Chris Helme
The Italian Brass Band was founded in November 2013, as a result of a dream of four music friends sat at a bar in Rome. Fascinated by the world of brass bands, decided to set up one in Rome. From this idea the band consists of 30 musicians from the best Italian bands, orchestras and musical ensembles. The band has had many concerts throughout Italy.
May 2nd 2015, the band with its musical director Filippo Cangiamila was awarded first place in the challenge section of the 38th European brass band championships.
It's a miracle because, facing the daydream, these four friends, in just two days, pulled together thirty of the best Italian instrumentalists. It's a miracle because in just twenty days of that morning the ensemble play through its first test in front of a home audience . It is true that you may not believe in miracles but this band is now a happy reality.
Today, we feature two tracks from this band.....and more will follow.
Enjoy......................Chris
Congratulations to Professor David King and the Brighouse and Rastrick Band for what has been described as a sparkling performance at the Royal Albert Hall National Brass Band Championship final in London yesterday to clinch the national title.
A few days ago it was reported that the American music arranger, Mark Freeh had passed away. Mark was the son of Salvation Army officers and brought up in the Salvation Army musical traditions. He often stated that his musical mentor was Erik Leidzen.
With the 2017 British Open brass band championship having seen only the third band from overseas to be crowned champions. It will be interesting to just reflect on the first one that won this prestigious prize the coveted British Open title.
Frank Renton is a British musician, conductor and broadcaster, and current host of Listen to the Band on BBC Radio 2.
An accomplished trumpet player, Renton won a competition for young conductors at the 1967 Edinburgh Festival, whilst employed as a musician in the British Army. Conducting appointments soon followed in West Germany, Cyprus, Singapore and Scotland, before returning to England as Director of a Military Music School in York. He was Musical Director for Versatile Brass for three years, and began conducting the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. He has also worked extensively with the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Radio Orchestra, as well as writing and producing a number of musical programmes for BBC radio.
In 1985, Renton was appointed Principal Conductor of the Royal Artillery Orchestra in London, then in 1988 accepted the dual appointment of Principal Director of Music for the Army and Director of the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall in the rank of Lt. Colonel, the youngest person ever to hold the dual appointments. In 1988, he also became Principal Conductor of the British Concert Orchestra, and began to guest conduct all over the world. Through the series of Royal Concerts in London he conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Halle Orchestra, the Orchestra of English National Opera and the Scottish National orchestra, and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1986. He is also a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
In 1993, as a direct result of the celebration of the Centenary of the Leeds City Charter, and after a concert in Leeds Town Hall, in which some 250 local wind players took part, Frank Renton co-founded, and initially conducted, the Yorkshire Wind Orchestra. This large wind ensemble of woodwind, brass and percussionists, is a community based ensemble.
In 2009 and 2010, with the 'Brass Band du Nord Pas-de-Calais', he won the French Brass Band Championship.
Frank Renton is on this week's show conducting Kirkintilloch Band playing his arrangement of Carmen Suite - Prelude & Aragonaise - Bizet.
Brian Evans became one of the finest exponents of the soprano cornet in the history of the banding movement, and a player who revolutionised the art of the instrument, giving it a prominence as solo instrument through immense performances as a contest and concert player with many of the finest bands in the country from the early 1960’s.
He came to overnight fame when from the back row cornet section of the CWS (Manchester) Band by the great Alex Mortimer—he called the great conductor, ‘The Master’, to replace the incumbent soprano cornet player to play in a concert at 24 hours notice. From that day his future playing career and banding immortality was secured.
He was taught by his uncle Fred Hilton and greatly influenced as a young man by Oliver Howarth, the father of Elgar Howarth.
From that initial unpromising debut start under Alex Mortimer he made the soprano chair his own and became the leading performer of his generation. He passed away in 2005. Listen out for Brian's solo from his CD 'Dedications'.
Soprano Cornet Soloist Steve Stewart
Cory Band
MD: Philip Harper
Doyen Recording: DOY CD376
