NYBBGB Easter 2022
The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain recently enjoyed a very successful Easter course at Harrogate Ladies College. The band was led on this occasion by the Norwegian conductor Irene Anda with guest soloist Grethe Tonheim.
The course repertoire inspired by gender and ethnicity included works by William Grant Still - ‘In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy’, Paul Saggers’ - 'In Many Lands: The Adventures of Mrs Seacole’ and Louise Trewartha - 'Flight’. There were also the more familiar major test-pieces of Gilbert Vinter and Peter Graham on offer in addition to a selection of solo works for trombone including ‘The Eternal Quest’ and ‘Icicles’.
In addition to the guidance and care of the dedicated team of NYBB pastoral staff, led by Operational Manager Richard Milton, the band members were musically inspired by a first class team of tutors including; Mark Wilkinson, Anna Hughes-Williams (cornets), Owen Farr (horns and flugels), Brett Baker and Grethe Tonheim (trombones), David Thornton (baritones and euphoniums), Les Neish (tubas) and Andrea Price (percussion).
Following an action packed week that included an ‘inspire’ session, in which women who had achieved success in a range of professions shared their experiences and challenges, a visit from Olivier Mauny, conductor of Brass Band Méditerranée and professor at the Antibes Conservatoire, who had been invited to spend three days observing the course, a successful Open Day, an informal concert given by NYBB alumni and the much loved Katie Ogden solo competition, the course concluded with a fantastic concert in Huddersfield Town Hall.
A smaller band of 35 NYBB members will perform Martin Green’s ‘Split the Air’ today (Saturday 23rd April) at Coventry Cathedral under the guidance Dr Robert Childs the Director of Artistic Planning. The whole band will meet again as part of the 2022 European Brass Band Festival on 28th April when the NYBB joins the Band of the Royal Marines in Birmingham Town Hall.
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