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the Music of Peter Graham
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Egon SFZ 123 (available through World of Brass)
This welcome release featuring the wind band music
of Peter Graham concentrates on the composer's
lighter output and a most attractive selection it
proves to be. Opening with The Red Machine, the
band's norn de plume and especiaEy commissioned
from its composer-in-residence, the programme gets
off to a rousing start ftffl of rhythmic energy and
dynamism centred around the chorale Ein Feste Burg,
all in Graham's unmistakable hand and delivered
with aplomb by the musicians of the Coldstream
by Martin Ellerby
Guards. There is also a rather beautiful, reflective and sensitive
central section to this work which allows for more transparent
textures to emerge, all of which are delicately conveyed by the
band under its musical director's careful guidance. Next follows
Intrada (On a 71heme by Tallis) the famous canon by the 1611
century English composer - brief but always to the point and with
much character and colour. The first soloist to be presented is the
band's euphoniumist, John Storey, in Graham's Bravura (A
Fantasy on British Folk Songs) - technical proficiency and gentle
elegance by turn; this is fun and the composer dresses his source
material in unpredictable guises without losing sight of the
essence of each 'quotatioW. Of particular interest is the soloist's
multi-tracked cadenza taking a well-observed leaf out of Steven
Mead's clever book! Hine e Hine is well known and serenely
conveyed here - Graham is not frightened to embrace the
MEMOIR
simplicity of this poetic melody and I for one am gratefulAINý
stuck to this approach, refusing to surrender to any overblown
machinations. The suite Call of the Cossacks is well known in its
version for brass band and has been fashioned into an equally
convincing version by the composer for wind band: pour
yourself a cool vodka and enjoy! The Elegy (from Harrison's
Dream) follows providing the halfway point in the programme,
its unusual opening harmonies rather akin to those in
Dvorak's New WorZd Symphony and paving the way
for a very rhapsodic and highly lyrical moment taken
from one of the most successful brass band test
pieces of recent years. Shine as the Light is in
complete contrast, with much attention to colour and
texture by both composer and performers and
making a fine move towards the second solo spot
WhirZwind featuring comet soloist Richard Evans.
This has a bright 'sunshine' quality in both the
writing and rendition. The next track presents a
second suite Alloway TaZes
- another of Graham's
attractive (never simplistic) little suites of various folk melodies,
this time the subject concentrated on three of Robert Bums'
songs. In total contrast the penultimate track is performed by a
brass quarter drawn from the ranks of the band's brass section -
Timepiece. This most enjoyable CD concludes with the extremely
popular Gaelforce cuhninating in a tour de force for drums,
woodwind and ultimately the whole band.
A highly recorrunended recording by one of our most famous
military bands displaying the talents of one of the movement's
most popular and gifted composers. Directed with panache and
discretion, as required, Major Jones leads his talented band
through the varied programme. The recording is also very fine
and Brian Hillson, the producer, and his engineer, Matthew Locl(,
are to be applauded on their work All together; a sterling effort and
one sure to appeal to a wide spectrum of discerning listeners.
"For Bands, choose Sayiord. --" Classical
Music Magazine
Britain's largest University sector music department has been the "home of banding"
for over 25 years. From Brass Band to Rock Band, the University of Salford offers
Diploma
76 The Brass Herald May 2005
a Nvide spectrum of studies in classical and popular music genres.
Undergraduate Courses:
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BA(Hons) Popular Music and Recording (3' yeews)
Postgraduate Courses:
or MA Music (with ill Colliposilion; 1l)(1 N-1101-111al1kc)
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MA/MPhil Popular Music (1w Reseai-cli)
DMA Performance (hý Rescýu-ch)
PhD O)N, Rcseat-cli)
Interested? 'ri,, n pleac contact: Rm I htmphreý,, MusicAdmission",
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, (& Mecli; l' Allisic & Perl'ormance. Univvrsitv of Salford, Adelphi Building,
Peru Sit-eel, Salford M3 (3EQ
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