In what the composer describes as ‘a huge privilege’, it has been announced by the BBC that Gavin Higgins is to write the opening work for this year’s ‘Last Night of the Proms’.

Velocity

To be played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under its new Chief Conductor and former CBSO Principal Conductor Sakari Oramo, the work, entitled ‘Velocity’ will form a high octane, curtain raising fanfare to the traditionally more serious first half of the last night concert.

Honoured

Well known and admired throughout the brass band world for works such as ‘Fanfares and Love Songs’, ‘Destroy, Trample As Swiftly As She’, ‘Sadly Now the Throstle Sings’ and ‘A Forest Symphony’, Gavin Higgins commented exclusively to 4BR:

"I’m honoured to have been asked by Roger Wright to compose the opening piece for the 'Last Night of the Proms'.

It’s a huge privilege to be involved in this incredible festival once again and I have loved working on ‘Velocity’, although I have to admit it's a little daunting, especially with expectations being so high.

The ‘Last Night’ is the most viewed concert of the Proms season and will be broadcast live to homes and parks across the UK and internationally on TV, radio and cinema screens in over 22 countries.

I'm very excited about the piece and I hope audiences respond positively to it."

Nor first time

This is not the first time that Gavin’s work will have been performed at the Proms or by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

In 2012 the National Youth Wind Orchestra premiered his work for wind orchestra ‘Der Aufstand’, whilst his menacingly gripping orchestral work ‘Dancing At the Edge of Hell’ received widespread critical acclaim when it was performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and broadcast on Radio 3 in 2010.

In addition, he has written for the Northern Sinfonia and London Philharmonic Orchestra along with a period as the inaugural Music Fellow with Ballet Rambert for whom he wrote the dance piece ‘What Wild Ecstasy’.

Future projects

Future projects include the forthcoming May premiere of ‘Uncle Dima’, a new music theatre work for the pioneering contemporary music ensemble the London Sinfonietta and a string trio for the Cheltenham Festival entitled ‘The Ruins of Detroit’.

He is currently working on a further ballet for the Rambert company with brass band accompaniment, the music from which will premiered at the 2015 Festival of Brass by Tredegar Band with whom Gavin has enjoyed a close working relationship in recent years.

Tour de force

Speaking on his Proms commission ‘Velocity’, Gavin commented:

"'Velocity' is not a fanfare in the traditional sense, but rather a rhythmic, driven tour-de-force for orchestra.

The piece will have a strong brass element but I think the music I have written for dance will certainly inform my writing. The challenge will be getting all I want to say into four minutes of music but not overloading the work with too many ideas.

The ‘Last Night’ is also, of course, a very unique event. The party atmosphere that we are familiar with will certainly have an impact on tone of the piece."

It's a huge challenge but one that I am relishing working on. I really feel like I'm in my elementGavin Higgins

Element

He added: "It's a huge challenge but one that I am relishing working on. I really feel like I'm in my element."

Despite his ever-burgeoning classical music career, Gavin’s musical roots remain very much in brass bands with his family in the Forest of Dean possessing a proud banding lineage that can be traced back to 1895.

Exciting talent

His first works to make a mark were also for brass band including the haunting miniature ‘Ivory Ghosts’, with the broadcast of his new Proms commission to millions around the world being set to draw further attention to both Higgins’ exciting talent and his creative emergence from the world of brass bands.

13th September

This year’s ‘Last Night’ will take place on Saturday 13th September, the Saturday following the British Open and a definite date for banding diaries.

The composer will be posting regular updates on the composition of the work on his website www.gavinhiggins.com