Heroes
Conductor: Ian Porthouse
Royal College of Music
London 
Thursday 30th January

Brass bands have been associated with the Royal College of Music since it moved to its present home in Kensington in the 1890s. The connection has remained ever since – from performers to composers, with the current Head of Brass, Amos Miller strengthening ties following his appointment in late 2023.

Many of the current crop of students (several with brass band backgrounds) have already taken the first steps of gaining vital experience of the professional orchestral ranks, with the middle brass here made up of a trio of French horn players enjoying taking to the tenor horn, and a saxophonist playing solo baritone.

Any sounds of unfamiliarity were few and far between – testament to their talent as well as the preparation for a concert centred around two outstanding works for the medium.

Uncompromising canvas

After drawing an evocative performance of Judith Bingham’s ‘Prague’  from Tredegar at the recent RNCM International Brass Band Festival, Ian Porthouse once again unlocked its uncompromising canvas from the vaults of performance obscurity.  The vivid connective strands to Bohemian history, myth and political instability were maintained throughout – the imposing opening leading to the chill of the Golem, the translucent beauty of the Charles Bridge and resolute power of Wenceslas Square. 

The vivid connective strands to Bohemian history, myth and political instability were maintained throughout – the imposing opening leading to the chill of the Golem, the translucent beauty of the Charles Bridge and resolute power of Wenceslas Square. 

It was followed by Molly Frances Arnuk’s ‘How to Choose a Park Bench’  – a sequential change in extended harmonic chords that took you on a slow, but telling journey around an imaginary park, each chord offering a transient moment of reflection – happy, sad, questioning etc. It was an absorbing stroll of measured purpose.

Two works to showcase contrast opened the second half; the clever arrangement by Ryan Richards of Beethoven’s ballet overture from ‘The Creatures of Prometheus’  was a sprightly allegorical aperitif, whilst Alan Fernie’s ‘A Twinkle in his Eye’  was warmly embraced in tonality and melodic line.

Identity

As with ‘Prague’,  the ensemble felt most comfortable with Simon Dobson’s ‘Journey of the Lone Wolf’.  

It was a finely attuned performance – the crepuscular low brass adding a defined edge of ever-present darkness in his soul. 

The former alumni’s work also explores deeper, more complex ideas of identity both in Bela Bartok’s early years of ethnomusicology to the loneliness of his exile and death – his burial a frightening abyss. 

It was a finely attuned performance – the crepuscular low brass adding a defined edge of ever-present darkness in his soul. 

Iwan Fox