Composer Mike Sheppard has told 4BR that such has been the success of his free composing and arranging initiate launched on 4BR in late April, that he feels that it reveals there is a potential flow of talent to be tapped that could have a great benefit to the movement.

Passion and enthusiasm

He told 4BR: "When I started my 'CCC' project (Covid Composers Collective) I thought I might get perhaps ten people applying willing to give it a go. In the end I had 56!

They all showed such passion and enthusiasm that I decided to run three groups: Junior (9-16 years old); Intermediate (adults who are good players or conductors but who know little or nothing about composing) and Advanced (people with post-graduate qualifications)."

Plain language

He continued: "I started with the basics at these different levels: looking at the micro-level anatomy. With the Junior and Intermediate level we've already moved to harmonising a 16-bar melody in a major key and using diatonic harmony.

We're now starting to orchestrate and it's been great to explore the harmonic palette, jazz chords, modal harmony and atonal techniques with the advanced group.

My approach was to avoid musicological jargon and use plain language to introduce musical concepts such as rhythmic repetition, motifs, intervals, internal repetition, macro- and micro-formal structures etc. It's been an equally fascinating experience for me."

More than anything, the link has shown me that there is so much potential compositional talent out there that can be used to benefit the brass band movement at all levelsMike Sheppard

Companions

Mike has also gained help from musical companions Edward Gregson, Paul Fisher and Steven Mead to form a musical panel for a competition in each group — the winner of which will receive ongoing free composing lessons with him as well as having the opportunity of having one of their compositions performed by the GUS Band where he is Composer in Residence.

He added: "More than anything, the link has shown me that there is so much potential compositional talent out there that can be used to benefit the brass band movement at all levels.

Combining that passion and understanding with a broader technical know-how is the key."