'On Bosworth Field', commissioned by the Desford Band, will receive it’s world premiere at The Regent Hall Gala Concert in London on Saturday.

Battle Royal

Composer Leigh Baker has drawn inspiration from the Battle of Bosworth which took place a few miles from where the Desford band room now stands in Leicestershire, and he is certainly excited about hearing the work being played on a night when another battle royal will just have finished a few yards up the road at the Royal Albert Hall.

Great night

"It's going to be a great night," Leigh told 4BR. "I'm really excited about the piece and the premiere by Desford. I hope everyone will like it, especially if they enjoy a good battle!"

God and your arms be praised victorious friends. The day is ours, the bloody dog is deadWilliam Shakespeare

Atmospheric

Leigh also told 4BR about the piece in more detail: "The piece opens with an atmospheric Prelude featuring off stage rep and swirling, muted whole tone motifs and the following section represents the warring sides in the battle and unusually features two teams of fanfare trumpets (including tenor and bass trumpets as well as Bb and Eb trumpets),each with there own snare drummer, positioned in the balcony and the area part of the hall."

Shakespeare

The piece is preceded by the first of three quotations from Shakespeare’s Richard III, which describes the Battle of Bosworth and the death of Richard III and the end of the War of the Roses.

Narrator

Narrator for the evening is Dudley Bright, who will also read quotes from Shakespeare in the Walton Henry V suite in the second half.

“Hark, I hear their drum
Fight Gentlemen of England! Fight bold yeomen.
Draw archers, draw your arrows to head
Spur your proud horses hard and ride in blood.
Amaze the welkin’ with your broken staves”

Full battle scene

Leigh continued: "As the two antiphonal groups collide through cross rhythms and an accelerando of 2 different speeds we are launched into the rumblings of the full battle scene with tutti band gradually exploring more complex rhythms and dissonant harmonies.

"As the battle builds in ferocity percussion effects (such as anvil, Tom tom effects, timp glisses, whip and cymbal/gong effects) all add to the mayhem."

Blood and gore

As the 2 fanfare teams return to the stage the slaying of King Richard is depicted with colourful band writing (such as hand-stopped euphonium and back row cornet clusters) and a blood and gore full throated section.

“God and your arms be praised victorious friends.
The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead”

This leads nto a reflective Interlude section before the quote-

“March on, join bravely, let us to the pell mell
If not in heaven, then hand in hand to hell.”

This takes the listener into a victory march featuring all of the fanfare trumpets and triumphant band.

Leigh spent Sunday afternoon with the Desford band and was delighted with the early rehearsal work on the piece.