Program No. 85 - Month of Christmas Music (The Big One)

Tonight is the culmination of our month of Christmas Music as we present a three hour Extravaganza of Christmas music across a whole range of brass genres, from brass bands and ensembles, to some fantastic solo work, jazz, big band, soul and crossover music.

Here is the play list, in order:

1. Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)
    - Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band (Stan Kenton Christmas Album -2006)

2. A Traditional Christmas
   - 13 Etoiles (Santa Claus is Coming to Town)

3. A Christmas Fantasia
   - Virtuosi GUS Band (Christmas Fantasia - 2012)

4. Carol of the Bells
   - Intrada Brass of Oakville (That Holiday Feeling - 2008)

5. Three Kings' Swing
   - Swiss Army Brass Band - Andreas Spörri (Best Of Swiss Army Brass Band - 2006)

6. Silent Night
  - Yorkshire Building Society Band with Trombone Chris Jeans (Simple Gifts - 2003)

7. Do They Know It's Christmas?
   - Grimethorpe Colliery RJB Band & Major Peter Parkes (White Christmas With Grimethorpe - 1997)

8. Do You Hear What I Hear?
9. O Magnum Mysterium
   - Tower Brass of Chicago (A Christmas Celebration - 2000)

10. Gaudete Christus Natus Est
11. Coventry Carol
   - Fine Arts Brass Ensemble (Brass Christmas - 1997)

12. O Come All Ye Faithful
   - London Brass (Christmas With London Brass - 1990)

13. White Christmas
   - Carl Lenthe, Joseph Alessi, M. Dee Stewert & Mark Lawrence (Trombones Under the Tree - 1991)

14. Snofnugg (Snowflakes)
15. O Holy Night
   - Oystein Baadsvik; Torodd Wigum: Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Cantus Chamber Choir (Snowflakes - A Classical Christmas - 2011)

16. O Little Town of Bethlehem
   - Chris Botti (December - 2002)

17.  O Christmas Tree
   - Wynton Marsalis (Christmas Jazz Jam - 2009)

18. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
19. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)
   - The After Hours Brass (Music & Mistletoe - 2012)

20. Good King Wencelas
21. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
   - Glenn Miller Orchestra (In The Christmas Mood II - 1993)

22. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
23. Away In A Manger
   - James Morrison Big Band (This Is Christmas - 1993)

24. The Twelve Days of Christmas
    - Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band (Stan Kenton Christmas Album -2006)

25. Christmas In Heaven
   - Monty Python (Monty Python Sings - 1989)

26. Another Christmas Song
   - Stephen Colbert (A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! - 2008)

27. Stop The Cavalry
   - Jona Lewie (The All Time Greatest Christmas Songs - 1981)

28. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
29. Frosty the Snowman (feat. The Puppini Sisters)
   - Michael Bublé (December - 2012)

30. (It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus
   - Harry Connick, Jr. (When My Heart Finds Christmas - 1993)

31. Silver Bells
   - Harry Connick, Jr. (Harry For the Holidays - 2003)

32. We Three Kings
   - Harry Connick, Jr. (What a Night! A Christmas Album - 2008)

33. Joy to the World
34. Jingle Bells
   - The Tom Kubis Big Band (A Jazz Musician's Christmas - 2002)

35. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
36. Deck the Halls
   - Mannheim Steamroller (Christmas Symphony - 2012)

37. Hallelujah!
   - Quincy Jones, Mervyn Waren, Michael O. Jackson, Various Artists (Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration -1992)

It's a big one. Lots of great music. I hope you enjoy it.

Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope you have a happy, safe and meaningful New Year in 2014.

I am looking forward to having a week off, but will be back in the new year - in a new format, bigger and better.

I look forward to your company then.

Program No. 84 - Month of Christmas Music (Big Bands)

Continuing on in this month of Christmas music, and week 3 sees us venturing into Big Band Christmas music. This genre is much maligned, probably due it being overused in supermarket and shopping centre play lists.  However tonight is a good opportunity to sit back and fully appreciate the skill shown as traditional Christmas tunes are given a big band makeover.

Program List (in no particular order):

What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
Adeste Fideles
Motown Jingle Bells
   - Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band (Stan Kenton Christmas Carols - 2006)

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Winter Wonderland
   - Tony Bennett (A Swingin' Christmas - 2008)

Joy To The World
O Holy Night
God Rest Ye Merry Trombones
   - The Tom Kubis Big Band (A Jazz Musician's Christmas - 2002)

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
   - James Morrison Big Band (This Is Christmas - 1993)

Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
   - Lionel Hampton Orchestra (The Big Band Swing Christmas - 2008)

Another Christmas Song
   - Stephen Colbert (A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! - 2008)

Good Christian Men Rejoice
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Carol Of The Bells
   - The Cool Yule All-Stars (Big Band Christmas Volumes 1 and 2 - 2001)

Little Drummer Boy
   - Jack Livingston Big Band (Big Band Christmas -2007)

What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin')?
   - Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang (The Big Band Swing Christmas - 2008)

White Christmas (duet with Shania Twain)
Frosty The Snowman (featuring the Puppini Sisters)
  - Michael Bublé (Christmas - 2012)

Christmas Night In Harlem
   - Benny Carter Orchestra (The Big Band Swing Christmas - 2008)

The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Silent Night
   - Glenn Miller Orchestra (In The Christmas Mood I - 1988 and II - 1993)

Silver Bells
   - Harry Connick Jr. (Harry For The Holidays - 2003)

(It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus
   - Harry Connick Jr. (When My Heart Finds Christmas - 1993)

We Three Kings
   - Harry Connick Jr. (What A Night! A Christmas Album - 2008)

Next week, a special 3 hour Christmas Extravaganza, starting 1/2 hour early at 6:30pm.

Program No. 83 - Month of Christmas Music (Brass Soloists)

In this second week of the month of Christmas music we will look at a number of brass soloists, in different genres - with their renditions of famous Christmas works.

Don't forgot the delayed start to my show tonight, as the radio station will be broadcasting live the Carols by Candlelight event in the Kinglake Ranges. Estimated start time about 8:00pm (AEST).

Program for tonight:

1. Mary's Boy Child
2. We Three Kings
3. Joy to The World
   - James Morrison (James Morrison - Christmas 2007)

4. Away In a Manger
   - James Morrison (This is Christmas 1993)

5. What Child is This (Greensleeves)
   - James Morrison (Three's Company 2010)

6. White Christmas
   - Carl Lenthe, Joseph Alessi, M. Dee Stewert & Mark Lawrence (Trombones Under the Tree 1991)

7. Jingle Bells
8. Good King Wenceslas
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
   - Wynton Marsalis (Christmas Jazz Jam 2009)

10. Frosty the Snowman
   - Toby Bannon with Yorkshire Building Society Band (Simple Gifts 2003)

11. The Christmas Song
12. First Noel
13. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
14. Silent Night
15. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
16. O Little Town of Bethlehem
17. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
   - Chris Botti (December 2002)

18. Snofnugg (Snowflakes)
19. Ding Dong Merrily on High
20. God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
21. O Holy Night
22. O Come All Ye Faithful
   - Øystein Baadsvik (Snowflakes - A Classical Christmas 2011)

Next week we venture into the world of Big Band Christmas Tunes.

Program No. 82 - Month of Christmas Music (Brass Bands and Ensembles)

My family is very big on Christmas music. So much so that December is declared the month of Christmas music. I have carried this through to Brass Monkeys, and just like last year, the next four shows will be dedicated to Christmas music.

In this, the first week, we will focus on Christmas music performed by Brass bands and Brass ensembles.

The list of pieces are not in playing order:

1. Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah 
     - Black Dyke Mills Band (Best of Brass - 1997)

2. Carol of the Bells
3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
4. We Three Kings of Brubeck Are
5. Little Drummer Boy
     - Boston Brass (Christmas Bells are Swinging - 2005)

6. Happy Christmas (War is Over)
     - Brass Band De Wâldsang & Rieks van der Velde (A Touch of Christmas Classics - 2011)

7. Here We Come A-Wassailing
8. I Saw Three Ships
     - Canadian Brass (A Canadian Brass Christmas - 1985)

9. Christmas Medley: White Christmas, Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
10. Sinfonia from the Christmas Oratorio BWV: 248
     - Fine Arts Brass Ensemble (Brass Christmas - 1997)

11. Do They Know It's Christmas?
     - Grimethorpe Colliery RJB Band & Major Peter Parkes (White Christmas With Grimethorpe - 1997)

12. O Come All Ye Faithful
13. Ding Dong Merrily on High
14. Away in a Manger
     - London Brass (Christmas With London Brass - 1990)

15. Suite of Mediaeval Carols
16. Wassail Song
     - Solid Brass (Christmas With Solid Brass - 1988)

17. Stop The Cavalry
     - Thoresby RJB Band (Schneewalzer - 2000)

18. Joy to the World
19. O Magnum Mysterium
20. What Child is This?
21 The First Noel
22. Angels We Have Heard on High
23. O Holy Night
24. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
25. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
     - Tower Brass of Chicago (A Christmas Celebration - 2000)

26. Silver Bells 
      - True North Brass (A True North Christmas - 1998)

27. Gaudete
28. Silent Night
29. Frosty the Snowman
30. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
     - Yorkshire Building Society Band (Simple Gifts - 2003)

Next week's show will be starting an hour later than normal, at 8:00pm, due to the broadcast from the station of the Kinglake Ranges Carols by Candlelight.

Next week we will be focusing on Brass Soloists, such as Chris Botti, Oystein Baadsvik and James Morrison, amongst others, as they bring their own flavour to Christmas Classics.

Program No. 81 - Mnozil Brass

  

Tonight we will be featuring the music of one of most entertaining brass ensembles in the world at the moment, Mnozil Brass, from Austria. The group is currently in Australia, and in fact they are performing at the Hamer Hall, in Melbourne, tonight.

Mnozil Brass were formed back in 1993, and were named after the pub they originally performed in, in Vienna, Austria. All the founding members had attended the Vienna College of Music. There have been a few changes to the line up over the years, but currently there are seven members. Thomas Gansch and Robert Rother on trumpets, Leonhard Paul on Bass Trumpet and Trombone, Gerhard Füßl on Trombone and Wilfried Brandstötter on Tuba are all founding members that still are part of the group today. They are joined by Roman Rindberger, on trumpet, who joined in 2004 and Zoltan Kiss, on trombone, who joined in 2005.

1. Bist Tappert Franz
2. Seven on a String
3. Django
   - Ragazzi

4. Tubamuckl
5. Sternenwalzer
   - Dasselbe in grün (2000)

6. Encontro Marcado
7. Gymnopädie
8. Es wird scho glei Umtata
   - Zimt (2000)

9. Tom & Jerry
10. I Got You
11. Frater Septimus Crux None
   - Wenn der Kaiser grooved (1998)

12. Jagerner Jubelmarsch
13. Harte Hasen
14. Dussere
   - Almrausch (2011)

15. The Green Hornet Theme
16. You've Got a Friend
17. Hungarian Schnapsodie
18. Frater Septimus
   - What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life (2007)

19. Tell- Overture
20. It Don't Mean A Thing
21. My Way
   - Smoke Live

22. Did You Kill My Wife
   - Sherlock Homes: Game of Shadows Soundtrack (2011)

23. Finale

Next week sees us kick off the month of Christmas Music with Christmas Music peformed by Brass Bands and Brass Ensembles.

 

Program No. 80 - Miles Davis

Miles Davis was a trumpet player, band leader and composer that was considered by many to be one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.  He, and his groups, were at the forefront of many of the developments in jazz, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, and jazz fusion.

During his career he recorded over 80 albums, not including the many compilations, bootlegs and soundtracks produced over this period.  Tonight's show will look only at a selection of studio albums recorded in the early part of his career, from 1951 to 1967.  The sheer volume of work available means that we will have at least another 3 or 4 programs looking at his works, in the coming months.

1. Out Of The Blue - Blue Period (1951)
2. Denial - Dig (1951)
3. Blue 'N Boogie  - Walkin' (1954)
4. New Rhumba - Miles Ahead (1957)
5. Billy Boy - Milestones (1958)
6. Bess, You Is My Woman Now - Porgy and Bess (1958)
7. All Blues - Kind of Blue (1959)
8. Some Day My Prince Will Come - Some Day My Prince Will Come (1961)
9. Seven Steps to Heaven - Seven Steps to Heaven (1963)
10. Agitation - E.S.P. (1965)
11. Freedom Jazz Dance - Miles Smiles (1966)
12. Hand Jive - Nefertiti (1967)
13. Prince of Darkness - Sorcerer (1967)

Next week, in celebration of the return of one of my favourite brass ensembles to Australian shores, we look at the best of Mnozil Brass.

Program No. 79 - Horse Movies

In honour of the "Race that Stops A Nation", and the best reason for a public holiday (i.e. The Melbourne Cup and Cup Day, next Tuesday), tonight's program will feature music from movies about horses.

1. Phar Lap Hero To A Nation
    - Phar Lap (Bruce Rowland)
We start with probably the best movie made about the Melbourne Cup, about one of the famous race horses of all time. A New Zealand one. Phar Lap was released in 1983 and stars Tom Burlinson as Tommy Woodcock, strapper for Phar Lap. The music was composed by Bruce Rowland, as part of his quadrilogy of scores for horse movies (more on that later).

2. Opening Titles
3. A Day in Damien's Life
4. Bali Bombing/Jason's Accident
5. I Know What You Mean
6. Damien Wins the Cup
    - The Cup (Bruce Rowland)
The Cup was released in 2011, making this the most recently released Australian movie featured on tonight's show. The movie follows the trials and tribulations of jockey Damien Oliver (played by Stephen Curry) in the lead up to the 2002 Melbourne Cup. This movie was the last movie that legendary Australian actor Bill Hunter performed in, before passing away in late 2011.

The music was composed by Bruce Rowland (the final of the quadrilogy) and is disappointing only for the extensive use of synthesised instrumentation, and most notably of the brass instruments. One can only imagine that a full orchestra may have been dispensed with due to budgetary reasons, which is a pity as the score, and therefore the movie, would have been so much better with proper instruments.

7. Main Title
8. The Derby
9. A Nice Ride
   - Seabiscuit (Randy Newman)
In the 1930's Australia had Phar Lap and the USA had Seabiscuit. The movie Seabiscuit was released in 2003 and starred Toby Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Elizabeth Banks.

Randy Newman scored the music for the movie. He is possibly better known for his collaboration with Pixar Studios, having provided the music for 7 of their movies.

10. Main Title
11. The Race Begins
12. The Final Three
     - Hidalgo (James Newton Howard)
Hidalgo was released in 2004 and is the story of  a deadly desert horse race in Arabia, in the 1890s. It stars Viggo Mortensen (better known for his role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy).

James Newton Howard is one of the movie industry's most prolific and most successful composers. We must feature him on a show in the future.

13. Theme From The Black Stallion
14. Flash Back & Winner's Circle
15. The Ride
     - The Black Stallion (Carmine Coppola)
The Black Stallion is one of the older movies on today's show and was released in 1979. The movie is based on a novel published in 1941 by Walter Farley.

Carmine Coppola did not have an extensive career as a movie scorer and is probably better know for being the father of director Francis Ford Coppola.

16. The Charge And Capture
17. The Desertion
18. The Homecoming
      - War Horse (John Williams)
 War Horse was released at the end of 2011 and was directed by Stephen Spielberg. It is the story of a horse used in the First World War in Europe.  John Williams received an Academy Award nomination for his score in this movie.

19. Main Title
20. Mountain Theme
21. Jessica's Theme
22. The Chase
23. Jim Brings In The Brumbies
      - The Man From Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Man From Snowy River is the story taken from Banjo Patterson's poem of the same name. It starred Tom Burlinson in the title role, and has come to be seen as an iconic Australian Film. This is probably Bruce Rowland's best, and best known, movie score. The movie was released originally in 1982.

24. The Man From Snowy River II
25. Eureka Creek
26. Back To The Mountains
27. Closing Credits
      - The Man From Snowy River II (Bruce Rowland)
Also known as The Return To Snowy River, this sequel was released in 1988, and featured all the original cast, with the exception of Kirk Douglas, who had played the role of Harrison in the original movie, being replaced by Brian Dennehy.

Bruce Rowland's music for the movie utilised all the themes created in the first movie, and extended upon. I think the production values of the this score are better than the original movie music.

28. Finale (William Tell Overture)
      - Hans Zimmer (with apologies to Rossini)
Whilst technically not a horse movie, I was convinced that this needed to be included in the show after watching The Lone Ranger with my two boys on Friday night. The Lone Ranger actually features three main characters, The Lone Ranger, Tonto and Silver (a horse).

The particular track from the soundtrack heavily references the original Lone Ranger Theme, was actually the William Tell Overture, by Rossini.

A fun show tonight.

Next week, we look at the blues trumpeter Miles Davis.

Program No. 78 - 2013 European Brass Band Championships

Last week we played music from the 2012 European Brass Band Championships. Tonight we look at this year's Championships, held in Oslo, Norway on 3rd May 2013.

Of the 11 bands that played at the 2012 Championships, 6 bands - Cory Band (Wales), Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag (Norway), Brass Band Schoonhoven (Netherlands), Black Dyke Band (England), Brass Band Oberosterreich (Austria) and Lyngby-Taarbaek Brass Band (Denmark) have returned in 2013.

They have been joined by Brass Band Buizingen (Belgium), Windcorp Brass Band (Sweden), Brass Band Fribourg (Switzerland), Paris Brass Band (France) and Leyland Band (England).

The contest was won by Cory Band on countback (Cory scored more point in the Test Piece) after it and Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag both scored 191 in aggregate. Black Dyke Band came third on 186.

As per last week, all recordings on tonight's show have come from the officially released CDs of the event.

1. When Thunder Calls (Black Dyke Band)
We will be opening and closing the show tonight with music from the Gala Concert, held as a finale to the Championships. This first number is composed by Paul Lovatt-Cooper and performed by Black Dyke Band, with Robert Childs as conductor.

2. Myth Forest (Cory Band)
Myth Forest is composed by Norwegian composer Stig Nordhagen and is about a pond near the composer's home, called Hestefallstjonn. The work is split into various sections:

1. Sunburst: The sun rises and rays of light shatter the morning mist
2. Bugs and Birds: Insects, small and large, come to life; birds are seeking water
3. Black Water Abyss: The black and abysmal water holds many secrets
4. Water Lilies: Water lilies are rising from the murky water, stretching for light
5. Echo from the Other Side: The echo does not always send back the answer you want
6. The Creatures of the Forest are Dancing Into the Night

Cory's performance was the winning one of the Championships. They are conducted by Philip Harper.

3. Extreme Makeover (Brass Band Oberosterreich)
This major work was composed by Johan de Meij in 2004. It has been used a Test Piece in the 2005 European Band Championships, as well as the 2010 Australian National Band Championships in Hobart. The work is based on Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1 - the second movement.

The performance by Brass Band Oberosterreich - with Hans Gansch as conductor, earned the band 89 points, which was ninth in the Own Choice Section.

4. Fragile Oasis (Leyland Band)
This work was commissioned by Leyland Band specifically for this Championships, and was composed by Peter Meechan. The work is based on observations from the International Space Station by American astronaut Ron Garan.

Michael Bach conducted Leyland Band. This performance was scored at 93, or fifth in the Own Choice Section.

5.  When Worlds Collide  (Brass Band Buizingen)
 The work was composed by Nigel Clarke and is a homage to the bizarre 1950s sci-fi B Grade movies. Reading from a 4barsrest review, the work has an alternate title - Little Green Men in Intergalactic Spaceships with Rayguns and Phasers.

Brass Band Buizingen was conducted by Luc Vertommen. This performance received a score of 95, making it third in the Own Choice Section.

6. Spiriti (Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag)
The publisher describes this work as follows:

A Bach chorale stands at the centre of this work (Für deinen Thron tret´ ich hiermit).
Anton Bruckner was one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s great admirers. His work is full of the spirit of that musical genius. For Thomas Doss, it was Bruckner’s spirit that always seemed to be with him while working on Spiriti. Bruckner’s spirit is captured in this composition by a quote from the chorale of his Fifth Symphony at the end of the piece.

The introduction, written in the style of a funeral march, already displays the first fragments of the chorale. Like splinters they are strewn throughout the first Allegro, combining and recombining in turbulent, powerful tutti passages. As the music becomes more rambunctious, the Bach-like fragments begin to swirl around each other, only to be scattered once more.

The middle-section is of a more pensive nature. The Religioso character gives the audience time to reflect. The music is meditative and the quarter-note (or crotchet) elements mimic a soul that is yearning and crying out.

The third part of the piece finally leads, by way of minimalist elements and the fragments mentioned earlier, to a magnificent presentation of the Bach chorale. As the church bells ring out, one can almost hear the great masters presiding at the organ.

Eikanger-Bjorsvik Musikklag was conducted by Australian David King, and this performance earned the band first place in the Own Choice Section.

7. Finale from Symphony No. 3 - Organ (Massed Bands)
We close tonight's program with a massed bands performance of this famous work by Saint-Saens, and arranged by Willby.  It was performed at the Gala Concert and conducted by Dr Nicholas Childs.

I hope you enjoyed our two part program on the 2012 and 2013 European Brass Band Championships.

We'll be looking at something completely different next week, as in honour of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 5th November, we feature movie music about horses and horse racing.

See you then.

Program No. 77 - 2012 European Brass Band Championships

The first European Brass Band Championships were held in the Royal Albert Hall, in London, in 1978. In the early years it lacked a sense of legitimacy and gravitas, and it wasn't until 1983, where the Championships left London to be hosted by various cities around continental Europe, did it develop into the premier contest that it now is.

Bands from UK have tended to dominate the Championships title over the years,  with Cory Band winning 5 times, Black Dyke 12 times, and Yorkshire Building Society Band 8 times, over its 37 year history.

The contest consists of two major works, a set test piece and an own choice. The points awarded are out of a maximum of 100 per work and the winner is decided on aggregate.

The 2012 Championships were held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where 11 bands competed. The winning band was Black Dyke, under the baton of Dr Nicholas Childs.A full list of the results can be found here.

All recordings played on the show tonight have come from the official recordings of the championships.

1. Vita Aeterna Variations (Black Dyke Band)
We start the show with the test piece for the championships. Vita Aeterna Variations, composed by Alexander Comitas.  This piece was commissioned by the European Brass Band Association especially for the Championships. The title is in Latin and its English translation is "Eternal Life". It's structured as a Theme and Variations and runs for about 19 minutes.

Black Dyke came first in the Test Piece, with a score of 98.

2.  Within Blue Empires (Brass Band Oberosterreich)
Brass Band Oberosterreich, conducted by Hannes Buchegger,  play this wonderful test piece by Paul-Lovatt-Cooper. The Blue Empires is a reference to oceans, as essentially this is music about whales, including recordings of whales midway through the piece. It is interesting to note that this piece was judged last in the Own Choice section, with a score of 88, indicating the quality of the bands participating at this level.

3. Vienna Nights (Lyngby-Taarbaek Brass Band)
Philip Wilby pieces were popular as Own Choice works, with Revelation, Masquerade and Vienna Nights played. I have chosen Vienna Nights, a take on the works of Mozart. This piece was used as the Test Piece in the 2011 Australian Brass Band Championships in Adelaide.

The Lyngby-Taarbaek Brass Band is conducted by Selmer Simonsen. The points awarded to this performance was 89.

4. 31342 Feet (Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan)
This work was composed by Ludovic Neurohr and was written for this band for the Swiss National Championships in 2011. I cannot definitely work out what the title actually refers to, and the only additional information I can find is that the piece is "Willy Wonker inspired".

The Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan was under the baton of Jean-Francois Bobillier, and received 95 points for their performance.

5. Audivi Media Nocte (Brass Band Schoonhoven)
This piece, by Oliver Waespi, was played by two bands at the Championships. Whilst critics seem divided about which band played this better, the judged awarded Brass Band Schoonhoven 99 points, to win the Own Choice section.

This piece was originally commissioned for the Swiss Brass Band Association for the 2011 European Brass Band Championships.

Google Translate has translated the title to mean I Heard at Midnight, and the piece was originally inspired by a motet by 16th Century composer Thomas Tallis sung primarily on All Saints Day.

Erik Janssen conducted Brass Band Schoonhoven.  The near perfect score it received for this work could only get it to third place, after scoring 91 in the Test Piece.

Next week, we will go straight on to the 2013 European Brass Band Championships, held in Oslo, Norway.

Program No. 76 - Steven Mead

Steven Mead is Mr. Euphonium.

It's really hard to say any more about him. What he hasn't achieved with this instrument isn't worth achieving.

Our play list tonight can only scratch the surface of his many recordings and performances.

1. Fly Me To The Moon
2. Scarborough Fair
    - Euphonium Magic (2006)

3. The Simpsons
4. Take Five
5. Finale of 5th Symphony (by Beethoven)
   - Euphonium Magic Vol 2 (2006)

6. Canzon XVII
7. Funk Theory
   - Euphonium Magic Vol 3: Earth Voices (2009)

8. The Dance of the Goblins
   - Fandango (2011) - with Tomoko Sawano on piano

9. The Holy Well
10. Slavische Fantasie
11. Locomotion
   - Locomotion (2006)

12.  Pavane
   - Croatian Euphonic Brass (2010)  - with Brass and Percussion of the Croatian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra

13. Gypsy Airs (Pablo Sarasate)
14. Nessun Dorma (Puccini)
15. Rondo (Claude T. Smith)
   - Steven Mead: Rondo (1990) - with Rigid Containers Group Brass Band

16. Hungarian Melodies
17. Valse Scherzo Op. 34
   - Audacious (2009) - with Tomoko Sawano on piano

18.  The Amazing Mr. Arban (Jean Baptiste Arban/arr. Gurtner)
   - Mead IN(N) - Brass (2001) - With Sound Inn Brass

On next week's show we listen to music performed at the 2012 and 2013 (Updated) European Brass Band Championships.

Program No. 75 - Richard Wagner

2013 sees the 200 anniversary of the birth of Wilhelm Richard Wagner, legendary German composer best known for his operas, including the group of 4 operas known collectively as Der Ring des Nibelungen, or The Ring of the Nibelung, or more simply The Ring Cycle. With it being performed in Melbourne later this year, together with a whole swag of Wagner shows being around the world this year, it is only fair that we get in on the act as well.

1. Overture to The Flying Dutchman (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Vernon Handley) 
We start we the Overture to an opera composed by Wagner and premiered in 1843. I tried to find a summary of the storyline of this opera. I think this is the best of the ones I could find.

The recording is from Wagner: The Ride of the Valkyries, Overtures.

2. Prelude to "Tristan and Isolade" (The London Horn Sound)
We turn next to a work composed between 1857 and 1859 yet not premiered until 1865. Wagner didn't actually view this is an opera, instead as a drama. The work is based on a romance by Gottfried von Strassburg titled Tristan, in the early 13th century.

This arrangement is played entirely by French Horns and comes from a 1999 CD titled The London Horn Sound.

3. Tannhauser: Overture (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Vernon Handley)
This next overture is from the opera composed in 1845, and is based on the 13th century poet, Tannhauser. The story centres on the struggle between sacred and profane love, and redemption through love, a theme that is familiar in a lot of Wagner's work.

This is again from, the Wagner: The Ride of the Valkyries, Overtures.

4. Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), Entry of the Gods into Valhalla (Berliner Philharmoniker)
We now move on to the first of the operas in The Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold. This opera was completed sometime in 1854, but was not premiered until September 1869. What is it about? Best to look here.

This excerpt comes from the 1996 CD Wagner: Orchestral Works.

5. Wagner: Die Walkure - Ride Of The Valkyries (Daniel Barenboim: Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
The Ride of the Valkyries has to be one of the most generally recognised operatic pieces of all time. From the second of the operas in The Ring Cycle, The Valkyrie, it was composed in 1856, and premiered in 1870.

This piece has been adopted as a standard "classical" piece for use in movies, including (and most famously in) Apocalypse Now, as well as The Blues Brothers and The Return of the Pink Panther.

The recording is from Simply the Best Classical Anthems [Disc 1]

6. Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Funeral March (Sir Adrian Boult & London Philharmonic Orchestra)
We skip the third opera (titled Siegfried) and move on to the final opera Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods). This opera received its premiere in 1876. Siegfried's Funeral March is from the final act and is often used as a standalone concert work.

This piece is from the 2010 CD Essential Wagner.

7. Rienzi: Overture (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Vernon Handley)
Rienzi was one of Wagner's earlier operas, having been completed in 1840. It was premiered in 1842 and was considered to be Wagner's first success.

The Overture for this opera is again from the CD Wagner: The Ride of the Valkyries, Overtures.

8. Lohengrin, Act I: Entrance of the King (Solid Brass)
9. Lohengrin, Act III: Vorspiel (German Brass)
10. Lohengrin, Act III: Reitermärsche (German Brass)
11. Procession to the Minster (Organ Philip Wilby) (Black Dyke Band)
Lohengrin first premiered in 1850.  I have avoided the Bridal Chorus and instead have chosen these four excerpts. The Entrance of the King is from Solid Brass's  1988 album Wagner, Verdi, Mozart, Bizet & Purcell: Opera Highlights Arranged for Brass and Percussion.

The Act III excerpts are performed by German Brass on their 2013 CD Celebrating Wagner.

The Procession to the Minster comes from Black Dyke's 1996 CD Cathedral Brass is arranged by Howard Snell.

12. What's Opera Doc?
I finish tonight's show with a Looney Tunes cartoon based on a mash up of Wagner operas starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. This was produced in 1957 and is considered to be the finest cartoon ever produced.

The Wagner excerpts include:

• The overture from The Flying Dutchman — opening storm scene
• Siegfried's horn call from Siegfried — "O mighty warrior of great fighting stock"
• The overture and "Pilgrims’ Chorus" from Tannhäuser — "O Bwünnhilde, you'w so wuvwy," "Return my love," and the closing scene
• The overture from Rienzi— as Elmer is chasing Bugs.
• The Bacchanal from Tannhäuser — ballet scene between Elmer and Bugs

The cartoon cost about 6 times as much to produce as any other contemporary cartoon, and was the first cartoon considered to be deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Congress Library in 1992.

A fine way to finish tonight's program.

Next week we listen to the recordings of one of the top Euphonium players in the world at the moment, Steven Mead.

Program No. 74 - Trombone Shorty

Troy Andrews, AKA Trombone Shorty, is a trombone and trumpet player from New Orleans, USA. Born in 1986 he has been playing the trombone since he was six years old. Here is a clip of him playing 2nd Line, at age 13.

The music of Trombone Shorty spans many genres, from jazz to rock, funk and hip hop. Since 2009 he has been touring with his own band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

The Play List for tonight:
1. Quiet as Kept
2. Neph
3. Suburbia
4. In the 6th
5. One Night Only (The March)
6. Something Beautiful (with Lenny Kravitz)
   - from Backatown (2010)

7. Back In Black
8. When the Saints
  - from Trombone Shorty: Live At Jazz Fest 2007

9. Need a Woman by Friday (King, with Trombone Shorty)(Single) (2013)

10. Buckjump (with The Rebirth Brass Band & 5th Ward Weebie)
11. Do to Me (with Jeff Beck)
12. The Craziest Thing
13. Mrs Orleans (with Kid Rock)
14. Nervis (with Cyril and Ivan Neville)
15. Big 12
16. UNC
17. Then There Was You (with Ledisi)
   - from For True (2011)

18. Set Yourself Free
19. American Woman
20. Do Watch Wanna
  - from Live at 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

21. Long Weekend
22. Shortyville
23. Say That To Say This
24. Dream On
   - from Say That To Say This (2013)

Mixing it up, next week, we look at a composer that really loved brass instruments, Richard Wagner.

Program No. 73 - Dragons

This week is a Dragon potpourri, with special guest presenter, my youngest son, Ben. Ben really likes dragons, so I thought this would be a fun theme for tonight's show. We're looking at movie theme that involve dragons, as well as some brass band pieces with dragons in the titles.

This will be a relatively brief summary, as I have been away for a week and will only be home this afternoon.

1. This is Berk
2. Ready the Ships
3. Counter Attack
4. Where's Hiccup?
5. Coming Back Around
  - from How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
This CGI kids movie was released by Dreamworks Animation, which has also released the Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and Madagascar movies. The movie is actually based on a series of books written by Cressida Cowell.

The music was composed by John Powell. This may not be a name familiar to many, but the movies that he has provided scores for will be well know to you. They include kids films such as Shrek, Chicken Run, Happy Feet and Kung Fu Panda (this last one in collaboration with Hans Zimmer) as well as adult movies such as The Jason Bourne movies and X Men: The Last Stand.

John Powell was nominated for an Academy Award for this score, but lost out to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their work on Social Network.

6. Eragon
7. Battle for Varden
  - from Eragon (2006)
This movie was also based on a book series, this one penned by author Christopher Paolini. This starred Ed Speelers as Aragon, and the cast included both Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich.

The music was composed by Patrick Doyle. Other movies he has scored for include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Nim's Island, Thor and Brave.

8. Hero
9. The Dragon Scroll
10. Dragon Warrior is Amongst Us
11. Dragon Warrior Rises
  - from Kung Fu Panda (2008)
This is one of my favourite animated movies and, as mentioned, above come from Dreamworks Animation. The music is a collaboration between John Powell, and one of the absolute masters in movie scoring, Hans Zimmer.

12. Finale
  - from Dragonheart (1996)
Not a very well known movie, but with a huge ensemble cast, including Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery (as the voice of Draco, the dragon), David Thewlis, Julie Christie, Peter Postletwhaite, Jason Isaacs and John Gielgud.

The music is scored by Randy Edelman, who has scored well over 40 movies.

13. Summon the Dragon - Black Dyke Band
Written by Pater Graham as a Fanfare and Prelude for the National Youth Band of Wales, this was recorded by Black Dyke Band for their 2002 album, Call of the Cossacks.

 14. The Year of the Dragon - Britannia Building Society Band
This is one of Philip Sparke's earlier major works for brass band, and still played in most contests as an "Own Choice" work by or two bands. This was recorded by the Britannia Building Society Band for their 1992 album, The Year of the Dragon.

15. Dragons Arise - Williams Fairey Engineering Band
This brass band pieces as composed by Philip Wilby and was recorded by the Williams Fairey Engineering Band on their 1997 album, Jazz.

Day of the Dragon
16. Overture - Hunting the Hare
17. Lullaby - Suo Gan
18. Welsh Clog Dance (Little Tinker Boy)
19. Ballad - By Kell's Waters
20. Triumph - Men of Harlech
  - Buy As You View Band
This major concert work was written by Peter Graham and is a joint commission from the Buy as You View Band and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales. The five movements are based on traditional Welsh Folk Songs and feature solos for cornet, trombone, horn, flugel, euphonium. This was recorded by the band for their 2004 Album Day of the Dragon.

Well, both brass band and movie music in this week's show.

Next week, something totally different as we play music from American trombone player, Trombone Shorty.

Program No. 72 - Canadian Brass

Canadian Brass is probably one of the most well known brass quintets in the world. The group started out in 1970, founded by Charles Daellenbach (tuba player) and Gene Watts (trombone). The quintet has released over a hundred albums and have toured throughout the world since then.

Of the five original players Daellenbach is the only player still playing with the group. During the last 43 years there have been 7 french horn players, 3 trombonists (Watts having only retired from the group in 2010) and 11 different trumpet players performing as part of the quintet.

The current members are Daellenbach on tuba, Caleb Hudson and Chris Coletti on trumpets, Eric Reed on French horn and Achilles Liarmakopolous on trombone.

Tonight's show will only feature music from a few of the albums. We only have a couple of hours!

1. Tuba Tiger Rag
2. The Saints' Hallelujah
3. Canzone Prima a 5 -1
4. La Virgen de la Macarena
5. Il Barbiere di Siviglia: No 2 Cavatina: "Largo al Factitum"
   - The Essential Canadian Brass (1991)

6. Reiche: Fanfare - Clarke: Prince Of Denmark's March
7. Cable: Boyce Suite
8. Scheidt: Galliard Battaglia
   - High, Bright, Light & Clear (1983)

9. Glory Look Away
   - Basin Street (1987)

10. Over There - You're a Grand Old Flag
11. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
12. Shenandoah
   - Stars & Stripes (2011)

13. Magnificat
14. In Ecclesiis
15. Jubilato Deo
   (Performed with Berlin Philharmonic Brass)
   -  Brass in Berlin (1984)

16. Kanon
17. Madrigal
18. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
   - Go For Baroque (1995)

19. The Entertainer
20. The Joust
21. Bourbon Street Medley: I. Just a Closer Walk with Thee. II. Tin Roof Blues. III. Muskrat Ramble
   - The Canadian Brass: Encore (1994)

Next week's show - A potpourri as we look at music of dragons. Brass bands, movie music and elsewhere. It should be fun.

Program No. 71 - Brass Players In Movies

Only truncated program notes, as I was distracted yesterday because of the 2013 Australian Federal Election.

This program is a repeat of Program No. 6 from last year, but I thought it was a reasonable good show, and well worth another go.

The theme of this show is to look at brass players on the Screen, both in movies, with a couple on the smaller screen as well.

1. Three Little Bops (1957)
We start with a Looney Tunes cartoon, featuring the three little pigs in a jazz combo and the big bad wolf trying to join their group, as a trumpet player.

2. The Five Pennies Saints
3. Battle Hymn of The Republic
4. Medley: College Montage/Washington and Lee Swing/Runnin' Wild/Follow the Leader
   - The Five Pennies (1959)
This movie starred Danny Kaye. It is the story of "Red" Nichols, a cornet player who moves to New York in the 1920s and finds work in a band. Also features Louis Armstrong.

5. Peter Gunn Theme
6. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
7. Sweet Home Chicago
   - The Blues Brothers (1980)
Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, this cult comedy is the story of Jake and Elwood Blues reforming their band to raise funds for the Catholic orphanage where they grew up.

8. St Louis Blues March
9. Little Brown Jug
   - The Glenn Miller Story (1954)
The is a biographical movie of trombonist and band leader Glenn Miller. It stars James Stewart in the title role

10. Tubby the Tuba (1947)
We return to animation with a story of Tubby the Tuba Player and his need to play a melody.

11. Mambo Caliente
12. Sunny Ray
13. Tango Rumba-Afro-Cubana
   - The Mambo Kings (1992)
This movie stars Armande Assante and Antonio Banderas as brothers who left Cuba for America in the 1950's hoping to reach the heights of the Latin music scene.

14. In The Midnight Hour
15. Try a Little Tenderness
   - The Commitments (1991)
This UK movie was about the forming of an Irish Soul Band.

16. Ya Got Trouble
17. Seventy-Six Trombones
   - The Music Man (1962)
 The movie was about a conman who comes to a Midwestern town in the US to scam them, using a boys marching band, but things don;t go according to plan.

18. En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
19. Danny Boy
20. We'll Find a Way
21. William Tell Overture
   - Brassed Off (1996)
This UK movie featured a great ensemble cast including Ewan McGregor, Tara Fitzgerald, and Peter Postlethwaite,and  is about a brass band located in a town that is suffering from the closure of their local coal mine, in the 1980s.

Next week's show we'll play music performed by one of the world's best known brass quintet's Candian Brass.

Program No. 70 - Chris Botti

Trumpet player, composer, Grammy Award winner. Christopher Stephen Botti is all of these.

Born in Oregon, USA, in 1962, he started playing the trumpet at age 9. He became "committed" to the trumpet when he was 12 years old, after hearing Miles Davis play My Funny Valentine.

He left Indiana University during his senior year for short touring gigs with Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich.

In 1990 he began a decade long music relationship with artist Paul Simon (more on this later).

His solo career has included the release of  10 studio albums and 2 live albums, with a number of other albums that he has either produced, or performed as part of a group.

1. Call Me Al
 (Concert in the Park - 1991)
We begin the show tonight with a track from Paul Simon's live alum Concert in The Park. Botti's 10 year relationship with Simon included both touring and recording with him. This album was recorded after the release of Rhythm of the Saints in 1990, as the Park referred to in the title was Central Park in New York. Just under 100,000 people attended that concert.

2.Worlds Outside
3. Fade to Day
  (First Wish - 1995)
This was the debut album by Botti, released by Verve Forecast Records in February 1995. 9 of the 10 tracks were composed by him.

4. Drive Time
5. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (with Sting)
  (Slowing Down the World - 1999)
This was Botti's third album and was released by GRP Records. Most of the pieces were composed by Botti, however In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning was actually composed in 1955 by David Mann, and featured as the title track of Frank Sinatra's 1955 album In The Wee Small Hours.

6. Hallelujah
  (December - 2002)
Most performers seem to release a Christmas album at some stage in their careers and Botti is no exception, with this fifth album, December. All of the tracks are standard Christmas fare, except for this track, Hallelujah, which was written by Leonard Cohen. I think it must have been included on this album as some sort of ironic statement on the whole Christmas album genre. This album made it to number 4 on the US Jazz Charts.

7. Indian Summer
8. She Comes From Somewhere
  (A Thousand Kisses Deep - 2003)
Studio album number 6 is also the third album with Columbia Records. Indian Summer was written by Mark Goldenberg and She Comes From Somewhere is written by Botti, together with Ciancia, Benji Hughes and Steve Lindsey. This was the third album in a row to make it to number 4 on the US Jazz Charts.

9. In Our Time
10. Dreams
  (At This Time - 2004)
Burt Bacharach is one of the true legends of American music, with 73 top 40 hits in the US, stretching from the late 1950s for over 30 years.

In 2004 (aged 76) Bacharach released At This Time, featuring a number of artists playing together with Bacharach. In addition to these two tracks by Botti, other notable artists included Elvis Costello and Rufus Wainwright. This album won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2006.

11. Italia (with Andrea Bocelli)
12. Gabriel's Oboe - Theme from The Mission
13. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (with Dean Martin)
14. Nessun Dorma - from Turandot
  (Italia - 2007)
This was studio album number 9 for Botti, and this album sought to focus on Botti's Italian roots. This album made it to number one on the US Jazz Charts and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Italia, which features the singing of Andrea Bocelli, was co written by Botti and David Foster.

Gabriel's Oboe was written by Ennio Morricone for the 1986 film The Mission.

I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face was a song that featured in the 1956 musical My Fair Lady. Dean Martin  recorded his version in 1960 for his album This Time I'm Swinging which was remastered as a duet with Botti.

Nessun Dorma is one of the most famous tenor arias in all opera and was composed by Puccini for his opera Turandot in 1924.

15. If I Ever Lose My Faith In You (with Sting and Dominic Miller)
16. Time to Say Goodbye
  (Chris Botti - 2009)
This was Botti's second solo live album, and was released in 2009 through Decca Music Group. This album went platinum in the US and diamond in Poland, and was nominated for the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

If I Ever Lose My Faith In You was originally composed by Sting in 1993.

Time to Say Goodbye (or Con te Partiro) was written by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto. This is best known as a duet sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, recorded in 1996.

17. Tango Suite (with Herbie Hancock)
18. En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
19. What a Wonderful World (with Mark Knopler)
  (Impressions - 2012)
This is the latest studio album to have been released by Botti, in 2012. This album also made it to number 1 in the Billboard Jazz Chart, and was awarded the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Tango Suite was co-written by Botti and Herbie Hancock, and features Hancock on piano with a duet of sorts with Botti.

En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor was originally composed by Joaquin Rodrigo as a guitar concerto in 1939.

We finish our show with a piece made famous by another trumpet playing legend, Louis Armstrong. It was composed by Bob Thiele and George Weiss in 1967 and had proved to be a successful song for Armstrong. It had a resurgence in chart success when it was re-released as a single in 1988 due to its use in the movie Good Morning Vietnam. Botti performs this as a duet with Mark Knopfler, of Dire Straits fame.

I hope you enjoyed this show. A different tempo to the last few shows we have programmed. I enjoy Chris Botti's playing, and I am sure there be at least a couple of more shows programmed featuring his music.

Next week we go back to the movies with a show originally aired last year, where we look at movies that feature brass playing. We'll be including Brassed Off, The Blues Brothers, The Glenn Miller Story, Mambo Kings, and more.

Program No. 69 - George Lloyd

George Lloyd would not be considered one of the most prolific composer of music for brass bands, nor did he solely concentrate on brass band music. His brass works, though, are considered part of the standard repertoire of brass band contesting works, and have been since his first brass band composition in the mid 1980's.

Born in Cornwall in 1913, Lloyd was brought up in a very musical family with his father an accomplished flautist and his mother able to play violin, viola and piano.  He started composing music when he as 9 years old, with serious study of composition when he was 14.

Over his musical career he penned no less than 12 symphonies, 7 concertos, and a variety of other works for voice, piano, orchestra, and of course brass bands.

Lloyd wasn't just a composer, though. During the second World War Lloyd joined the Royal Marines, as a cornet player in their band. During one voyage in 1942, as a result of tragic accident, the ship he was on (the HMS Trinidad) torpedoed itself, and many lives were lost in that incident. Lloyd himself was hospitalised for a number of years with what would now be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He eventually recovered and was discharged in 1946.

Until 1972 he owned and operated a market garden where he grew mushrooms and carnations. During this time he continued composing, mostly before work started. After he sold his business he spent his remainder years composing a large number of his works, including all his brass band pieces. He passed away in 1998, aged 85.

1. H.M.S. Trinidad March (John Foster Black Dyke Mills Band)
We begin tonight with a march composed by Lloyd in 1941 for the ship he sailed on, H.M.S. Trinidad. This, together with a number of other works on the show, comes from a 1991 album released by the John Foster Black Dyke Mills Band, with David King as conductor, called Lloyd: English Heritage.

2. Symphony No. 10 'November Journeys' (Cory Band)

'When the BBC told me they would like me to write a piece for the Northern Brass Ensemble it so happened that about that time I was taking advantage of some cheap rail fares to visit various cathedrals I had never seen before. As I journeyed around the country I kept on thinking of sounds for the brass and these sounds became mixed up with the magnificent buildings I was seeing ; this led me eventually to write on the score ‘Impressions and reflections whilst travelling to visit some cathedrals’. There is nothing very ecclesiastic about the music except for the second movement, which is rather like a carol. I was able to have any combination of instruments I chose, so in order to achieve flexibility together with soft and bright sounds, I scored the work for 1 Piccolo Trumpet, 3 B Flat Trumpets, 1 Flugelhorn, 3 Horns, 3 Trombones, 1 Euphonium, 1 Tuba.’           George Lloyd (30 March 1981) 

This work was subsequently transcribed for Brass Band by Luc Vertommen. It is being performed here by Cory Band, with Dr. Robert Childs as conductor, from their 2008 album, Actaeon.

3. Royal Parks (John Foster Black Dyke Mills Band)
This was the first of the main works written for brass band by Lloyd (1984), actually written for the 1985 European Band Championships in Copenhagen. This piece is in 3 movements. The following description is from a distinguished brass band conductor here in Melbourne.

•  Dawn Flights - military bandsmen are heading to a band performance in Regents Park. The "dawn flights" are the actual flights to this gig.

• In Memoriam - The IRA bombed the bandstand on 20th July 1982, killing seven soldiers and injuring 24 others during a concert by the band of the Royal Green Jackets. The bandstand is sometimes called the "Memorial Bandstand" in memory of the dead soldiers. Lloyd actually lived nearby and heard the explosion.

• Holidays - After this horrific event, the rest of the band are told to take some time off. This movement depicts the members attempting to take a holiday, but with the events of that day never far from their mind.

This performance is again from the album Lloyd: English Heritage.

4. Diversions on a Bass Theme (Oslofjord Brass)
The story goes that apparently complaints were made to Lloyd because Royal Parks was considered to be too easy for brass bands contests at the highest level. Lloyd thought to himself "I'll show them" and 2 years later Diversions on a Bass Theme was finished. Whether or not this is true is not that important, however it is true that this piece is a huge contrast to Royal Parks. The Bass Theme not only refers to the Bass end of the band, but also to the company that sponsored the work, Bass Brewery.

This performance is by Oslfjord Brass, from the 1997 Norwegian Brass Band Championships.

5. English Heritage (Black Dyke Band)

"The piece was commissioned by Michael Walker for the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England – hence its title ‘English Heritage’ and was first performed jointly by Black Dyke and Grimethorpe Colliery, conducted by Geoffrey Brand at a Kenwood Lakeside Concert on 2nd July 1988 in the presence of the composer. Two years later it was chosen as the set work for the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall, where the then CWS (Glasgow) Band conducted by John Hudson took the title." 4barsrest.com

This performance is by Black Dyke Band, from the 2010 Regional Contests.

6. Evening Song (John Foster Black Dyke Mills Band)
Interestingly, most reviews of Lloyd's brass band works seem to fail to mention this piece. But it is in a definitive list of works by Lloyd found here. It's also on the album Lloyd: English Heritage that we have already heard from. There isn't much else I can add, except for the fact that it was composed in 1991.

7. King's Messenger (Cory Band)
Cory Band were recently in Australia, and performed this piece in the concerts out here. This was Lloyd's final composition for brass band having composed it in 1993, aged 80. This piece is also why this program wasn't heard originally as intended a fortnight ago. The album that this is on, Words and Music, by Cory Band with Philip Harper as conductor, was only released just over a week ago.

I hope you enjoyed tonight's look at brass works by George Lloyd.

We've spent a fair bit of time over the last month or so listening to brass band music. We'll move away from that as next week's show will feature music performed by American trumpeter, Chris Botti.

Program No. 68 - 2013 Victorian State Championships Music

At the end of last week's show I promoted this week's show as being all about the music of compose George Lloyd.

Whilst Lloyd was better known for his orchestral and choral works he did write 4 relatively well known major works for brass bands. I was hoping to play all four pieces for you on this week's show. Unfortunately in my research during the week I was unable to find a recording of King's Messenger. Then I found a recording that is being released next week. I have therefore decided to postpone by program of George Lloyd music until a later date.

Instead I will be representing a show I produced earlier this year looking at the music chosen as test pieces for the 2013 Victorian State Championships to be held in Ballarat next weekend (17th and 18th August).

You can find the full list of test pieces on the VBL website.

Please note I have not found recordings of all the test pieces for brass band on the show. In order to mix things up a bit I have included some non-brass band pieces. I'll explain more, later:

1. Nott'num Town (Allan Street)
This is one of the test pieces chosen for D Grade.

I have only managed to find one recording of this piece, and that is by a Concert Band. Here it is performed by The Band of the 9th & 12th Royal Lancers from their 2011 album, In Concert.

I have then found a brass band recording of one of the movements, Goose Fair. Here it is performed by Black Dyke Mills Band from their 1981 album Concert Sound, with Major Peter Parkes as conductor.

2. A Salford Sinfonietta (Darrol Barry)
I believe that this has been selected as a test pieces previously, for the B Grade section. This year it is one of the choices for C Grade.

Here it is being played by BNFL Band on their 1993 album Partita.

3. First Suite in Eb (Gustav Holst)
This is another selection for C grade, and here is another piece where I was unsuccessful in finding a recording of the brass band arrangement. Here it is, for concert, military band, with The Central Band of the Royal Air Force and Wing Commander Eric Banks as conductor, from their 2010 album British Music for Concert Music.

4. The Flying Dutchman: Overture (Richard Wagner)
The first of the selections for B Grade, and yet another piece where I couldn't find the brass band recording. Here is the original orchestral recording, performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Vernon Handley
as conductor, from the 2003 album Wagner: The Ride of the Valkyries, Overtures.

5. Royal Parks (George Lloyd)
The second of the selections for B Grade, this was one of 4 test pieces written by George Lloyd for brass bands. Apparently the story goes that people though this test pieces a bit too easy when it was presented by Lloyd. He made sure his next piece was much harder (more about that in our later show on George Lloyd).
This recording is from Black Dyke Mills Band with Major Peter Parkes as conductor from their 1986 album The Complete Champions.

6. Partita for Band - Postcards from Home (Philip Wilby)
This was also an option for B grade bands. Here it is performed by Grimethorpe Colliery Band from their 1993 album Wilby.

7. Rienzi: Overture (Richard Wagner)
This piece was provided as an option for A Grade Bands, but once again I couldn't find a recording of the brass band arrangement. Once again I have turned to an orchestral recording, from the same CD as before (See The Flying Dutchman, above).

8. The Legend of King Arthur (Peter Meechan)
The last recording chosen for tonight's show is also the newest. This piece was only composed in the last couple of years with this recording, from Foden's Band only released last year, on the album with the same name.

I'll be away at the State Championships next Sunday so there won't be a show next week.

The following week we'll have the results of the State Championships as part of our show featuring the music of George Lloyd.

Program No. 67 - Music by Philip Sparke II

Program No. 62 was the first of our shows featuring the music of Philip Sparke.  This week we present our second program of his works.

1. Gala Fanfare - from Five Festive Fanfares (Williams Fairy Band)
We open the show with Gala Fanfare which was originally composed for a festival of bands that was a part of World Expo '88 in Brisbane. For those interested the other four fanfares are titled Champions Fanfare, Birthday Fanfare, Festival Fanfare and Victory Fanfare and were all composed for different events. Tonight's recording is by the Williams Fairy Band, with Phillip McCann as conductor, from the album Images of Brass (2001).

2. A London Overture (Britannia Building Society Band)
This is one of Sparke's earlier major works for Brass Band having been commissioned to compose a piece for the 1984 Dutch National Brass Band Championships and is one of the pieces heard consistently in brass band contests since. This particular performance is by the Britannia Building Society Band recorded at the 1991 European Band Championships.

3. The Vikings (Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag)
First composed in 1989, this piece is performed by Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag from their 1997 album, Philip Sparke.

4. Music for a Festival (Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra)
This piece was commissioned by the Boosey & Hawkes Band Festivals for the 1985 finals of the Youth Section in the National Brass Band Championships of  Great Britain. Sparke has written a lot of music for brass bands that he subsequently arranges concert bands, and vice versa. This, as you will note, is the concert band arrangement of the brass band work. It is performed here by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra with Philip Sparke as conductor, from the 1992 album Orient Express (European Wind Circle).

 5. Tuba Concerto - Allegro (Black Dyke Band)
This was commissioned in 2006 by German instrument manufacturer Miraphone. It is dedicated to, and first performed by, a long time friend of Sparke, Markus Theinart. The Concerto is in two movements (Lento and Allegro) but we will only be hearing the final movement, performed by Black Dyke Band with Nicholas Childs as conductor and Joe Cook as the soloist, from their 2008 album Music for Battle Creek - The Brass Band Music of Philip Sparke. We will be coming back to this CD for some of the rest of the music on the show.

6. Dances and Alleluias (Black Dyke Band)
This piece was commissioned by the British Federation of Brass Bands for their inaugural English National Brass Band Championships held in 2006.

Sparke describes the piece as follows:

My chief concern when writing Dances and Alleluias was that I knew I couldn’t continue the line of thought that had led to Music of the Spheres, a piece which had taken me about as far as I currently could (or wanted to) go in terms of scale and virtuosity. In addition, I wanted to write ‘absolute’ music rather than a programmatic piece but keep the same emotional journey which is for me the most important aspect of Spheres. 

My first idea for the new piece was a final ‘alleluia’ - I didn’t imagine any specific religious connection but wanted the slow music to be vocal in nature and ecstatic in mood, as that word implies. It was then logical to intersperse the slow music with faster dances. 

This piece is also one of the test pieces chosen for the A Grade section in this year's Victorian Brass Band Championships to be held in Ballarat later this month. My spies tell me that there is a chance that more than one of the bands has chosen this as their test piece.

Tonight's performance is again from the album Music for Battle Creek - The Brass Band Music of Philip Sparke, and again performed by Black Dyke Band.

This piece is in 4 movements and goes for about 14 and a half minutes. 

7. Pantomime (Britannia Building Society Band)

This solo work was commissioned by Nicholas Childs back in 1986. It is being performed by Britannia Building Society Band. Unfortunately my information does not indicate who the soloist is. This is again from the 1997 album titled Philip Sparke.

8. A Tale As Yet Untold (Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag) 

I endeavoured to play this piece on the last Philip Sparke program, but technical issues foiled that attempt. Hopefully those technical issues have disappeared and we will be able to play this piece in full. For a description of this piece please read my program notes from that show.

9. Music for Battle Creek (Black Dyke Band)

This piece was commissioned by the Brass Band of Battle Creek, located in Michigan, USA. The music seeks to salute the American 'can-do' attitude, full of excitement, bravado and virtuosity.

This piece is in 3 movements:

1.   Prelude and Toccata
2.   Elegy
3.   Rondo Finale

This is the title track of the CD we have used for a lot of this show, Music for Battle Creek - The Brass Band Music of Philip Sparke, and again is performed by Black Dyke Band.

That's it for this show. There's plenty more music from Philip Sparke that we haven't played yet, though we may leave it for a couple of months before we play the third program of this series.

For next week's show we'll be looking at another composer, Lloyd George, plus talk about the upcoming Victorian Brass Band Championships.

Program No. 66 - Swing!

Choosing a music genre can be fraught with danger. Especially swing. I mean, what exactly is swing?

You can look at the Wikipedia definition that gives us:

the sense of propulsive rhythmic feel or groove created by the musical interaction between the performers, especially when the music creates a "visceral response" such as feet tapping or head nodding. The term "swing" is also used to refer to several other related jazz concepts including the sung note (a lilting rhythm of unequal notes) and the genre of swing, a jazz style which originated in the 1930s.

The music selected for tonight's program fits this general definition (hopefully).

1. Have You Met Miss Jones?
2. Beyond The Sea
   - Robbie Williams (Swing When You're Winning)
This album featured a bit of change in direction for Robbie Williams. Released in 2001, this was the "big band album he had always dreamed of making". This album was a commercial hit around the world.  Both tracks chosen were used in feature films. Have You Met Miss Jones? was recorded for the 2001 film Bridget Jones's Diaries and Beyond The Sea was used in the 2003 Pixar animation, Finding Nemo.

3. Sing, Sing, Sing
  - Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (The Very Best of Erich Kunzel • Cincinnati Pops Orchestra: Top 20)
Originally composed in 1936 by Louis Prima, this was most famously covered by Benny "King of Swing" Goodman. This version comes from the a  "best of" album, with Erich Kunzel conducting the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, released in 1994.

4. Just The Way You Are
  - Rias Bigband (Pop Goes Swing)
I found this song on i-Tunes when I put together a Billy Joel in brass program last year. This is one of a number of songs on tonight that are a swing cover of a well known original song. This is performed by Horst Jankowski and Rias Bigband from their 1991 album Pop Goes Swing.

5. Three Kings' Swing - Swiss Army Brass Band (Best of Swiss Army Brass Band)
6. Swingtime Religion - Melbourne Staff Band (Celebration of Faithfulness)
7. A Song to Swing - David Daws (Golden Slippers)
Brass Bands have often been described as having the ability to swing "like a rusty gate". Having said that, these three pieces are worthy of inclusion in tonight's show. We start off with Three King's Swing, from the 2006 "best of" album by Swiss Army Brass Band.  We move on to two Salvation Army recordings. Swingtime Religion is from the 2007 Celebration of Faithfullness album by Melbourne Staff Band and then David Daws with the International Staff Band of the Salvation Army playing A Song to Swing from their Golden Slippers CD.

8. Don't Know Much About Love 
9. Lover Come Back To Me
  - Vince Jones and Grace Knight (Come In Spinner)
This music was for the ABC movie Come in Spinner, which was created back in 1990, and based on the book of the same name. It was set at the end of the Second World War.  The music was a collaboration of Australian Jazz masters, Vince Jones and Grace Knight.

10. American Patrol
11. Little Brown Jug
12. Hallelujah
13. In The Mood
Glenn Miller was a trombone player, and also one of the music giants in the early forties. His life was tragically cut short in a plane crash in December 1944, but in the 5 years before then was one of the best selling recording artists.  Miller was actually in charge of the Army Air Force Band as part of his services to the armed forces during the Second World War. This 50 piece band toured England in 1944, giving over 800 performances.

American Patrol and Little Brown Jug were recorded for the Academy Award winning movie, The Glenn Miller Story (1954).

Hallelujah was released on 2001 on Glen Miller. 25 Temas de lo Mejor del Swing Jazz.

One of his most famous works is In The Mood. I have chosen a recording from the TV show Scrubs soundtrack - Season 4.

14. Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey?
15. Do-Re-Mi
  - Harry Connick Jnr
The music of Harry Connick Jnr spans a number of genres, from funk to jazz to blues and everywhere in between. The Bill Bailey track is from his 2007 album Oh, My Nola. Do-Re-Mi is his arrangement of the famous track from the movie Sound of Music, and comes from his 2001 CD, Songs I Heard.

16. I've Got You Under My Skin 
17. Moondance
  - Michael Bublé
 A number of singers feature in tonight's show, all with fantastic backing bands. Bublé will soon be performing in Australia. I chose two contrasting swing tracks from his recordings. The first, I've Got You Under My Skin is a jazz classic from his 2011 album It's Time. Moondance, by contrast, is a song penned by Irish singer Van Morrison, which I found on Bublé's 2011 self titled album.

18. Candyman - Christina Aguilera (Back to Basics)
I feel the collective stares of everyone as they wonder why I have included this on tonight's program. Well, take a good listen to it. Sounds very much like an old Andrew Sisters song.  Aguilera has, successfully I believe, managed to translate the sound and feel of this well know group in a modern setting. Complete with brass backing.

19. Norwegian Wood
20. Big Swing Face
  - Buddy Rich
Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" during his career, as he played with all the jazz greats, starting with Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey, all the way through to Louis Armstrong, Ray Brown and Ella Fitzgerald. It was in his final years in the late sixties when he led his own big band, in an era where the big band style was waning. These two tracks come from his 1967 album, Big Swing Face. The first track is a swing version of a Beatles song Norwegian Wood. The second track is from Bill Pottts and is the title track of the album Big Swing Face.

21. Waltzing Matilda
22. All of Me
  - James Morrison
As one of my favourite artists, it would have been difficult for me not to have included at least a couple of tracks from this Australian jazz legend.  The first track come from an album recorded live at the Sydney Opera House in 1996 and is a swing arrangement of Australia's unofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda.
The second track is from his latest CD released in 2012, Snappy Too and is his take on the classic song All of Me.

23. I Love Paris
24. Mrs Robinson
25. Mack The Knife
   - Frank Sinatra
I finish tonight's program with three recordings from a performer know alternatively as "Ol' Blue Eyes" or "Chairman of the Board", Frank Sinatra. In a career lasting 60 years (his final performance in 1995, when he was 80) Sinatra covered just about every popular genre over that period, having released 297 singles and 69 albums. It was difficult to only choose 3 songs from this huge discography, but in the end chose I Love Paris (which I have taken from the 2003 release of All The Best. Mrs. Robinson, another swing version of a popular song, is from his 1969 album, My Way. The final track (which I note is my most played track in my i-Tunes catalog) is Mack the Knife. Sinatra had released at last 5 different versions of this song, but this one, as a duet with Jimmy Buffett, is the best.

I hope you enjoy the program. Swing and brass go together so well.

Next week we return to the brass band scene and Part 2 of music by Philip Sparke.

Program No. 65 - Øystein Baadsvik II

Back on the morning of 6th October last year my theme for the show was on legendary tuba player Øystein Baadsvik. I think it's about time we played his music again.

Baadsvik was born in Trondheim, Norway in 1966. He only started playing the tuba when he was 15 years old and only three years later won a national soloists competition. Since 1991 Baadsvik has played with orchestras all around the world as a soloist, including with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra last year. He is considered by many to be the best tuba soloist in the world.

Baadsvik has released 10 CDs and we will be choosing the program today from a selection of those CDs:

We start the show with 4 tracks from his 2010 CD, Ferry Tales, which has Baadsvik being accompanied by Erland Skomsvoll on Piano and The Trondheim Soloists.

1. Déjà Vu (composed by Ø. Baadsvik)
This was titled thus because when the theme first popped in his head he was convinced that he had heard it before. After some thorough research he was satisfied that this is a new composition.

2. Sommernatt ved fjorden (Summer Night by the Fjord) (arr. E. Skomsvoll for tuba, piano and strings)
This seems to be a northern European classic song, but I love Baadsvik's explanation of the words to the song -

... when a young man goes out on the town, planning to pick up the girl he's in love with, and how those things gradually deteriorate until all that's left is to go home to Mummy for tea and sympathy.

3. The Wizard of Oz: Over the Rainbow (arr. E. Skomsvoll for tuba and strings)
This was originally composed by Harold Arlen and sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. That song won an Academy Award and was also voted as the best song of the century by the Recording Industry Association of America.

4.Vise (A Simple Melody) (composed by Ø. Baadsvik)
This was composed in 1997. The string arrangement was a project during composition classes with composer Bertil Palmar Johansen.

5. Tuba Concerto (composed by John Williams)
This is from the CD 20th Century Tuba Concertos, and is performed by Baadsvik with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, released in 2008.

John Williams is best known for his movie music (think Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.) but Williams has also composed a number of orchestral works. Williams composed this concerto whilst he was a conductor with Boston Pops Orchestra, in response to a commission for the orchestra's centenary in 1985. It was dedicated to the orchestra's tuba player at the time, Chester Schmitz

The concerto is in three movements:

1. Allegro moderato
2. Andante
3. Allegro molto

6. Ellens Gesang III (Ave Maria!), Op. 52, No. 6, D. 839, "Hymne an die Jungfrau" (arr. Ø. Baadsvik)
In 2011 Baadsvik released a Christmas CD called Snowflakes - A Classical Christmas, performing with Cantus (a women's choir) and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. There are some great renditions of traditional Christmas songs here, but as we are quite a few months out from that time of year, I have chosen Franz Schubert's Ave Maria, which can be found on many Christmas albums, although not composed for that purpose.

Tuba Carnival was released in 2003, and highlights the technical mastery that Baadsvik has of the tuba. A number of the pieces on this CD were not originally written for the tuba, but the arrangements for tuba would be a beastly challenge for most tuba players. Baadsvik is accompanied here by Musica Vitae.


7. Winter from The Four Seasons (arr. Ø. Baadsvik)
Antonio Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons in 1723, some 112 years before the invention of the tuba. This arrangement replaces the violin with the tuba, in one of the trickiest pieces I have heard yet for this instrument.  Winter is in three movements:

1. Allegro Non Molto
2. Largo
3. Allegro

8. Carnival of Venice (arr. A. Baadsvik)
This piece, composed originally by Jean-Baptiste Arban as part of his 12 Fantasies with Theme, is part of the standard repertoire for brass soloists, though not often for tuba. This particular version has been arranged by Anna Baadsvik, Øystein's wife, who is an accomplished composer in her own right.

Chameleon was also released by Baadsvik in 2011 features a number of tuba works accompanied by the Fanfare Band of the Royal Netherlands Army 'Mounted Regiments'

9. Did You Do? (composed Ø. Baadsvik)
This is a word play on didgeridoo (or didjeridu), one of the oldest instruments in the world. Baadsvik bought one when he first toured Australia. This piece, as you will guess, is not played on the tuba, but on the aforementioned instrument.

10. Chameleon (composed M. Hamers)
Chameleon was the first work composed by Dutch composer Maurice Hamers and describes the ability of the chameleon to change colour depending on its surroundings and mood.

11. Memory of a Rose (composed A. Baadsvik)
Described in Anna's own words:

the piece was conceived after a very lifelike dream about the most unthinkable thing; the loss of that which one holds dearest to life. I was absorbed by the idea, and feeling deeply for all those who have actually experienced this, I set down my dream in music: an all-enveloping personal disaster which encompasses moods ranging from fury, the darkest sorrow and chaos to happy memories, heart-breaking loss and resignation.

I heard this work being performed by Baadsvik accompanied by Kew Band when he was in Melbourne last year, and was blown away by it. This is a profoundly moving piece.

12.Minuano (Six Eight) (arr. R. Farr)
This piece was originally from the album Still Life (Talking) by the Pat Methany Group. The title is taken from the name of the cold wind that blows in the south of Brazil and Uruguay. Ray Farr's arrangement is a popular piece to showcase the talents of the tuba player.

13. Fnugg Blue (composed Ø. Baadsvik)
If Baadsvik was best known for a specific work it would be for Fnugg, which went viral on YouTube a few years ago.

This extended adaptation of this piece is performed together with Christian Lindberg on trombone and the Swedish Wind Ensemble, from the album Baadsvik, Oystein: Prelude, Fnugg and Riffs, released in 2009. A great way to finish the show tonight.

Next week, after being set a challenge by one of our local identities up here in the Kinglake Ranges, the theme of the show will be "Swing!".