The National Youth Brass Band and National Childrens' Band of Great Britain will head to Wymondham College in Norfolk for their Summer Residential Courses.
Courses
The Childrens' Band will be led by Guest Conductor Mareika Gray who will be joined by the renowned percussionist Simone Rebello as their featured solo artist. The course will run from the 23rd July, with the concert held at The Halls, Norwich on Friday 28th July at 3.00pm.
Straight after it will be the turn of the senior National Youth Brass Band under Guest Conductor Sarah Ioannides alongside guest soloist, trombonist Scott Hartmann. The course runs from 29th July with the concert held at Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden on Saturday 5th August at 7.00pm.
Exciting leads and initiatives
The NYBBGB organisation will once again offer youngsters the opportunity to work with outstanding conductors and world class soloists, with Mareika and Simone having vast experience in the banding movement.
Meanwhile, Sarah, who is Music Director of Symphony Tacoma, is recognised as one of the most inspiring orchestral conductors working with young musicians and conductors. Scott is Professor of Trombone at Yale University and Principal Trombone of the acclaimed Brass Band of Battle Creek.
This year the NYBBGB is also linking up with its new partner organisations of the British Army Music and The Wildlife Trusts charity.
Lt Col David Berringer MBE (Commanding Officer of The Bands of the Household Division and BAM's Principal Director of Music) will join the jury of the in-house Mortimer Solo Competition, whilst Arran Wilson (Wildlife Trust Youth Activism Manager) and Dom Higgins (Head of Health and Education) will coordinate a series of activities to engage youngsters in finding out more about climate change and its bio-diversity challenges.
The players will also have the opportunity to learn more about the NYBBGB's 'Brass Building Blocks' programme of tutorials and hear from the ABRSM on the new brass syllabus which was launched at the end of 2022.
There is a fantastic programme of music to really push and develop both bands this yearDr Robert Childs
Fantastic programmes
Giving further details about what the youngsters have in store, Artistic Director Dr Robert Childs told 4BR: "There is a fantastic programme of music to really push and develop both bands this year — including a new work for the Childrens' Band entitled, 'Sparkle' by Belgian composer Lennart Van Laenen.
Under Mareika and a great team of tutors they will also take a journey to different regions of the world to explores the musical rhythms of South America to Africa, North America to Europe and not forgetting the UK.
We are really looking at expanding the understanding of multiple musical genres and we will even be doing some body percussion with Nat Chivers' piece, 'Surprise!'"
Pushed and developed
Bob also revealed that the National Youth Band will also be pushed with their 'Music from Around the World' themes.
"The band will be getting to grips with a huge arc of inspiration this year,"he said. "We have a classic Glinka overture in 'Ruslan and Ludmilla' and the full set of Respighi's 'Pines of Rome' suite balanced against the new sound worlds of Kellie Marie Murphy and American composer Jack Yagerline who writes video game music.
Daniel Hall's new work 'Dieu Et Mon Droit' will provide another exciting detour whilst William Himes has provided a very interesting take on the classic Barbarea Streisand hit 'Evergreen' as part of Scott's showcase solo spots.
Sarah Ioannides is an inspirational conductor so it's going to be colourful, classy and very, very exciting."
More information:
To find out more go to: https://www.nybbgb.org.uk/
