Thursday, 11th April, 7.30pm at King's Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG

Beethoven Horn Sonata, Brahms Horn Trio

Nicholas Korth - Horn

Tasmin Little - Violin

John Lenehan - Piano

Tuesday, 28th May, 7.30pm at St. George's Hanover Square, London W1S

Britten - Serenade

Works for voice and orchestra by Nicholas Korth

Orpheus Sinfonia

Thomas Carroll - Conductor

Nicholas Korth - Horn

For further details visit www.orpheusfoundation.com

Friday, 28th June, 7.30pm, Thaxted Festival, Essex

Britten - Serenade

Brandenburg Sinfonia

Nicholas Korth - Horn

Saturday, 28th September, 7.30pm, Iffley Music Society (St Mary's Church, Iffley, Oxford)

Schubert Auf Dem Strom, Reinicke Trio for horn, oboe and piano

London Conchord Ensemble

Nicholas Korth - Horn

Daniel Norman Tenor

Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester M13 9RD

Sunday 19th May, 9:30am-6:00pm

Ensembles and workshops with RNCM tutors and masterclass with Frøydis Ree Wekre

Download application form here

Radovan Vlatkovic

International soloist and professor of horn at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and former principal horn of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Royal Academy of Music, London NW1 5HT

Wednesday 23rd January, 10.00am–1.00pm and 2.00–5.00pm in the Henry Wood Room

Thursday 24th January, 2.00–5.00pm in the David Josefowitz Recital Hall

Free, no tickets required

Sarah Willis

Second horn in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This class will be streamed live from www.ram.ac.uk/brass, and will include pieces especially arranged for the occasion. If you play horn please bring an instrument along, as there will be an ensemble piece at the end (open to everybody, not just Academy students). There will also be a horn exhibition both before and after the masterclass. Sarah hopes to see participants in the Academy's bar after the event, where she will be pleased to continue the conversations.

Duke's Hall, Royal Academy of Music, London NW1 5HT

Thursday 14 March, 2.30–6.30pm

Free, no tickets required

Information about all RAM masterclasses and events can be found at www.ram.ac.uk/events.

The 2012 BHS Annual Festival took place on Sunday November 4th at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3ER. There was a Gallic flavour to this year’s event with the young principal horn of the Orchestre Nationale de Radio France, Matthieu Romand as guest soloist, along with Anneke Scott and Tim Thorpe. The horn sections of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera also took part. This year’s Tony Catterick interview was with the legendary Terry Johns (aka Drac).

Terry wrote to us after the event:

I awoke on this lovely morning, enjoying an unusual calm and composure that allowed me to lie for a while in the warm bed, and to summon gratitude for not being in a hotel or guesthouse with the breakfast prospect of budget sausages and instant coffee. These memories come less frequently to me now, and are not nearly as troubling, as they used to be. Though it has taken a long time, for the spectre of the eternal solo to leave me in peace.

We have all trudged the streets of an unfamiliar town, aware and weary of this ominous presence, like some distant relative you had come across unexpectedly and were not too sure about. Frightened to take him anywhere lest he embarrass you, but anxious to keep him entertained in case he were to spoil the party in the evening too. He doesn't follow me any more. I'm almost sorry for that. I feel as if we would perhaps be on better terms now. I feel a certain pity for him too, when I think of his habitual loitering at stage doors or lurking in a hotel lobby as you arrive after a long journey, but I feel at the same time, a huge gratitude that his dubious attentions have been directed elsewhere.

My old friend Pat Vermont, a West Indian violist, who enriched the lives of all who knew him, and was blessed with a glorious, glamorous, androgyny, would often entertain the LSO on its world travels with his pre-concert monologues, referring theatrically to our labours and peregrinations as – "all this".

"When 'all this' is over', he would declare to the little band-room theatre,"I'm going back to Jamaica to live with my auntie!"

It is 'all over' for me now, that is to say my days of playing the horn for money and touring are behind me, and the chicanery of management, mendacity of critics and the shameless public and pecuniary auto- eroticism of conductors are all but distant memories.

Tony's thoughtful interview was a world away from any of those irritations, and was an unique experience, conducted in such a calm and collected way, enabled I suspect, by years of practice, and bolstered by the comforting fact of our more than forty years of friendship The memories of past events returned with ease, but although of course familiar, they seemed in these circumstances, to assume a mysterious separation from reality.

I thought later, that the interview had resembled one of those "out of body" experiences one reads about, that is to say, it seemed to be completely detached from any worldly feelings of anxiety or sense of time, seen from a neutral place of safety, and bathed in ethereal white light, rather than stumbling over electric cables in a dingy theatre pit.

My only moment of discomfort in an otherwise perfect day, came from the sudden thought that the Catterick interview, is of course reserved only for the few, and it was that unfamiliar and disquieting circumstance that provoked a strong feeling of seriousness inside me, that seemed to be entirely inappropriate when in the company of a room full of horn players!

When I released my honorary membership of the British Horn Society from its purple ribbon, not in Cardiff where it was 'conferred,' but here beside the waters of the Forth, I saw that it made reference to "The world of horn playing", and I felt that my own contribution had been made the more significant and humbling by the profusion and greatness of its distinguished population. Have there been so many unsung heroes in other 'worlds?'

Where would Beethoven, Strauss, Wagner, Mahler and John Williams have been without the likes of us? Would Siegfried, Robin Hood, Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker have lived so vividly in the human imagination without such noble accompaniment to their exploits? And where would our British orchestral life be today without the real life heroes from our ranks such as Barry Tuckwell, Keith Whitmore, Jim Brown, Nick Busch and John Bimson who chaired the boards, and steered the London orchestras through their never ending difficulties, while peering at times into the abyss of bankruptcy and annihilation, but always leading the cavalry charge on the concert platform against the critics, who at that time almost to a man, supported the Arts Council line that there were too many orchestras in London.

"The world of horn playing" has given a great many gifts to a lot of people and for my own part it has given me a rich and meaningful life that has been endowed with countless good companions and many lifelong friends, the labours and achievements of whom, amplify this honour beyond measure to me.

Thank you all

Yours Ever

Drac

Friday 7th December 7.30pm: Recital Hall, Nottingham High School, NG7 4ED
Hough Ensemble (Robert Parker - Horn, Zoe Glossop - Oboe, Emma Pountney - Clarinet, Antonia Nicholson - Bassoon, Antony Clare - Piano)
Programme to include: Heinrich von Herzogenberg - Trio for Oboe, Horn and Piano Op 61
Beethoven - Quintet for Piano and Winds Op 16
Paul Dukas - Villanelle for Horn and Piano

Saturday December 15th 7.30pm: All Saints church, Gosforth, Northumberland.
Both Richard Strauss concerti, conducted by Chris Griffiths. The soloists are two of his pupils;
Alice Brown, 18, plays the 1st and Billy Marshall, aged 15 plays the 2nd concerto.

Friday February 25th: LSO St Luke's
Tuesday February 29th: Bishopsgate Institute
Britten - Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings
Alex Edmundson - Horn
Joshua Mills - Tenor
Guildhall String Orchestra directed by Candida Thompson

Wednesday February 27th 2013 7.30pm:
Recital Hall, Music Department, Nottingham High School, NG7 4ED
Robert Parker and Stuart Bower (horns)
attrib.Haydn - Concerto for Two Horns in Eb
Forest Chamber Ensemble
Richard Jenkinson (Conductor)

Saturday March 16th 2013: City Hall, Salisbury
Richard Berry (horn)
Mozart Horn Concerto No 4 K495
Salisbury Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: David Halls

Wednesday March 20th 2013 7.30pm: Grantham Music Club
Priory Ruskin Academy, Rushcliffe Road, Grantham NG31 8ED
Hough Ensemble - programme to include:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Quintet for Piano and Winds K 452
Karl Stamitz - Wind Quartet Op 8 No 2
Paul Dukas - Villanelle for Horn and Piano

Saturday July 6th 2013: St.John's Church, Church Road, Sidcup, DA14 6BX:
Anneke Scott (horn)
Strauss Horn Concerto No.1
Sidcup Symphony Orchestra
Concert will also include Beethoven's Fidelio Overture and Pastoral Symphony.

The timetable for the event was:

11.00-12.00 Introduction and Opening Recital with Stephen Stirling, Anthony Halstead, Chris Parkes and Hugh Seenan.

Dunhill: Cornucopia
Butler: Hunding for solo horn
Richard Bissill: Sic Itur Ad Astra (1st performance)
Bissill: Time and Space

12.15-1.15 Coaching in Crush Room, MacMillan Studio, De Valois Studio and Amphitheatre Bar. Coaches included ROH hornplayers Chris Davies and Richard Kennedy

12.15-1.15 Clore Studio: Simon Rayner Masterclass

12.15-1.15 Hamlyn Hall: Have-a-go for anyone who had never tried a horn.

1.15-1.45 Crush Room: British Horn Society AGM

1.30-2.30 Exhibition Stands with Opera/Ballet Horn memorabilia and significa

2.00-3.00 Duncan Chapman workshop for devised piece for the Gala, which used the unique acoustic and space of the Paul Hamlyn Floral Hall.

2.00-3.15 Clore Studio: Tony Catterick Interview with Keith Whitmore

3.30-4.15 Mass Participation Wagner event for all horns and audience

Rheingold Opening: all horns in a record breaking attempt on the number of players
Siegrfried Act 1: Forging Song with audience anvils
Gotterdammerung Act 2: excerpt with stierhorns
Rehearsal for Massed Blow: Closing scene of Gotterdammerung

4.15-5.00 Exhibitors in the Hamlyn Hall

5.00-7.00 CLOSING GALA CONCERT with Richard Bissill, Pip Eastop, the Festival All Star Ensemble and Horn Ensembles from Conservatoires.

Duncan Chapman: Devised Piece
Richard Bissill: Valse Noire
Jim Rattigan: Starcheque featuring the Festival All Stars: Hugh Seenan, Lindsey Stoker, Roger Montgomery, Richard Kennedy, Chris Parkes, Huw Evans, Jonathan Durrant and Christopher Davies.

Wagner Mini Ring Cycle with the horn ensembles of the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, TrinityLaban, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Northern College of Music and Birmingham Conservatoire of Music who performed new arrangements of sections of Wagner’s epic work, culminating in the massed (and massive!) blow:

Die Walkure Ride of the Valkyries: RAM
Siegfried Act 1: Forging Music RCM
Siegfried Act 3: GSMD
Gotterdammerung Act 2: TrinityLaban
Gotterdammerung Hunt, Rheinmaidens and Funeral: RNCM
Gotterdammerung Closing Scene: Tutti

The student horn players who took part were:

Royal College of Music (prepared by Julian Baker)
Vittorio Ferrari, Mark Bennett, Finlay Bain, Lorenzo Di Bassano, Dan Curzon, Anna Drysdale, Dan Kitchens, Magdalena Was

Guildhall School of Music and Drama (prepared by Hugh Seenan)
Andrew Turner, Joanna Hurst, Jennifer Wright, Alexander Wide, Laetitia Stott, Lauren Reeve-Rawlings, Jerome Wilson-Chalkley, Thomas Pollock, Mike Arnold, Daniel de Souza, Kevin O’Hara, Alexander Edmundson, Edward Griffiths, Meilyr Hughes

Royal Academy of Music (prepared by Michael Thompson)
Rebecca Alexander, Anna Douglas, Timothy Ellis, William Etheridge, Carys Evans, Francisco Gomez, Oliver Hickie, Adam Howcroft, Dewi Jones, Carly Lake, Meredith Moore, Edmund Morgan, Rebecca Weldon, Emily Wiggins

Trinity Laban (prepared by Roger Montgomery)
Laurie Truluck, Kathryn Brown, Stefan Mather, Benedict Preece, Charlotta Cooley, Lucy Gray, Alex Joyce, Sarah Maxwell, Tom Bettley

Royal Northern (prepared by Lindsay Stoker)
Robert Fant, Georgi Boev, Tom Wood, Sam Yates, Ian Wildsmith, Rebecca Adams, Elizabeth Robinson, Nicole Linning, Julia Payne

Birmingham Conservatoire (prepared by Peter Dyson and Simon de Souza)
Kasjan Kryszczuk, Bee Tung Goo, Helen Lord, Yi-Chien Chen, George Minhinnick, Helen White, Frederick Miles, Philip Brown

Very many thanks to arrangers Adam Walters, John Lynsdale Nock, Tony Rickard and John Humphries and to Paul Sawbridge and Anthony Negus for the script for Robert Maskell's narration.

Bruce Richards has reviewed the event here

The East Midlands Horn and Alphorn Festival - April 3rd 2011
This day at the University of Nottingham featured education, playing together and recitals, and featured guest artists including Stephen Stirling, Tony Halstead, Neil and Helen Grundy and Frances Jones. Events included recitals by Stephen Stirling, Frances Jones, Neil and Helen Grundy, with seminars on effective practising, looking after your horn with Luke Woodhead and the Alphorn - its heritage and repertoire. There were intermediate and advanced masterclasses with Tony Halstead and group playing both with a massed ensemble and coached ensembles. A new work commissioned from leading composer/arranger, Tim Jackson was premiered.

The 2010 British Horn Festival took place over the weekend of 30/31 October at the Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools’ Performing Arts Centre in Edinburgh. The international guest soloist was Jasper de Waal, principal horn of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Peter Francomb, principal horn of the Northern Sinfonia and soloist, was also a featured artist.

Jasper de Waal found time to coach the youngest players for the massed blow.

The Tony Catterick Interview was with Maurice Temple and Chris Larkin gave an entertaining conducted tour of the horns of the impressive Reid Collection of Historical Instruments at Edinburgh University. The Sunday closing concert included:
Massed Blow (arrangement by John Humphries of Mahler 1st symphony 2nd Movement)
Mozart: 3rd Concerto (Jasper de Waal)
Salonen: Concert Etude(Etienne Cutajar)
Kuhlau: Concertino (Peter Francomb and Roger Montgomery)
Bujanowski: Espana(Hugh Seenan)
Haydn: 2nd Concerto (Jasper de Waal)
The resident orchestra was the Scottish Sinfonia conducted by Neil Mantle to whom we are very grateful.

The well-attended Festival attracted a large number of young players, and a good time was had by all, enormously helped by Roger Montgomery, who gave a formidable demonstration of renaissance man (as soloist, conductor, ensemble player, organiser, troubleshooter, fixer, BHS Chairman etc. etc.).

Roger Montgomery conducting John Humphries' splendid arrangement of the second movement of Mahler's First Symphony in the massed blow.

A damp and chilly Bank Holiday Sunday was not enough to deter 41 South West horn enthusiasts from converging on the Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth for the second, and hopefully now annual, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/British Horn Society horn day. Once again the event attracted a wide range of ages (spanning more than 60 years) and abilities, with a mix of professionals and amateurs, teachers and their pupils, highly proficient youngsters and students, and adults with widely varying experience. This year's event could really only be bigger and better than last if it was longer than in 2009 and so it was, with an additional hour to read through, rehearse and finally perform in both large and small ensembles to a small but courageous audience of family and friends perched in a balcony probably rather too close to the sound of 41 horns for comfort.

We drew widely on local talent to provide the music, beginning with a 3-tier warm up written by BSO principal trumpet, Pete Turnbull: simultaneous sets of parts accurately named Tranquillity, Challenger and Mayhem. Four movements from the Maxwell Davies Salute to Dennis Brain followed, with solos taken by volunteers recruited during the morning. The solo spot was once again taken by Ed Lockwood (BSO 5th horn), who gave an exciting performance of Villanelle by Dukas, accompanied by Kevin Pritchard (BSO 4th horn) on piano. The massed ensemble then played a 9 part arrangement of the Hallelujah Chorus, scored by the event coordinator and conductor, BSO 3rd horn Rob "Bomber" Harris.
The 3 smaller ensembles demonstrated their skills with the starter group leading us in an echo of the Last Night of the Proms, playing Rule Britannia, the Sailors Hornpipe, and Land of Hope and Glory, all arranged by Bomber. Pritch took the intermediate group, who performed Andante by Bruckner and the Huntsman's Chorus. Ed's advanced group tackled arrangements of The Magnificent Seven and 633 Squadron. The afternoon ended with a work written especially for the day entitled Exposure, conducted by the composer Fiona Pritchard, and for an encore we were joined by two younger members of the Pritchard family on drums and guitar for Fiona's arrangement of Muse's The Resistance. Perhaps we were not quite as polished as The London Horn Sound, but we were certainly as energetic. Many thanks go to Fiona for providing such enjoyable and playable music, and for conducting with such enthusiasm.

Why do we get together to do this? Well, as Fiona said, once you get horn players together, you just can't stop them giving it just that bit more. Many of us know a few other players from our local school or orchestra, but it is fun as well as a privilege to join a group of such diverse ages and abilities all striving to become musically united. We must thank the BSO and the BHS for their financial support. We are hugely grateful for the time and enthusiasm that our professional friends Bomber, Pritch and Ed from the BSO put into preparing for and running this day; in addition we are indebted to the BSO librarians and to the effervescent Linda Higson, the BSO's education and community administrator, who handled all the admin and practical arrangements, and supplied us with the vital tea, coffee and biscuits. Start playing the horn, Linda, you know you want to!
Jackie Brown

The 2009 British Horn Festival was held on Sunday November 1st 2009 at the Clarendon Muse, Watford Grammar School for Boys, north of London. Chris Larkin reports:

Watford Grammar School has produced a remarkable stream of horn-players in the last four decades. Amongst them: Michael Thompson, Michael Purton, Ted Chance, David Pyatt, Tim Thorpe and Adrian Leaper. All except Adrian, now Principal Conductor of the RTV Española Orchestra, were there on November 1st and contributed some wonderful performances. David and Mike gave the Beethoven Sextet, Op. 81b; Tim three tracks from his latest CD reflecting his passion for film music; Ted and Mike Purton (in his alter persona of the inimitable Otto Fisch) wrapping up the day with his Der Wolf Galop for horn octet (quite impossible!) and Gebräuchliche Redewendungen (or Useful German Phrases!) for Tenor (Mike), horn (Ted) and piano (the superb Debbie Shah – accompanist for the day).

“Horns Aloud”, a new, young quartet grouping, played Humphrey Searle’s Prelude, Nocturne and Chase (an intriguing piece, first given at the 1980 BHS Festival) and a new BHS commission, Cecilia McDowall’s Nocturne. Trinity College of Music Chamber Orchestra, directed by Mike Murray (2nd Horn of the BBCSO) gave three movements of Handel’s Concerto a due Cori.

Guest artist was Szabolcs Zempléni. Like Dennis Brain before him, Szabolcs is one of those artists for whom the horn is the means of expressing his profound musicality. He gave an exquisite performance of Haydn’s first concerto and, in his morning recital, a haunting, deeply-considered performance of Volker David Kirchner’s Tre Poemi, a thoughtful Adagio and Allegro and a witty Rossini Prelude, Theme and Variations.

The well-attended Festival honoured the anniversaries of Handel and Haydn with, as well as the Haydn Concerto, a massed blow using a brand new arrangement by John Humphries of Handel's famous coronation anthem 'Zadok the Priest'. The Tony Catterick Interview was with the legendary Nick Busch, the UK's longest serving principal horn until his retirement from the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007.

The 2008 British Horn Society Festival on Sunday 26th October featured the stunning playing (among many others) of the renowned Italian soloist Alessio Allegrini.

Alessio Allegrini,Principal Horn of the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome, Recording Artist and International Soloist

The exceptionally well-attended Festival, held at the Birmingham Conservatoire, featured many outstanding players including Elspeth Dutch, principal horn of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Angela Barnes, second horn of the London Symphony Orchestra.

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama held a regional Horn Ensemble Day on Sunday 12 October 2008. The day was dedicated to the memory of Oliver Green, Philharmonia Orchestra and ex-student of Angus West, and featured local French horn students working on ensemble skills and group development, the work of RWCMD staff and students and Inter-Conservatoire collaboration

The lighting set the tone for the Festival

The weekend of 27/28 October 2007 was devoted to a commemoration of the great British horn player, Dennis Brain, who died tragically young in a car crash on 1st September 1957. The weekend featured many fine performances by leading British horn players, as well as interesting talks and reminiscences.

The traditional Massed Blow

The full programme was:

Saturday 27th October

11.00-11.30 Opening concert

Senior RAM students, Director, Michael Thompson
Horns - Christopher Beagles, Lisa Donati,
Amy Grossnickle, Kaitlyn Hamilton,
Emma Hawkins, Nicholas Ireson,
Michael Kidd, Francesca More-Bridger,
James Rudisill, Tiffany Stirling,
Benjamin Van Loon, Mark Wood

Ted Chance: Fanfare
Cindy Carr: Norwegian suite

Junior RAM students, Director Simon de Souza
Horns - Elise Campbell, Charlotte Lewis,
Daniel de Souza, William Church,
Matthew Kibble, Gaspar Hunt,
Alex Wide, Ben Phillips

Roland Lo Presti: Suite for Eight Horns
1. Fanfare
2. Nocturne
3. March

Tutti RAM horns:
Chariots of Fire

11.40- 1.00 Playing Ensembles
1) New to the horn; 2) Feeling confident; 3) Good at sight reading; 4) Feeling expert
Coaches:Peter Merry, Peter Widgery, Julian Faultless and Miles Hewitt

Alternative:
12.00-1.00 Illustrated lecture, Dennis Brain’s Desert Island Discs - Reconstructed with Jonathan Stoneman

2.30- 4.00 ‘Hornplaying Voyage of Discovery’ with BHS Chair Michael Thompson and the audience

4.30- 5.00 Solo horn recital: soloist Andrew Clark with Jocelyn Lightfoot, horn, Richard Shaw, harpsichord

Handel: Water Music (arr. Clark)
Allegro - Minuet - Hornpipe
Heinichen: Concerto for two horns in F
Vivaldi: Concerto for two horns in F

7.30 Festival Gala Concert
Gala Concert Conductor - Michael Thompson
Gala Festival Strings - leader Clio Gould

York Bowen: Concerto
David Pyatt, horn

Gordon Jacob: Concerto
Martin Owen, horn

Britten: In Memoriam
Richard Watkins, David Pyatt, Martin Owen, Tim Thorpe, horns

INTERVAL - Interval reading from ‘I found my horn’ by Jasper Rees

Britten: Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal
Tim Thorpe, horn; Richard Rowe, tenor

Arnold: Concerto No 2
Richard Watkins horn

Britten: Serenade
Tim Thorpe horn, Richard Rowe, tenor

Young players taking part in the massed blow

Sunday 28 October

10.00-10.30 Opening concert
Hildegard Westerkamp: Fantasy for Horns
Lisa Donati, horn plus electronics

Bissill: Gabriel’s Vision
Kira Doherty, horn, Conductor - Gareth Wood
Royal Academy of Music harps - Nanako Murakami, Angharad Wyn Jones,
Elizabeth Scorah, Isobel White
Louise Wiggins, Ji-Min Lee

10.40-12.00 Playing Ensembles
1) New to the horn; 2) Feeling confident; 3) Good at sight reading; 4) Feeling expert
Coaches: Peter Merry, Peter Widgery, Julian Faultless and Miles Hewitt

Alternative: 11.00-12.00 Tony Catterick interview with John Burden and Andrew McGavin

12.30-1.00 Solo recital
Nicholas Korth - horn
Jane Manning - soprano
Julian Milford - piano

Volker David Kirchner: Lamento from Tre Poemi (1986) for horn and piano
Schubert: Auf dem Strom for soprano, horn and piano
E Bozza: Sur les Cimes for horn and piano
Nicholas Korth: A Bed of Strawberries (1997) for soprano, horn and piano

3.30- 5.30 Festival Closing Gala Concert
Maxwell Davies: Fanfare, a Salute to Dennis Brain
Massed Festival Horns, Richard Watkins, solo horn, Michael Thompson, Conductor

McCartney: Stately Horn for horn solo and ensemble
Festival All Star Horns and Royal Academy of Music Horns
Richard Watkins
Martin Owen
Michael Thompson
Simon de Souza
Francesca More-Bridger
Nicholas Ireson
Michael Kidd
Mark Wood

Brahms: Songs for female voices, 2 horns and harp
Members of the BBC Symphony Chorus -
Rachel Clarke, Sheila Fisher,
Marian Garnett, Rosemary Hadfield,
Christine Leslie, Katie Long,
Julia Neate, Robina Redgard-Siler,
Maxine Shearer, Anne Taylor,
Pat Dixon, Ann Flood,
Jill Gregson, Judy Jones,
Ethel Livermore, Helen Tierney,
Wendy Wilshin

Horns - Lisa Donati and Kira Doherty
Harps - Claire Jones and Elizabeth Scorah

INTERVAL - Interval reading from ‘I found my horn’ with Jasper Rees

Desert Island Discs
Special arrangements of the music that Dennis Brain chose for his appearance on the famous BBC Radio programme 'Desert Island Discs', arranged and conducted by Stephen Roberts, and played by the Festival All Star Horns:
Richard Watkins, Martin Owen,
Tim Thorpe, Chris Larkin,
Michael Thompson, Simon de Souza,
Hugh Seenan, Pete Dyson,
Rhythm section - Richard Shaw, piano; Craig White, piano; Daniel Short, guitar; Calum Gourlay, bass; Mike Clowes, drums

The Festival All Stars

On the previous Friday evening, October 26th, the Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road London NW1 5HT, presented a special Dennis Brain event, with a discussion about the life and musical times of Dennis Brain led by Raymond Holden and Michael Thompson, with Barry Tuckwell OBE, John Humphries, Andrew McGavin and Tony Catterick also taking part.

This was followed at 7.30pm by a concert in the Dukes Hall. RAM professors Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins put together a rich programme of music associated with Dennis Brain, performed by RAM students. The concert included three works by Arnold Cooke: the well-known Rondo in Bb, the less well-known Nocturnes and the Arioso and Scherzo. These were complemented by a trio of works written for Dennis Brain by major British composers: Britten's Canticle 3 Still Falls the Rain, Lennox Berkeley's Horn Trio and Tippet's Sonata for Four Horns. The evening ended with the Hindemith Sonata, also for four horns.

For 2006 we collaborated with the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for a joint Festival weekend, BLAST!, which among many attractions featured the world famous Netherlands Wind Ensemble playing Mozart’s Serenade for Thirteen Winds, known as the Gran Partita.

Our lead horn artists this year were Jeff Nelsen, ex-Canadian Brass and newest member of the Transatlantic Horn Quartet and the very promising young Maltese player Etienne Cutajar, who replaced David Guerrier who we regret was indisposed. Familiar faces Michael Thompson, the Society’s new Chair, and Bob Ashworth, Principal Horn of Opera North, also played leading parts.

Frederick Chopin ponders the riches for horn players at the Royal Northern College of Music.

The Festival running order was:

Saturday 14 October

10.00-10.30 CONCERT HALL
Northern Lights (commissioned fanfare) by Ralph Hall for the RNCM horns
BLAST welcome address with Michael Thompson and Melinda Maxwell
Mozart: piano & wind quintet with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble
RNCM horns: short programme including Gabrieli: Sonata

11.00-11.50 BRUNTWOOD THEATRE
Jeff Nelsen: Get Fearless
The secrets of fearless performing, with Jeff Nelsen

12.00-1.00
Horn Ensembles:
Beginners: Frank Lloyd
Intermediate: Julian Plummer
Advanced: Lindsey Stoker and Beccy Goldberg

2.30-3.20 CONCERT HALL
BLAST Afternoon concert:
Varese: Octandre for wind quintet, trumpet, trombone and double bass
Humphrey Procter-Gregg: Sonata for horn & piano, played by Bob Ashworth and Ian Buckle
Thomas Ades: Sonata da Caccia for oboe, horn & harpsichord

3.30-4.10 CONCERT HALL
Recital: Etienne Cutajar, horn, Ian Buckle, piano
Bach, Prelude to Suite No 1 (unaccompanied)
Poulenc, Elegie
Schumann, Adagio and Allegro
Camilleri, Fantasie Sonata, 2nd Movement
Rossini, Prelude, Theme & Variations
Encore: Cooke, Rondo

5.00-5.45 STUDIO THEATRE
British Horn Society AGM and Honorary Members Award Ceremony
Honorary Memberships were awarded to former BHS Chairman Hugh Seenan, Harold Barnes (who records the BHS Festivals) and horn playing legend Farquharson Cousins.

6.00-6.30
Spotlight - woodwind ensembles

6.45-7.15 LECTURE THEATRE
BLAST pre-concert talk
Discussion led by Martin Harlow, RNCM, with members of the Netherlands Wind Ensemble

7.30-8.30 CONCERT HALL
BLAST Saturday Gala concert
Netherlands Wind Ensemble - 'Mail from Mozart', an entertaining 70 minute programme built around the Serenade K361, known as the Gran Partita, with readings and lighting effects

BHS Chairman Michael Thompson leads the traditional Massed Blow at the 2006 British Horn Festival.

SUNDAY 15 OCTOBER 2006

10.00-10.30 CONCERT HALL
RNCM natural horns: Hunting horn calls through the hunting day
Fanfare by Adam Gorb for Blast based on Halali
BLAST welcome address with Michael Thompson and Melinda Maxwell
Telemann, played by Tony Robson and Lisa Beznosiuk
Jacques-Francois Gallay: Grand Quartet Opus 26, 4 horns in different crooks, with Bob Ashworth, John Pratt, Beccy Goldberg, Pete Richards (horns)

11.00-12.00
Horn Ensembles:
Beginners' Natural Horn: Beccy Goldberg
Elementary: Lizzie Davis & Annelise Martinsen
Intermediate: Julian Plummer
Advanced: Lindsey Stoker

1.00-1.35 at St Ann's Church, St Ann's Square, central Manchester
Grand Messe de Saint Hubert for horns and organ arr. Hermann Baumann
Performed by Nord Ouest Horn Ensemble on trompes de chasse, hand and valved horns

2.30-3.30 CONCERT HALL
Recital: Jeff Nelsen, with pianist Ian Buckle
Bozza: Aria
Hahn: A Chloris
Bach: Courante
Paganini: Caprice 24
Strauss: Horn Concerto No.1, arranged for 4 horns and piano with additional horn players Frank Lloyd, Michael Thompson and Kiera Docherty
Unger: Ashokan Farewell, for horn quartet

4.45-5.30 LORD RHODES ROOM
BLAST Festival interview: Tony Catterick with Frank Rycroft

6.00-7.30 CONCERT HALL
BLAST Festival closing concert
Massed horns: Overture to Nabucco, arr. Peter Damm, director, Michael Thompson
Dominic Muldowney: Fantasia based on Scarlatti: RNCM woodwind students, director Melinda Maxwell, plus 2 solo horns (Michael Thompson, Jeff Nelsen)
Tippett: Sonata for 4 horns with the Halle horn quartet (Laurence Rogers, Tom Redmond, Julian Plummer and Richard Bourn)
Wagner: Tannhauser Fantasy, arr. Ashworth - The Northern Horn Sound, director, Bob Ashworth
Strauss: Suite in B flat for thirteen wind instruments, Opus 4 - RNCM/Blast Festival Wind Ensemble

Young and old took part in the Massed Blow.

Jeff Nelsen. www.jeffnelsen.com/

Internationally acclaimed hornist Jeff Nelsen is enjoying an incredibly successful career as performer, educator, and Fearlessness coach. Best known for his years spent with the world renowned Canadian Brass, Jeff has gone solo, and is one of the most sought after hornists throughout North America and abroad.

Jeff's eclectic career comprises a true cross-section of the music industry, both classical and contemporary, in the roles of musician and mentor. Widely praised for his unique teaching style, Jeff is the Visiting Associate Professor of Horn at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University for the 2006-2007 school year. In the performance arena, Jeff's pop's show "Dancing and Romancing: An Evening with Jeff Nelsen" for solo horn and orchestra recently premiered with rave reviews and is in demand on orchestral pops series across North America.

Intensely active as a recitalist, chamber musician, and clinician Jeff is in high demand as a guest artist by orchestras, bands, and music festivals around the world. His master classes and performances have taken him to leading conservatories and concert halls in Europe, Asia, and North America. Jeff has held positions with the Montreal, Vancouver, and Winnipeg symphony orchestras. During his tenure with Canadian Brass Jeff was featured with countless symphony orchestras including those of Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Seattle, and St. Louis. Jeff has recorded extensively on labels such as Sony, Warner, Blue Note, London/Decca, Disney, C.B.C. and Summit Records. Jeff continues to attract rave reviews as a featured soloist on the Canadian Brass release "Magic Horn." This CD was nominated for the 2006 Juno Award (Canadian equivalent to the Grammy Award) for "Best Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble."

Aside from creating musical magic, Jeff is an enthusiastic magician, and often adds touches of illusionary arts to performances. Jeff Nelsen is a Yamaha Performing Artist. Jeff's debut publication, Fearless Auditioning, is due for release in 2006.

Etienne Cutajar.

Born in 1983 Etienne Cutajar is a native of Malta and started playing the horn at the age of ten under the tuition of Baul Borg from the same country. Etienne was appointed 3rd horn of the Malta National Orchestra aged 18; he resigned the post after 2 years in order to pursue a 2 year postgraduate course as an ABRSM scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins.

His solo appearances have won him great critical acclaim, and he has appeared as a soloist in Malta, at the Royal Academy of Music, major London venues the Purcell Room (where he performed Sir Peter Maxwell Davies's "Sea Eagle") and the Wigmore Hall and very recently with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.

Etienne was for consecutive years 1st horn of the European Union Youth Orchestra, including in the summer of 2005 playing Mahler’s 7th symphony for Bernard Haitink. Etienne has appeared as a guest 1st and 3rd horn with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and London Brass. In July 2006 Etienne was appointed 3rd horn of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Etienne has had the recently composed ‘Fantasie Sonata for Horn & Piano’ by Charles Camilleri, also from Malta, dedicated to him and he premiered it in April 2004.

The BHS has held the first new showcase for horn students, known as the BHS Summer Exhibition. Michael Thompson writes:

"When horn students from all the UK conservatoires came together to premiere Tim Jackson’s Symphony for 32 Horns at the 2005 BHS festival, I was hugely impressed with the standard of horn playing that we have in every one of these colleges. I was perhaps even more impressed with the wonderful atmosphere of mutual respect and support that was evident amongst the players. There was no sense of competition or hierarchy, just a desire to do justice to the music.

I feel very strongly that this is crucial to being a musician, whether you are playing purely for pleasure or are lucky enough to be paid for it. With this in mind, the BHS has decided to launch what we hope will become a regular feature; a Summer Exhibition of horn students. Birmingham Conservatoire very generously agreed to host the first of these concerts, held on July 5th 2006 in the Adrian Boult Hall. It was a great opportunity to hear many of our finest young players in action".

The concert was in memory of Oliver Green, a graduate of Birmingham Conservatoire. During the afternoon there was a workshop on ensemble playing.

The concert opened with past students and professors:
Nick Benz
Chris Collet
Ian Frankland
Max Garrard
Luke Woodhead
Pete Dyson
Elspeth Dutch
Simon de Souza

Birmingham Conservatoire students
Alison Bach
Ben George
Gabrielle Marrs
Rebecca Kitson

played: Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Chorale and Variations

Guildhall School of Music and Drama students
Elizabeth Chell
Alexander Harrild
Steven Nicholls
Paul Cott

played: Constantin Homilius: Quartet

Royal Academy of Music students
Etienne Cutajar
James Palmer
Jocelyn Lightfoot
Etta Morgan
Emma Cotton

played: Michael Kallstrom: Starflame
"A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square"
Paul Basler: Harambee

Royal College of Music students
Chris Pointin
David Ransom
Andrew Brinsford
Tom Kane

played: Humphrey Searle: Quartet - Prelude and Nocturne
Bruckner: Christus Factus Est

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama students
Tammy Daly
Chrissie Ranson
Simon Lewis
Jon Vonkeman

played: Anthony Randall: Serenade

Royal Northern College of Music students
Jenny Cox
Jonathan Calvert
Sam Jacobs
Jonathan Harris

played: Koetsier: Cinq Nouvelles

The professors in attendance were:
Richard Bissill
Nigel Black
Simon de Souza
Peter Dyson
Lindsey Stoker
Elspeth Dutch
Michael Thompson

The concert ended with everyone taking part in a performance of Travis Bennett's arrangement of "Chariots of Fire" (8 parts).

Past events