Triomphale world premiere at National Children's Band concert

14 year old Easher Austin's 'Marche Triomphale' is to be given its world premiere by the National Children's Band of Great Britain on Friday — with a few tickets left to hear it.

The National Children's Band of Great Britain is currently being put through its musical paces at Oundle School in Peterborough under Dr David Thornton, as they prepare their repertoire to be be showcased at its end of course concert at the venue on Friday 1st August (2.00pm).

Marche Triomphale

One of the works that will be featured will be 'Marche Triomphale' by 14 year old Easher Austin who was the youngest entrant in this year's NYBBGB Young Composers' Competition.

Such was the impression that it made on the judges that it was decided to include it in this year's concert, with Easher in attendance to enjoy its world premiere.

Easher is a Year 9 student at Loughborough Grammar School and also attends the Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Saturdays. He is not a brass player however, but plays clarinet and organ, although he admits that playing bass clarinet in school and conservatoire wind bands is probably his favourite musical activity.

For the past year he has also performed with the British Clarinet Ensemble who often play challenging new repertoire which he says he really enjoys, whilst he is also studying organ and plays in services at a local church which has resulted in him having the opportunity to play on Cathedral organs too.

Composing passion

His passion for composing surfaced when aged 9 he was taken to hear a performance of Bernstein's 'West Side Story'.

The result has seen him write works for wind band which have been performed by the Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Wind Orchestra, whilst his 'Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano' gained a highly commended' accolade in the BBC Young Composer 2023 competition.

As for his venture in brass band composition, he revealed that he had already written some compositional sketches, but it was on seeing the announcement of the NYBBGB Young Composers' Competition that encouraged him to bring them together.

Encouraged

"What really attracted me to entering the competition was the possibility of hearing my piece being played by NYBBGB which would be a thrilling experience," he said.

"Most of my previous compositions have been for wind bands, so I had to learn more about effective writing for some of the brass band instruments I was less familiar with, and I am really glad that my entry to the competition encouraged me to work on that."

He added: "'Marche Triomphale' is inspired by some of the military style marches I heard played at the coronation of King Charles III.

I found some of that music very uplifting and I wanted my work to communicate both triumphant feelings of victory and some sadness associated with fallen comrades and the longing for home."

Impact

It's certainly made an impact on the young players, with one telling 4BR: "It's really fun and already one of my favourite pieces on the course. It's nice to play something written by someone our age."

Meanwhile, another fan said: "I think Easher's writing is perfect for us at the Children's Band and challenges us to become better musicians. I love that it feels like a traditional march but it isn't boring!"

I think Easher is going to be a composer to watch out for in the future, and I hope that it will include many more works for brass bandsDr David Thornton

Authentic march feel

The work features a triumphant main theme in a major key and two more thoughtful secondary themes, one in the relative minor and one in major, with Easher adding: "Although the NYBBGB would obviously not march while playing this piece, I purposely wrote it in a standard military marching tempo (120 BPM) which I think helps create an authentic march feeling."

As for the future, Easher is certain it will be a musical one.

"When I leave school, I hope to study music at either a conservatoire or university, but I really don't know yet if clarinet, organ or composition would be my main focus.

Beyond that I would love to either play bass clarinet in a symphony orchestra or be a cathedral organist, but with composition always being something I would also focus on as I find it so fascinating and rewarding."

Impressed

For the time being though it is the brass band world that is holding his compositional attention with Dr David Thornton, suitably impressed by his first work for the medium.

"It's a wonderfully mature work for someone so young. The style and the substance really do make it an authentic march of triumph and the players have really enjoyed working on it.

I think Easher is going to be a composer to watch out for in the future, and I hope that it will include many more works for brass bands."