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Brass News Beat

A Historic Day for Wells City Band

Political stalemate between two councils has been finally solved as Wells City Council recently took ownership of The City of Wells bandstand.  Clearing the way for Wells City Band after many years to perform yet again a recent Sunday afternoon concert.

It’s not the Albert Hall but it’s live music to the people in the very heart of the community, they all love what they do. 

A historic day in it’s 183 year (!!) history Wells City Band at its best. 

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Wells City Band News

New latest pre-season summer signing! Wells City Band is buzzing (pun unashamedly intended) in welcoming the very fine cornet player Matt Dury as its new Principal Solo Cornet. Pictured here also with Co-Principal Solo Cornet and Band Manager Rachel Cooper.
Loving my time conducting the band in a very exciting chapter in its 185 year history. Lovely people and a brass band on a purpose. Click here to find out more about about WCB.

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Latest SWTA News

SOUTH WEST TRUMPET ACADEMY met for their June rehearsal and what a great rehearsal it was - bravo! Something special is brewing with this group of trumpet players all under the age of 14. Three works were rehearsed Trumpet Together by Mike Walton, and from the Pandon catalogue Fats Waller's classic tune Aint Misbehavin and Bach's Gelobet sei der Herr, Mein Gott.. 

SWTA were working towards their debut performance where they are guest performers at The Trumpet and Cornet Matters Day on October 3rd 2021 held at Bruton School for Girls in Somerset

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Finally a DT8 Live Rehearsal

A welcome view from my stand. Back rehearsing with the horn section of DT8 Band for gigs over the summer. Been playing with these lovely chaps in the theatres for over 25 years good to hear and see them again! 

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                                          Aster Brass Quintet - Live in Concert (with audience)

 

The Aster Brass Quintet is formed from current undergraduate students from The Royal Academy of Music London. Aster are leading the charge of the return of live music heralding the end of 16 months lockdown for musicians by performing a recital at Christ Church Frome Somerset BA11 1EH on Saturday 10th July at 19.30.

 

The Aster Quintet line up is:

Trumpets: Eliza Talman and James Jelly

Horn: Hannah Williams

Trombone: Meggie Murphy

Tuba: Callum Davis.

 

This exciting young quintet will be performing two arrangements by Paul Denegri, his popular arrangement of 5 English Dances and the peaceful Banks of the Green Willow by George Butterworth. The Aster Brass Quintet will also play works by Malcolm Arnold and Koetsier as well as lighter items such as Putting' on the Ritz and the Canadian Brass arrangement of Take a Closer Walk 

 

Tickets are available on the door. A wonderful way to start live music once again in Frome after 16 months of closed music venues. Enjoy.

After a pandemic delayed start of nine months The South West Trumpet Academy U14 (SWTA) held its inaugural rehearsal in person at Henton in Somerset on May 15th. The SWTA U14 ensemble is for gifted and talented young trumpet players of a high standard across the SW region to rehearse and perform in a one to a part quality chamber group. The ensemble meets once a month and will begin its performances from October this year. 

 

STWA will on occasion will be performing alongside the professional trumpet ensemble The Trumpet Crew.

 

SWTA is coached by Paul Denegri, as well as other eminent professional trumpet players based in the SW. It is organised under the umbrella of Pandon Ltd. Pandon is dedicated to providing opportunities for talented and gifted children and young people across the performing arts to develop their talent and to provide them with a platform to perform and promote their art to a wider audience.

 

Further information can be obtained on SWTA via the website or through social media links.

4K BRASS

Students from Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University Come Together for Virtual Brass Chamber Music 

 

The Pandon news desk was delighted to receive news of 4K Brass. 4K Brass is a virtual project created during lockdown by a group of musicians studying at the RNCM and the University of Manchester. The purpose of the group is to continue to make brass chamber music despite the fact that in person is restricted.

Watch the video that reached us here at Pandon News HQ Blow Blow Thou Winter Quilter/Shakespeare arranged Denegri

https://drive.google.com/file/d/101rY7qdYasTl-kZOqzi2SQ9eUeq5j1Jy/view?usp=sharing

 

The 4K Brass line up is as follows:

 

Trumpet 1 - Tom Watts (RNCM)

Trumpet 2 + Audio - Jacob Griffiths (UoM)

Horn - Tom Hutchison (RNCM)

  • Groups - PentaBrass Quintet. RNCM Horn Ensemble - both of which have been involved with lockdown projects 

Trombone + Video - Josh Cargill (RNCM)

 

Jacob Griffths gave us an insight to 4K Brass approach to the process and challenges of virtual chamber music performance.

 

Ordinarily, playing chamber music requires all of the players to communicate with one another, a task that is difficult to achieve organically over the internet. So instead of relying on cues from breathing and eye-contact, we have to make do following a click-track. To this click-track we layer one part at a time (working our way from the outer parts to the inner ones) and when these parts all work together, remove the click-track. 

 

Another challenge of recording virtually is balance. Without being able to physically hear parts live (and with different microphones set to various settings) much of the work to make the group sound like a cohesive unit has to occur in post. The process of adjusting decibel levels, panning different instruments to where they appear on the screen and, at times, altering tuning is really important, but it is also critical to keep any interferences to a minimum so that the eventual product sounds as natural as possible. 

 

Pandon will keep checking in with and sharing 4K Brass virtual brass chamber music performances plus beyond both as a chamber ensemble and as individuals.

Paul Denegri October 2020

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