To coincide with this weekend’s National Brass Band Championship of Great Britain finals at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Edward Gregson Composer’s Edition has published four new pieces from the pen of the composer of this weekend’s testpiece, Of Men and Mountains.
Well – technically three new pieces and one rediscovered one…
A Song for Bram (piano and band)
A Song for Bram, for piano and brass band, is dedicated to the memory of Bramwell Tovey, conductor, composer, pianist and musician of huge talent, who sadly passed away before his time in the summer of 2022.
It was first performed by the composer (piano), with the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, conducted by Russell Gray, at the Royal Northern College Brass Band Festival, on 29 January 2023. This publication is the original version for piano and brass band.
Gregson writes:
In this short piece I’ve tried to imagine what kind of tune Bram would have improvised at the piano, something he frequently engaged in. No doubt it would have been a mixture of bluesy jazz, hymn tune, and love song, and this is how the solo piano takes off. In the middle section of what is a simple ternary structure, I have introduced quotes from two hymn tunes he particularly loved, never having forgotten his Salvation Army roots.
A Song for Bram (brass band only)
A Song for Bram, for brass band, is dedicated to the memory of Bramwell Tovey, conductor, composer, pianist and musician of huge talent, who sadly passed away before his time in the summer of 2022.
This version for brass band (as opposed to the original version for piano and brass band) will receive its premiere by the Fodens Band, conducted by Russell Gray (who also conducted the premiere of the piano and band version), at Regent Hall, London, on 20 October 2023.
Gregson writes:
I composed the original version for piano and brass band but realised that it would not always be possible to have a grand piano available at a brass band concert and so decided to make this arrangement for brass band alone.
Postcard to Grimethorpe
Gregson writes:
I composed the original version of Postcard to Grimethorpe in 1993 at the request of Elgar Howarth, for a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, given by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. This was at a time when after the Grimethorpe Colliery pit closed the future of the band was in severe jeopardy. The concert was given in aid of the band, both through publicity and funding.
Then in late 2022 Jack Stamp, the American composer, conductor and educator, and at that time international composer-in-association with Grimethorpe, contacted me to say that he had discovered my short piece in the band library, and asked if I might extend it for a recording he was sponsoring for the band – the repertoire to consist entirely of music specially composed for Grimethorpe.
This new version also received its premiere at the 2023 RNCM Brass Band Festival, and Features on the Grimethorpe Colliery Band’s CD “Postcards from Grimethorpe” alongside Birtwistle’s iconic Grimethorpe Aria. Unusually for a brass band CD, this featured (and was very positively reviewed) on BBC Radio 3’s Record Review programme on 16 September 2023.
Celebration Fanfare
Celebration Fanfare was specially written for the 50th Anniversary concert of the Port Sunlight Lyceum Band. It was a gift from the composer to his cousin, Ralph Peters, co-founder of the band in 1973.
The premiere of the Fanfare was given at the band’s 50th Anniversary concert on 24 September 2023 at the Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside, UK.
Celebration Fanfare offers an opportunity for lower section and youth bands to add Gregson’s music to their concert repertoire, being easily playable by all grades of bands.
As well as being available online, a limited supply of these works will be available on the World of Brass trade stand at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 21 October.
They will also have copies of Eddie’s Fanfare for a New Era, written originally for brass ensemble and arranged for band for Youth Brass 2000; and Birthday Prelude, a witty fanfare prelude based on “Happy Birthday” originally written for Harry Mortimer’s 80th birthday concert at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester.
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