Click on the links above for BASBWE, CBDNA, WASBE and NBA websites

STOP PRESS: 

1. 2007 BRITISH ACADEMY Composer Award Category for Wind or Brass Band

5th December 2007

It was announced today that the 2007 Award has been made to Edwin Roxburgh for his Oboe Concerto, An Elegy for Ur. This was commissioned by Tim Reynish as part of his series of works in memory of his third son, and was premiered in June 2006 by Melinda Maxwell and the RNCM Wind Ensemble. More information from Tim Reynish. The work is published by Maecenas. Runner up was another commission in the series, Waves and Refrains by David Horne, published by Boosey and Hawkes.

Elegy for Ur (2006) Edwin Roxburgh

Premiere date: June 27, 2006

Venue: Royal Northern College of Music Concert Hall

Ensemble: RNCM Wind Ensemble

Conductor: Timothy Reynish

Duration: c. 14’00“

Ur could be described as the womb of history. It was a civilization which produced ‘works of art so rich and technically so perfect’, as Sir Leonard Woolley described early Mesopotamian art. Modern Iraq inhabits the same soil and for several millennia the country has cared for its invaluable artefacts. As a result of the catastrophic invasion by the USA and the UK this rich heritage was plundered and despoiled in the looting of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.. The earliest surviving musical instrument, the Royal Lyre of Ur, was among the treasures that were either destroyed or stolen. This may not seem as barbaric as the invasion itself, in which thousands of innocent women and children were slaughtered, but it is equally tragic. The world of culture cannot influence the decisions of politicians but it can record a protest for history. Hence, the title of this work

In dedicating An Elegy for Ur to its commissioners, Hilary and Timothy Reynish, in memory of their son, William, I am aware that they share the sorrow which so many of us feel for the victims of conflict in Iraq, together with the country’s artistic treasures.

The music takes the form of flourishing rhapsodies for the solo oboist, separated by rhythmic interludes which feature the main orchestra in virtuosic gestures. There is a metaphorical relationship between the oboist and the subject of the piece in that the soloist presents a somewhat anguished melody in the rhapsodies, whereas the orchestra displays what can only be described as anger about the atrocities of the Iraq invasion. The augmented 4th and minor 6th are displayed in all the linear substance and harmonic structure in characterising the nature of the piece. In the cadenza the soloist creates a commentary on all that has happened musically, leading to a conclusion in which both elements are combined. While the metaphor has been a strong motivating factor in the composition process, the work is essentially an abstract musical conception.

The composer is privileged to have had the work commissioned by Hilary and Timothy Reynish. It is an added privilege to have this première performed by Melinda Maxwell, who is one of our finest oboists. The distinguished service which both she and Tim have given to music is widely respected.

Edwin Roxburgh

Biography (from UMP website)

Edwin Roxburgh was born in 1937 in Liverpool, where he also received his early musical training. He played the oboe in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and won a double scholarship to the Royal College of Music to study composition with Herbert Howells, and oboe with Terence MacDonagh. After continuing his piano studies with Lamar Crowson, he was fortunate to study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence. On returning from Europe, he completed his extensive studies at St. John’s College, Cambridge, as well as studying conducting with George Hurst.

Edwin became principal oboist of the Sadlers Wells Opera, and was appointed to a teaching post at the Royal College of Music (RCM). Highly successful in both these roles, he established himself as a major interpreter of contemporary repertoire, especially as a virtuoso oboist, giving the UK premieres of Berio’s Sequenza VII and Holliger’s Cardiophonie. As well as founding and conducting the 20 th Century Ensemble of London, Edwin established the RCM’s Twentieth Century Ensemble firmly within the college’s Performance Studies arrangements. In collaboration with the late Leon Goossens he wrote the Menuhin Music Guide, The Oboe, now in its fourth edition. Recipient of many prestigious awards, Edwin became a FRCM in 1976.

2. CANFORD SUMMER SCHOOL OF MUSIC CONDUCTING COURSE

You can access information about the BASBWE Canford International conducting course and the Canford Wind Ensemble course by going to the Canford Summer school Website

http://www.canfordsummerschool.co.uk/INDEX1.HTM

TIM REYNISH WEBSITE

HOMEPAGE DECEMBER 2007

From the State University of New York at Fredonia

First many greetings to anyone who browses this site. Once again it is time to wish everyone, albeit for some belatedly, for some rather early, a very happy Diwali, Eid Al-Addha, Hannukah, Yule, Christmas, Parairvana Day, Hogmanay ,Tohji-Taisai, Doing Zhi, Saturnalia or New Year, whether you are on the beach, on the ski slopes or by the fire. Apologies to readers left out.

HAPPY …………….

At this time when the media are full of lists of The Best of 2007 Movies, The Best of 2007 Albums, The Top 100 DVDs, Book of the Year, Play of the Year, Footballer of the Year, Gerbil of the Year, I have compiled a list of wind matters which have impressed me, and will remain with me into 2008 and longer. Below I have stolen a photograph from the oldest wind band in the world as a greetings card to everyone. Click on it for more information on Slovenian music.

NEWS: My webmaster Mike Grieff and his wife Cassie are now proud parents of Rose Louisa.

NEW POSTING: Despite the cares of fatherhood, Mike will be uploading a new revised version of Part 2 of British Wind Music since 1981.

Skalkottas’ Concerto for violin and viola has been edited by George Zacharias of the RAM. Details from gezacharias@gmail.com

A new publishing house, at www.editiondb.com launched by Bob Ashworth of Opera North is on line.

A Jazz Funeral by Christopher Colman of Hong Kong will be published in the New Year by Maecenas

Support the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music Wind Orchestra. For more details write to Christine Kruppa, friends@ncm.birzeit.edu

RECENT PREMIERES

Midnight in Buenos Aires by Adam Gorb, premiered by Harmonie St Caecilia in Blenick, conductor Andreas Van Zoelen. Details from Adam.gorb@btinternet.com

Tango Band by Vicente Moncho, premiered by Bilbao Municipal Symphonic Band October 8, conductor Rafael Sanz-Espert. Details and mp3 file from tito@vicentemoncho.com.ar

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Godbeno društvo rudarjev Idrija (1665 - 2007)

(The oldest wind band in Europe – 342 years)

Click on the picture to find out more about Idrija

INDEX

1. GIG OF THE YEAR

2. SCHOOL BAND WORK OF THE YEAR

3. PROFESSIONAL WORK OF THE YEAR

4. COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

5. CD SET OF THE YEAR

6. PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR

7. WEBSITE OF THE YEAR - click on the photograph

8.PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

9. ESNCM

1. GIG OF THE YEAR - A BRITISHER IN NEW YORK

I am extremely grateful to SUNY Fredonia for employing me to direct the Wind Ensemble and teach courses in Advanced Conducting and Wind Literature. I have learned a lot; Fredonia is a leading school for music education, but the level of performance is surprisingly high, considering the work load, and we were able to tackle two exacting programmes which emerged from my personal criteria for choosing music – EMIT - music which provides Emotional, Musical, Intellectual and Technical challenges. At the start, I asked every student to list their top five orchestral works, five wind works, five chamber works, five operas and so on, and they very reasonably asked me to do the same. I guess the answer is whatever I am working on at the time, and I have been lucky enough to conduct some fine performances of some of my favorite literature, especially two outstanding works by two of New York’s leading composers, David Del Tredici and Richard Danielpour. My extremely talented assistant Shun Yi conducted the Daniel Basford and Buxton Orr. In addition to my work at the University, I was able to work with the NYSSMA area Honors Band of 120, two especially fine school bands, and before the Mid-West I shall give a repertoire clinic at United states Military Academy at West Point and conduct the two ensembles at Hartt School of Music.

So in the words of the immortal song, these are some of my favorite things. One of the outstanding new works of 2007 is the moving Passacaglia by Timothy Jackson. A finely controlled five minute work of tremendous power and intensity, words I would also use to describe the very different works of David Del Tredici and Richard Danielpour.

Highlights of the fall included hearing a great Mahler 2 by the Cleveland, a piano recital by Richard Goode, a Tuba recital by Edwin Diefes which included a stunning performance of Tim Souster’s Heavy Reductions based on the opening of Das Rheingold, King Lear at Stratford Ontario, Bobby Adams’ magnificent 102 piece band playing like a string quartet, and conducting a very exciting Dances from Crete with the magnificent Grand Island HS, and the chance to introduce to New York band directors the music of my old friend and best man, Guy Woolfenden, through a performance of Gallimaufry with the 120 strong NYSSMA Senior High Area All-State Band, as well of course as conducting my friends and colleagues at Fredonia in two very taxing programmes. Lowlight is experiencing the bitter winds sweeping in from the Great Lakes – time to get back to UK!

Index

2. SCHOOL BAND WORK OF THE YEAR - PASSACAGLIA by Timothy Jackson

It is difficult to find a masterpiece at about Grade ¾ level, but I have no hesitation in claiming this to be one. I first heard this work in its original version as the finale of a Symphony for 32 Horns. I immediately approached Tim Jackson and proposed that he rescored it for wind ensemble. The result is a simple yet moving work of great power, and he has kindly allowed me to include it in my series in memory of my third son William. Published by Maecenas, it is a wonderful addition to the repertoire, an original work with the serenity and power of Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium. The US premiere was given at SUNY Fredonia on October 18th.

Passacaglia Tim Jackson

Born 1972

Originally the final movement of the composer’s Symphony for 32 Horns, commissioned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the British Horn Society, premiered at the Guildhall 22 October 2005. This extensively reworked version was commissioned in 2006 by Hilary and Timothy Reynish in memory of their son William

Tim Jackson writes:

There is no specific programme to this piece except that it was originally conceived as the finale of a symphony for 32 horns, and it was Tim Reynish – himself a distinguished former professional horn player of course – who suggested that I rework it for symphonic winds.

One of the great strengths of the original line up, particularly in this movement, is the ensemble’s capacity to create a really homogeneous sound, and as I considered the new version I had it in mind to exploit this feature. I hope the result is something band directors will enjoy using to work on the blending of sound and balance within the wind ensemble. It’s also a sound world which particularly suits the passacaglia form, with its uninterrupted flow and development of ideas, the continuous unfolding variations and expansion of material over an ever-present, underlying motif (the motif here is heard initially on unison clarinets and bassoons underpinned by bass drum strokes). Like most passacaglias, the pulse is steady, and it begins in a rather solemn, contemplative mood. As the work progresses though the spirit is transformed, with more rapid musical figures increasingly emerging contrapuntally from the texture to bring it (I hope!) to a triumphantly positive conclusion.

If you only buy only one work in December, buy this.

Index

3. PROFESSIONAL WORK OF THE YEAR

IMAGE IN STONE STEPHEN MCNEFF

Some time ago I discussed with Stephen McNeff the possibility of his writing a song cycle in memory of my third son William. The result was a moving four movement cycle for mezzo soprano and wind ensemble. The poem which gives the cycle its title is from a Greek gravestone, the other three are by John Donne, Christina Rosetti and Walt Whitman. Much of McNeff’s work is in opera and music theatre, and he brings to the wind ensemble an ability to write wonderfully lyrical, passionate music, neo-romantic without compromising his place in contemporary music.

Index

4. COMPOSER OF THE YEAR LUIS SERRANO ALARCÓN

Frank de Vuyst of Piles sent CDs and scores of some of the most imaginative music I have heard for wind band. The outstanding work was a tone poem Marco Polo which made fascinating use of ethnic instruments in its tracing of the voyages of the great explorer. Another highly recommended work is Concert Tango. You will find more information in the May-June Homepage or by going to the relevant websites . Other Works for Band:

El Torico de la Cuerda (pasodoble)

La Calle Mayor (pasodoble)

Memorias de un hombre de ciudad

Concertango, for Alto sax, jazz trio and symphonic band

De Tiempo y Quimera 

Index

5. CD SET OF THE YEAR WASBE 2007 IN KILLARNEY

Once again Mark Morette and his team at Mark Custom have produced an invaluable record of the WASBE 2007 Conference in Killarney.

In my review of the Conference, I wrote:

This was a conference not to be missed! Kenneth Hesketh wrote: I only witnessed a small part of it but there was a serious mindedness about it that reminded me that the medium and those involved seem to be leading the genre to places where it can be taken very seriously and along side all the other forms of performing arts, which has got to be a good thing.

As a very distinguished American colleague put it: I hadn't attended a WASBE conference in twenty years and now, based on the Killarney experience, I'm back in the fold! What great hosts and what an interesting collection of experiences. The perfect complement to everything else that I regularly do.

I personally don’t need WASBE, but I am addicted, and every so often a performance, a premiere, a clinic, a class, changes my life and renews my passion for music, not just for wind music, but for music as an art, as a calling and vocation. The performance of Shostakovich on Thursday evening alone justified the existence of WASBE, and all those thousands of dollars spent on subscriptions, travel, hotels and tickets in the past twenty six years. In fact, of some eighty works in fourteen concerts, several were relatively unknown to me and were works which I would certainly programme next season if I had a group to conduct. Out of these, my top ten “must play” works are the very beautiful Concerto for Cor Anglais, the fine Temples by Waespi, Guy Woolfenden’s charming Divertimento, the extraordinary Shostakovich and my own commissions or publications, Image in Stone, Omaggio, Morning Music, Resonance, Versuche and Vranjanka. I think that the following are well worth exploring also.

This was certainly one of the best conferences I have attended, and it is sheer luxury to have all of these works on record. As an added bonus, the DVD of the Shostakovich will be available soon. Make a date with WASBE in Cincinnati in 2009.

Index

6. PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR - STORMWORKS

Two of my favorite Hungarian works have been published by Stormworks this Autumn, classics by Kamillo Lendvay and the late Gyorgy Ranki. Lendvay has for many years been a keen supporter of WASBE, and his Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Orchestra, premiered in Manchester in 1991, was featured in Killarney by the Irish youth Wind Ensemble with Mark O’Keefe as soloist, a worthy companion to the Concertino for Piano and Wind Ensemble, now published. Ranki was brought to my attention by Laszlo Marosi who conducted his very funny Tales from Father Goose at a BASBWE Conference. Subsequently he invited me to conduct this with the Hungarian Army Wind Band; Ranki, aged over ninety, came to our final rehearsal straight from a plane from Beijing, and was indefatigable at rehearsal. I then began to perform his Suite from King Pomade, and our performance with the RNCM was one of the last pieces of music that he heard before his death. A recording is available from Mark Custom records, 6733-MCD.

October 2007

New compositions for Symphonic Band!

STORMWORKS® EUROPE Publishers........ WWW.STORMWORKS-EUROPE.COM

BC 314 Concertino for Piano, Winds, Percussion & Harp Kamillo Lendvay

Grade 6 € 190,00

Concertino for Piano, Winds, Percussion and Harp.

The young Lendvay composed this Concertino in 1959, for commission of the Hungarian Radio. Beyond the regular woodwind and brass instruments of the symphonic orchestra, the composer applies harp and several percussions, therefore this orchestration contains opportunities for special sounds and colours.

The first ”Allegretto” movement has a gay, dancing character, and offers fine opportunities for the soloist. The gaiety, however, is overshadowed by the wind’s surging, dissonant effects. A widely rising, lyrical melody unfolds in the first part of the slow, “Adagio cantabile” movement. The music grows more and more intense, then returns to the tranquillity of its beginnings, leading to the movement’s poetic end. The overwhelming joyful finale, “Allegro furioso” relieves the heavy atmosphere of the previous movement. Throbbing rhythm and dancing motifs reach climax after climax, culminating in an exalted crescendo.

Ever since its conception, this Concertino has enjoyed a worldwide success.

It was performed many times in concert halls and international festival and was recorded both on LP’s and CDs.

Grade 5/6 Duration: ca. 11 min. Remarks: no Saxophone and Euphonium parts in score

BC 309 The King Pomade Suite No 2 Gyorgi Ránki Grade 6 € 190,00

1. In the Market

2. Little Court Music

3. Scandal in the Palace

György Ránki has written music of many kinds. His most successful piece however was an opera, King Pomádé’s New Clothes. This piece was first performed at the Budapest Opera House in 1953. Ránki was able to shape the music of this opera in two suites making use of simple forms. The musical means are noted for their colourful entertaining and occasional trivial character. One might say that György Ránki has no prejudices whatever as regards the musical material. The rhythm and tune fullness of the Hungarian folksong and the jazz of the twenties, a Rossini – like repetition of motifs, and romantically colourful dances all appear within those two suites which were written in 1954.The opening and closing movement of the 2nd Suite remind of wall paintings. The music employs the technique of variations, in a manner derived from Rossini’s comic opera’s, not dynamically but a steady dramatic temperature, statically, truly pictorially. The second movement is more refined and elegant in it’s character. The musical idiom of the 2nd Suite contains grotesque and sarcastic features with display Ránki’s personality in the most original aspects of his talent.

Grade 5/6 Duration: ca. 12 min. Remarks: Score is written for large Wind Orchestra

Index

7. WEBSITE OF THE YEAR - UI BANDS LIBRARY

Resource Index:

01 Publishers/Distributors

02 General Music Reference and Publisher Lists

03 Band Organizations and Band-Related Sites

04 Program Notes Resources

05 Selected Wind Band Composers

06 U.S. Copyright Reference

07 Selected Professional/Community Bands

08 Selected College/University Bands

09 Selected Band Jobs Resources

10 International Music Information, Centers, etc.

11 Music Rights Societies

12 Selected Band Music Equipment

13 Selected Music Software

14 Selected Band Repertoire Lists

15 Selected Band/Music Libraries

16 Selected Band Camps and Workshops

17 Selected Tour Companies and Festivals

Please contact Lucinda Lawrence if one of these links is no longer valid. This page was originally compiled in 1998 by Lucinda Lawrence, and she has maintained it continuously since then. Edits are made on an ongoing basis; the most recent annual review and update was completed 1/5/2007.

Index

8. PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR NANSET WIND ENSEMBLE

THE PRIEST AND HIS SERVANT BALDA by SHOSTAKOVICH

Lucinda Lawrence

I wrote: Thursday was in fact one of those days where instead of being at WASBE we might have been at Salzburg, or Edinburgh, or any of the great music festivals. The NYWEofGB is probably one of the best wind groups in the world, and while Chethams Chamber Choir did not quite have the measure of the Ball, musically it was great to sit in the cool cavernous acoustic of Killarney Cathedral and listen to great music. The evening concert alone made the trip to Killarney worthwhile, a charming realization of the film music by Shostakovich to a story by Pushkin, using every possible theatrical device. This was creativity of the highest order, edited, devised and brilliantly conducted by Odd Terje Lysebo who is one of the most inspirational and inventive figures in world wind music. The result was an evening of the highest professional entertainment which could grace any festival world wide. I suspect that we were so taken up with the animated film, the fine singers and the huge grotesque puppets that many of us never noticed the sheer professionalism of the wind group.

The CD of this is available from Mark Custom Records, 7220-MCD

Index

9. THAT HOLIDAY CARD

Six years ago, when we were planning the 2003 WASBE Conference in Sweden, the first band to apply was Delavska Godba Trbovlje from Slovenia, then celebrating their 100th birthday. Sadly, they were unable to finance the trip, but already they had proposed some interesting Slovenian repertoire. I was led to remember our negotiations when browsing through a website of Rok Sinkovec, a tuba player who was a member of the International Youth Wind Orchestra in Killarney. His site is full of information on the Slovenian scene, and a reminder of what WASBE achieves in bringing us all together. The conductor of GODBENO DRUŠTVO RUDARJEV – IDRIJA is Domen Prezelj, a fine conductor who studied with us at Canford Summer School some time ago. Put your browser on this link and press CTRL for a report on Canford 2007. Information on 2008, August 3 – 10, will be out soon.

From Rok Sinkovec Great quote from maestro Markson...

"Forget about the paper in front of you! You don't need it. The Music... the Music will tell you what she needs. All that black stuff on the page on your stand there- that's her cage. Watch me! We'll set her free.... start at 5..." -Gerhard Markson (International Youth Wind Orchestra)

10. ESNCM

Finally a thought from Ramallah. A former Scottish student, Heather Burseh, now Deputy Director of Academic Affairs at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, wrote an email some time ago that had to be cut short as she was off to play the Fauré Requiem. I remember years ago hearing the same work played by the Israel Philharmonic in Jerusalem. With so much in common between the warring factions in that beautiful country, let us hope for a lasting peace, in the Middle East and throughout the world. Below are some details of an appeal to help the orchestras of the ESNCM.

Let’s be friends…

Becoming a Friend of the Palestine Orchestras is an exceptional opportunity for you to help a new generation of young Palestinian musicians to fulfill their dreams. The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) is bringing young Palestinians together and enabling young musicians and their audiences to take pride in themselves and in Palestine through excellence in musical performance.

Share our vision…

The ESNCM in Palestine currently runs four youth orchestras: 

• The Jerusalem Children’s Orchestra 

• The ESNCM Orchestra

• The ESNCM Wind Orchestra

• The Palestine Youth Orchestra (PYO)

The Jerusalem Children’s Orchestra, the ESNCM Orchestra and the ESNCM Wind Orchestra are designed for students as well as guest musicians and teachers. The orchestras meet weekly or biweekly with students from all the different Palestinian cities making the risky journey across Israeli military checkpoints to get to rehearsals. They also attend regular supplementary weekend residential camps and concerts.

The PYO is a unique ensemble which brings together Palestinians from all over Palestine and the Diaspora to create a national youth orchestra of outstanding musicians. Intensive summer workshops are held every year in a host country. Although under the current situation of occupation most Palestinians outside Palestine are forbidden to enter Palestine, our unvarying hope is to perform a concert in the city of Jerusalem by the Summer of 2008.

In 2007 we organized an exciting summer program, which took place in Germany. The PYO joined with the Collegium Musicum Orchestra of the University of Bonn for a week of intensive rehearsals in August, followed by a major concert in Berlin and several smaller events. We were delighted to perform Dvorak’s sublime 5th Symphony and three works by Palestinian composers: Oriental Sketches by Salvador Arnita, and Manfa and Longa to Marcel by Issa Boulos.

For further details please send an email to Christine Kruppa friends@ncm.birzeit.edu

Index