There continues to be encouraging signs that brass bands and its composers are starting to be recognised and performed more in the output of the BBC.

Music of the Spheres

The latest to be featured is Philip Sparke, whose iconic 'Music of the Spheres' was played on Radio 3's 'Essential Classics' on Tuesday 14th January, alongside works by Copland, Elgar, Purcell, Beethoven, Janacek, Glass, Sibelius, Britten and Gounod amongst others by presenter Georgia Mann.

It was performed in its wind band version by the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band. On hearing the news Philip dryly told 4BR: "What's happening? Apparently, I'm an Essential Classic!'.

The programme and the performance can be heard for the next 30 days at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026p94

New series

As reported on 4BR it follows the follows the news that Radio 3 has commissioned a 10-part series of 1-hour programmes on brass bands that is scheduled to air around April this year.

4BR understand that the commissioning process has now been completed and that the company involved will soon be start work on the first programmes.