Scotland will welcome some of the brass world’s top stars in what promises to be an exciting weekend of music making.
The marathon weekend of brass will commence at 2.30pm on Saturday 20 September at Dalkeith Community Campus, where the principal players of Foden’s Richardson Band will offer six simultaneous masterclasses covering cornet, horn, euphonium/baritone, trombone, tuba and percussion. The masterclasses, while aimed at encouraging young players, are open to all and free of charge.
At 7.00pm, Foden’s Richardson Band will present what promises to be a spectacular concert, which will include Hora Staccato, Kingdom Triumphant and the Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5, concluding with excerpts from Tchaikovski’s ‘Little Russian’ Symphony. The programme will also feature solo performances from Glyn Williams, Les Neish, Helen Williams and Mark Landon. Tickets for the concert are available online from www.thebooth.co.uk or directly from David McLeod on 0131 271 3756.
This new brass initiative, which it’s hoped will encourage young brass players to swell the ranks at Midlothian Schools Brass Band, is being presented by the Midlothian Arts and Creativity Team, headed by Acting Music Organiser, David McLeod. David commented: “Midlothian has a rich tradition in the field of brass, with several pupils winning titles at national levels over the last few years, and the Foden's concert, along with the new format of the Midlothian Schools Brass Band, shows a commitment from the region to build on that. Exciting things are planned for some of our other ensembles too, so it should be a good year for music in Midlothian!”
Youth Brass Extravaganza
On Sunday 21 September, the spotlight will move north to Meldrum Academy in Aberdeenshire, where David Childs will present a masterclass before swapping his York euphonium for a baton, as he leads a new band of young players, many of whom will be experiencing the joy of playing in a brass band for the first time. After sectional rehearsals, supported by brass and percussion tutors from local education authorities, a full rehearsal will enable the young band to prepare for the final concert, in which it will be joined by Turriff Silver Band.
Entry to the Workshop is free of charge and open to all young brass players, with players of Grade 2 standard or higher being able to participate in the rehearsals and concert. This will be the first in a series of workshop events due to take place in the area, hosted on this occasion by Richard Paton and his team at Aberdeenshire Council. It is hoped that future events within the Northern Counties Brass Band Association (NCBBA) area will nurture the organisation’s relationships with the other local education authorities, hopefully resulting in an influx of new, young brass talent in the region. Speaking on behalf of the NCBBA, Ann Murray commented: “We are indebted to York Instruments and Aberdeenshire Council for their support with this venture, the first of what promises to be a valuable series of rewarding and enjoyable events in the north of Scotland.” Further details of the event and an application form can be obtained at: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parentscarers/information/YouthBrassLeafletV3.pdf
The Scottish Brass Band Association’s (SBBA) Development Officer, Alan Edmond, commented: “The SBBA is delighted to be supporting both of the weekend’s events as part of our continuing Youth Development Programme. “Attracting performers of the stature of Foden’s and David Childs’ is a real coup for both the Midlothian Arts and Creativity Team and the Northern Counties Brass Band Association. Those attending the events are in for a memorable experience.”