British Trombone Society

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
14th November

Chris Thomas, Principal Trombone of the BAYV Band recently enjoyed himself at the BST get together in Cardiff. Here he reports on the event.

The BTS recently held its annual get-together at the RWCMD in Cardiff. As expected, the event was attended by the great and the good of the UK trombone scene from the worlds of classical, jazz, big band and brass band music.

The programme was impressive. Chris Houlding (Opera North), Dave Stewart (London Philharmonic), Jiggs Wigham, Dennis Rollins, John Kenney, Jan Kagarice, Bonelab, as well as the Buy As You View trombone section were all timetabled to perform during the day. When not performing, everyone was around throughout the day to chat, give advice and support other performers. As with all BTS get-togethers, the emphasis is strongly on participation, so everyone who attends is encouraged to bring their instrument and take part in the various clinics and masterclasses.

The day kicked off with a massed blow with the trombones of the RWCMD, under the educated baton of Chris Mowat, Head of Brass. For me, this summed up what the BTS is about; legends, seasoned pros, young hopefuls and rank amateurs mucking in, rubbing shoulders, tangling slides and having a good time.

The excitement subsided and everyone settled down for the first masterclass of the day.

Jan Kagarice is an internationally renowned educator and clinician. She currently serves as an adjunct trombone professor at the University of North Texas. She has also held guest teaching residencies at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany and the University of Minnesota. She has performed with the Dallas Symphony, the Ft. Worth Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony and the Boston Philharmonic, and was the founder and bass trombonist of the internationally acclaimed trombone quartet PRISMA.  Her ‘Embouchure Workshop' was highly informative and presented in her usual easy and illuminating style.

The Buy As You View trombone section then gave a whirlwind tour of the major musical landmarks of brass band literature, well as far the trombone goes, anyway! Jenkins' 'Life Divine', Fletcher's 'Epic Symphony' and Aagaard-Nilsen's 'Aubade - Dawn Songs of the Fabulous Birds' were all given an airing. From a performance point of view, looking out into the audience and seeing musical legends paying rapt attention to every note was a terrifying experience! However, the feedback we received from players like Dennis Rollins, Philip Harrison (CBSO) and Jiggs Wigham was great.

Next, we were treated to a concert given by Chris Houlding (BTS President, Principal of Opera North) and Dave Stewart (London-based freelance bass trombone) in a programme of solos and duets that included a British Premiere of Crees' 'Flourish' and the World Premiere of Wills' 'Lucifer'. The two gave ample evidence why they are at the top of the professional tree.

After lunch, John Kenny and Emily White took everyone off in a completely different direction with a virtuoso exploration of new repertoire for trombone and electronics. The material may not have been to everyone's taste, but there was no doubting the brilliance of the players and their absolute belief in what they were performing. In brass bands, we tend to regard some of our repertoire as ‘modern', but let me tell you; John and Emily were doing things with and to their instruments that would have traditionalists ringing the Samaritans! It did prove, however, that regardless of your ‘bag', if you present it with style and conviction, audiences will be receptive to almost anything.

The highlight of the day for me was the Jazz Clinic given by Dennis Rollins. To be honest, I've never been a fan of Jazz; my opinions having being formed after a full jazz education sat behind Terry Jennings at Sun Life. I wasn't really planning on going in to listen to the clinic, but doing a bit of research on Dennis and seeing some of the amazing acts that have featured him (Dionne Warwick, Jamiroquai, Cyprus Hill, Hermeto Pascoe, Brand New Heavies, George Clinton, Blur, Courtney Pine and Jools Holland to name a few), I decided to give it a whirl.

I've never had so much fun since I was four, running around the playground like a loon with my parka buttoned around my neck!

He is one of the leading lights in the world of jazz trombone, but what sets him apart is the way he communicates his enjoyment to his audience in an open, honest and humble manner. His workshop featured two aspiring players that Dennis coaxed through a piece that neither of them had performed before. His easy teaching style had us all ready to jump up and join in (if it wasn't for a complete lack of bravery!), but to cap it all, jazz legend Jiggs Wigham sauntered onto the stage and he and Dennis got really stuck in! Jiggs really is a giant in the trombone world and just to hear him, within touching distance was a huge thrill; the two lads taking part in the workshop looked ready to get their parkas and join me in the playground!

Following the BTS AGM, the day was rounded off by a concert by Bonelab; a trombone choir made up of students from the London conservatories under the guidance of Roger Argente and Bob Hughes. They played superbly in a wide ranging programme (Gabrielli, Kodaly, Gershwin and Nightingale) that was delivered with authority and style. They also accompanied solos by bass trombonist Dave Stewart and yours truly with a transparency that suggested that a lot of rehearsal time had been spent on these pieces. In fact, the briefest of run-throughs had been arranged; it was all down to the youngsters' musicianship.

Money couldn't buy the wealth of expertise, advice and sheer professionalism on show during the day. Whether your background is brass band, jazz, big band or classical, there was something for everyone and the amount of ‘cross-pollination' going on was a joy to behold; brass band players being amazed by the exuberance and musicality of Dennis Rollins, or the young college blades hearing brass band trombone repertoire for the first time and being surprised at the lack of vibrato! It far outweighed the £20 annual membership fee and for any brass band trombonist, it's essential.

For details on how to become a member of the British Trombone Society, visit http://www.trombone-society.org.uk/

Chris Thomas

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