Black Dyke Director of Music, Prof Nicholas Childs has just returned from a trip to Japan where the ‘Double’ winning conductor led the Elite Band of Senzoka Gakuen Music College in Tokyo, in a performance of Peter Graham's ‘Harrison's Dream’.

Unique college

Prof Childs told 4BR: “Senzoka is a unique college with over 150 brass students who work and study with Masanori Fukuda and the legendary Takeo Yamamoto (above)."

Professor Yamamoto also shared the conducting podium with the Senzoka Gakuen Music College Intermediate Band, featuring the work of Japanese composer Yuichi Abe in his Symphonic Suite ‘Ramesses II’.

Wonderful visitor

Meanwhile, Masanori Fukuda added: “It is always wonderful to welcome Professor Childs to guest conduct. He is a wonderful musician who brings a special insight of British brass band culture."

This year was the 40th concert in a series known as ‘British Brass’, which first began in 1979.

It is always wonderful to welcome Professor Childs to guest conduct. He is a wonderful musician who brings a special insight of British brass band cultureMasanori Fukuda

Highlight

The highlight of the concert was a performance of Howard Snell's masterful arrangement of Respighi's ‘Roman Festivals’, nearly 25 minutes in duration, and with over 150 performers on stage including organ and piano, together with the magnificent Herald Trumpets sounding at the start of the work.