Brass chamber music of the highest order was to be heard with this Clarendon Brass lunchtime concert at Charlton House. 

Formed from students at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the combination of three trumpets, three trombones and tuba worked well, despite the lack of a great deal of original music.

Astringent

One exception is Stephen Dodgson's 'Suite for Brass Septet’.

Dating from 1957 its astringent harmonies and angular figures do not make it an obvious crowd-pleaser, but with considerable melodic interest and attractive interaction between the trumpets and the lower brass, its four contrasting movements were well received.

Rachmaninov's 'Vocalise' featured Rebecca Toal on Eb trumpet, with seamless lines replicating the wordless vocal of the original, whils the group also presented seven Scriabin preludes; encompassing a wide range of styles and moods, a couple of which were only a dozen or so bars in length. 

The opening 'Maestoso' saw the trombones and tuba taking a leading role, whilst the 'Scherzando' was full of fun, with a sudden, unexpected, ending. 

The opening 'Maestoso' saw the trombones and tuba taking a leading role, whilst the 'Scherzando' was full of fun, with a sudden, unexpected, ending. 

All the instruments were muted in the brief 'Lento', before the outward-looking 'Con Stravaganza'. The 'Lento' set solo trumpet against a muted accompaniment before the 'Andante' featured neat interplay between trumpets and trombones - beautifully balanced and restrained. 

The final, energetic 'Allegro' had the feel of an organ work rather than a piano piece, with some particularly solid playing by Stuart Beard on tuba and Stephen Williams on bass trombone.

Wide-spread

Their programme closed with a transcription of Mendelssohn's 'Organ Sonata No 2 in C minor, Op 65'.

Following the 'Grave' opening, moving figures in the 'Adagio' were passed between the players. The bright 'Allegro' began in fanfare style, moving on smoothly in triple time.

The 'Fuga' started at a very low dynamic, with the music gradually building and becoming more intricate, leading up to the final wide-spread chord.

Whilst the group was convened as part of a college project, they showed considerable potential, both as individuals and as an ensemble, should they decide to work together in the future.

Peter Bale