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Interview with Dr David Thornton

4BR talks to Dr David Thornton, the Artistic Director of the 2024 RNCM International Brass Band Festival which returns again this weekend with a mouth-watering line-up of world class talent to enjoy.

RNCM
  Dr David Thornton is the Artistic Director of the Festival

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The 2024 RNCM International Brass Band Festival returns this weekend with the promise of dropping the rules "to encourage imagination, diversity, curiosity and openness".

There will be performances from Foden's, Brass Band Treize Etoiles, Tredegar, Black Dyke, Cory and Brighouse & Rastrick — each showcasing new as well classic repertoire.

In addition there are a host of a world class soloists in Sheona White, Lionel Fumeaux, Matthias Hofs, Siobhan Bates, Michael Cavanagh, Gary Curtin, Glyn Williams, Jamie Smith and Ellena Newton.

Add in performances from the Grimethorpe Youth Band, students at the RNCM, interviews and discussions and little wonder it promises to be an event not to be missed.

No wonder Dr Thornton is not just the only person looking forward to the weekend...

Find out more and tickets:

2024 RNCM International Brass Band Festival

Friday 26th January:

Festival Prelude
Carole Nash Recital Room
6.15pm

RNCM students perform world premieres of works by RNCM alums Lucy Pankhurst and Jonathan Bates.

Salford Quays Brass Quartet

Alicia Davis, Lewis Barton (cornets)
Emma Conway (horn)
Julian Bayley (euphonium)

Tickets: Sold Out

Free admission, ticket required

This event will end at approximately 6.45pm.

Friday 26th January
Foden's Band

Conductor: Michael Fowles
Soloist: Sheona White
RNCM Concert Hall
7.30pm

Fantasy for Brass Band (Malcolm Arnold)
Legend of a Giant (Kevin Houben)
Soloist: Sheona White
(world premiere of version for tenor horn)*
Hope (Dorothy Gates)
Allpamenta (Ignacio Freijo)
(UK premiere)
Pest Is Where the Noise Is At (Kamea Nemeth)
(world premiere)
Ragtimes & Habeneras (Hans Werner Henze)
An Epic Symphony (Percy Fletcher)

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/foden's%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-26_19.30/rncm%20concert%20hall?hallmap

£9 (Under 26s and Students) + £1 Booking Fee
£18 + £1 Booking Fee

This event will include a 20-minute interval and will end at approximately 9.30pm.

Saturday 27th January:
Brass Band Treize Etoiles

Conductor: Frederic Theodoloz
Soloist: Lionel Fumeaux
RNCM Concert Hall
11.00am

Euroflash (Damien Lagger)
Fly or Die (Gilles Rocha)
Soloist: Lionel Fumeaux
Sand and Stars (Thierry Deleruyelle)
Remointze (Ludovic Neurohr)
Hypercube (Oliver Waespi)

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/brass%20band%20treize%20%C3%A9toiles/2024-1-27_11.00/rncm%20concert%20hall?hallmap

£9 (Under 26s and Students) + £1 Booking Fee
£18 + £1 Booking Fee

This event will end at approximately 12.15pm.

Saturday 27th January
The 4barsrest Interview: James Gourlay

RNCM Theatre
1.30pm

4Barsrest editor Iwan Fox interviews tuba virtuoso and conductor James Gourlay about his life and work.

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/the%204barsrest%20interview-%20james%20gourlay%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-27_13.30/rncm%20theatre?back=2&area=3a2d4eea-8bd8-ed11-842d-93dfdf350cb8&type=ga

Free admission, ticket required

This event will end at approximately 2.15pm.

Saturday 27th January
Tredegar Band

Conductor: Ian Porthouse
Soloist: Matthias Hofs
RNCM Concert Hall
3.00pm

Momentum (Jude Radley)
(world premiere)
Balkan Children's Dance (Wolf Kerschek)
Soloist: Matthias Hofs
As If A Voice Were In Them... (Oliver Waespi)
Ein Spanische Weinacht (Wolf Kerschek arr. H R Schmidt)
Soloist: Matthias Hofs
Are We Dark Inside? (Ludovic Neurohr)

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/tredegar%20town%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-27_15.00/rncm%20concert%20hall?hallmap

£9 (Under 26s and Students) + £1 Booking Fee
£18 + £1 Booking Fee

This event will end at approximately 4.15pm.

Saturday 27th January
Junior RNCM Brass Band

Conductors: Mark Bousie, Phil Goodwin
RNCM Theatre
4.45pm

To include:
War Cry (Dorothy Gates)
Graces of Love (Oliver Waespi)

Tickets: Free admission, ticket required
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/junior%20rncm%20brass%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-27_16.45/rncm%20theatre?back=2&area=3a2d4eea-8bd8-ed11-842d-93dfdf350cb8&type=ga

This event will end at approximately 5.30pm.

Saturday 27th January
Black Dyke Band

Conductor: Prof Nicholas Childs
Soloists: Siobhan Bates and Mike Cavanagh
RNCM Concert Hall
7.30pm

Kenilworth (Arthur Bliss)
Fantasie Concertante for Horn (Philip Wilby)
Soloist: Siobhan Bates
Shades of the Soul (Stephen Roberts)
(world premiere)
Adam Zero Suite (Arthur Bliss arr. Robert Childs)
(world premiere)
Baritone Concerto (Martin Ellerby)
Soloist: Mike Cavanagh
Antiphonies on Themes by William Byrd (Oliver Waespi)

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/black%20dyke%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-27_19.30/rncm%20concert%20hall?hallmap

£9 (Under 26s and Students) + £1 Booking Fee
£18 + £1 Booking Fee

This event will include a 20-minute interval and will end at approximately 9.30pm.

Sunday 28th January
RNCM Brass Band

Conductors: James Gourlay and David Thornton
Soloist: Gary Curtin
RNCM Concert Hall
11.00am

Gran Fanfaria (Giancarlo Castro)
Requiescant Aberfan (Martin Ellerby)
Deep Surge (Tom Harrold)
(world premiere)
Soloist: Gary Curtin
Another World — Concerto for Brass Quintet and Brass Band (Dorothy Gates)
Featuring: Rosamund Brass with guest tuba player James Gourlay
Adam Hofland-Ward & Seb Williman (cornets)
Georgia Woodhead (horn)
Alex Barron (euphonium)
Traversada (Oliver Waespi)
A Journey to the Bermuda Triangle (Pimpanit Karoonyavanich)

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/rncm%20brass%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-28_11.00/rncm%20concert%20hall?hallmap

£9 (Under 26s and Students) + £1 Booking Fee
£18 + £1 Booking Fee

This event will end at approximately 12.15pm.

Sunday 28th January
'A Grimethorpe Adventure' — Grimethorpe Youth Band

RNCM Theatre
1.30pm

Presentation and performance by Grimethorpe Education Initiative, including 'A Grimethorpe Adventure' — an Arts Council England funded project and performances by Grimethorpe Senior Youth Band.

The performance is supported by the John Golland Trust and will include the world première of a newly discovered cornet solo by John Golland (written in 1984), performed by Grimethorpe's principal cornet Jamie Smith.

The performance will also feature two world premieres of works submitted to the Grimethorpe Colliery Band composition competition held in July 2023.

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/a%20grimethorpe%20adventure'%20with%20grimethorpe%20youth%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-28_13.30/rncm%20theatre?back=2&area=3a2d4eea-8bd8-ed11-842d-93dfdf350cb8&type=ga
Free admission, ticket required

This event will end at approximately 2.15pm.

Sunday 28th January
Cory Band

Conductor: Philip Harper
Soloist: Glyn Williams
RNCM Concert Hall
3.00pm

The Year of the Dragon (Philip Sparke)
Euphonium Concerto (Philip Harper)
Soloist: Glyn Williams
Dance No.1 (Mihailo Trandafilovski)
(world premiere)
The Living God (Dorothy Gates)
Other Lives (Oliver Waespi)

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/cory%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-28_15.00/rncm%20concert%20hall?hallmap

£9 (Under 26s and Students) + £1 Booking Fee
£18 + £1 Booking Fee

This event will end at approximately 4.15pm.

Sunday 28th January
Brass Bands England Presentation

Carole Nash Recital Room
4.45pm

A panel discussion on 'The future of brass band repertoire in an increasingly diverse society'.

Tickets: Sold Out

Free admission, ticket required

Sunday 28th January
Brighouse & Rastrick Band

Conductor: James Gourlay
Soloist: Ellena Newton
RNCM Concert Hall
6.30pm

On the Cornish Coast (Henry Geehl)
Colors (Bert Appermont)
Soloist: Ellena Newton
Invisible Fire (Dorothy Gates)
Tour de Force (Jim Self)
Variations (Thea Musgrave)
Wonderous Cross (Philip Wilby)
Diversions on a Bass Theme (George Lloyd)

Tickets:
https://www.quaytickets.com/rncm/en-GB/events/brighouse%20and%20rastrick%20band%20-%20rncm%20international%20brass%20band%20festival/2024-1-28_18.30/rncm%20concert%20hall?hallmap

£9 (Under 26s and Students) + £1 Booking Fee
£18 + £1 Booking Fee

This event will include a 20-minute interval and will end at approximately 8.30pm.

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