2006 RNCM Festival of Brass: RNCM Brass Ensemble

Conducted by James Gourlay and Mike Hall
Soloists: James Gourlay (Tuba) Victoria McClean (Soprano)
Saturday 28th January

Saturday lunchtime's concert was the only one of the weekend that featured ensembles as opposed to full force brass bands.  The college's own Brass and Wind Ensemble's performed repertoire that in truth, wasn't that easy on the ear at times, but which was performed to a very high standard.

The concert opened with a Festival Commission and a World Premiere from the pen of ex RNCM student Peter Meechan entitled ‘Snake Eyes'.  Written to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of Mozart's birth with its inspiration coming from ‘Musikalisches Wuerfelspiel' – instructions for a musical composition dice game by the composer written in 1787.

Peter creatively used the idea of throwing a dice to determine and decide notes and their respective order.  It was innovative in its approach with varying tempos (and whilst the audience were listening for snippets of familiar Mozart) and the ensemble appeared to get to grips with the music without too much difficulty. It was a clever, innovative piece that deserves to be heard more often.

Richard Rodney Bennett's ‘Concerto for 10 Brass Players' paid homage to the composer who is seventy later in the year.  The highlight within this piece was the flugel playing at the opening of the second moment that was beautifully performed by Laura Hirst, who showed herself to be a fine performer.

The most intriguing piece from this concert was the UK Premiere of ‘Living in the Fast Lane' – a concerto for tuba and big band composed by Barbara Thompson.  James Gourlay was the featured soloist, and for this reviewer, it had an immediate appeal for sure.  It was actually rather funky in style, opening with the guitars (that immediately made think of Eric Clapton) and whilst the music was of a serious nature, the title suggests plenty of fun and that was what certainly came across from the soloist, who was completely at home with the music and who displayed a quite awesome technique.  The music might not have been to everyone's taste, but it certainly gave the opportunity for the tuba to appeal to a wider audience.

‘M is for Man, Music and Mozart' by Louis Andriessen concluded the concert and this featured the soprano voice of Victoria McLean. The piece is a mix of instrumental music and singing, and whilst the playing was excellent, the overall effect perhaps would have been better if the soloist had been aided by a microphone, as at times the balance between soloist and musicians wasn't as it should have been.

It concluded an enjoyable concert by the RNCM Brass Ensemble and showed once more that there is an immense amount of talent being groomed here for the future.

Malcolm Wood

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