Arfon Owen, solo horn with the Oldham (Lees) Band and former principal horn with both Grimethorpe Colliery and Black Dyke, is set to travel to Germany in mid-May to spend five days playing with a star studded brass band in the German city of Cologne.

Memorable trip

The WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk) Brass Band is mainly made of up players from Cologne's orchestras, but also has players from Belgian and Austrian groups as well as Brass Band Willebroek.

With Elgar Howarth conducting and Swedish trumpter Hakan Hardenberger as guest soloist, the trip is set to be a memorable one.

Programme

The programme features Hardenberger performing Howarth's 'Sonatina for Solo Cornet and Brass Band', as well as Howarth's 'Fireworks' and 'Music from the Elizabethan Court', Gustav Holst's 'Moorside Suite' and Derek Bourgeois' 'Concerto for Brass Band No. 1'.

I'm really excited to be making the trip over to Cologne and performing with some of Germany's finest brass musiciansArfon Owen

Prestigious

Commenting on the trip, Arfon expressed his excitement at taking part in such a prestigious project.

He told 4BR: "I'm really excited to be making the trip over to Cologne and performing with some of Germany's finest brass musicians. Although the rehearsal schedule is fairly intensive, it does allow time for sightseeing. I'm also looking forward to catching up with my friend Tim de Maeseneer from Willebroek.'

The concert will be broadcast online at www.wdr3.de, at 7pm UK time on Monday 11th June.