and help them stay that way, and make them fully understand that they can, and should, influence their own playing and their own development.

Several times I have met both teachers and students working from the principle that the teacher is responsible for the student’s development every step of the way. Far too often one hears a student saying: “I play like this because my teacher told me to.” I find it difficult to imagine a more passive

attitude, and I have difficulty seeing how this could lead to creative development in the long term; one day that student will be out of school and have to work without a teacher. It’s very important to learn to think individually, to be creative and find your own solutions. Besides learning to play when a student, it is also a time to learn to teach yourself.

Very early in my teaching career, I promised myself never to be upset when a student failed. Neither do I get upset when a student turns up unprepared for a lesson (to live up to this promise sometimes requires some enormous willpower).

I simply don’t want to give the student the feeling that he or she is there just to please me. As a student you also have to learn to be responsible for your actions. Of course, as a teacher, you have to be very clear showing what is required to succeed with your studies, or at least what you think is required. I always try to be inspiring and motivating for my students, but the general driving force has to come from within them.

My concept of teaching the trombone is based on two very clear basic principles.

The first one is the technical issue. Here there is limited freedom allowed, limited space for personal interpretation. The best possible basic technique is necessary to be able to perform your musical ideas. What is considered as good basic technique, however, should be quite general. Far too often though you see a lack of technique that has been labelled ‘style of playing...’

And without being able to exactly say where the borders are between technical and artistic matters, I gather I work far more than 50 percent of the lesson time with my students on basic technical issues.

The other principle is the total freedom in the use of the basic technique. ‘Total freedom’ should not be misunderstood as a lack of demands, however! It should not be understood as ‘everything being relative’, but a student who learns to understand the musical language has completely different qualifications to solve the musical and technical problems he or she faces. He or she will also understand that there are endless numbers of possible interpretations of a particular passage or piece.

I think I can go so far as to say that I motivate my students to function in a state of ‘total freedom’, as long as they are aware of what they are doing and have chosen their interpretation themselves; as long as they asked themselves the questions and came to their own answers.

The way to reach for and develop this is an endless flow of impressions, to experience as many various situations as possible. Positive development requires being exposed to as many various styles of music as possible during the player’s time

as a student; this is exactly how you can create a steady foundation to stand on as a musician.

Every student is unique One principle that I hold closest to the heart of my teaching is that each student is a unique individual with his or her own background, experiences and perspectives.

Sure, there are general and shared goals; even if we were to argue about details, I would believe that most of us would agree that one of the most common is quality playing. Even if we all have different tastes, there are not that many possible ways to be a good trombone player!

However, the way to reach these aims is indeed very individual.

Even if we never can (and perhaps never should) free ourselves from our own experiences as musicians, I think that we generally should be careful in believing in our own ‘recipe for success’ when teaching; I think it wrong to believe that everyone can walk the same way. I’ve found that what will work very well for one student will not necessarily work for the other.

A good teacher is one who is always prepared to try new routes when he or she notices that the path already chosen is not leading the right way. Of course. there has to be focus and goals with the studies - it would be strange otherwise, but I strongly believe that goals and, especially, general goals that are too concrete, are often are very counterproductive.

I am sure there has been more than one student who has been broken by being pressured to reach a certain level at a certain point, for example, winning a job before the end of his or her studies, or whatever general aim we may construct.

My experience is that it is nearly impossible to predict where a student will end up or when he or she will reach a certain level of playing. This, however, has nothing to do with quality. I have seen phenomenal students who reach their main phase of development very late in their studies, sometimes even after leaving university. I have also seen the opposite.

Individuals forming a group Most students are part of a group, most often in our case in the form of a class.

These groups develop their own approach, and it is inevitable that hierarchies start to form - there will simply always be the one playing better than the others! The question is what one does with these structures. In the best examples, the group creates a strong support network for each other and an environment of respect not only for each others’ differences, but also for those who don’t belong to the group students from other schools, teachers who teach in different ways than their own.

Tips from the Top In the worst cases the group develop an ‘us and them’ attitude, an attitude in which the group is a closed unit where every member is forced to have the same, homogenous approach and all other approaches are seen as opponents (I don’t want to go so far as to write ‘enemies’, but it does exist!). I have always seen my own class as a group formed by independent individuals.

If a student doesn’t have the right to be himself in his student time, when is he going to do it?

For some, belonging to the group provides safety and strength; for others, a strong group identity will just be a boundary, something limiting. A good group atmosphere doesn’t happen on its own, although I’m sure there are special cases with very lucky circumstances.

This is something one has to work on the whole time. To create a working collective out of a group of independent individuals, you have to have structures, a system and rules that are clear and motivated.

Within this system problems will always occur; whilst the rules must be followed, there has to be a lot of tolerance and acceptance when someone breaks these rules.

I have heard about classes with a system where if you make a mistake (for example playing the wrong note) you have to pay. Even if it is just a symbolic sum, this is at the same time both humiliating and counterproductive. I’m strongly against all kinds of excluding actions. Only in a group where everyone feels safe and secure can real risks be taken and real creativity occur. Although I’ve never put my foot in a dressing room of a premier division team (regardless which type of sport), I would dare to guess that you’d very rarely find a team where the teammate who just missed a decisive opportunity or goal would hear humiliating and sarcastic comments.

If the fear of losing is stronger than the will of winning, all possible creativity will be lost; this is as pertinent in music as it is in sports, even if the terms ‘winning and losing’ are not as clear cut.

For many years I have had the great privilege to work with a number of highly talented and motivated young students. Many of them have achieved very high goals and have been prizewinners at international solo competitions. I, however, have always refused to speak about a

successful class; rather I choose to describe it as a class of some successful students. To me this is a huge difference. If we talk about a successful class, it is easy to believe that the success comes automatically if you are a student at a certain institute, instead of success being achieved as a result of endless hours of work in the practice rooms. We all have reasons to be both happy and proud when our students succeed. But we should never steal the success from them; their achievements are their own. Equally as important, we should never make ourselves personally responsible for any failure.

Questions and answers There are many ‘rights and wrongs’ in the world of classical music.

Without any doubt some of these ‘absolutes’ are highly legitimate.

Some, though, are just a result of personal taste. How many times have we heard someone say “Wagner (or any other composer, for that matter) is played like this,” or the complete opposite: “you cannot play it this way”? This easily leads many teachers to believe in the principle of needing to lead the student down the right path each step of the way in their teaching.

I think we sometimes make big mistake here. As I see it, it is the teacher’s role to ask the students the right questions, or rather teach them to find the questions, then let them find the answers themselves.

A student who is aware is, in the end, his or her best teacher. To start working with a new student is like writing a map together. This map will constantly change throughout the time of studying.

I also see a teacher-student relationship as a form of separation.

Maybe it sounds strange to talk about separation, since you often work with the same students over many years, but the aim has to be to make yourself unnecessary. The student needs to become more and more independent and able to take care of his own development. I think that this process should start as soon as possible.

Positive-Negative critic Sadly, far too often, teaching is about showing the student the mistake he or she has made. We learn very early to be self-critical, and from a very early point we learn to know our limits. I have met young players, aged 18 or even younger,

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

who have been told by their teachers that they will never become professional musicians. What right do we have to give this judgement at this age? Without any doubt, it is of the utmost importance for a student to know what has to be developed; but equally important is to know what one actually does well. Many students feel that they are in a permanent state of insufficiency. Since very little in music can be measured in absolute terms, it is easy to always question what one does; we simply rarely get any absolute confirmation of what we do. It is very common for students by reflex to claim they play poorly, as if it is not acceptable to in any way enjoy what one does, and as if every positive thought about your own playing is a sign of lack of self-perception.

I regularly ask students what they think about their own playing. It can be a about a concert performance, but also about one orchestral except, a short phrase in a lesson.

Often they are very aware about what was not good. But very rarely they can mention what was good.

Also, if you ask the question, “how did it sound?” you very often get the answer “I felt…” I am convinced that this instinctive self-criticism is very destructive. It blocks the student from looking upon his or her playing in a sober way. It stops him or her from seeing what needs to be developed. And, most of all, it blocks all possible joy of playing.

One should definitely not be blind to the possible weaknesses of the students. But to let these matters take too much of the focus just creates tension and blocks; these things we always look to release, not create. If we focus on developing the good areas of the student’s playing, we are able to reduce what the student doesn’t do as well. I think development should be taken in small steps.

Many students expect great development within the shortest possible amount of time, and when this does not happen, they easily become disappointed and resigned.

Without in any way banalising what it means to prepare a student for a life as a professional musician, we should always, over and over again, remind our students why they started to play the instrument in the first place, and why they wanted to become musicians.

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Cover Story

His Majestys Sagbutts and C

by Jeremy West The sackbutt is the forerunner of the modern trombone. It is the same length, comes in all the standard sizes - alto, tenor, bass, even great bass - and plays in the same range as its modern counterparts. It is tempting therefore to think that it has been overtaken by the march of progress and is of interest today only as an historical curiosity. To be fair, it is not hard to understand why modern players, steeped in the sounds of the symphony orchestra, or in the brilliance of the 21st century brass band, might think the narrow-bored sackbutt lacks lustre. Technologically, some may say it pales into insignificance in the shadow of its professionally-designed, precision-engineered successor today. But if 30 years experience as a cornett player in the company of some of the world’s finest proponents of the sackbutt has taught me anything, it is that this view of the difference between ancient and modern is misguided. In fact, the skills and sounds of the 17th century have as much to say about the future of modern brass than they do about its past.

Modern trombonists sometimes look down on sackbutts, considering the instruments lightweight and the repertoire easy. They should, I suggest, be wary here; with the rise in playing standards amongst specialist players, supported by a matching development in the manufacture of fine instruments, early music is no longer the poor relative that it was considered to be when I started out in the mid 70s. In those days the ‘sackbutt’ was a small-bore trombone, often acquired from a junk shop, and modified by sawing off the bell!

Instruments by the E.K. Blessing company seemed to be specially favoured candidates for this process and, with that wry sense of humour mastered by brass players the world over, these instruments quickly became known as ‘blessings in disguise’!

Contrastingly, today’s top sackbutt players are blowing instruments which faithfully copy fine museum originals, which are hand-crafted by skilled professionals and which cost thousands. The art of the sackbutt has travelled a very long way during the span of my 35-year career, and the trend continues.

His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts celebrated its 30th birthday last year. Over those three decades, we have played in some 36 countries on stages ranging from the Sydney Opera House to the Royal Albert Hall. We have taken in cathedrals

His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts - from left to right: Stephen Saunders, Helen Roberts, Jamie Savan, Abigail Newman, Jeremy West, Adam Woolf and palaces, radio and television, CDs and black vinyl, schools and universities. Plus we have pushed the repertoire to its limits, and beyond.

So, since this is a trombonists’ magazine, what is it that we particularly look for in our trombone players? Let’s be clear about one thing from the start, we do not look for lightweight, anaemic sound. Quite the contrary, we aim for sound that, if less brassy or forceful than the modern symphonic ideal, has power and focus sufficient to reach the furthest corners of any cathedral or concert hall. We look for a vocal style of playing - musical lines threaded together, never clipped, rarely cut, adhering closely to the words (the repertoire is frequently texted) at all times. We also look for a high level of virtuosity; the cornett players reckoned to play anything that was written for the violin (only better!) and the trombonists were keen in turn not to be left behind by the high-flying cornett players of the day. As to versatility, since leger lines were awkward and expensive to print, far more use was made of clefs in order to keep the music within the five-line stave than they are today. The trombonists in His Majestys regular read alto, tenor and bass clefs and they will have a go, when required, at mezzo-soprano, baritone and sub-bass clefs as well. Now add to this the increasingly frequent use of ‘historic’ pitch where A sits at 466 rather than 440. This is a perfect semi-tone higher than today’s pitch. For this, we cornett players simply pick up a shorter instrument but not so the sackbutts who learn a whole new set of slide positions, with closed position on the tenor now sounding B natural! Our players each play two sackbutts - either alto and tenor or tenor and bass - in 3 or more clefs

and at 2 pitches. Its impressive and exciting stuff and I consider myself lucky to have a ringside seat.

His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts today comprises six players with two founder members (Stephen Saunders and myself) still active in the group. We draw in extra players for bigger programmes, we join with choirs, and last year we collaborated with Concerto Palatino and choir Ex Cathedra for our own celebration of Giovanni Gabrieli. We even performed a special programme at the Edinburgh International Festival 400 years to the day after Gabrieli’s death.

So, where next for His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts, and for the instruments we have sought to popularise? Across our 25-plus recordings you can find examples of practically every element of 16th and 17th century repertoires appropriate for our instruments. Even more exciting, however, is that, in 2012 HM released one of the first, and certainly the most comprehensive, recordings of new music for these instruments. Called At His Majesty’s Pleasure and inspired

by Matthew Locke’s 5 part things for His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts (from which we take our name) this is a collection of 19 short pieces by Oxford composer Martyn Harry. Hugely varied and demanding, this suite shows how much potential there is for using ‘antique’ instruments to inspire modern composition and to push the edges of the envelope for brass ensemble. And this is just the start.

Last month I played a concerto, written specially for me with symphony orchestra,

by German composer Jörg Iwer. This is the first work of its kind and it daringly mixes ancient and modern in a bold, varied (and challenging!) step. More still will follow

Cover Story

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Cornetts: Back to the Future

With the BBC Singers and The Tallis Scholars at the BBC Proms Royal Albert Hall later this year for cornett and electronics

by Joachim Heintz, to be set in tantalising juxtaposition with a mass by Heinrich Isaac.

Musicians of all styles and achievements struggle in these austere times to get their projects off the ground, but I remain optimistic for the future. From the point of view of a trombone player - think of the opportunities already in the sackbutt repertoire. For some student concerts

at Cambridge University I recently had no less than 18 brass players celebrating the works of Giovanni Gabrieli; 13 of these were trombonists, each holding an independent line in works such as the 14 and 22-part sonatas, and the 33-part Magnificat. Where else would you find such a gathering of trombones, playing music composed specifically and only for them? As I said at the outset, the skills and

sounds of the 17th century have as much to say about the future of modern brass than they do about its past. And you Trombonist reader - can be part of that!

Jeremy West is a founder member of His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts. He teaches at the Guildhall School in London and is a Musician in Residence at Girton College, University of Cambridge.

Sackbutts and Cornetts in Cambridge On Saturday 16 February, the Cambridge University Musical Society put on an excellent and unusual concert featuring a unique sackbutt and cornett ensemble, the University Chamber Choir and string ensemble, plus vocal soloists. The concert took place in the congenial surroundings of Girton College Great Hall, to a packed audience.

Jeremy West assembled and directed the ensemble of period brass instrumentalists, which consisted of 14 sackbutt and 5 cornett players. All were brass players from conservatoires across the UK, who had got together for a week at Girton College to prepare for the concert and receive some expert tuition and guidance from period instrument specialists such as Jeremy.

The programme choice celebrated Giovanni Gabrieli, just after the 400th anniversary of his death, as well music from his contemporaries, such as Monteverdi and Hans Leo Hassler.

Each piece featured a different configuration of vocal and instrumental groups and the change over between pieces was executed in a very slick and organised manner. The first half of the programme was entirely devoted to Gabrieli pieces, including the Canzona a 14 (written 1615), in which Jeremy conducted four cornetts and ten sackbutts, including one bass sackbutt. The sound was not quite like any other brass ensemble I have heard and it really complemented the medieval music (as would be expected I suppose!). I particularly enjoyed the rendition of Gabrieliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Canzona duodecima toni a 10 (1615), in which fast, lively passages were passed between the cornett

(played by Jeremy West) and a solo violin.

The second half opened with Monteverdiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Magnificat a 8 (1640), with the period brass instruments producing a more intense sound, more akin to a modern French horn perhaps, which was quite rousing.

Various combinations of vocalists and instrumentalists performed pieces by Hassler, Schutz and Grandi. All the pieces were performed beautifully and to a very high standard. I was impressed by the brass group and also surprised at how well the sackbutt sound, in particular, balanced with the strings and choral groups; I understand now why a modern trombone would certainly be far too dominant in this context.

The concert finished with two Gabrieli pieces that are very rarely performed, due to the large number of period instrumentalists required. For Gabrieli Sonata a 22 and Magnificat a 33 the Mistress of Girton College, Professor Susan White, was co-opted to play sackbutt too, which must be a first for any Cambridge college! Susan usually plays euphonium (and also just happens to live with Jeremy!), so her sackbutt playing was more than proficient enough. The Magnificat was indeed magnificent, and just to make sure we had fully appreciated it, it was played again as an encore to a very appreciative audience.

It was an excellent concert and also great to see so many talented trombone players keen to perfect their sackbutt skills, with the support of HMSC and Girton College.

Joanna Cambray-Young

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Tips from the Top

Since Brett Baker first approached me to write this article it has undergone several incarnations, beginning with the idea of taking a solo, preparing it, performing it and then writing about the experience. It then went through a more generalised approach and followed, quite by chance, by an actual experience to ‘test the theory’.

The following comes with the warning of the dangers endemic in over-formularising anything to do with music. It is the result of personal practice over many years and my observation of what does and doesn’t work for me. There must always be sensitivity to personal requirements and response. Not everybody has the opportunity to perform solos, but much of the advice below applies also to routine instrumental practice. Solo performance presents a strong incentive to achieve our best so why not imagine any material as destined for solo performance in front of a discerning audience, working at it with the same urgency and determination?

Let’s begin with the thought that if we

Solo prep

by Dudley Bright

read music well and are technically accomplished, then a new piece will present little problem! For instance, it shouldn’t take much for a Grade 8 student to prepare a Grade 5 piece. On the other hand, a Grade 5 player trying to tackle a Grade 8 piece will have more of a challenge. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Most of us are hoping to raise our game and there’s a lot to be gained from punching above our weight, as long the goal is attainable. But, be careful. Trying to achieve too much at once can actually be harmful to one’s self-confidence and embouchure. Don’t forget that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Patience is a cardinal virtue when it comes to practice.

I occasionally get the feeling that some people would rather seek out a different teacher or a new mouthpiece than give this little virtue house space. But, of course, there’s no excuse for laziness; unfocused note bashing can delay us getting on to the more interesting things and basic reading mistakes that can quickly become habitual if repeated more than a few times. Part of the skill of good practising is to know when to be tough with yourself

and when to be more patient. No one has endless time available and we should aim at the most efficient practice method.

I remember a conversation with the famous avant-garde virtuoso trombonist, Vinko Globokar, who told me that he only practised the trombone for technique and he learned pieces on trains and aeroplanes. Without carrying that idea to extremes, there is a lot to be said for trying to ‘hear’ the piece straight from the page. Nevertheless, it is true that we will save time and frustration if our technique is in good order. What might seem like a troublesome phrase can sometimes be put down to the applicable technique not being up to it. There’s no hard and fast rule but, depending on our own preference, we might go away and work on some suitable exercises or adapt the piece itself into an exercise to build the requisite ability.

It’s important not just to stick at getting the notes right; there is so much more.

Reading music straight from the page without the instrument can help create a clear sense of what one is trying to

achieve and it can save time and lip too.

It’s not particularly easy but like most things, it can be learnt. You could call it ‘auralisation’, a word not in the dictionary but quite obviously the aural equivalent of ‘visualisation’. At its basic level it is simply imagining the written pitches and rhythms but it can also mean imagining an entire performance, complete in nuance, style, sound, articulation and dynamics. However, with the increasing availability of recordings, is this skill so important? Let’s be honest, if you can exactly reproduce the performance of Messrs Alessi, Bousfield or Baker, you’re not doing too badly, and also it helps to get to know the accompaniment. Possibly by developing this mimicry, one learns the ability to reproduce what’s in the head.

But, be on your guard. I don’t wish to belittle the many fine performances on record but some have rather idiosyncratic features. It can be depressing to hear them copied accurately while the best aspects are completely ignored! So try to develop the skill of constructing a mental picture (auralisation) of your own ideal performance drawn from various sources

Tips from the Top

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

The next consideration is to realise the vision. Everybody has their own method but really they all boil down to the same alarmingly simple set of rules: 1. Aural feedback - comparison with your model 2. Isolate and analyse 3. Simplify and repeat 4. Amalgamate and consolidate Or to put it another way: 1. Play and listen carefully, comparing what you hear with the sound you have in your head. What’s the difference?

2. Do the problem bits on their own. Work out why they don’t satisfy you. Make them possible by fragmenting, slowing down, speeding up, playing down the octave, changing dynamic or using a different articulation. Depending on the issue, do

any improvements - let them spur you on.

A note here about breathing; it is just as important to prepare the breathing as the notes. Try to go a little further than is comfortable to improve the musical line.

Like anything else, it can then be practised - go a little faster to accommodate the breathing, then gradually slow it down until the desired phrase is possible at the correct speed. If there is still a problem, try economising on breath rather than break up a phrase. For instance - leave a crescendo a little later or move the tempo on. A minimal loss in one musical aspect can have a substantial gain for the musical line. Having the breathing well organised and practised can help massively to counteract nerves. It is often the first thing to break down under the stress of performance. It can be avoided by sticking to predetermined breath marks, taking care to keep the breathing deep and relaxed. However, it should be realised that with an auditorium to fill and an

practice’. It’s about making it all come through in actual performance and motivation has a great deal to do in this. It comes in all shapes and sizes; the thought of exam, audition or recital can do wonders for focusing and applying these techniques. Grasping opportunities to perform can boost motivation too. There is a whole world of difference between routinely working on an exercise for no particular reason and preparing a piece (particularly at short notice) to perform in front of an important and influential audience. Even imagining it can do wonders for progress.

Consider applying practice techniques not only to technical problems but performance issues. There is a tendency to hope that adrenaline will lift our musicianship but why leave it to chance?

Why not use the same techniques to ensure that it really does sound how we want; working on note lengths here or grading a crescendo there. Where is the

anything to bring it within your present capability.

3. Repeat the fragment correctly, gradually working towards the original but don’t stop there; go beyond what is required in order to build confidence.

4. Replace the fragment in its context.

This part is essential and often neglected.

The responses need to associate the newly perfected fragment within its surroundings otherwise, under stress, the old version may come out instead. Repeat the reconstituted version, patiently including more and more of the surrounding music.

Intensive practice doesn’t mean relentless practice. Leave spaces where the accompaniment will go, utilising the time to make mental (or even physical) notes.

Although in one way, practising should be of the highest quality (remembering not to practise mistakes); on the other hand it can be a time to take risks and test out alternate possibilities. Don’t settle for the first thing that comes into your mind; try the same passage in different ways - nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Don’t be discouraged by apparent slow progress. Be patient and encouraged by

accompaniment to balance, the air can seem to be sucked out of the instrument.

Suddenly, you can’t reach the carefully organised breath marks and your sound may seem feeble against the massed ranks behind you! Don’t let this cause stress in your performance. Expect it and have a back-up plan. Be forewarned and try the whole thing out at a more demanding tempo and or volume and be ready to cope with it.

Be honest - take notice when something is not totally secure. It might seem OK but, again, under stress things might go wrong.

You have to assume that nerves and excitement will knock 25 percent off your performance. Therefore work at having extra capacity, so there is no chance of things going wrong under pressure.

All successful players will use the above processes in some shape or form even if purely intuitively. They will have their own tips and maxims but the basics remain the same. As mentioned earlier, if the above practice techniques are applied mechanically there is a possibility of disappointment. It needs, what one commentator has described as, ‘deep

focal point of a phrase and do we always achieve it? Try to understand that we can have control over virtually every aspect of our performance, given the right preparation.

There is much to be said for having

including the printed page and your own imagination. Develop an ability to vocalise your auralisation; it can also help in pitching tricky intervals.

paration

intensive practice finished well in advance of the performance date - there is then a chance for all the hard work to bed in.

A certain amount of fatigue is inevitable with highly focused preparation and can obscure true progress - it is surprising what a recovery period can reveal. Another reason to practise patience!

Try to simulate actual performance, taking care to avoid stopping for slips and mistakes. There is still time to put those things right, so make a mental note and carry on. Don’t let the recital, exam or audition be the first time you play a piece through entirely. Conjure up all the conditions and circumstances - visualise the audience, atmosphere and practise projecting your ideas. Lastly, make sure you enjoy what you are doing. You are asking others to find enjoyment in what you are doing and it’s unlikely they will if you don’t!

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

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Rising Stars

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Karol Gajda Name: Karol Gajda Age: 21 Location: Originally from Poland but now living in Hannover, Germany How did you start playing? I started to play trombone because of my brother (a tuba player). He encouraged me to become a brass player. Then, after few years, I passed an audition to Musical High School in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, and I started to study with Professor Zdzislaw Stolarczyk and he had a key influence on me as a trombone player. I have played in numerous orchestras and ensembles in Poland and Germany and have given recitals, including at the International Trombone Festival in Paris in 2012.

What do you do when you’re not playing? Of course, music is my main hobby, but I like travelling, good food, good movies and books.

What are your ambitions? My ambition in musical life is to have good orchestral job, improve my solo career and make people happy with my playing.

Who are your main influences? Christian Lindberg, Joseph Alessi, Jörgen van Rijen, James Markey, Carsten Svanberg and Ben van Dijk.

Interview by Ian Bousfield

Peter Moore The Trombonist caught up with young trombonist Pete Moore, to find out more about his playing and ambitions.

Name: Peter Moore Age: 18 Location: Stalybridge, Manchester Instruments: Trombone, piano and the occasional bit of euphonium!

How did you start playing? I started playing the trombone at the age of 6 or 7.

Growing up in the brass band scene, the trombone always appealed as it was the instrument that seemed like the most fun!

Teachers: Phil Goodwin and Ian Bousfield.

Favourite pieces: I’m a jazz fan in addition to classical music. I like big romantic works by Mahler and Tchaikovsky. I always enjoy playing solo pieces from the romantic era, as well as early music on sackbutt. It’s great when I get the chance to play alto trombone too. I think, as trombone players, we aren’t spoilt with a huge amount of good repertoire from romantic period and before, so we have to explore modern contemporary works, some of which are great!

Ambitions: It would be great to sit in a top orchestra, as it would be to do solo work too. But, obviously anything that comes along would be great. You can’t afford to pick and choose! I’m also a keen pianist and would like to carry on with that.

Playing history: I’ve been lucky enough to give recitals and concertos across the UK and abroad in places such as Poland and Germany. I have also given recitals in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall and St. George’s Bristol. I was also fortunate to be asked to record Gregson’s trombone concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra. It has been particularly been brilliant to make it over to Australia and New Zealand for tours and also good to have had some orchestral experience.

Current activities: Trying to discover new trombone repertoire, or repertoire which would work well for the instrument. I am about to set off to Australia again, which will be exciting (very hot too!). I also play with chamber groups, a trombone quartet, a brass ten-piece and am hoping to play with a string quartet accompaniment soon. And finally, I play lots of sport!

Favourite players: We have some amazing trombone players, who are so different in musical styles. The likes of Ian Bousfield, Joe Alessi, Christian Lindberg, Jorgen van Rijen spring to mind, amongst others. What’s great is that they play in such different ways, but are all brilliant. Aside from trombonists - Horowitz, Richter for the piano, Rostropovich...

Favourite recordings: No favourites; I try to listen to as much as possible! What’s next? Almost finished at school so starting to think about music colleges etc. Engagements in the near future include Turnage’s Yet Another Set To with National Orchestra of Wales and the Grand Final of Royal Overseas League Competition and some recitals.

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Instrument Feature

The sensationa The Trombonist caught up with

Chris Fower of Warwick Music to find out a bit more about the latest trombone sensation - the pBone.

How did you get started in the business of plastic trombones?

I first got a call from Steve Greenall about four years ago to do some consulting on a new instrument he was involved in developing. Steve and I have worked together in various guises in the trombone business over the years and he knew that I had done some work with Edwards in the UK consulting on building instruments from their modular part designs.

I was amazed to see a plastic trombone turn up but was also instantly delighted by the look and potential of the instrument.

I spent time over the next couple of years working with the designer to improve the playability and sound of the trombone.

Who invented the pBone concept and how long ago?

Hugh Rashleigh first brought the idea to Steven Greenall looking for support to bring his concept into reality whilst Steve was working for the Advantage Creative Fund, a body set up to support creative industries in the Midlands back in 2007. With Steve’s and ACF’s support Hugh designed and developed the instrument to be not only make-able but also manufacture-able and had worked in China to get moulds and assembly under way. Latterly, I took a lead in improving production and quality control, and at the same time Steven and myself set up the collaborations with Conn-Selmer and Jiggs Whigham.

What is the link with Warwick music?

As you can see from the abridged story above Steven Greenall, who owned Warwick Music, has been pivotal in funding and supporting Rashleigh and developing the idea into a business right from the very beginning. In a real sense you could say that Steve incubated the project from egg to fully-fledged business!

When Conn-Selmer’s sales really started to rocket it became clear to me that Rashleigh Limited was in no way well enough resourced to cope with the work at hand so I suggested that Rashleigh and Warwick should come together as one entity. Shares were pooled and the two

The pBone being put through its paces at the BTS National day in Cardiff May 2012 companies became, in essence, one about 18 months ago.

What instrument did you start on playing wise before becoming involved in pBone?

I was always brought up as a Bach bass trombonist, playing on a variety of 50B3s throughout college and at my short time with Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Once I had been introduced to Thayer valves at the ITF in 1988, at Eton College, my heart was set on playing on these and I bought an Edwards in the early 1990s and (apart from a brief dalliance with Rath) have played Edwards ever since. However, I have been around and therefore tried (of course) lots of Conn-Selmer trombones over the last two years at various shows and am considering buying either a Conn 62h Greenhow or a Bach 50 with Thayers at the moment!

Which artists have helped most with developing and promoting the pBone?

The most obvious is Jiggs Whigham who simply ‘got it’ as soon as he played the pBone; Liam Kirkman, Pete Beachill and Andy Wood have all been very supportive, but to be honest we have been blown away by the warmth that the vast majority

of the trombone world have shown towards pBone, so in a way it’s not fair to single individuals out.

On a more formal standing we are very proud that Bones Apart are our education ambassadors and we support some of their education work directly.

What is the plan now that an alto has been manufactured?

Now we have pBone mini in the market place we have created some materials to get young players started and these will be available on our new web site, launched in April www.pbone.co.uk. It’s the worst kept secret in the music business that we are working on some ‘valve-based instruments’ that we hope to launch later in the year!

We also have various other interesting projects under the wider umbrella of Warwick Music Limited, including an exciting new range of custom mouthpieces we have created with Ian Bousfield!

What are your ambitions for the brand?

Like any brand, our ultimate ambition for pBone is that the brand becomes the commonly used term for plastic trombone

al pBone!

Instrument Feature

and mini mouthpiece place the pupil right in the centre of the brass pitch world. In a real way the mini can be used as the brass equivalent of the recorder in large group learning.

With our new valve technology we will be able to make a variety of brass instruments and I guess you ask the very good question; why?

With trombone as we all know the weight and durability of pBone is the real benefit for users. This of course applies to all brass instruments to a greater or lesser extent with weight becoming a big issue when working with smaller children.

There is also the ‘funky and fun’ element that is harder to quantify. I feel that plastic instruments break down barriers to quick and easy engagement for both children and teachers, kids just can’t wait

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

to get their hands on them and don’t feel intimidated by them. The other benefit for players that we are seeing through social media is that people are liberating their brass playing, taking their pBones to places and events that they would never dream of taking an expensive and fragile metal trombone! Needless to say any range of lightweight, warm and tough instruments would be very welcome in the world of marching bands!

We are really proud of our connections with the BTS and the projects that Jo Hirst has been running in Wales really epitomize the ambition we have for pBone affecting the way children interact with the trombone. Hopefully we can spread this overwhelmingly positive reaction to a whole range of brass instruments in the near future.

Tiddy Trom pBone Project

by Jo Hirst

and I think we have gone a long way towards this. On a more serious note we hope that pBone is helping to create a new, larger and broader generation of young trombonists who will play their part in taking forward trombone art and culture. Also, we hope that pBone is putting lots of fun into trombone playing, which after all is the main reason for playing in the first place!

I know the idea is to start young players on trombones and then for them to move to other instruments, so how does the new plastic trumpet fit into that, are you also looking at tenor horns, euphoniums, basses etc.?

I have always had a personal belief that with the correct instrument and mouthpiece the alto trombone makes a terrific foundation instrument for brass learning. The mini is our way of addressing this need and I believe that the mini mouthpiece answers the problems that earlier alto programs encountered. The visual nature of how the trombone alters its length is ideal for teaching the core concepts of brass playing and the Eb pitch

In March 2012, I was very kindly given 16 pBones by the British Trombone Society. The purpose of this was to offer these instruments to children who either couldn’t afford to have a go, or simply would not have thought of trombone as their first instrument of choice. Llanhari Primary School in Rhondda Cynon Taf and St. John’s on the Hill School in Tutshill were the first two lucky schools to take advantage of the opportunity. One year on, five out of eight of the original children who began the project in St. John’s on the Hill have continued, two have just passed their Grade 1 and are now members of the Chepstow Community Big Band. They have also just bought their own metal trombones, which is fantastic news, as they not only are committed to continuing but this has also allowed me to take their pBones into other schools to give other children the opportunity to experience playing the trombone.

In Llanhari Primary, all of the Year 4 children who were given pBones by the BTS last Easter have now continued their lessons into Year 5. The local music service has witnessed the success of the project in this school and has since bought another 13 pBones especially for use by Llanhari Primary School. And so, the original Y5 trombonists are now joined by 13 Y4’s and this year they all have weekly hour-long large-group trombone lessons, thus creating a Llanhari Primary School 20-strong trombone choir!

As I had some pBones left over, last September I took them into Marshfield Primary School in Newport, where we have a six-strong beginner trombone group, and also in Tonysguboriau School (Rhondda Cynon Taf). Tonysguboriau and Llanhari schools are in the same catchment area and are hoping to go along together to be part of a special trombone performance, organised by Brett Baker, on 2 July in Bristol Cathedral.

With an increase in the number of beginner trombonists there will be even more children able to come along and participate in our annual trombone day, this year held on Sunday 23 June in Rogiet Primary School, Monmouthshire. If you know any beginner to Grade 5 junior trombonists please encourage them to come along, more details are available at www.britishtrombonesociety.org/latest-news/juniortrombone-day-south-wales.html

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IAN BOUSFIELD Summer 2013 The Trombonist

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Trombonist Island Discs Summer 2013

The Trombonist

Joseph Alessi

When my good friend and colleague Ian Bousfield asked me to pick seven favourite tracks for Trombonist Island Discs, it was not necessarily the easiest of tasks. I think it might be easier to play Bolero! I had to come up with my ultimate favourites in my lifetime. Therefore, I went back in time to my early days of listening to music when my musical life was being formed. Of course, being from a family of brass players, father, grandfather and brother, these selections favour the greats of our industry.

So they are a bit ‘brass jock’ oriented and, to be honest, I would not mind listening to all of these tracks over and over again on a deserted island. That being said, here we go. These are in no particular order of preference, just seven unforgettables:

1. Romeo and Juliet - Cleveland Orchestra Maazel Cleveland Orchestra - Decca 1973 I played the complete ballet during the 1976-77 San Francisco Ballet season, my first gig! I fell in love with this music and someday would love to play the entire ballet again. This ballet contains some of the most beautiful melodies ever written.

Prokofiev is definitely one of my favourite composers if not my all-time favourite.

2. JJ Johnson - Dial 5 - 1957 A classic! Again, growing up and hearing your first jazz trombone record sticks with you. Hard to pick one track, but if I had to it would be a tie between Barbados or Teapot. I can sing you every solo from this disc. Everything sounds happy and fresh. Miss JJ!

3. Maynard Ferguson - What’s New! - Capitol Records 1951 Being that I started on trumpet, and also hearing Maynard live

growing up in the 70s, I never get tired of listening this track.

Everybody wants to hear Maynard play high and loud, but listen to his low chops!

4. Vladimir Horowitz - Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No 2, live in Carnegie Hall - 25 Feb 1953 Recently, our trombone section recorded for Steve Dillon using James Kazik’s arrangement. For our reference recording, we all turned to this track. I was in amazement to hear this and had never heard him play it before. It sounds like he has four hands!

5. Urbie Green ‘21 trombones’ - I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues from 21 Trombones Vol. 2 Love this tune and the long gliss. A work of art. I drove out to his house in Pennsylvania not too long ago, and had the pleasure of having lunch with him and his beautiful wife. What a gentleman.

6. Dick Nash Theme from the Big Bad and Beautiful - The Brothers Nash Another great example of some unbelievable trombone playing. I would give my left toe or something else to play like this.

7. Doc Severinsen - Rhapsody for Then Suite from the album Rhapsody for Now, the track A Song for You. I know, I am a brass player at heart, and it goes very deep with me. This is one of the finest examples of any brass player I have ever heard. Singing, technique, you name it. I had the honour of performing with Doc playing duets in Switzerland many years ago (yes, I have a recording of that), and I will never forget this. A true gentleman.

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Summer 2013 The Trombonist

People

Bill Geldard has been a professional trombonist for the best part of 68 years and there can’t be too many around who can match that. His first job, aged 15, was in the pit orchestra of the Eden Theatre, Bishop Auckland, for which he was paid £5.00 a week. Translate that into today’s money and it’s not as miserly as it might seem at first glance. Add to that the fact that when the curtain came down he would often decamp to the Town Hall to play for dances, starting at midnight and finishing at 4.00am!

Bill had been playing 1st trombone in the local brass band and had also been coopted into the band of the Home Guard.

On leaving school at 14, he got a job as an office boy in a munitions factory, which enabled him to play at local gigs in the evenings where the going rate was £1.00 a night, which seemed like a fortune as

he was only earning 15 shillings a week in the factory. At 15, he began his career as a professional musician at the Eden Theatre and 18 months later was given the chance to join Charles Amer’s Band at Butlins, Filey. There he remained until he was called up for National Service, spending his two years with the RAF Central Band at Uxbridge.

In the summer of 1949 came the invitation to join the newly-formed George Evans Orchestra, destined to become one of the most highly-rated bands of the early postwar years. Within 12 months, something quite unheard of occurred when Gracie Cole joined the trumpet section. A girl in what were generally all-male bands was rare at that time and her arrival sealed Bill’s fate! Within another 12 months they were married and then came an invitation for both of them to join the Squadronaires,

but Bill, accustomed to playing in a full trombone section, soon tired of being one of two trombones. He jumped at the offer to join Ted Heath but that didn’t last too long, as at that time, according to Bill, it was very much a singers’ band with Lita Roza, Dennis Lotis and Dickie Valentine as the principal attraction. After six months on the road he left and joined Oscar Rabin at the Lyceum.

In 1953, Johnny Dankworth formed his big band and, the following year, Bill managed to get out of his contract with Oscar Rabin and joined Maurice Pratt, Keith Christie and Eddie Harvey in the Dankworth trombone section. Around this time, Bill was starting to get work in the studios and when Jack Parnell took his band to ATV, he decided to give up life on the road once again and join what was fast becoming

Bill Gelda

by Sheila Tracy

a line-up of the elite, with a guaranteed couple of television shows a week.

In 1961, he rejoined the Ted Heath band but life on the road plus work in the studios began to take its toll and, diagnosed with tuberculosis, he spent the next six months in hospital and found it a struggle to get back to playing, but he had been arranging and composing for some time and now he started to concentrate on that. Stan Kenton, trombonist, and arranger Bill Russo were in London running a rehearsal band for pros, which Bill joined and also jumped at the opportunity to study arranging with Russo, an acknowledged master of the art.

Today, Bill writes for big band, strings and brass band, and has had great success in what is termed ‘library music’ - music played everywhere from lifts to supermarkets and, if you’re lucky, on the big and small screen. Bill got lucky with his Laudin’ the Duke, which turned up on the sound track of a Hollywood movie and has proved to be a nice little earner for him over the years.

For a long time the name Bill Geldard epitomised the bass trombone, which he played in the Ted Heath Band fronted by Don Lusher and also in the Don Lusher Big Band, mainly because there was a lack of

good bass trombone players at that time.

It all started many moons ago for Bill when he was offered a tour and television series with Mantovani and was asked if he played a Bflat/F. He promptly bought one and by 1967 found he was doing half and half and two years later was playing a lot more bass than tenor and sometimes would be asked to bring both, proving how essential it is for young musicians today to become proficient in as many different ways as possible. However, always equally at home playing tenor on the lead chair Bill admits that is very much his preference today.

With studio work more or less nonexistent, Bill is able to turn his attention to writing for all and sundry, brass bands, big bands and small groups, so which does he prefer?

“I don’t really mind as I look at them in different ways,” he replied. “Writing for brass is never a big problem as you know what they can do so I write mainly for brass bands, and their trombone soloists and I’ve written some things for Brett Baker. I’ve written for the Surrey Brass who are amateurs but they are very good players. I’ve done a concert with them playing a couple of my pieces and Barry Forgie has recently written an extended work for them. I remember

one occasion when Denis Wick, after conducting a Surrey Brass concert, said ‘I enjoy working with this group who are all amateurs only because they can’t afford to be professionals’. How true, as they’ve probably all got good jobs earning much more than they could as musicians. It’s not the same as when I started in the music business, today it’s a lot of hard work, not sufficiently compensated.

“I enjoy writing for big bands because that’s what I’ve done most of but I’m equally happy writing for orchestras. When I was young I played violin and viola, so I have a rough idea what the strings can do, which has always been a help. I used to enjoy writing for the BBC Radio Orchestra and remember the day they said, ‘We want you to create 15 minutes of orchestral

Bill Geldard wirh Gracie Cole

People Summer 2013

Bill Geldard and John Dankworth 1956 at the recital room, Festival Hall

Bill Geldard 1950

ard magic with the music from Cabaret, which meant quite a lot of writing and I don’t think I could write like that now, but it was a challenge and you don’t get those sort of challenges today. When you’re working at that standard things come easily but when you’re not doing so much it’s not so easy.

It’s like playing the trombone, I certainly don’t have the lung capacity I had when I was younger and have to breathe a lot more often than I used to, especially on the bass trombone.”

Does Bill have copies of all the scores he has written over the years?

“Unfortunately not, as the BBC had them,” he responded. “I’m sure they will have been shredded. I’ve got sketches of a lot of the big orchestral things and although not complete, they are quite comprehensive, so I could probably write them out again. I think the Cabaret score may still be in the library as the BBC Concert Orchestra has played some of it, leaving out the jazzy parts! I have my tentet library. I enjoyed that as it was a nice change from playing in the studios all the time. We had all discovered George Roberts featured on bass trombone back in the 50s and thought it would be nice to do something like that.

So, I was the bass trombone along with Roy Willox (alto/flute), Bob Efford (tenor/

The Trombonist

oboe), Keith Bird (clarinet), Stan Reynolds or Ronnie Hughes (trumpets), Clive Hicks (guitar), Harry Stoneham or Brian Dee (piano/ organ/harpsichord), Joe Mudell (bass), Jim Lawless (percussion) and Bobby Orr (drums). I wanted to play and wanted to arrange as well so it was the perfect set up, especially with the doubling and I think the balancers on a broadcast used to like it as they couldn’t just sit back, they had to spot the oboe and watch Jim Lawless as one minute he’d be in one place and the next the other end of the studio banging something else! Yes, I enjoyed the tentet and we did quite a lot of broadcasts.

“In 1972, I was on the trip to Japan with Frank Chacksfield, when Johnny Edwards and Ted Barker were with me in the trombone section, Ronnie Hughes, Ray Davies and Bobby Haughey in the trumpet section and we met up with an American band, becoming good friends with the likes of Dick Noel, Tommy Shepherd, Jimmy Henderson and Manny Klein. Yes, I’ve been lucky in my career.”

Bill has been coaching a couple of amateur bands since 1989, when he got a call from the Sutton Society of Liberal Arts, which is now called the Sutton College of Learning for Adults.

“We rehearsed on Saturday mornings,” Bill continued, “and created quite a high standard so after a couple of years we started a second band with a lower standard and all was going well until 2008.

By then there was a lot of paperwork involved and I had to keep going to meetings reporting on what we were doing, so I said we would finish at the end of the current year. Both of those bands

decided if I wasn’t going to be there, they weren’t going to be there either! They found a new venue in Kingswood and we’ve carried on to this day, but it’s not part of Sutton Council anymore. We do two charity dances a year which are always quite well attended and people seem to like it as they don’t get much chance to dance to a big band any more.”

Bill can occasionally be persuaded to play in what are basically semi-pro big bands, to which he brings a tremendous amount of class and knowledge of how things should be played. He sees his involvement as giving something back to a profession that has been good to him. It can also spring a few surprises and involve him in playing music from the 1920s, the like of which he has never before encountered in his professional career. I remember taking Stan Kenton trombonist Milt Bernhart to the Lord Napier in Thornton Heath, where Bill has occasionally been seen in the lineup, and his comment was “I haven’t heard music of that vintage in over 60 years!”

Bill Geldard with Carl Fontana Eton 1989

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Where Are They Now? Summer 2013

The Trombonist

Reflections on Retirement

by John Iveson

Cumbria, the Lake District, is one of the most beautiful and delightful parts of the country in which to live, and it is to here that my wife Mary and I decided to retire, probably because both being native Lancastrians it felt rather like returning home - this part of South Cumbria was originally part of Lancashire, after all.

If there is a downside, however, it is that Cumbria is something of a cultural backwater, so as well as the dearth of live musical performances of the quality enjoyed in the South East, musical news tends to travel very slowly, particularly news of my erstwhile colleagues in the profession. As a result, news is often very old by the time it reaches me, and sadly the first page I usually turn to in the Musicians Union magazine is the obituaries!

I retired from orchestral playing in 1991, and my decision to retire at the relatively young age of 47 certainly raised a few eyebrows amongst my colleagues. I had, however, made a conscious decision many years previously to retire from playing whilst I was still enjoying it, and before any obvious deterioration in my playing forced my hand. Also, I wanted to allow some time to explore other musical avenues and to see if there was indeed life beyond the trombone. Having begun my career at the tender age of 19 in the BBCSO (I only applied for the job to gain some audition experience!) over the intervening years I had enjoyed a very fulfilling career, covering the whole gamut - symphonic, chamber music with the PJBE, freelance session work, and, after 11 years at the Royal Opera House, decided the time was right to call it a day.

My final Nutcracker at the ROH was perhaps not my finest hour - the period between the matinee and the evening show had been spent saying goodbye to one and all in the time-honoured fashion in the Marquess of Anglesey! Anyway, having recovered from that embarrassment I beat a hasty retreat from London, moving to Wiltshire to take up the post of Head of Wind and Brass at Marlborough College. Teaching has always been close to my heart, having been professor of trombone at the RCM since 1967, and the job at Marlborough gave me valuable experience of teaching school-age students as opposed to undergraduates.

Enjoyable as the work at Marlborough was, nonetheless the experience persuaded

me that this was probably not quite how I wanted to spend what professional years were left to me; I had meanwhile completed the training for the Associated Board (now known as ABRSM) and in 1996 embarked on what proved to be one of the most physically and mentally demanding jobs in music - that of an ABRSM examiner, travelling the length and breadth of the UK and internationally.

Examiners can be based anywhere, so Mary and I now took the opportunity to relocate back home to the North West. I finally retired from this work last year after 16 years in the field, but still continue to write and arrange brass music, and conduct a local brass band - Flookburgh Band. This wonderful group of dedicated amateurs, many of them Morecambe Bay fishermen, have provided me with more enjoyment and satisfaction than I could possibly have imagined - real, committed music making.

Looking back across the years, I have often wondered whether it was necessarily such a good thing to have begun my playing career at such a young age, right at the pinnacle of the London scene. Certainly it was a baptism of fire; within a few months I had dealt with everything the BBCSO repertoire could throw at me, and more!

The personnel list of the BBCSO in 1965 was a ‘who’s who?’ of great musicians who, only a year or two earlier were players whom I had idolised only from the back of record sleeves. Names such as Jack Brymer,

Alfred Flaszinsky, Sydney Sutcliffe, Hugh Maguire and Alan Civil were now officially my colleagues. To sit behind the late, great Alan Civil’s bell on the Festival Hall stage as he took hold of a Mahler symphony by the scruff of the neck and showed it who was boss, was an experience I will never forget; to then share a few pints with him in the pub afterwards was just the icing on the cake! I was also privileged to meet many legendary names from the older generation of trombonists - Sydney Langston, Stanley Brown, George Maxted, Frank Stead, Tony Thorpe, Tony (‘Matey’) Moore, to name a few - gentlemen all, and very generous and welcoming to this young upstart!

So, what do I miss? Definitely the buzz and excitement of the big performance, and that special camaraderie which I am sure is unique to British orchestral musicians and brass players particularly. Certainly I am relieved to be free from that gutwrenching anxiety, which often presaged an important performance, and from which few players are immune - and I was certainly not one of them; my colleagues often remarked on my coolness under pressure and my apparent lack of nerves if only they knew! Certainly, walking the Cumbrian fells with Mary and Specs (the dog) beats worrying all day about the evening’s high ‘A’, but it was great fun nonetheless.

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32

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Slide Rule

Blue Jeans CD: Chris Jeans, accompanied by Virtuosi GUS Band Conductor: John Berryman World of Sound Recordings: CDWOS047 Total Playing Time: approx. 70 mins Chris Jeans has been a trombone player at the forefront of trombone playing for over 30 years, playing in famous bands such as Black Dyke, Grimethorpe, Sun Life, Desford Colliery, YBS and currently with Virtuosi GUS. I cannot think of another player who has produced high quality playing for as long as Chris and he was certainly a player that I would listen to in the early days of my contesting career and someone who I learnt a lot from. I was very excited about this new release from Lord Jeans, which was recorded in partnership with Antoine Courtois; Chris has been a clinician for this trombone manufacturer for many, many years.

Virtuosi GUS Band and conductor John Berryman provide a well-balanced tasteful accompaniment on this album, which contains 17 tracks that all show off Chris’ talents to the full. Known as the ‘man with the golden trombone’, the soloist is very much at ease with the jazz ballad playing, in fact I cannot think of anyone that plays better in this genre in the brass band movement. For instance, Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust, a personal favourite of mine, is played beautifully. Other tracks that work equally well include Morris Albert’s Feelings and Gershwin’s Embraceable You. Howard Snell’s superb arrangement of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square is also featured; this piece has very much become a Chris Jeans’ trademark.

Another favourite of mine, Peter Kneale’s original Blue John, is played here in a way that made me want to revisit this solo for myself.

Then we have Rob Wiffin’s title track: Rob is a trombone player himself and he is very much able to understand the characteristics of Chris Jeans’ playing. Blue Jeans is a chilled slow blues standard played with a refined elegance.

In contrast, the up-beat and highly entertaining Saints’ Hallelujah, is a very clever amalgamation of When the Saints combined with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and gets the disc off to a fine start. I enjoyed listening to everything from Puccini to Don Lusher - all played with a classy authenticity. The only piece not quite working for me, in terms of balance, is the rarely played Temptress for Trombones - well known the world over from the legendary Tutti’s Trombones album of 1970 and played often by Black Dyke’s trombone section when Chris played solo trombone with the group. John Hopkins and Nigel Love, of the Virtuosi GUS trombone section, join Chris to play the fusion of Georgia on my Mind, The Girl from Ipanema and Lulu’s Back in Town in this entertaining romp of a medley.

Gordon Langford’s evocative arrangement of Scarborough Fair is a notable highlight, aided by Andrew Berryman’s subtle counter play.

The CD overall is wonderfully vibrant and a fitting showcase of Chris Jeans’ abundant talent, demonstrating what he does best. Chris is a friend and mentor, and I continue to enjoy listening to a player who is a dominant force in trombone playing throughout the UK and an inspiration to all.

Brett Baker

Girls lead the way - a class act!

It was female trombonists leading the way at the Festival of Brass, held at West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge on 18 February. Top trombone quartet Bones Apart played a vital role in this charity event to raise money for Cancer Research UK, leading a workshop for over 60 players in the afternoon and playing a high-quality set in the first half of this epic musical event organised by Dr. Lisa Jardine-Wright.

Becky Smith, Jayne Murrill, Helen Vollam and Lorna McDonald began their set with a rendition of Jealousy and followed it with the well-loved standard, My Funny Valentine. This showcased the individual talents of these four outstanding musicians, who each took a melodic role in the piece, showing the diversity and range of the trombone to great effect. David Childs, who was the featured soloist for the event, joined Bones Apart for a quintet arrangement of Czardas. The accompaniment was minimalist, but highly proficient and all credit to the girls for keeping up with the constant tempo changes and quirks of the piece on little more than 15 minutes rehearsal time with the soloist.

In complete contrast, Childs went on to play Donegal Bay - a special arrangement of the piece for Childs and Bones Apart by Becky Smith for this event. The sign of a quality accompaniment is how much they compliment a soloist without taking over, and once again, the girls did the business. Childs’ lingering tones floated over the audience, supported by the quality sound of

Bones Apart, making the fact that this was a charity concert all the more poignant. There was barely a dry eye in the house and the performers were visibly affected by this moving piece.

Then two pieces to lift the mood - Variations on Annie Laurie and Stars and Stripes Forever - both pieces requiring maximum concentration and great technical proficiency, which Bones Apart have in bucket loads. Despite the fact that the girls have very different styles of playing, they combine perfectly in their ensemble, sharing out parts equally and making for great variety in tonal quality. A high-quality set from a truly outstanding ensemble.

TUBE followed Bones Apart onto the stage. TUBE - a brass quintet with one female member...on trombone! Sarah Minchin, an accomplished local musician, formed an integral part of this highly proficient quintet made up of Gavin Bowyer and Tim Pannell on trumpet, Paul Ryder on French Horn and Paul Farr on bass. They played an eclectic mix of well-known standards, interspersing their playing with cheeky moments and each taking a share of the limelight.

The rest of the concert was filled with a wide variety of whole band pieces from Haverhill Silver Band and Hadstock Silver Band, interspersed with solo items with David Childs and culminating in a massed band of over 70 musicians playing Lord of the Dance and Pines of Rome.

Caroline Dean

Superbags

Slide SlideRule rule

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

by Richard Edwards For the past 30-odd years, like most of us, I’ve been using gig bags; Rhino in the 80s, ReUnion Blues and Bam, which I still have and use.

About 15 years ago, the airlines were very strict on the size of hand luggage in the cabin, so I started to check-in (or chuck-in?) the trombone into the hold, packed with a towel or two in the hardcase, in addition to my suitcase, and never had a problem with damage to the trombone at all.

Still no damage to any trombone, but I have had damage to my (and London Brass’) pocket recently when checking it in. £40 or €50 depending which way you’re flying, to check in a second bag. Airlines always used to be helpful but apparently they’re really hard up now due to a recession, so they now charge if you put more than one bag in the hold. Noticing other chaps taking their trombones onto the plane in slim solid cases and not being challenged about the size of their hooters, I thought it must be time for change. I immediately called a Mr. William Hodgson at Phil Parkers of Crawford St., London (not far from Baker St. of Holmes and Watson fame).

“Any clues, Hodges old chap, of what sort of giggy-bag hard-case thingy to purchase from your delectable brass emporium?”

“Dick Ed me old cocker! ‘Ow’s it going?” (I should add here that all the staff in Parkers are trained to be bi-lingual due to them being of international standing). Unfortunately, William’s second language is Cockneyese (pronounced Cock’nese), which he’d picked up from years of sampling Brussels sprout vindaloo bagels in Brick Lane in the East End of London. No one can work out what his first language is!

“Not too bad old bean, but in a hurry to get a case that’s solid and not too bulky so I can fit it in the overhead locker thingies on those flying metal tubes with ‘wings’ that make you feel awful and you wake up in a place where they speak German and far better English than us.”

“You lucky old geezer! I loves Paris!”

I thought I’d let that one go.

“Yes, it’s lovely, isn’t it? Have you got any cases, though?”

“I should cocoa me old chi... “ “Hey Will, let’s stop talking like this. Everyone reading this is getting bored now” “Ok Rich. Good idea as I was nearly out of my whole vocabulary.”

Anyway, I’d seen some Spanish cases (unfortunately not the Rioja sort) called Superbags and as Will had some in stock, I took one away and had no trouble getting it in the overhead locker. As they’re actually very sturdy cases, if there was a problem with taking it on board, I would be happy for it to go in the hold if absolutely necessary, though not happy to pay the excess fee again. I can’t guarantee that won’t happen again but it’s a step in the right direction.

These Superbags are very well designed and are light, sturdy and with double shoulder straps are surprisingly comfortable to carry. Inside they are designed to fit in pretty much any make of trombone, as you customise the case yourself with Velcro attached blocks that you can move to your own needs. I also was surprised that I could get four mouthpieces (who laughed?) and all the slide and valve oil in the case as well. It didn’t look as if there was that much room at first.

On the outside there’s a removable side compartment for putting in music etc. My one reservation about the case has to be this compartment. I was on the Underground and I lightly knocked the train door with the case and it came away very easily from the case landing very close to the platform edge. All I would say is not to put anything of huge value in it.

When Chris Mackey asked me to review the case for the BTS I honestly thought he, through Will, was having me on. I thought they’ll be asking next for reviews about mouthpiece brushes, spitballs or perhaps deerstalker hats and meerschaum pipes (now that would be interesting!). What would be next? Moriarty practice mutes?

Baskerville trombone stands? Holmes and Berg mutes?...

I’ve been going to Phil Parker’s since 1971, when it was in Dansey Place in Chinatown, then in Chiltern St. and now in Crawford St., where I’ve always been greeted warmly and very impressed with the general untidiness of the place (it shows that they’re busy... not tidying up!).

It was very sad news to hear of the passing of Phil in 2011 and, more recently, his charming wife Doreen in 2012. I’d known them both since the early 70s and they were lovely people. Their son, Adrian, has run the shop since 1981and the staff, Alec, Hugh, Will, Nick, Geoff and Dave, the brass repairer, are always a pleasure to see. They are also UK distributors for Superbags.

Anyway, that’s about as much as I think I can write about a gig bag. I have to say as I mentioned earlier, though, that the Superbags are excellently made, comfortable to carry and very good value, retailing at £250 for tenor, £265 for bass and £299 for double tenor/alto. I have to sign off now before Will or Chris ask me to inspect a Le(strad)e Bach trombone or a new King 221B (apologies for those last two shocking puns!). Whatever, I think Will owes me a pint of Hoxton Creeper in The Duke of Wellington in Crawford St. (with thanks also to Andy Wood and Martin Evans for the Conan Doyle references!).

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Diary Dates

Diary of Events Items in black are organised by the BTS. Please send in details of upcoming trombone concerts or workshops and we will add them to the Diary (in green).

Friday 21 June: Dennis Rollins in concert with Skelmanthorpe B Band As part of Skelmanthorpe B Band’s Fundraising efforts to attend the National Brass Band Championship Finals in September the band have organised a special concert featuring international jazz and solo trombonist, Dennis Rollins.

The concert starts at 19:30 at Shelley College, Skelmanthorpe HD8 8NL. Dennis Rollins will play alongside the Skelmanthorpe B Band and also the band’s guests, the Shelley College Big Band. Dennis Rollins is kindly appearing by the generous support of Michael Rath Trombones. Tickets are priced at a very reasonable price of £5.00 (£4.00 concessions), available from Tim Stell 01484 868138 or email: bandmanager@ skelmanthorpeband.org.uk Sunday 23 June: Tiddly Trombone Day Registration 9.00am Featuring the BBC NOW trombone section the Welsh National Opera and Brett Baker, and students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Rogiet Primary School, Station Road, Caldicot NP26 3SD Contact Jo Hirst: j.i.hirst@hotmail.com

Tuesday 2 July: Performance of 1,000 Trombones Bristol Cathedral College Green Bristol BS1 5TJ Rehearsal will be at 11.30am Performance in the recital will be 1.30pm Bristol Cathedral. Contact: pastpresident@ britishtrombonesociety.org Saturday 20 July: Callum Au Big Band at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London Saturday 27 July: Callum Au Big Band at Boisdale, Canary Wharf 21-28 July: 14th International Italian Brass Festival This year, Bertinoro, Italy plays host to the 14th International Italian Brass Festival.

Featuring: Ian Bousfield, Daniele Morandini, Vincenzo Paratore For further information, see the International Italian Brass Festival website or e-mail 29 July-3 August: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Brass Summer School This summer the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is holding a week-long summer school, where participants will receive expert tuition and work with musicians including: Professor Ian Bousfield, Professor John Wallace, John Logan, Nigel Boddice MBE This course is aimed at enthusiastic brass players who are interested in developing high-level performance skills in a conservatoire setting or for any student preparing to study music.

Summer 2013 The Trombonist

Sunday 22 September: Wessex BTS Day Registration 9.30am, concert 4pm Featuring Brett Baker (past BTS President) and Kevin Morgan (principal trombone of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) Pimperne Village Hall, Blanford Forum, Dorset, DT11 8UZ Contact: Bruce Harding on 01202 880814 wessex@britishtrombonesociety.org or bruceandinge@btinternet.com Sunday 6 October: East Anglia BTS Day and Annual General Meeting Registration 9.30am Featuring TBA Oundle School, Oundle, Peterborough, PE8 4GH Contact Ben Bouzan: eastanglia@ britishtrombonesociety.org 16 October: Callum Au Big Band at The Two Moors Festival, Exmoor Sunday 9 February 2014: BTS West Midlands Event Registration at 10.30am for 11.00am start through to evening concert at 5.00pm Kindly hosted by Solihull School* Warwick Road, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3DJ *Solihull School is a 25-minute drive from the centre of Birmingham; close to M42 J5 or a 5-minute taxi ride from Solihull Train Station (from Euston and Marylebone).

Brett Baker and Friends CD officially launched The new double CD from Brett has been launched to help raise money for his Trombones for Teens project, to encourage youngsters to learn to play trombone in schools where they cannot afford the instruments. This is a spin off from the highly successful Tiddly Trombone Project spearheaded by Jo Hirst in South Wales, through the British Trombone Society.

Brett commented: “The project has been aimed at schools on the M62 corridor and Gordon Eddison received the first batch of 12 trombones for schools in the Leeds area a few weeks ago from John Packers, and a further four instruments were bought for Lee Rigg and Wardle School this week. I am really grateful for support to get this project off the ground from Michael Rath and John Packer; further instruments will be bought as we sell more CDs. Every time I take part in a solo concert I also take a bucket along to raise some income and this has funded 16 trombones so far.”

Brett has included a number of brand new works on this release from composers and arrangers such as James Stretton, Stan Sulzman, Andrea Price, Jonathan Bates, Ludovic Neurohr, Donald Gibson, Tom Davoren, Richard Rock, Joanna Cambray-Young, Keith Wilkinson, Bill Geldard and Gareth Churcher, who all donated their time to the project. Sheet music of most of the repertoire is now available from Kirklees Music, which also endorsed the scheme.

Artists that played on the double CD include players from Black Dyke such as Alex Gibson, Keith Britcliffe, Joseph Cook, Gary Curtin and Jonathan Bates, whilst trombone players from Reg Vardy, Leyland, Brighouse and Rastrick and Black Dyke bands also feature on the discs. Finally, Brett invited regular performers at BTS events to record solos, such as Kerry Baldwin, Alastair Burrows, Danny Brooks, Stephen Lomas, Jonathan Warburton, Ross Johnson and Ryan Watkins.

Brett continued: “A real thrill for me was to involve not only the senior quartet and White River Brass in the project but also the Black Dyke Youth and Junior Quartets, the standard of which is quite remarkable.”

The double CD should be available from most retailers and from Brett’s website.

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The Classic has long been a favourite of trombone players and is seen in orchestras all over the world.

It is responsive and gives excellent flexibility combined with a rich tone.

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Heritage 5AL mouthpiece:

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Chris Houlding, Professor at the Folkwang Hochschule, Essen, Senior Tutor in Brass at the RNCM, Ex-Principal Trombone, Opera North.

The best-selling Ultra range for euphonium now includes the new X series developed with Steven Mead. It has all the tone and projection of the regular Ultra mouthpieces but with a slightly shallower cup for an improved high register.

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