British Nationals: Music and line-up
The Music Panel of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain have announced the set tests for the 2016 National Finals on 17/18 September at The Centaur, Cheltenham and on 8 October in London’s Royal Albert Hall.
CHAMPIONSHIP SECTION: Journey of the Lone Wolf by Simon Dobson - published by Faber Music
Commissioned by Dr. Nicholas Childs for Black Dyke Band, the piece was premièred on 26 January 2014 at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, as part of the Royal Northern College of Music Festival of Brass, performed by Black Dyke Band and conducted by Professor Nicholas Childs.
A suite for brass band in three movements, it was subsequently selected as the set work for the Dutch National in 2014 and won the Wind/Brass Category of the British Composer Awards in 2014. ‘The Lone Wolf’ is the Hungarian composer and folklorist, Béla Bartók, and the first of the three linked movements - Peasants’ Song - follows the young Bartók and fellow composer, Zoltan Koldáy, on their adventures through the Balkan Hills cataloguing gypsy and folk music.
Bartók was at times a cold, aloof and lonely man, but his occasional moments of tenderness are portrayed in Night Music. Jazz is the composer, Simon Dobson’s, chosen night music and the second section contains hints
of what Bartók may have heard in the USA later in his life, when he was forced to leave Hungary for America. In the Flight and Fancy finale, the music depicts Bartók’s longing for a simpler time of gypsy folk dances, as well as his development as a composer who explored deeper colours and darker themes.
The bands performing Journey of the Lone Wolf on 8 October in London’s Royal Albert Hall are:
- Aldbourne
- Black Dyke
- Brighouse and Rastrick
- Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
- Co-operative Funeralcare
- Cory
- EYMS
- Fairey
- Flowers
- Foden’s
- Friary Guildford
- Reg Vardy
- Tredegar
- Thoresby Colliery
- Tongwynlais Temperance
- Virtuosi GUS
- Wantage Silver
- Whitburn
- WIngates
- Woodfalls
SECTION 1: Ballet for Band by Joseph Horovitz - published by R. Smith and Co.
Commissioned as the Championship Section test-piece for the 1983 National Championship won by the Cory Band, Ballet for Band is music for an imaginary ballet. The 12-minute piece has since been used as the set work for the Swiss (2006) and New Zealand (2008) Nationals, and was most lately aired at this year’s RNCM Brass Band Festival by Fairey Band to celebrate the composer’s 80th birthday, also this year.
The composer explains: ‘The characters and plot were quite clear in my mind before composing it, but I prefer the audience to exercise its own imagination rather than to be influenced by mine.’
The work is in three main linked sections, the central one being the most lyrical. All the themes are directly or more subtly derived from the opening fanfare motif, also heard at the end.
The following bands will perform Ballet for Band at the Cheltenham National Finals on 17/18 September:
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Aveley and Newham
- Bedworth Brass
- Blidworth Welfare
- Bo'ness and Carriden
- Brunel Brass
- Chapeltown Silver
- City of Cardiff (Melingriffith)
- Ebbw Valley
- Hatfield
- Jackfield (Elcock Reisen)
- Lockwood
- Northfleet Brass
- Oldham
- Rainford
- Ripon City
- St. Dennis
- Tullis Russell Mills
- Vernon Building Society Poynton
SECTION 2: Images for Brass by Stephen Bulla - published by Curnow Music
Written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima - a major battle in which the US Marines eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima, the piece received its première by the brass choir of the US Marine Band at the National Cathedral in Washington DC.
The music is divided into four programmatic sections and there are frequent references to the Marine’s Hymn and the National Anthem. Section 1 - Prologue - establishes the introductory atmosphere and Section II - Approach by Sea - keeps things flowing with a steady pulse in two. The music closes quietly, fading into darkness. Section III - Chorale Prayer - calls for expressive interpretation and the hymn Melita features. The rhythmic figures of the final section - Engagement - call for precision with an abrupt, jarring effect.
The following bands will perform Images for Brass at the Cheltenham National Finals on 17/18 September:
- Boarshurst Silver
- Cawston
- Cheshire Constabulary
- City of Bristol Brass
- Coalburn Silver
- Deiniolen
- Dunaskin Doon
- Dunston Silver
- Glossop Old
- Haydock
- Houghton Brass
- Ibstock Brick Brass
- Marple
- Mossley
- Old Silkstone
- Sidmouth Town
- Stannington
- St. Sebastian Wokingham
- Thomas Coaches Mid Rhondda
SECTION 3: Lake of the Moon by Kevin Houben - published by Scherzando Music
The piece charts the travels of the Aztecs as they headed south through North America, searching for a new home, which ultimately became Mexico City. Inspired by this, Kevin Houben composed Lake of the Moon for a commission by the Royal Fanfare-Brassband, the Kempengalm from Vlimmeren in Belgium.
The composition contains small fragments of Oriental music and South American rhythms, and Russian Cossacks occasionally disturb the public order. The journey from north to south was not without dangers, represented by threatening sounds in the music. In the Adagio divoto, the composer journeys to the Texcoco Lake, which the Aztecs called the Lake of the Moon. The last passage resounds with the joy of Aztecs when their wanderings were finally over and a new civilization could begin.
The following bands will perform Lake of the Moon at the Cheltenham National Finals on 17/18 September:
- Bearpark and Esh
- Blackpool Brass
- Briton Ferry
- Campbeltown Brass
- Chinnor Silver
- City of Chester
- Crofton Silver
- Darwen Brass
- Dronfield Genquip
- Farnworth and Walkden
- J36 Brass
- Melton
- Midsummer Norton and RAdstock Silver
- Old Hall Brass
- Phoenix Brass (Crewkerne)
- Pleasley Colliery Welfare
- Rhyl Silver
- Selkirk Silver
- Stourport-on-Severn
- Tendring Brass
- Valley Brass (Haydock)
- Weston Brass
SECTION 4: Music for Kantara by Kenneth Downie - published by Just Music
Kenneth Downie has provided many large-scale works for Salvation Army bands, but this was his first publication for mainstream bands. Initially written for school bands, the music has much wider appeal than its educational origin.
Nine minutes long, it offers pure music with no programmatic intent and is buy turns vigorous, energetic, contemplative, lyrical and exuberant, during which all sections are challenged, especially rhythmically. Its three movements comprise a light-hearted spiritoso, a short lyrical second movement and an animated presto. Music for Kantara was recorded by Egon Virtuosi Band on its Music for a Joyful Occasion recording (Egon CD 102) and, in addition to being a test-piece, is a medium-length concert work.
The following bands will Music for Kantara at the Cheltenham National Finals on 17/18 September:
- Brass Sounds Inverclyde
- Castleton Brass
- Cheltenham Silver
- Cleobury Mortimer Concert
- Crystal Palace
- Dunfermline Town
- Formby
- Hatherleigh Silver
- Jayess Newbiggin
- Knaresborough Silver
- Lofthouse 2000
- Lydney Town
- Moulton 77
- Newport Borough
- Phoenix
- Rockingham
- Stacksteads
- Syston
- Thornton Cleveleys
- Valley Brass
- Witney Town
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