The Ty Cerdd organisation, which oversees the long term musical development and promotion of amateur music making in Wales, has announced that it will showcase the music of one of the nation’s leading living composers through a major commission for the brass band medium in 2015.

Perform

Four of the country’s national youth ensembles will perform works by Hilary Tann in concerts throughout Wales and abroad — including the National Youth Choir and Training Choir of Wales, the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Wales — and the National Youth Brass Band of Wales.

Ty Cerdd has commissioned the renowned composer to write her first work for brass band, which will be premiered by the National Youth Band under Philip Harper on its 2015 course and tour.

Coup

It is regarded a significant coup for the organisation, as the composer’s work is in demand throughout the musical world.

Ty Cerdd Director, Gwyn L. Williams told 4BR: "It’s wonderful that we have been able to persuade Hilary to write for brass band.

Coming from a completely different starting point, her distinctive and original voice is certain to take brass band music into uncharted and very exciting territory."

Brass band links

Originally from Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley, Hilary Tann now lives in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York where she is the John Howard Payne Professor of Music at Union College, Schenectady.

She told 4BR: "My happiest childhood memories are associated with the Glamorgan Youth Orchestra, the Glamorgan Youth Choir, and later, the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.

I remember walking along the beach at Ogmore-by-Sea and hearing the sounds of the morning rehearsals in my head. It is as though I was being ‘programmed’ for my future life!

And now it's truly wonderful to think of coming full circle to give those morning rehearsal sounds back to another generation of Welsh musicians."

having just listened to the recent concerts of National Youth Brass Band of Wales it's thrilling to have the opportunity to write for such fine young performersHilary Tann

Massed brass

She added: "My brother and sister both played for a while in the Tylorstown Band, so the sounds of massed brass instruments are in my heritage — and are also part of the field band and parade tradition here in the US.

What's special about this commission is that I've been asked to write a ‘non-competition’ piece, an atmospheric work, perhaps even one with a certain Japanese influence.

It's very exciting to be asked to re-imagine the sounds of the brass ‘orchestra’ and, having just listened to the recent concerts of the National Youth Brass Band of Wales it's thrilling to have the opportunity to write for such fine young performers."