Conductor: Philip Harper
Soloist: Tommy Tynan
2025 RNCM International Brass Band Festival
Sunday 26th January

Reflections both real and imagined to our relationship with the natural, mechanical and magical world around us, formed the basis of Cory’s substantive performance at this year’s RNCM Festival.

All of which seemed to be combined in the ferocious drive of Thibaut Bruniaux’s ‘Storm’  to open – a whipped-up piece of colourful meteorological energy that although not quite gale force in volume certainly rattled the concert hall door hinges.

Not for the first time, Philip Harper called on one of his own players to provide the featured ‘Concerto’  performance. Tommy Tynan took the lead with his arrangement of Ricardo Molla’s fantasy inspired tuba concerto ‘Amaia’,  based on a story created by the composer of a Spanish girl’s transformation from grieving child to mature youth by mastering the four natural elements of water, earth, fire and air.  

Narrative elements

The tale shared the type of narrative arc found in a Guillermo del Toro film – think ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ meets ‘The Shape of Water’ - the music as equally busy in its inventiveness.  At its centre was the soloist as the innocent, if ever curious protagonist exploring their emerging relationship with their inner feelings and the control exerted over its external consequences; at times questioning and capricious, at others forceful and determined. 

The tale shared the type of narrative arc found in a Guillermo del Toro film – think ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ meets ‘The Shape of Water’ - the music as equally busy in its inventiveness. 

The end result was the emergence of a potentially fascinating new compositional voice for the medium in Ricardo Molla (who was in the audience) and a soloist grown in stature. 

Hubris

Philip Harper’s somewhat wry take on the ‘symphonic’ inspiration behind Hubert Bath’s triptych elements of ‘Freedom’  certainly inferred a sense of misplaced pomposity. It was one backed by his own musical interpretation which sought a much simpler approach of natural lyricism and tempered virtuosity in its succinct character portraiture.   

Bath’s hubris was not totally erased though; deliberately so to maintain the sprightly majesty of the ‘gentle sweetness of nature’ opening

Bath’s hubris was not totally erased though; deliberately so to maintain the sprightly majesty of the ‘gentle sweetness of nature’ opening, followed by the tender cornet led romance of the second movement (led delicately by Tom Hutchinson). The eager chatter of the finale drew a curious, but musically satisfying period piece to its bold, but not over inflated conclusion about itself. 

Viskamol Chaiwanichsiri’s ‘Ensemble Mecanique’ found its inspiration in the sounds of industry (as well as with more than a nod of appreciation to Bernstein and Stravinsky); an enjoyable juxtaposition of rhythmic drive and occasional moments of rest, like a production line of workers rhythmically putting together a car engine with an occasional break for quick fag and cup of tea.

Meaningful intensity

Contrasts of much more meaningful intensity though with a commanding appreciation by the MD of Edward Gregson’s ‘Dances & Arias’  to close – a work recently recorded to celebrate the band’s 140th anniversary as well as its National Championship hat-trick win under the great Arthur Kenney in 1984.   

This was rich, intense playing; the style, tempo and dynamic marked with consideration, enhanced by the quality of the ensemble (especially the excellent percussion) and solo lines of defined purpose.

This was rich, intense playing; the style, tempo and dynamic marked with consideration, enhanced by the quality of the ensemble (especially the excellent percussion) and solo lines of defined purpose.

The neatly delivered tribute to Elgar Howarth with his ‘Zurich March’  brought the afternoon to an appropriate light-footed close.

Iwan Fox