Philip Wilby has been chosen as the recipient of the 2015 4BR Special Award.

It is given to a person or organisation who 4BR Directors Anthony Banwell and Iwan Fox believe have enhanced the brass band movement through their excellence over a significant period of time.

Finest

4BR Editor Iwan Fox said: "Philip Wilby should rightly be considered as one the finest composers ever to have written for the brass band medium.

Not only have his compositions added immensely to the repertoire — they have done so with a level of sophistication and insight that has given immense enjoyment as well as vastly broadening the musical scope of what brass bands can achieve in the process.

The movement owes him a great debt of gratitude — not just for his contest works, but for the huge variety of concert, solo and ensemble repertoire. We can only hope he continues to write for the medium for many more years to come."

New Jerusalem

Wilby first came to prominence when 'The New Jerusalem' was commissioned by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain in 1990. It was later memorably used as the set-work for the 1992 National Championship of Great Britain — followed in 2002 by 'Masquerade'.

No less than six works have been used at the British Open — 'Paganini Variations' in 1991, 'Masquerade' in 1993, 'Revelation' in 1995, '...Dove Descending' in 1999, 'Vienna Nights' in 2006 and 'Red Priest' in 2011.

Inspired

Other major compositions (many inspired by his deep Christian faith; the triumph of the human spirit over oppression, and a sense of liberty and resurrection drawn out of sorrow and pain) have also considerably widened musical horizons — and at all levels.

Thankfully, he continues to be inspired to compose — his latest elite level work 'Ascension' was performed this year at the Swiss National Championship, with more to come in 2016 and hopefully beyond.

Benefit

Bands have benefited hugely from playing works composed from Youth to major European level and through his ground breaking artistic projects with the likes of Black Dyke and his outstanding career as a senior lecturer in charge of compositional studies at Leeds University.

Nicest

A proud, but very modest Yorkshireman (with an appropriate deep love of cricket), he is a world-renowned expert on Mozart, has an amazing musical hinterland of knowledge and happens to be one of the nicest men who could ever hope to meet.

The movement owes him a great debt of gratitude — not just for his contest works, but for the huge variety of concert, solo and ensemble repertoire4BR Editor, Iwan Fox

4BR Special Award:

2015: Philip Wilby
2014: Mike Shenton
2013: John Berryman
2012: Howard Snell
2011: Philip Sparke
2010: Scottish Brass Band Association
2009: Ian Williams
2008: Norwegian Band Federation
2007: Peter Roberts
2006: Markus Bach
2005: David Gallaher
2004: David Read
2003: Salvationist Publishing & Supplies Ltd
2002: Frank Hodges
2001: Alan Jenkins