Avelia Moisey Trumpeter Avelia Moisey and pianist Alvin Moisey gave the British première of Ian Hughes’ Sonata for Trumpet. The piece opened with driving motion that got its energy from the angular sixteenth note runs covering the entire compass of the instrument. A cadenza interrupted briefly before a flashy restatement of the opening material brought the movement to a close with a bravura sixteenth note run. The flowing, haunting sounds of the second movement evoked the contemplative mood of a quieter time. Sensitively performed by both players, the lingering quality of the atmosphere came off very well. Fanfare-like double-tongued bursts opened the third movement. Wide intervals and an assortment of tough sixteenth note runs created a vigorous feeling that was relentless. The negotiation of these runs and leaps was impressive. A brief rhapsodic interlude ensued but gave way to an even faster sixteenth note flourish on which the piece ended. Moisey’s full, resonant sound was a joy for all in attendance. Alvin Moisey is to be commended for his fine performance on piano. (John Irish) The music for Ian Hughes' Sonata is available from Ian Hughes (based in UK) - email: ianhughes@topscore.demon.co.uk Tel: +44 1954 213400 The CD which includes Ian's Sonata is available from Avelia Moisey (also based in UK) - email: vealsm@aol.com Tel: +44 20 8800 7295 For those in the USA, both the music and CD are available through Dennis Herrick - email: dherrick@huntingdon.edu Royal Scottish Academy of Music Under the direction of Iain Muirhead, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Baroque Trumpet Ensemble opened with a work for five solo natural trumpets written by the first trumpet professor of the Paris Conservatory, Daverne. The work was light and bouyant in style, and what was immediately noticeable with regard to this young ensemble was their refined sound and precision of pitch. The second work featured three movements written by Altenburg for Baroque trumpets and timpani. The first movement was lively in style and featured excellent two choir ensemble work. The second movement, entitled Chorale, was notable for the smooth playing of the ensemble and, once again, great attention to intonation. The ensemble negotiated the most difficult passages of the last movement (gigue) with ease. The "hunt-like" style was convincingly conveyed. Bravo to such a young ensemble for wonderful work and great precision! (Christopher Moore) Ithaca Trumpet Crew What’s it like to be the warm-up act for Håkan Hardenberger, I wonder? Seven young members of the Ithaca Trumpet Crew now know. This beautifully turned-out group, smart in their sophisticated black and red stage clothes, gave an inspiring start to the Celebrity Master Class. They could give lessons in stage presence, deportment, and relaxation: if they felt at all nervous about this performance, the audience certainly didn’t know it. They made a firm, confident start to their first piece, America the Beautiful, in a great arrangement by Dana Wilson which made use of interesting quicker movement in the inner parts. Next, a real treat. Fantissimo is a piece in mainstream 20th or maybe 21st Century tonal style. It often deploys its forces antiphonally, splitting the consort into two choirs and increasing the tension and interest as the focus moves between them. An initial fanfare leads to a lyrical, higher register tune which is then interrupted by dramatic interjections – sudden chords for the other trumpets. A more contemplative moment arrives but then leads us back to a rousing ending with echoes of the first fanfare. Terrific stuff. And the composer of the fine, expressive piece? Stand up and take a bow, please, Danielle Koplinka-Loehr, one of the ensemble! Yes, they can compose and play like that … words fail me. Having mentioned Danielle I should point out that this group caused great joy to my daughter by being the first female-dominated one we encountered here - 4:3 to be precise. With their last piece, Las Amarillas, traditional, arr. Stephen Hatfield, we moved to a spiky Latin feel with an angular tune and a rhythmically complex chordal backing. The Ithaca Trumpet Crew sailed through this like it was easy, building up a great, bouncy sound before dropping, for a moment, out of the counterpoint and into a simple chordal setting, just to remind us that they can do this with precision and clarity too. Then back to those great rhythms and on to a rousing finish. What a credit to their institution, age group, and instrument these young people are. A really great prelude. (Neville Young) RNCM Junior School Trumpet Ensemble The RNCM Junior Trumpet Ensemble provided the prelude music for the “Music of the Manchester School” recital early on Saturday morning. The ensemble, conducted this morning by conference host Murray Greig, performed three short works with poise and a fine sense of musicality. The Earl of Oxford’s March by William Byrd was appropriately regal in style. The Last Spring by Edvard Greig provided a beautifully lyrical contrast to the Byrd. Both of the first two pieces were arranged by Murray Greig. The ensemble closed with I’ve Got Rhythm by Gershwin providing the perfect up-tempo conclusion to the prelude. (Gary Mortenson)

RCM Trumpet Ensemble - "Blast RCM" This ensemble from the Royal College of Music (London), directed by Melanie McGlaughlin, gave us a lively start to the evening's big concert. First we heard Stanhope's The Australian Fanfare, a dignified, open piece which received a precise yet warm performance. To finish their prelude, and to set the scene for all the Americana rapidly approaching in the main concert, Blast RCM chose Roger Harvey's winningly clever arrangement of Down by the Riverside. A nice "muted" sound from some hands in bells accompanied brief solos before things started to heat up and the lead trumpet started to go up to where the air gets thin. Despite, or rather alongside, these upper-register pyrotechnics, I'd like to compliment the group on their low playing, which was full-toned, rounded, and very very accurate. Well done to Blast RCM for providing a great scene-setter for the July 4th concert which followed. (Neville Young) University of Southern Mississippi It was certainly a pleasure to hear the fine trumpet ensemble from the University of Southern Mississippi, under the direction of Joel Treybig, as they presented their prelude music to the forthcoming RNCM Wind Orchestra Concert featuring four internationally acclaimed trumpet artists. It must be said that these young professionals from USM presented a poised, artistic performance that demonstrated mastery of traditional brass music, via Handel’s Water Music, and moved on to show equal mastery in a more contemporary style in their performance of Stanley Friedman’s Antiphonia IV. Their performance was characterized by commitment to tone, balance, blend, and overall musicianship. Bravo to Dr. Treybig and students. (Karl Sievers) Florida State Alumni Bryan Goff’s excellent ensemble of Florida State alumni provided the prelude to the Black Dyke Band’s concert, performing John Boda’s Sonorities for Eight Trumpets. As a listener, I am struck with the quantity of very fine players that have come from that studio over the years and who now occupy professional positions around the United States and the world. Excellent tone, blend, finesse, and overall command were characteristic of their performance. Bravo! (Karl Sievers) Chetham’s School of Music Trumpet Ensemble The trumpet ensemble of the Chetham’s School of Music, located next to the Cathedral, began the evening’s concert in ceremonial fashion. “Contretemps” Antiphonal Fanfare for Eight Trumpets by Marcus Farnsworth, one of the ensemble’s members, was the first piece heard. The bold chords of the two separated choirs sounded off one another filling the impressive space. The performance of Mr. Farnsworth’s piece was uniformly excellent—a fine addition to the repertoire. The ensemble closed their prelude with Johann Ernst Altenburg’s Concerto for Seven Trumpets and Timpani, under the direction of their teacher, Gareth Small. The students once again showed great poise, appropriate style, a warm sound, precise intonation, perfect balance, and stunning musicality in this often-performed work of the Baroque era. This group plays with a level of maturity that is a joy to experience and that goes well beyond their chronological ages! (John Irish) The “Amigos These three friends, “The Amigos Trumpet Trio” made up of Ben Clarke, Matt Burke, and Nick Coombes, began their performance with a jazzy version of When the Saints go Marching In replete with growls and smears. As the tune progressed the performers merged into a quicker rendition featuring solos and background riffs. The group’s own arrangement of Bernstein’s “America” from West Side Story showcased the trio's fine rhythm and intonation. Rossini’s William Tell Overture (again in an original arrangement) displayed the excitement this genre can generate. They showed their more serious side by ending with an arrangement of Benjamin Britten’s “March” from Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge. The trio exhibited an abundance of energy and fun, and delighted all in attendance. (John Irish) Eastman Trumpet Quartet To get us in the mood for Kenny Wheeler, the excellent Eastman Trumpet Quartet (Eli Asher, Andrew Cheetham, Jason Price, and Brian Shaw) offered us a piece by Wheeler himself, written especially for them. The first of its three sections is a beautiful contrapuntal movement with Baroque touches: this gives way to the second section, a rather nicely light and poised jazz waltz which offers improvisation opportunities for each of the four players. Obviously there is a potential problem with the texture here but Wheeler’s writing, and the quartet’s delicate approach, meant that we could always hear what was going on. The last section is based on Wheeler’s tune Kind Folk and is more or less a big band trumpet section arrangement, but with rhythmic interest carried on through the parts too, to give a complete performance. The Eastman Trumpet Quartet are to be commended not only on their fine technique but also on their full and warm sound. (Neville Young)