I've mentioned once or twice here before that I play in Puget Brass, a British-style brass band here in Seattle. Each year we participate in the Northwest Brass Band Festival, which brings together several brass bands from around the region for a day of master classes with an invited guest artist and an evening concert. I thought you all might find this enjoyable. The clip below is our portion of that concert. It's about 18 minutes long and includes three wonderful pieces.
Intrada -- Ein Feste Burg
This is a "showpiece" arrangement of "A mighty fortress." The cornet section is divided into three antiphonal choirs and distributed around the back of the band. They get to show off, while the rest of us have to play all serious-like
0:53 -- Charles joined us this season. He was principal trumpet for the Seattle Symphony a few years ago.
1:25 -- Short three-part round of the main theme.
2:10 -- Dave plays bass trombone, with additional tubing and valves to reach the lowest notes.
2:50 -- Chuck plays the flugelhorn. It provides the tonal bridge between cornets and alto horns.
4:03 -- Tubas start a 16th-note run that descends almost to the lowest note possible at 4:24 -- check out Ben's cheeks!
Canterbury Chorale
While we rearrange ourselves into the traditional seating for a brass band, the guest conductor introduces the piece. He mentions some organ chords, which you'll hear near the end of the piece.
8:12 -- Matt drapes a small cloth over his bell to darken the tone a bit.
8:23 -- Bryce plays a variation of the theme on his brand new alto horn.
8:45 -- Yours truly! Listen for the 8th-note dissonance and resolution at 8:59.
10:35 -- Another, longer, dissonance-resolution. It's phenomenal to sit in the band and be surrounded by that sound.
10:57 -- The organ chords.
11:20 -- Ansgar (seen at 11:29) plays the E-flat cornet, the highest voice in the band.
11:55 -- Watch Ben put a mute in his tuba without a single clang! That thing is about 3 feet tall.
Oldham Rifle Brigade
John Falskow returns to conduct the march. This is one of the most technical marches I've seen. When you compare this with the previous piece, you can see just how diverse a brass band can really be.
12:47 -- Listen as the 16th notes move left to right across the band, from cornets to baritones and euphoniums.
14:57 -- Don plays not a trill but a tremolo -- rapidly alternating fingerings on the same pitch.
15:31 -- Listen for the euphoniums and baritones on their fast scale-like motifs.
16:51 -- The trombones introduce the conclusion.
That thing I play in the band is somewhat uncommon. My primary instrument is French horn, but British brass bands don't use those. Instead, the middle voice is provided by the alto horn. You won't see this instrument used anywhere else but settings like these.
Intrada -- Ein Feste Burg
This is a "showpiece" arrangement of "A mighty fortress." The cornet section is divided into three antiphonal choirs and distributed around the back of the band. They get to show off, while the rest of us have to play all serious-like
0:53 -- Charles joined us this season. He was principal trumpet for the Seattle Symphony a few years ago.
1:25 -- Short three-part round of the main theme.
2:10 -- Dave plays bass trombone, with additional tubing and valves to reach the lowest notes.
2:50 -- Chuck plays the flugelhorn. It provides the tonal bridge between cornets and alto horns.
4:03 -- Tubas start a 16th-note run that descends almost to the lowest note possible at 4:24 -- check out Ben's cheeks!
Canterbury Chorale
While we rearrange ourselves into the traditional seating for a brass band, the guest conductor introduces the piece. He mentions some organ chords, which you'll hear near the end of the piece.
8:12 -- Matt drapes a small cloth over his bell to darken the tone a bit.
8:23 -- Bryce plays a variation of the theme on his brand new alto horn.
8:45 -- Yours truly! Listen for the 8th-note dissonance and resolution at 8:59.
10:35 -- Another, longer, dissonance-resolution. It's phenomenal to sit in the band and be surrounded by that sound.
10:57 -- The organ chords.
11:20 -- Ansgar (seen at 11:29) plays the E-flat cornet, the highest voice in the band.
11:55 -- Watch Ben put a mute in his tuba without a single clang! That thing is about 3 feet tall.
Oldham Rifle Brigade
John Falskow returns to conduct the march. This is one of the most technical marches I've seen. When you compare this with the previous piece, you can see just how diverse a brass band can really be.
12:47 -- Listen as the 16th notes move left to right across the band, from cornets to baritones and euphoniums.
14:57 -- Don plays not a trill but a tremolo -- rapidly alternating fingerings on the same pitch.
15:31 -- Listen for the euphoniums and baritones on their fast scale-like motifs.
16:51 -- The trombones introduce the conclusion.
That thing I play in the band is somewhat uncommon. My primary instrument is French horn, but British brass bands don't use those. Instead, the middle voice is provided by the alto horn. You won't see this instrument used anywhere else but settings like these.
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