News - May 2008
Over the last few days, two new works for smaller brass groups have been premiered in Switzerland and Japan. Commissioned by the Swiss National Committee, Manchester Sketches was the set test for the top section of the 2008 National Brass Quartet competition. It is around 8 and a half minutes in length, and in three movements. Each of the movements depicts a different aspect of life in my home city, Manchester.
The second work, Hexagon Grooves, is for brass sextet - 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba - commissioned by Brass Hexagon, a professional Japanese sextet. They gave two performances at the beginning of May in Japan.
March saw performances of two of my concerto's for low brass. Euphonium soloist Thomas Ruedi performed Three Stories - Three Worlds with the Swiss band, Brass Band Burgermusik Luzern, who were conducted by Ludwig Wicki. And my tuba concerto, Episodes and Echoes, has received 2 performances, from two different soloists. Les Neish, who the concerto was written for performed the concerto in Malta, accompanied by the University of Sheffield Wind Orchestra, conducted by Tony Houghton. Paul Dormand, a tuba student at the RNCM, also gave a great rendition of the work, with the University of Manchester. MUWO's conductor, Phil Robinson, also programmed Bang 2 and Hymn for Africa in the same concert, where they were joined by Stockport School Wind Band.
Episodes and Echoes will also be performed at the ITEC in Cincinnati this summer, by the tuba virtuoso, Velvet Brown. Ken Kroesche will be performing Requiem Paraphrases at the same conference, where the work is in the final of the Harvey G. Philips Award for composition.
Curtain Call, Fanfare for a Festival and Apex were all featured as part of Sellers International Youth Band's program for the National Youth Finals, conducted by Mark Bousie. All three works were commissioned by Mark and the band, and their performance gained them a 3rd placing at the contest.
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