News

Black Dyke Brass Festival 2009

Heritage Symposium

‘Partnering the Past and Fostering the Future'

The 2009 Black Dyke Brass Festival will be a special year in the band's long and distinguished history. The festival aims to pass on some of its hard-won core values to future generations, to place new music alongside established repertoire, and to counterpoint some stars of the future with legends of the past and present. This year's Festival marks the start of the band's five-year commissioning policy, which will culminate in 2014 with the premiere of a substantial new score by the leading international composer James McMillan.

The festival starts with an on-line lecture-recital as the band and its director give an illustrated overview of their 155-year history, beginning with rare music taken from John Foster's 1855 octet books, also music from the Golden Period, featuring Elgar, Holst and Ireland.  The band's lecture will be available as a worldwide educational resource on the Black Dyke website during and after the weekend. One of the over-riding ambitions at Queensbury is to involve and inspire young performers to aim at the highest level. Accordingly, there will be a young composer's workshop led by Paul Hamlyn Award winner Emily Howard, and a combined performance featuring Black Dyke in concert with the 60 young musicians of the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band. The British Trombone Society have accepted an invitation to participate in the Lower Brass Focus, when it is anticipated that 120 local players will join a sequence of daytime workshops, and we are pleased that New Music, including scores by Prof. Peter Graham and Philip Harper will feature prominently.

The Black Dyke Band stands at the centre of a worldwide culture, ranging from Australasia to Scandinavia and North America. Thanks to its wide legacy of recording and an increasing amount of internet performance, brass players around the globe regard its activities as a musical high-water mark, and we believe that by supporting its continuing activities, the social and musical values of the United Kingdom are equally well served.

We hope that you will enjoy this Festival, and would like to acknowledge our wonderful partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University and this year we are also supported by Heritage Lottery Fund, where our accent is firmly on ‘Partnering the Past and Fostering the Future'.

As part of the RNCM Festival in 2009, Black Dyke announced a ground-breaking five-year plan for its new Associate Composers. Although we are more than lucky in having a number of writers associated with the band's players, we all recognise the need to entice major talent from the mainstream world of classical music.

At their Brass Festival 2009, and later on, at the summer festival in Deal, the band will give the first performances of ‘Willow Pattern' by Philip Harper  Following the success of the Indian flavours of ‘The Legend of Sangeet' last year, Philip has looked to Japan for inspiration for this year's new work. Of course, the band movement might well claim Philip as one of its own, a talent well versed in the culture surrounding our best bands. Black Dyke's long-term plans hope to attract new composers to write something to be performed on a wider stage.  Just such a talent, and one just about to write her first piece for brass band, is Emily Howard.

Born in Liverpool in 1979, Emily was a youthful high achiever (including six consecutive years as British Junior Girls Chess Champion.) who subsequently studied maths and computational science at Lincoln College Oxford. Serious musical study has come later in her career, but she completed her masters' degree with Adam Gorb at the RNCM with a double distinction. Her music is characterised by a mature directness and an approachable modernity. Over recent years, she has been working regularly with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and her new composition ‘Magnetite', a 10 minute orchestral study into the internal structure of crystals. Commissioned by the Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008 for the RLPO, Emily was chosen as a recipient of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers 2008. Representing the absolute pinnacle achievement for young composers, this award provides the recipient with a three year salary to allow them to develop free from the day-to-day strictures of earning a living.

Emily herself has said

"I am absolutely delighted to receive a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers 2008. The initial phone call left me literally jumping for joy and I spent the next week eagerly awaiting the post for proof that I hadn't dreamt the whole thing! To be given 45,000 pounds with no hidden agenda equates to artistic freedom and for a composer there is no greater privilege. It is a life-changing event."

However, Emily is clear that she has a desire to keep her contacts fresh. She continues to work with youngsters, both in educational workshops run by the Manchester Camerata Orchestra, and teaching at the Junior College of the RNCM.  

I think it is good for students to write for performance if possible. I firmly believe that they will learn a lot more from the performance experience than from anything else - performances of your own music can be really inspiring and energising.

Technique is really all a composition teacher can teach. Orchestration for example, or serial technique, and I certainly do this. A teacher can also help by introducing and discussing in detail parts of the repertoire that the student is unfamiliar with. However,  I think that the best thing a teacher can do is to help a student who is stuck with a work by just saying the right thing (whatever that may be - it varies!) so that they are no longer stuck - you can see it in their eyes. Sort of like giving the student a creative spark, so that they can go off again on their own - after all, composition is very solitary.

The 2009 Brass Festival will feature some of these new pieces in a Composers' Collective Concert held in tandem with the Grove Brass Quintet. Emily's background has been formed by her mainstream classical origins. Like so many of her contemporaries, she has ambitions to compose music for professional orchestras. However, she has a broader interests and a genuine talent for writing for amateurs. Now she is planning her first pieces for Brass Band in 2010

Nicholas Childs' decision to commission James McMillan to compose a new score for Black Dyke to play in 2011 is a bold one. In April, 2008 the world premiere of McMillan's St John Passion was performed by Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra, and his opera The Sacrifice won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Opera in May.  More recently, he won the British Composer Award 2008 for Liturgical Music. As Nicholas said at the RNCM Festival in January,

‘Commissioning James MacMillan to write a brass band score of substance has been at the top of many wish-lists over several years, and we are thrilled that he has accepted our offer to write something for performance in 2012/3. There is a composer in every generation who might have written for our movement, but escaped. We can learn so much from the orchestral world, and must always strive to attract established talents from sources outside our own comfort zone.'

This review of the new Naxos label CD with Black Dyke Band, of music composed by Philip Wilby,  appeared in the Yorkshire Post in March:

"Philip Wilby: A Breathless Alleluia. (Naxos 8.572166)

Breathless indeed. The alleluias come from Yorkshire-born composer Philip Wilby who has provided the Black Dyke Band with a dashing, syncopated toccata that gives the CD its title. This fine band, under conductor Nicholas Childs, relishes the challenges in a crisp performance of high energy. Wilby's talent for memorable melody is evident also in his deft Paganini Variations and the brightly coloured Concerto for Euphonium where David Thornton is soloist. There's much more, all of high calibre in a hugely entertaining programme. RC"

Black Dyke Band will once again present an open rehearsal at Morley Town Hall, this time for the Yorkshire Area test piece Salute to Youth by Gilbert Vinter. The rehearsal will start at 8pm on Friday 6^th March and, as well as the open rehearsal and a full run through the test piece, Dr Childs will put on a short concert programme.

Admission is free and doors open at 7.30pm 

Please note that the open rehearsal is Friday not Thursday as in the past.

John Doyle has returned to take up the Repiano Cornet seat at Black Dyke.  John said "I am truly excited about returning to my banding family, the way the band is run, the professionalism of its members and its forward thinking direction from the boss makes it unique".
 
He will take over from Lee Rigg, who has decided leave so he can spend more time with his family.  Lee commented  "I would like to thank Nicholas for giving me the opportunity to be a member of the band winning the Open and National and have some very memorable times."
 
Nicholas Childs commented "Lee is a terrific player and we look forward to giving him this space with his family and I certainly look forward to future appearances where Lee will be depping with Black Dyke as our number one deputy. Of course John Doyle's prowesses as a player need little introduction and we welcome him back and I am sure he will make a very significant contribution to the band and its activities."

At a ceremony in the Banqueting Hall of the City Hall on Saturday 13^th December, the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Howard Middleton, presented a framed citation marking the Reaffirmation of Black Dyke Band as Freemen of the City of Bradford, an honour originally bestowed on the Band in 1976.

Many of the band members and Trustees were present at the ceremony and Sir James Hill, the Vice President of the Band, received the Citation on behalf of the Band, and spoke in response to the Lord Mayor's eloquent presentation. 

The Citation will take its place in the band room at Queensbury. Alongside this will be a framed photo of the presentation of the Citation which has been kindly donated by Trustee Ian Thompson.     

At the 2008 Black Dyke Band Annual Dinner and Award Ceremony, the Bandsman of the Year Trophy and the Pondasher Trophy were presented by Chairman of Trustees, David Allen. The ceremony and dinner were attended by all of the band members, Trustees and their partners, together with a number of guests from the Bands' Partners including Leeds Metropolitan University, Breville, York Instruments, World of Brass, SHB Hire, Band Supplies and Rath Trombones. 

The Bandsman of the Year Trophy was awarded to soprano cornet player Paul Duffy, described by Dr Nicholas Childs as a person who has shown incredible diligence in developing into an extraordinary talent. This coveted award is voted for by the players of the band, and always reflects a player who is held in consistently high esteem by their peers throughout the year. 

The Pondasher Award was presented to trombone player Garry Reed.

Dr Childs commented "Garry epitomises everything a bandsman should be, talented, fantastic commitment who has 100% attendance at Black Dyke and when you take he has a challenge of over 200 miles round trip for each band practice."

The following is The Independent newspaper's review of the Armed Man concert at Gandhi Hall, Leeds Metropolitan University, performed on Sunday 23rd November:

The Independent Review Thursday 27th November 2008

The Armed Man, Gandhi Hall, Leeds

Reviewed by Paul Vallely
Thursday, 27 November 2008

Occasionally, you leave a concert knowing that you were at not just a performance but an event , and you feel privileged. The Leeds Metropolitan University's production of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace - was just such an occurrence.

Jenkins, perpetrator of the Adiemus classical-New Age cross-over cycle, is something of a mixed blessing. We bridle at music that has a palpable design upon us, and Jenkins is a master of that, combining the visceral and ethereal in a Carmina Burana way. But when he marries it with a subject that touches as profoundly as this one - Guy Wilson's selection of texts from across six centuries and even more cultures - the result is deeply affecting.

The Armed Man was originally scored for orchestra, but here it was a version for brass band and organ. And what a band. The Black Dyke is 2008's Champion Band of Great Britain, and it was easy to see why: the tonal colour and dynamic range was extraordinary, under the sensitive baton of Andrew Dean. They were as accomplished in the grandiloquence of Jenkins' martial settings as in the lyricism of the Last Post.

The 15th-century "L'homme armé", was followed by the Muslim call to prayer, intoned with melodic power by Rashid Hussain. Soloists from Opera North sang the mournful setting of Toge Sankichi's poem on Hiroshima, "Angry Flames", in which baritone Paul Gibson was striking. Soprano Kathryn McGuckin evoked a devastating loneliness in "Now the Guns Have Stopped", and the euphonium in the final Benedictus moved us to tears, as a projected slide showed a woman with red roses kissing a military gravestone. "Stunning" was my young son's verdict. It would be hard to improve on that.

Black Dyke became the most successful brass band in history by winning the 2008 National Brass Band Championships.

The competition, regarded as the FA Cup for brass bands, started with qualifying rounds at the beginning of the year, culminating with the UK's top 20 Grand Final on Saturday,11th October, at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.

Nicholas Childs, Director of Music, commented "It is a tremendous win, when the audience started to applaud and even erupt before the band finishes, you know we had created a special performance."

Composer of the test piece, Dr Kenneth Downie, commented "I was deeply impressed by Black Dyke, an exceptional performance, so detailed and musical."

Adjudication trio of David Read, James Gourlay and David King, all agreed, Black Dyke's mixture of technical brilliance and musical nuance, was enough to give them a clear victory over British Open champion Fodens, with European champion, Cory in third.

This was Black Dyke's 21st National Title making it more succesful than any other brass band in history.

Click on this link to read the 4barsrest review of Joseph Cook's new Solo CD, Debut

http://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/cds/cd386.asp

Click on this link to read the 4barsrest review of Paul's new CD

http://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/cds/cd385.asp

Majestic Percussion of Holland has extended their Partnership with Black Dyke Band for a further three years.

Managing Director of Majestic BV, Peter Vulperhorst, visited Queensbury on 18^th September to personally deliver an extensive update to the percussion equipment, and attended the Band's concert at Selby Abbey the following weekend where he and Dr Nicholas Childs, the Band's Principal Conductor and Director of Music, signed the contract. 

Dr Childs said "I am delighted that we have extended our agreement with Majestic Percussion for a further three years. Their range of equipment is of the highest quality, and enhances the overall sound produced by the Band".

Black Dyke Band is proud to announce a new Partnership agreement with SHB, Europe's largest 4x4 vehicle hire company.

In this agreement, Black Dyke Band has been provided with a brand new Citroen L4 Cargo van which has modified to their requirements including three extra seats and shelving. 

Paul Street, a Director of SHB Hire, said  "We are very pleased to be associated with Black Dyke Band. This vehicle, with both our identities clearly exhibited, will be travelling around the country to boast our partnership and we are delighted to be associated with a band of such quality and tradition"    

Whilst on tour in Holland last weekend with Black Dyke Band, Professor Philip Wilby was surprised and delighted to receive international recognition for his long-term commitment  to brass band composition. The award comes from BUMA, (the European equivalent of our Performing Rights Society) and comes with the endorsement of the Dutch Government.

Presented by Mr Gerard Klaucke on behalf of  the Dutch brass magazine Brass Info, the BUMA International Brass Award 2008, is inscribed:

"For his remarkable contribution to the development of international brass music"

and goes on

"With admirable energy and effort over a long period, Philip Wilby has crossed many frontiers and contributed significantly to the development of brass music in the modern era"

Professor Wilby observed, 

'This is a very welcome award to receive, on behalf of all of us who value the contribution of the brass band tradition. Coming from the highest cultural level of national government, I hope that it will strengthen the efforts of our own Parliamentary group to recognise the efforts of so many British colleagues in unholding a proud native tradition.'

He was travelling with Black Dyke Band to Holland to take part in both their concerts. On Friday night,  at their Almkerk Church Concert, he played the organ in two of his hymn arrangements and Boellmann's Suite Gothique. On Saturday, at the Gala Concert in Drachten's De Lawei theatre, he conducted his celebrated Paganini Variations and received his presentation immediately after Joseph Cook's spectacular performance of his new piece 'Cyrano'.

Black Dyke Band is pleased to announce that Andrea Crossley has joined them on percussion. 

Born in Bolton, Lancashire, Andrea began to learn the piano at an early age and was one of the youngest people ever to gain a place at the prestigious Chethams School of Music. Later taking up percussion and composition, Andrea went on to reach the percussion final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition 2004, and was subsequently invited to join the YBS brass band, where she was principal percussionist between 2004 and 2007.

Andrea has performed as soloist in many prestigious venues in several countries, and as well as being involved in brass bands she has worked as a professional musician with a number of orchestras, most recently in the position of assistant principal percussionist with the KZNPO in South Africa.

As well as her success in performing, Andrea is also in increasing demand as a composer. She has been commissioned to write music for brass band and other ensembles, and has had several works performed and recorded in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Andrea graduated from the University of Salford in 2006 with first class honours and was also awarded the Mortimer prize for performance. She then went on to complete a Masters degree in composition in 2008, achieving distinction. She is currently studying for a PGCE at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Black Dyke Band will once again present an open rehearsal at Morley Town Hall, this time for the British Open test piece Rococo Variations by Professor Edward Gregson. The rehearsal will start at 7.30pm on Thursday 11th September 2008 and, as well as the open rehearsal and a full run through the test piece, Dr Childs will put on a short concert programme.

 Admission is free and doors open at 7pm

The latest volume of Essential Dyke, volume 8, is releasd today and promises to be one of the best selling CDs ever. It includes solos from Richard Marshall (Miss Blue Bonnet), Gareth Brindle on baritone (A Little Prayer) and John Doyle, our long time Flugel Horn soloist who left the band earlier this year, playing That'll Do from Babe.

Also on this massive CD, with an unusually extended playing time of over 73 minutes, are concert favourites Widor's Tocatta, Pines of Rome and Paul Lovatt-Coopers Vitae Aeternum. 

And if that wasn't enough to tempt you, we have included another great encore favourite in Nicholas Brodszky's I'll Walk With God which became popular when it was frequently sung by Mario Lanza.

The CD is available from today on our website, and will be despatched as usual by our partners Salvationist Publishing & Supplies, or pick it up at any of our concert appearances starting with the three concerts this weekend at Gawsworth Hall and Harrogate.

In a continued campaign to increase opportunities for young brass players around the UK, Black Dyke Band has initiated a Young Artist Scheme, designed to support a young soloist for a twelve month period. The concept follows on from the 'Young Composer-in-Association' scheme in helping a young talent and promoting them within the brass band movement, as well as further afield. 

Matthew White, aged 17 from Bolton, is named as first recipient

On Saturday May 31st, during Black Dyke's performance at York Minster, euphonium player Matthew White was named as the first ever recipient of the title. 

Matthew has already appeared as a soloist with Black Dyke as part of the Radio 2 Young Soloist Competition and has been carving a name for himself through a line of successful competition and concert appearances. During the last twelve months he has appeared as a soloist with Leyland Band at Regent's Hall, London, given an award winning performance of the Elgar Howarth Concerto at Chetham's School and has been a recitalist at the Bergen Festival, Norway. This September, Matthew will become part of the coveted euphonium department at the Royal Northern College of Music where he will continue his studies with David Thornton. 

David commented, "Matthew is a huge talent, his technique is fantastic, but the most impressive aspect is his performance skills - we want to help him achieve his full potential by giving him opportunities that he might not otherwise have. He really has the ability to become one of the movement's top players."

After the announcement, an excited Matthew commented, "It's a great honour and has topped off a fantastic final year at Chetham's! I'm looking forward to the prospect of starting at the RNCM with these opportunities in front of me."

Dr Nicholas Childs added, " Our recent Young Composer schemes, working successively with Peter Meechan and Paul Lovatt-Cooper have been a great success, and it seems natural to extend the idea to young performers. It was a real pleasure working with Matthew for Radio 2, and he has proved to be a fine player and a well-rounded individual. We are eager to give him some broader exposure in the coming months."

Black Dyke Band will once again present an open rehearsal at Morley Town Hall, this time for the English Nationals test piece Infinity by Robert Redhead. The rehearsal will start at 7.30pm on Thursday 26^th June and, as well as the open rehearsal and a full run through the test piece, Dr Childs will put on a short concert programme.

Admission is free and doors open at 7pm

Another development for the website is now being built, with the availability of a Press Kit which allow you to download photos and biographies of the band. Many of the biographies and already available there, and we will be adding photos in the coming few days including individual player's photos and a new Band photo taken at the Sage Theatre last month.

The Saturday Gala Concert is now avaialble on the Watch Us page of this website.

This remarkable concert includes the world premiere of the new commissioned cornet solo Sonatina, by Elgar Howarth, played by Richard Marshall, Ben Hur which was played to a background from the movie playing whilst the band played the piece (and timed to perfection!) and the second half which was given to the complete Enigma Variations.

Those of you who missed the Black Dyke Brass Festival can still get a taste of what is was all about. Sunday's concert is now available on the "Watch us" page of this website.

The first half includes: Academic Fanfare by Peter Graham, Legend of Sangeet by Philip Harper featuring Sitar Soloist Mohamed Assani, and concluding with Philip Wilby's Paganini Variations

The second half starts with the march Slaidburn, followed by the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band playing Paul Lovatt-Cooper's Dream Catchers and the finale is Elgar Howarth's Fireworks conducted by the composer.

Black Dyke Band is pleased to announce that Alex Kerwin has joined the band on Flugel Horn with immediate effect.

Alex was brought up in the heart of the brass band world in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. She began playing the cornet at the age of seven. Her teachers included Phillip McCann and James Shepherd.

At the age of 17 she was appointed principal cornet of Carlton Main Frickley and at the age of 18 became the first female member of James Shepherd Versatile Brass, this is where she met her future husband, Simon Kerwin. She has also played with CWS Glasgow and YBS as well as being in demand across Europe and Worldwide as a guest artiste.

Since the age of 19 Alex has lived in Norway, Scotland and New Zealand, where she has amassed several trophies, including the Best Soloist Prize in the Elite section at Siddis Brass 1996, Best Instrumentalist at the New Zealand National Championships, Best Soloist at New Zealand Band of the Year, Best Soloist at Brass in Concert 2003 on soprano cornet and also being crowned British Open Solo Champion in 2003 on Bb cornet.

Dr Nicholas Childs, Director of Music at Black Dyke said "I am delighted to welcome Alex to Black Dyke, as a full time member of the band; she is an extremely talented instrumentalist who I am sure will establish herself as one of our leading soloists."

Alex Kerwin said "It is the pinnacle of my dreams to be appointed flugel soloist with Black Dyke. Since playing on soprano with Black Dyke in 2004 I have forged a strong friendship with the band and I am looking forward to a long and fruitful time here. It is an honour."

Back copies of Black Dyke's in house magazine "The Bugle" are now available to download from the website on the Friends page. Friends of Black Dyke Band receive their copies of the Bugle by post 4 times a year, and details of how to become a Friend are also available on the same page.

Of course, only old versions of the magazine will be available on the website. For example, the recently distributed Issue 50 will not be loaded on the site until Friends receive the next Issue 51 which is planned to go out in the next four weeks.

This is part of a series of ongoing developments for the website, and more news of further improvements will follow

We are proud to announce that the two concerts this weekend at the inaugural Brass Festival at the Headingley Campus of Leeds Metropolitan University will be shown live over the internet facilitated by the resources available at the University. 

The first concert, starting on Saturday night at 7.30, will include a live performance of Black Dyke Band playing to the chariot race scene from the film of Ben Hur which will be shown simultaneously on a projected film. This concert will also feature the World Premiere of Elgar Howarth's new cornet solo, Sonatina, performed by Richard Marshall. 

The second concert, starting Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm and including the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band, will incorporate Paganini Variations by Philip Wilby, Fireworks by Elgar Howarth and Dream Catchers by Paul Lovatt-Cooper. 

The concerts can be watched live by following this link:

 http://video-2.leedsmet.ac.uk/Live.aspx?EI=live2