Ian Bousfield and Co-op Funeralcare Band to perform at Royal Conservatoire

One of the world’s outstanding brass musicians is to join forces with students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) and Co-operative Funeralcare Band for an unforgettable evening of music making in Glasgow.

The Brass Spectacular will see trombone virtuoso Ian Bousfield perform at the RCS, where he is International Brass Fellow, along with Co-op Funeralcare Band as the two-time national champion band of Great Britain celebrates its centenary year in 2018.

Trombone virtuoso Ian Bousfield

Music by Edward Elgar, Philip Wilby, Malcolm Arnold and John Williams will be among the repertoire to feature in the concert on Thursday, 8 February at Scotland’s national conservatoire, which is ranked in the world’s top three institutions for performing arts education (QS World Rankings 2017).

John Logan, Head of Brass at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, commented: “Ian Bousfield is a musician of international repute, whose playing continues to inspire performers of all ages and levels of experience. A former Principal Trombone of the Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony and Hallé orchestras, he grew up playing in the world of brass bands, which is such a wonderful breeding ground for the next generation of brass playing talent. With that in mind, we are also delighted to welcome the Co-operative Funeralcare Band to join us for what will be a very special evening of music making at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow.”

Ian Bousfield will perform with RCS students and Co-op Funeralcare during the evening. Royal Conservatoire students will take to the stage with a programme including Janáček’s Sinfonietta, Fanfare for a Festival, by Malcolm Arnold and Paul Hart’s Surprise Variations. Among the works on Co-op Funeralcare Band’s programme are The New Jersualem, by Philip Wilby, and John Williams’ Olympic Fanfare and Theme. Conducted by John Logan and Nigel Boddice MBE (pictured above), the ensembles will join forces for a massed finale in music by Respighi and Randy Edelman.

Martin Stack, Band Manager at Co-op Funeralcare Band, said: “For a century, the Co-operative Funeralcare Band has enjoyed a reputation for musical excellence, performing in engaging concerts and enjoying competition success at the very highest level. In its centenary year, the band is delighted to be performing alongside a musician of Ian Bousfield’s calibre and the talented students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as it looks to the next chapter in its illustrious history.”

The Brass Spectacular concert comes during a busy period for the brass department at the Royal Conservatoire. Undergraduate student Kyle MacCorquodale was recently appointed to the position of Principal Bass Trombone with the Hallé Orchestra. Meanwhile, the department is preparing for the return of its sold-out annual education concert, titled Brass for Schools: A Young Person’s Guide to Brass.

The Brass Spectacular with Ian Bousfield begins at 7.30pm on Thursday 8 February. Tickets are on sale now and are available by calling the Royal Conservatoire Box Office on 0141 332 5057 or logging on to: rcs.ac.uk/box-office.