Albert Edward Kelly born London 8 Sept 1914 and died in 1994. A British composer, conductor and military musician.

He received his first music lessons from his father, a musician in the Grenadier Guards band of the British Army. He himself was military musician in the Dragoon Guards Band at the age of 14.

The Second World War was his wish to be a military bandmaster, delayed. 1946 he studied at the Royal Military School of Music and at the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

1951 he was bandmaster at the Royal Sussex Regiment and 1961 to 1979 he was employed by the British Civil Service.


As a composer he is best known for his marches Nijmegen, Arnhem and Arromanches. Arromanches was written for the Kneller Hall March Composition Competition in 1948. He took part in the landing on the beach at Arromanches and wanted it to be played with dignity.

On this week's show is his most well known march in the world of brass bands Arnhem.

Darrol Barry was born in Salford in 1956. At the age of 14 he auditioned for the school band on cornet but ended up taking an Eb bass home. Darrol joined the local brass band (Windsor) and soon moved onto baritone and then onto euphonium.

The conductor of the band introduced him to the mysteries of brass band transposition. Darrol had a flair for arranging and also started some small compositions. His favourite composer was Eric Ball but was captivated Gilbert Vinter and Edward Gregson. Darrol became an apprentice joiner but continued arranging and composing while teaching himself harmony and counterpoint

1978 he enrolled on the band musicianship course at Salford under Roy Newsome and his staff. It was through Roy that he went on to study with Joseph Horovitz at the Royal College of Music. He then went freelance as a composer & arranger with several publishers.

Now he lives and works in Oman, employed by the Royal Guard of Oman as Resident Composer and Arranger.

What Brass Bands Did for Me...' This is a book I have written about UK individuals who like me joined a brass band as a child. It was published in 2009. For me it was the gateway into over 50 years in the world of brass bands. I discovered there was little written about individuals from this musical world. So I decided to do something about it - and the idea for my book was born.

The book covers some of the musicians in UK brass bands who made it to the very top whilst others who started as players made a big impact as conductors, composers/arrangers and brass band administrators. What ever their role has been my book takes a look at these often unsung brass band heroes. I do have copies of my book available - please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - if you would like to know more about purchasing your copy....

Enjoy the show..................Chris

Zdenek Fibich (21.12.1850 – 15.10.1900) was a Czech composer of classical music. He composed two string quartets, a piano trio, piano quartet and a quintet for piano, strings and winds), symphonic poems, three symphonies, at least seven operas , melodramas , liturgical music including a mass and a large cycle (almost 400 pieces, from the 1890s) of piano works called Moods, Impressions, Reminiscences and much more.



He is far less known than Dvorak or Smetana - explained by the fact that he lived during the rise of Czech nationalism in the Habsburg Empire. Smetana and Dvorak gave themselves over to the national cause, consciously writing Czech music which the emerging nation strongly identified, Fibich’s position was more ambivalent.



To the world of brass bands his 1893 piece of chamber music 'Poem in Db Major Op 41 No. 4' which he wrote for violin and piano is the one we know best. It is often described as 'wonderful and romantic'. This work is featured on today's show - enjoy

It was announced this week that David Horsfield a name many in the brass band world will be familiar with passed away on the 18 October at home in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.



David began playing the cornet with his village band Clifton and Lightcliffe. From this start he was appointed the principal cornet player at Brighouse and Rastrick at the age of 16 — making his British Open debut in 1960.



In 1968 he moved to Black Dyke on repiano cornet and was part of a band that won many top awards before joining his friend James Shepherd in 1973 as a founder member of his Versatile Brass. For the next 12 years enjoying a period of unprecedented success and travelled the world. A highly respected adjudicator at all levels from Australia and Europe and his home city of Bradford . In 1984 he established the successful Kirklees Publishing Company which is now run by his sons.



I am sure many listeners will have played along side David, played at a contest, may be the Brighouse march and hymn contest where along with the Brighouse Lions he was a driving force behind this successful event. He may have been an adjudicator at a contest you played in or listened to him whilst a member of the JSVB an just possibly your band bought music from his family music publishing.



This is a repeat show from 17.1.2016. With not being in my office for another week music involving David will be on next week - This show is dedicated to the memory of David Horsfield a true brass bander who will not only be greatly missed by his family but also throughout the brass banding family.

Edvard Grieg b: 15.06.1843 d: 4.09.1907. Norwegian composer and pianist and widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide.

The use and development of Norwegian folk music in his compositions put the music of Norway in the international spectrum, as well as helping to develop a national identity.
Grieg is regarded as simultaneously nationalistic and cosmopolitan in his orientation, for although born in Bergen and buried there, travelling widely throughout Europe, and considered his music to express the beauty of Norwegian rural life and the culture of Europe as a whole.

His Holberg Suite was written in 1884 celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Danish-Norwegian humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg. Originally written for piano, was later arranged by the composer for string orchestra. The prelude from this suite is featured on this week's show.

Enjoy

Chris

John Hinckley was the flugel horn player with Brighouse &Rastrick between 1974 to 1992. As a player he won the British Open Championships, National Brass Band Championships, European Championships, Yorkshire Championships and many others. A very significant part of his playing days was the unique involvement with the Floral Dance recording and all that came with it.

His conducting started as resident conductor with the Marple Band followed by 7-yrs at Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band. John has also been associated with Besses o'th Barn, CWS (Glasgow), Yorkshire Imperial, Mount Charles, Wingates and with Kleppe Musikklag and Tertnes Brass from Norway.



John conducts Carlton Main Frickley Colliery in this week's show....enjoy

Well-known for his compositions and arrangements, William Himes (born on March 28, 1949, in Flint, Michigan) has more than seventy publications to his credit. These, along with numerous manuscripts awaiting publication, are continually featured on international broadcasts and recordings.



Mr. Himes earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Michigan. For five years he taught instrumental music in the public schools of Flint, Michigan, where he was also adjunct lecturer in low brass at the University of Michigan-Flint. Mr. Himes continues to be in demand as conductor, composer, lecturer, clinician and euphonium soloist and has appeared throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom.



One of his Christmas carol arrangements is on this week's show. Regular listeners will know one of his compositions / arrangements is on the show almost every week...

Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber b:18 or 19 November 1786 – d: 5 June 1826 was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school.

Weber's operas Der Freischütz, Euryanthe and Oberon greatly influenced the development of the Romantic opera in Germany. Der Freischütz came to be regarded as the first German "nationalist" opera whilst Oberon may have influenced Mendelssohn's music for A Midsummer Night's Dream.

A brilliant pianist himself, Weber composed four sonatas, two concertos and the Concert Piece in F minor, which influenced composers such as Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn. The Concert Piece provided a new model for the one-movement concerto.

To brass bands some of his works include Der Freischütz, The Ruler of the Spirits and the overture featured on this week's show Oberon.

Enjoy

Riki McDonnell lives in New Zealand and has devoted most of his life to music. His musical career started as a boy soprano and his first professional engagement was singing in the stage show Oliver.

A family of brass band players influenced Riki’s entry into the ‘brass band world’ in 1969. Within two years the NZ Junior Tenor Horn title was under his belt and the very next year Riki claimed the NZ Open Horn title. This win was the start of 20 Open titles (5 on tenor horn, 8 on flugel horn and 7 on euphonium). Riki has won more titles than any other competitor in New Zealand’s 120 plus years history. He is the only person to win the Champion of Champions on three different instruments.

He has performed many times with the Auckland, Christchurch and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras. Performed with brass and concert bands throughout the world. Solo performances are continually in abundance for Riki with piano, brass band, concert band and orchestra.

...and on this week's show.