Other News about Fine Arts Brass
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See our Out and About page for recent photos of FAB
...and here's some older news
- Sam Elliott is moving south!
- 'Hawk in Winter Light'
- 'A New World Dancing' by Philip Wilby
- PRS Awards 2005/6
- FAB work with Dame Judi 10/4/05
Sam Elliott is moving south!
We're delighted to announce that Sam Elliott, our tuba player since 2003 has just been appointed as principal Tuba of the London based BBC Symphony Orchestra from January 2006. It's particularly good news for FAB as it'll mean we'll be able to get together as a group more easily. In addition to his activities with FAB, Sam was previously with the orchestra of Scottish Opera which meant he had to commute between the Midlands and Glasgow. Now it'll be a 200 hundred mile round trip for him instead of 600!
'Hawk in Winter Light'
A new piece written for us by John McCabe
Our performance at the Flanders Festival in September will feature the world premiere of 'Hawk in Winter Light' by John McCabe. It will form the centrepiece of a programme made up, almost entirely, of works written for Fine Arts Brass. If you can't get over to Belgium to hear the premiere, fear not, as we'll be giving several performances of it over the coming season. The British premiere will be in Lincoln on Sunday 23rd October followed by another at Giggleswick School in November. The Scottish Premiere will be at The Douglas Academy in November.
'A New World Dancing' by Philip Wilby
Anyone attending the opening concert of the Warwick Festival on July 1st would have heard Philip Wilby's latest masterpiece. Based on the writings of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, New World Dancing is a 40 minute work of epic proportions requiring the singers to play character roles, sing, clap and speak the words of the great man but at the same time give the players of FAB a real work out. Stylistically, the music reflects several different traits - not unlike a FAB concert - but in typical Wilby fashion, he manages to easily convince the listener with his musical integrity and masterly control in the composition of the different musical genres. We were privileged to give the first performance of the work thanks to the financial help of the RVW Trust and the PRS foundation and feel sure this will be the first of several performances over the next year. Massive thanks to Philip Wilby.
PRS Awards 2005/6
We're delighted to be able to announce that the PRS have awarded us funding for the 2005/6 season in light of the amount of new work we commission, premiere and programme all year round in our concerts. We shall be using some of the award to continue this 25 year long tradition as we commission Philip Wilby to write for us on July 1st
FAB work with Dame Judi 10/4/05
Simon Lenton writes....
I just wanted to say here what a complete privilege it was this evening to meet and work with Dame Judi Dench. She is the only 'star' I've ever worked with who I've felt completely happy around. She really is the sort of person who makes you feel like you've known her all your life. I don't think I've ever felt that easy around any artist - let alone someone with her immense talent. I mean, how many other people of her stature would come up to lowly trumpet player just before a concert and say, "I'm having a nightmare putting these new earrings in - you couldn't help sort them for me could you?" So there I was, ten minutes before this evening's concert fiddling with Dame Judi's ears. What are the chances of that? I can't wait for the next Bond movie now - I shall be just unbearable in the cinema that night gloating away, telling all and sundry my story. Then again, who's going to believe that one?