National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain

Guest Conductor: Paul McGrath
Associate Conductor: Dr Nicholas Childs

Huddersfield Town Hall
Saturday 19th April 2003

The cream of the UK's youth brass band players brought to and end their Easter Course with a concert at Huddersfield Town which featured music of the music of days gone by and of the present.

The first half focussed on the music of Dr Philip Wilby with the Bourgeois Trombone Concerto in the middle and the second half was a trip down memory lane with music from Italy. Under Guest Conductor, Paul McGrath, the concert opened with Wilby's Paganini Variations. This piece is challenging at any level of banding (as those at Blackpool will discover) and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain deserve a lot of credit for producing a performance of real quality. It was not blemish free, but quite clearly you could see that band and conductor had relished the challenge of such a demanding work. The players were not just confident, but extremely comfortable with what was before them, and none more so, than Flugel player, Alison Tinsley, who shone like a beacon in her solo passage.

Prior to the concert taking place, it was announced over the PA system that Guest Soloist Andrew Berryman would be replaced by Simon Johnson. The question to came to mind 'Why announce something like that over the PA and not from the stage?' Well, the answer was that the whole of the concert (apart from a small announcement by Paul McGrath in the second half) took place without any compere or explanation of the music, no comments on the week's course, just play the music and move on to the next piece.

It sort of left you feeling as though you had intruded on a private concert and yet, it was a public performance. Fair enough, the majority of people in the audience would have been connected no doubt with those on the stage, but for no-one associated with the NYBBGB to say anything at all, seemed a touch bizarre to say the least.

The performance of The Trombone Concerto by Simon Johnson was superb. The piece was written in 1988 for Swedish star Christian Lindberg. Some of Borgoeois' music is of course not that easy on the ear, but his Trombone Concerto requires its soloist to demonstrate the lyrical side of the instrument. Throughout the performance, it was interesting to observe the National Youth's Principal Trombone, Steven Haynes. Throughout the evening, Steven was in great form, although Mr Johnson was the Soloist, Steven was clearly absorbed by skill of Simon Johnson and the music and it was as though he was playing every note too.

The first half concluded with another master piece by Dr Wilby, 'Jazz'. This piece was used for the Masters in 1997 and successfully was used at the Regionals not too long ago.

From a purely listening point of view, one of the most enjoyable things about Wilby's music is the challenge he sets soloists within the band. In Jazz, it commences with the infamous lip glissandi. Euphonium soloist, Ryan Day coped extremely well with the leap, and it set up a performance that as with the Paganini earlier, the players clearly enjoyed. Associate Conductor, Dr Nicholas Childs was conducting and it was clear for all to hear (and see) that his understanding of the music which gave Black Dyke victory in Yorkshire in 2001 was transmitted to the players under his wing. Special praise must go to Philip Cobb who thrived in the Eddie Calvert cornet solo, Steven Haynes on Trombone, Christopher Pannell on Tenor Horn and Alison Tinsley on flugel were all in great form.

Credit must be given to the tutors of the course and conductor's Paul McGrath and Dr Childs who had worked with these players during the week. All concerned had produced two wonderful readings of extremely difficult and demanding music, and they can't be praised enough. Well Done.

In his recent article on 4BR, Richard Evans made the point about not forgetting music from yesteryear. The second half of the concert was devoted to music from Italy with Verdi and Rossini featuring highly, giving the musicians a chance to play some of the music that Mr Evans was talking about.

First up was the Overture 'Nabucco'. With Paul McGrath back at the helm, it was interesting to hear how much detail he was pulling out of the score. No stone was left unturned and all the hard work paid off as both band and conductor produced a performance was that extremely musical.

The music of Respighi is well known to bandsmen as through arrangers such as Howard Snell we have discovered wonderful music such as Daphnes and Chloe and Pines of Rome.

Respighi was asked to arrange music by Rossini as music for a new ballet, and Bram Wiggins arranged for brass band 'La Boutique Fantasque' which means (The fantastic toyshop) Once again, Mr McGrath had gone right into the heart of the score and unearthed a lot of detail which was brought out in the performance. You certainly got a real sense of children having the time of their lives as the music unfolded with some wonderful effects.

Next we went back to the music of Verdi with his Prelude to La Traviata arranged for Brass Band by the great William Rimmer. The concert concluded with Rossini's Works by Alex Owen. This piece is rarely heard these days and that's a shame (probably due to the fact that in its entirety, it is some 25 minutes long). This performance was trimmed by some ten minutes or so, but nevertheless you did not lose any of the excitement that Rossini's music brings with it. After a demanding programme, no quarter was asked and no quarter was given and both band and conductor produced an exciting performance which includes many a familiar tune to our ears. The music concludes with the truly wonderful gallop from the William Tell Overture and the young percussionist on cymbals was having the time of his life as he played his part in the exciting finale - it really was a case of 'make sure you don't hit your nose' .

We were sent off into the Spring air thinking of those dancing girls in Offenbach's 'Can-Can' which concluded the concert. Congratulations to everyone connected with the NYBBGB Easter Course of 2003, and if you get a chance to see this band in the Summer, do so. These players are very much the future of the brass band movement, and they can be proud of their achievements

Malcolm Wood

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