*
banner

Brass becomes Fringe of Gold in St Andrews

Some remarkable performers and some remarkable brass music will be performed at the Fringe of Gold Festival in St Andrews in Scotland this week.

Fringe of Gold
  The Fringe of Gold Festival takes place in St Andrews this week.

A major new festival featuring brass ensemble and brass band repertoire will take place in St Andrews in Scotland from the 9th to 11th November.

'Fringe of Gold' will feature a number of key performances from the likes of the Wallace Collection and the St Andrews Scholarship Brass Ensemble, as well as St Andrews Brass & Percussion Ensemble, Tullis Russell Mills and Kingdom Brass.

Fringe of Gold

'Fringe of Gold' refers to both King James VI's description of the Kingdom of Fife, as well as John Milton's description of the Seraphim, and a metaphorical description of the glorious sound of wind, brass and percussion.

The Saturday evening Gala Concert will see both bands link up with the Wallace Collection to give only the second performance of Jay Capperauld's masterful work, 'As Above, So Below', as well as premiere no less than three new arrangements from the repertoire of the Harlem Hellfighters.

Huge pleasure

The renowned trumpeter and Festival Director Prof John Wallace told 4BR: "It's a huge pleasure to launch the inaugural Fringe of Gold Festival. After five successful years of the St Andrews Brass Festival, it was natural to extend it to include wind and percussion."

Locally rooted

Associate Festival Director Bede Williams added: "Although the festival has an international perspective, partnerships with the St Andrews Music Club and Music Society ensure that it is also locally rooted.

'Fringe of Gold' focuses on exploration, experimentation and participation from start to finish and the closing concert in particular will be a remarkable, pioneering musical experience — with music from Vaughan Williams and Charles Anderson to Jay Cappernauld, Hoagy Carmichael and Louis Moreau Gottschalk.

Find out more

To find out more about the Festival go to:
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/music/fringeofgold/

'Fringe of Gold' refers to both King James VI's description of the Kingdom of Fife, as well as John Milton's description of the Seraphim, and a metaphorical description of the glorious sound of wind, brass and percussion4BR

Friday 10th November


5.30pm
Byre Theatre
St Andrews
Wallace Collection and St Andrews Scholarship Brass Ensemble with Alexander Horowitz — VJ artist

Call (Luciano Berio)
Full Fathom Five (Steve Martland)
Sextet (Philip Glass)
Trisagion (John Tavener)

Saturday 11th November


1.10pm
Younger Hall
St Andrews
St Andrews Brass and Percussion Ensemble
Directed by: Bede Williams, Iain Sandilands, Christine Smith

Jubilance (Rodney Miller)
If Thou be near (Bach arr. Ford)
Ice Town (Mike D'Ambrosio)
Sabre Dance (Aram Khachaturian)
'Hunting Chorus' from Der Freischutz (Weber arr. Alan Civil)
'I Could Have Danced All Night' (F Loewe arr. Walters)
A Requiem in Our Time (Einojuhani Rautavaara)

Saturday 11th November


7.30pm
Younger Hall
St Andrews

Tullis Russell Mills Band and Kingdom Band with Wallace Collection

Henry V Overture (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
O.R.B. (Charles Anderson)
Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael arr. Bill Geldard)
The Essence of Time (Peter Graham)
As Above, So Below (Jay Capperauld)
The St Louis Blues (W.C Handy arr. Grant/Coffin)
Russian Rag (George L. Cobb arr. Sandy Coffin)
That Moaning Trombone (Carl D. Bethel arr. Sandy Coffin)
Souvenir De Porto Rico (Louis Moreau Gottschalk arr. Martin Cotton)
Tournament Gallop (Louis Moreau Gottschalk arr. Martin Cotton)
Wee Cooper of Fife (Cedric Thorpe Davies arr. Bruce Fraser)

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


Winter Gardens, Blackpool

Coverage: North West Regionals Championships

February 23 • Coverage of the 2025 North West Regionals championships from Winter Gardens, Blackpool.


Test Pieces

4BR Area coverage

February 22 • 4BR Editor Iwan Fox has confirmed a different approach to coverage of the Regional Championship events.


Blackpool

North West Area line-ups

February 21 • The bands will put their final preparations in place ahead of their performances in Blackpool on Sunday.


John Wallace

Wallace presented with SBBA Outstanding Achievement Award

February 21 • John Wallace CBE has been presented with the 'Outstanding Achievement Award' by the Scottish Brass Band Association.


Regent Hall Concerts - Royal College of Music Sackbut Ensemble

Friday 21 February • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - The Band of the Welsh Guards

Friday 21 February • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Newstead Brass - Midlands Championships Preview Evening

Sunday 23 February • Summit Centre . Kirkby in Ashfield . Nottinghamshire NG17 7LL


Contest: North West Regional Championships

Sunday 23 February • Winter Gardens Complex, Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HU


Regent Hall Concerts - Royal Greenwich Brass Band

Friday 28 February • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Reading Spring Gardens Brass Band

February 20 • Reading Band still needs LOWER BRASS for the 4th section contest at Stevenage on Saturday 15th March! Rehearsals in Woodley (RG5) on Thursday evenings.


Boarshurst Silver Band

February 17 • Boarshurst Silver Band, NW Championship Section, requires a BBb player, flugel, and front row cornet player. Under MD Jamie Prophet, the band have an ambitious and varied calendar for 2025, including NW Area, Spring Festival and Whit Friday.


Mid Rhondda Band

February 14 • Mid Rhondda Band are looking for the following players : Front Row Cornet, Solo Trombone, Eb Bass, Kit and Tuned Percussionists. The band will be competing in the 3rd Section at the Welsh Area. Contest & concert engagements in the diary for 2025


Martyn Evans

BEd (Hons) NABBC member
Conductor, Band Trainer, Teacher, Adjudicator


               

 © 2025 4barsrest.com Ltd