• Special celebration to mark 25 years
• Sparkling 2004 Festival
• Two-day 2003 Festival in Manchester
• 2002 Autumn Festival held in Scotland
• Sizzling Summer Festival
• 2001 British Horn Festival in Cardiff
• High Wycombe Horn Day
• The Edinburgh Horn Jamboree
• All-star lineup at Millennium Horn Festival in Birmingham
• 1999 British Horn Festival
• North of England Horn Weekend
• 1998 Horn Festival draws the crowds
• Exeter Horn Day
• Teach the Horn with Pride
• Full-blown turnout for 1997 Horn Festival
• Workshops and coaching days
• 1996 Horn Festival a resounding success

The British Horn Society's 25th Anniversary Celebration Festival was held at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London from October 21st to 23rd 2005. The Festival was a stunning display of the cream of horn playing, featuring leading players from around the world as well as the best of British horn playing.

BHS President Barry Tuckwell led the 25th Anniversary massed blow at the 2005 British Horn Festival.

There were too many exciting events to list everything (and everybody who took part), but the highlights of the Festival included:

FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER

GSMD Horn Department Gala Concert
Accompanist: Caroline Palmer

Crees Fanfare for 16 horns and percussion
Wagner Prelude to Act One of Meistersinger for 6 horns
Cherubini Sonata No 2 for horn and piano - Andrew Clark, natural horn
Poulenc Elegie for horn and piano - Hugh Seenan, horn
Tomlinson Rhapsody and Rondo for horn and piano - Liz Chell, horn
Bissill Corpendium for 6 horns
Turner Farewell to Red Castle for 8 horns
Schumann Adagio and Allegro for horn and piano - Jeffrey Bryant, horn
Corelli Sonata in D minor arr. Sabatini - Elspeth Dutch, horn
Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor arr Humphries for 8 horns
Handel Overture from Music from the Royal Fireworks
Goodwin 633 Squadron arr Wiggins for 16 horns

SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER

Opening Recital, Coached Ensembles and Consultation lessons, until:
1.15pm Lunchtime Concert with Richard Strauss First Horn Concerto, with Frank Lloyd and the GSMD Junior Dept Orchestra
2.30pm Natural Horn Recital including Dauprat Sextuor and Handel Concerto a Due Cori

4.00pm Masterclass with Frøydis Ree Wekre on the unaccompanied horn repertoire
5.30pm Coached Ensembles

7.30pm Saturday Gala Concert
Accompanist: Caroline Palmer

R. Strauss Introduction, Theme and Variations - Martin Van Der Merwe, horn
Koetsier Sonatina for horn and piano - Martin Van Der Merwe, horn
Clearfield Into the Falcon’s Eye for 2 horns - Frøydis Ree Wekre and Lisa Ford
Damase Berceuse for horn and piano - Frank Lloyd
Saint-Saens Morceau de concert for horn and piano - Frank Lloyd
Mozart: Jasper Rees attempts a concerto

Bach Fugue arr Shaw for 4 horns - LPO horn quartet
Shaw 4 Fripperies for 4 horns - LPO horn quartet
Gliere Romance for horn and piano - Lisa Ford, horn
Rossini La Danza arr Pritchard for 8 horns - All Star Horn Quartet
Jackson Symphony for horns (commissioned by the BHS) for 32 horns from the eight British Music Conservatoires
Directed by Michael Thompson

During the Festival BHS President Barry Tuckwell conferred Honorary Membership on influential figures in the horn world:

SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER

Opening Recital, Coached Ensembles and Consultation lessons, Low Horn Class, Wagner Tuba Class, until:
12.00 Lunchtime Conversation with Barry Tuckwell: Tony Catterick introduced the British Horn Society’s President, Barry Tuckwell, in an entertaining interview.
2.30pm Masterclass with Martin Van Der Merwe on Richard Strauss’ Second Horn Concerto
3.40pm Concert of British Chamber Music including York Bowen's Quintet, and Michael Tippet’s Sonata for Four Horns
5.00pm Massed Horns rehearsal with Barry Tuckwell directing Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, arranged by Alan Civil

6.00pm Festival Gala Finale
Accompanist: Richard Shaw

Beethoven Overture, Egmont arr Civil for 8 horns - BHS Festival Massed Horn Ensemble directed by Barry Tuckwell
Cooke Rondo for horn and piano - Michael Thompson, Raoux piston horn
F. Strauss Nocturno for horn and piano - Jeffrey Bryant, Vienna horn
Wagner Siegfried's horn call arr Bryant for 2 period horns (Michael Thompson and Frank Lloyd) and silent tenor
Monti Czardas arr for horn and piano - Frank Lloyd
Randall A Portrait for 7 horns and tuba in memory of Ifor James
Schumann Concertstück arr. Wagendristel for 12 horns with Martin Van Der Merwe, Frank Lloyd, Frøydis Ree Wekre and Sarah Willis
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody arr Bissill for 8 horns and 8 Wagner Tubas
Ellington Caravan arr Bissill for 16 horns featuring Jim Rattigan

Perhaps the last words should come from a couple of the distinguished soloists:

Martin Van Der Merwe, Rotterdam Philharmonic: "I must say I was deeply impressed by the way this whole festival was organized, and the huge amount of people who were attending every occasion!! It was an unbelievable experience to give a masterclass attended by some 100 people or so. Both Maria and me had a wonderful time, and I'm very proud I was involved in your celebration."

Lisa Ford, Gothenburg Symphony: "To experience such a fabulously organized event is very rare, and the students were overjoyed at having been able to attend"

Lashing rain and high winds failed to dampen the spirits of the delegates at the well-attended 2004 British Horn Festival, which was held in Southampton over the weekend of October 23/24. Many of the absolutely top names in horn playing took part, including from Germany the legendary Peter Damm, former Principal Horn of the Dresden Staatskapelle and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra as well as renowned recording artist, soloist and performer. Peter gave a beautiful recital, a fascinating masterclass on the solo horn music of Richard Strauss, and conducted the "Southampton All Star Horn Ensemble" (below).

From the United Kingdom a great BHS favourite, Michael Thompson, returned to the Festival. Michael is a renowned international soloist and recording artist and a former Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra. He is now the Solo Horn of the London Sinfonietta, Professor of Horn at the Royal Academy of Music and a member of the Transatlantic Horn quartet.

Michael discusses the finer points of horn design with Chris Huning of Paxman's.

Michael gave a special Saturday evening gala recital in the Turner Sims Hall, a revelatory masterclass on the Britten Serenade, rehearsed and conducted the massed blow and also gave freely of his time to assist personally many of the talented young players.

Sue Dent, the UK's outstanding natural horn virtuoso and Professor of Natural Horn at the Royal College of Music coached a natural horn ensemble, gave a lecture on the Natural Horn and performed the Saint-Saëns Romance in E and the Mozart Horn Quintet.

Martin Owen, the outstanding Principal Horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gave a stirring performance of the Weber Concertino and with Kathryn Saunders, the recently appointed second horn of the R.P.O., played the Haydn Double Horn Concerto.

Simon de Souza, Professor at Birmingham Conservatoire, horn teacher at Wells Cathedral School, the Purcell Music School and the Royal Academy of Music Junior Dept gave a workshop on the music set for early Grade exams, and directed the Wells Cathedral School Brass Ensemble. Julian Baker, former Principal Horn of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Halle Orchestra, and currently Professor of Horn at the Royal College of Music, was interviewed by Tony Catterick and also directed the horns of the Royal College of Music Horn Ensemble. Many horn professionals of the future were on show, as students from the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music, Guildhall, Birmingham Conservatoire and the RAM Junior Department took part in masterclasses and played as groups.

During the Festival the BHS conferred honorary membership on (left to right) Chris Huning, Pat Strevens, Shirley Hopkins and Anthony Halstead to mark their special contributions to horn playing. Ifor James was also honoured, but was unfortunately too ill to attend.

The idea of taking part in the festival inspired Daily Telegraph journalist, Jasper Rees, to rediscover his horn 22 years after giving up playing. His entertaining account of his experiences is at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/01/03/bmhorn03.xml

The 2003 British Horn Festival was hailed as "outstanding" and "one of the best ever" by participants. The all-star lineup of soloists included Hervé Joulain, Solo Horn in the French National Orchestra; Anthony Halstead, renowned natural horn soloist; Bob Ashworth, principal horn with the orchestra of Opera North (formerly the English Northern Philharmonia); Jonathan Barrett, principal horn of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Timothy Jackson, of the Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden; Julien Meriglier, winner of the 1998 Paxman International Horn Competition and Stephen Roberts, composer, conductor and horn player.

Hervé Joulain and Julien Meriglier at the Festival

Highlights of the two-day Festival included Hugh Seenan's rendition of Siegfried's horn call to open the proceedings; fascinating masterclasses led by Anthony Halstead and Hervé Joulain; stunning playing by the horn students from the Royal Northern College of Music; hauntingly beautiful examples of the French school of hornplaying from Hervé Joulain and Julien Meriglier; some spectacular performances by the young players from Chetham's School of Music; Hugh Seenan and Jonathan Barrett deputising at extremely short notice for indisposed players; Livia Gollancz's anecdotes about hornplaying more than sixty years ago; and nineteen players from all the major orchestral horn sections in the north of England coming together to form the Northern Horn Sound.
The event also included many opportunities for coaching at all levels, including a rather oversubscribed Wagner Tuba class and the traditional massed blow, in which 64 players aged from around 8 to 80 delivered a rousing version of Handel's Fireworks Music.

Chris Larkin takes an advanced session.
(N.B. They are not all left-handed - artistic photo taken in a mirror by Ian Wagstaff)

Especial thanks to Barbara MacLaren, Hugh Seenan, Paul Kampen, Bob Ashworth, Lizzie Davis and the other members of the organising team who made the event such a success.

SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER, at CHETHAM’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC

14.30 Welcome by BHS Chair Hugh Seenan
Wagner, Siegfried’s Horn Call - Hugh Seenan
Welcome concert Chetham’s Horn Ensemble, Directed by Lizzie Davis
Mendelssohn arr. Davis, Two Songs Without Words
Steven Reading, Gallop

15.00 Natural horn masterclass with Tony Halstead, pianist Max Ritchie
Cherubini, Horn Sonata No 2
Bujanovski, ‘Ballade’ for solo horn
Masterclass students:
Mary Stuart (RNCM) Michael Haydn, Concertino
Adam Howcroft (Chetham's) J. Haydn, Concerto No.2, 1st movt.
Beginners' and young players' horn ensemble, Tina Thomson director

16.00 Afternoon tea break

16.30 Sydney Coulston Award open entry competition with one prize of a lesson on 5th October with Hervé Joulain. Format as an audition, pieces, excerpts from
Brandenburg Concerto No 1, Brahms Symphony No 2, Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
Mixed Brass Ensemble class, Stephen Roberts director
Intermediate players' horn ensemble, Tina Thomson director
Advanced players' horn ensemble, Hugh Seenan director

17.30 Recital with Timothy Jackson and Julien Meriglier:
Julien Meriglier, horn, pianist Max Ritchie
Saint-Saens, Romance Op 67 for horn and piano
Poulenc, Elegie for horn and piano
Dukas, Villanelle for horn and piano
Timothy Jackson, horn, pianist Ian Buckle
Thea Musgrave, Music for horn and piano
Tim Jackson, Etude ‘Don’t Make it Bad’
Gordon Jacob, Horn Concerto, 1st Movt, with horn and piano

18.30 Evening meal break

19.15 Gala Concert The Horn in Chamber Music
(this concert was also part of Chethams’ Brundibar Project)
Chetham's Wind Ensemble
Krommer Wind Octet with 2 solo horns, 2 movements
Chetham's Wind Quintet
Pavel Haas, Wind Quintet
Chetham's Brass Ensemble
Concierto di Cucaracha for horn and brass, composed by Stephen Roberts, who also played the solo part and directed.
INTERVAL
Chetham's Wind Ensemble, directed by Lizzie Davis
Richard Strauss Wind Serenade ‘Happy Workshop’

11.00 Welcome concert RNCM Horn Ensemble, directed by Bob Ashworth
St Hubert Mass (excerpt) for horns and organ
Bruckner, Motet arr. Robert Ashworth
King, Black Beauty, Theme tune, for horn ensemble
Confidence clinic with Beccy Goldberg

11.30 Wagner Tuba class with Neil Grundy
Beginners' and young players' horn ensemble, Tina Thomson director
Intermediate players' horn ensemble, Lizzie Davis director
Advanced players' horn ensemble, Chris Larkin director

11.30 Horn recital by Hervé Joulain with pianist John Wilson and violinist David Greed
Busser, Cantecor for horn and piano
Poussaint, Poeme
Damase, Sonata for horn and piano
Koechlin, Two Pieces for violin, horn and piano

13.00 Lunchtime meal break

13.30 BHS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

14.00 Horn masterclass with Hervé Joulain, pianist John Wilson
Masterclass students:
Leone McDonald (RNCM) Rosetti, Concerto in D min, 1st movt.
Andrew Turner (Chetham's) Bozza, En Foret
Beginners' and young players' horn ensemble, Tina Thomson director

15.00 Horn recital with Jonathan Barrett and Bob Ashworth with pianist Ian Buckle and violinist David Greed
Jonathan Barrett
Alec Wilder, Sonata No 3 for horn and piano
Vaughan Williams arr. Barrett, Four Studies in English Folksong
Verne Reynolds, Partita for horn and piano
Bob Ashworth
Lennox Berkeley, Trio for horn, violin and piano

16.00 Tea break

16.30 Beginners' Hand Horn class with Beccy Goldberg
A conversation with Livia Gollancz and Tony Catterick

17.30 Massed horn blow, directed by Hugh Seenan

18.15 Evening meal break

19.00 Gala Concert Le Son du Cor, a celebration!
Trompe de chasse opening fanfare - 'La Chabot' - Bob Ashworth
Massed Blow, directed by Hugh Seenan
Handel, Music for the Royal Fireworks
Chetham’s Horn Ensemble, Lizzie Davis director
Sextet for horns, Anon, attrib. L-F Dauprat
Hervé Joulain and Julien Meriglier
Mozart, Two duets
RNCM horn Sextet, Bob Ashworth director
Dauprat Sextet Op.10, 3rd & 4th movts.
"All Star Horn Quartet", Hervé Joulain, Julien Meriglier, Hugh Seenan, Jonathan Barrett
Bozza, Suite for Four horns
Northern Horn Sound, Bob Ashworth conductor
Stella by V Young arr. Masimo Bartoletti starring Gareth Small (flugelhorn)
Berlioz, Roman Carnival Overture arr Crees for 16 horns, timpani and percussion

Paxman's provided a free small repair service for the whole Festival,and the free Cloudnine Power Massage was busy all Sunday afternoon.

The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow hosted the 2002 autumn British Horn Festival, this year held as part of the RSAMD’s “Brass Spectacular” festival, featuring top brass players from around the world, with the horn as this year's special featured instrument.

There was much spectacular playing from top German horn soloist Marie Luise Neunecker, Lars-Michael Stransky, solo horn with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Martin Owen, principal horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and Angela Barnes, the winner of the 2002 BBC Young Musician brass final. These four also featured as the All-Star Horn Quartet for the evening concert. The Scottish Horn Sound and the Scottish Vienna Horns were also prominent, and from the non horn-playing world, jazz trombone legend, Jiggs Whigham and trumpeter Bruce Adams provided some revelations of their own. There were also fine performances from the West Lothian Schools Band, the RSAMD Wind Orchestra, the Royal Scottish Academy Brass (featuring the RSAMD's new Principal, John Wallace), the RSAMD Big Band and All Star Brass, the Royal Norwegian Navy Brass and the Joztenuto Big Band.

There were also some interesting compositions for wind and brass by the Brass Spectacular's resident composer, Jan Van Der Roost, including his Rhapsody for Horn, which was played by Martin Owen. All in all a very interesting and satisfying day.

The extra Summer Festival, held on Sunday 30 June 2002 at Radley College in Oxfordshire, saw a lot of sizzling playing, even though the weather was more restrained.

Alessio Allegrini (pictured), principal horn of La Scala, Milan, led an inspiring group of players, which also included Neil Shewan, Paxman Young Horn Player of the Year 2000, international soloist Richard Watkins, and the Horns of the Royal Academy of Music, with Evgeny Chebykin.

Allesio Allegrini is the current star of Italian horn playing, a prize winner at the Munich Horn competition in 1999, and is the solo horn in the orchestra of La Scala Milan Opera House. His recital consisted of Richard Strauss: Introduction, Theme and Variations; Luigi Cortese: Sonata and Carl Czerny: Andante e Polacca.

Richard Watkins is one of the U.K.'s best-known players. Formerly principal horn with the Philharmonia Orchestra, he is now a leading freelance soloist and chamber musician. His hectic schedule includes making many recordings and he has premiered new works by many composers, including Peter Maxwell-Davies’ celebrated "Sea Eagle". He holds the Aubrey Brain professorial chair at the Royal Academy of Music. His recital programme was Peter Racine Fricker: Sonata; David Volcher Kirchner: Lamento d'Orfeo; Edward Longstaff: Mattheson's Rhetoric and Gilbert Vinter: Hunter's Moon.

Neil Shewan, like Richard, is a former principal horn with the National Youth Orchestra. He is a graduate of the Guildhall and two years ago became the horn player with Fine Arts Brass. Since then he has played and been on trial with most of the major British orchestras. In 2000 Neil become the first British winner of the prestigious Paxman Horn Player of the Year competition. His recital included Rossini: Prelude, Theme and Variations in E; Jean-Michel Damasse: Berceuse; Jean Baptiste Arban: Tyrolean Variations (arr. Roger Harvey) and Marin Marais: Le Basque.

In addition to the recitals and master-classes by our guest artists there was considerable emphasis on ensemble playing, with the much of the morning taken up by coaching sessions in a wide range of groups of different abilities, and a concert for the various coached ensembles in the afternoon. The day rounded off with the All-Star Horn Ensemble, who treated us to Siegfried's Rhine Journey (arr. Richard Payne), The Teddy Bears' Picnic and "Jupiter" from The Planets by Holst.

We shouldn't overlook the contributions of the Horns of the Royal Academy of Music (Tim Anderson, Evgeny Chebykin, Kate Goldsmith, James Kerby, Ruth Mulvey, Katie Pryce, Isobel Schmidt, Richard Stroud and Nicholas Wolstencroft) and those who volunteered to be the subjects in the masterclasses (Tim Thorpe, Nicholas Wolstencroft and Angela Barnes). Many thanks to the coaching team (Peter Dyson, Julian Faultless, Charlotte Harris, Peter Merry, Hugh Seenan and Peter Widgery), and to the hard-working accompanists (Elizabeth Hayes and Richard Shaw).

Especial thanks to Simon de Souza, who organised the whole event, and to the Warden and staff of Radley College for their assistance.

John Thurgood directs the massed blow - in the round.

The 22nd British Horn Festival took place at the Welsh College of Music and Drama and Cardiff University
On Sunday 21st October 2001. Paul Sawbridge reports:

The Horn Festival came to Cardiff as part of the BHS's policy of acknowledging the Society's national roots. It received excellent support from both the professional and amateur horn players of Wales and the Southwest, and was a memorable event.
Registration was accompanied by playing from the Horns of the Welsh College, who worked hard all day to make the event run smoothly. Ensemble coaching got underway with great enthusiasm and it was encouraging to find players from age 15 to 50 plus with experience of a few months to a lifetime playing together in the graded ensembles.

Phil Myers came from New York to make his first appearance at a masterclass, in which he coached Laura Tanner (from the Welsh College) through part of the Hindemith Sonata, Bethan Watkeys (from the Royal College) playing the Dukas Villanelle, and Chris Parkes ( from the Guildhall) negotiating the first movement of the Strauss 2nd Concerto. Phil's self deprecating humour put everyone at their ease. At the same time Roger Montgomery gave a masterclass for the younger players from beginners to grade 5. He also gave them a demonstration on the natural horn.

The trade stands also had a steady flow of covetous visitors. It was good to see the German representation - Alexander had a display including their new model 403 and Engelbert Schmid (who had given sponsorship to the event) personally came to hear Phil Myers playing on one of his instruments. Another innovation was that Luke Woodhead from Paxman ran a maintenance and repair clinic. He gave invaluable advice to a steady stream of customers.

The last event at the Welsh College, before everyone left for the main concert in the hall of Cardiff University, was a massed blow of a Tallis arrangement directed by John Thurgood. This echoed round the courtyard and was a fitting tribute to the college whose fine facilities were used for the first part of the festival.

Phil Myers and Roger Montgomery take a well-earned bow

The first recital at the University was a joint one given by Phil Myers (accompanied by Susan Bird) and Roger Montgomery (accompanied by Robert Evans). Roger started by playing a Gallay study (no 7 of Op.43) on a John Webb copy of a Raoux hand horn. He immediately followed by a performance of the Franz Strauss Nocturno played on a Vienna horn of about 1880. The beautiful veiled tone of the softer parts of this performance were particularly beguiling. His final contribution was a performance of the Arnold Cooke Rondo on a vibrant sounding Raoux with piston valves. It was all quite a tour de force, particularly since the day before Roger had done a ballet rehearsal and a performance of Strauss's Die Frau ohne Shatten.

Phil played three pieces - the first, by Jean-Michael Defaye, had a particularly fine allegro, which had originally drawn him to the work. He followed this by a very committed performance of the Humphrey Searle Aubade, which was astonishing for its dynamic range. This part of the concert was brought to a conclusion by Phil playing the Cantiene and Divertissements by Desenclos, which Phil explained was the only piece he had ever played to a woman in 30 years of dating. The adagio section was certainly very seductive.

There followed pieces played by all the groups who had taken part in the coaching sessions during the morning. It was good to hear a couple of the Steve Roberts' arrangements which Pete Dyson had managed to persuaded him to write for the BHS library, namely Hugh's Blues and the Horn Blast Boogie.

There was also a short question and answer session with Phil before the last part of the concert. He talked about the Arts scene in New York post the events of 11th September, and although bleak in some areas it seemed that the New York Philharmonic had recovered most of its audience. He also spoke in a very practical way about his experience of many years in the first chair. Two permissions he allowed himself - one was getting his assistant to cover the joins where a breath might break the flow of a phrase, and the other was using a practice mute in pp accompaniments to some woodwind solos, which ensured both the balance and necessary reliability. He amused his audience when asked about his views on poor conductors. For legal reasons these are probably best not committed to print.

In the final concert we were joined by the Welsh Horn Ensemble, an octet brilliantly led by Ian Fisher. The other horn soloists were accompanied by the Cardiff University Orchestra conducted by Timothy Taylor. John Thurgood was the soloist in the world premiere of the Horn Concerto by Simon Proctor which had been commissioned with the help of a grant from the Britten-Pears Foundation. John had had a number of working sessions with Simon before he began writing it. What he had wanted to write was a piece which would be accessible to the wider horn-playing fraternity. Rehearsal limitations on this occasion restricted us to hearing the last two movements - two very engaging jazz-influenced pieces persuasively played by John.

The Welsh Horn Ensemble, drawn from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales , Welsh National Opera and Cardiff-based freelance players, played two arrangements by Tony Burke. An arrangement of themes from Rigoletto and the 'Myfanwy' gave everyone plenty to do and were expertly crafted. Philip Myers's final contribution was in the Kulau double concerto, in which Roger Montgomery joined him, this time playing on a modern instrument. It says much for the musicianship of both that although their playing styles are quite different, the result was musically satisfying. Both the security and phrasing of Phil's high lines and facility and style with which Roger played some of the florid low writing were noteworthy. Full marks also to the two University horn players who echoed the soloist's final offstage calls.

The Welsh Horn Ensemble appropriately gave the final item of the festival, 'Dodgy Delilah,' a Paul Pritchard arrangement of the Tom Jones hit. We were left with Ian Fisher's ringing top C's in our ears and a standing ovation for all concerned. We are indebted to many, but Angus West must take much of the credit for all the effort he put into organising a most worthwhile day.

Young players from the High Wycombe Music Centre

High Wycombe Music Centre - 11th February 2001. The day was organised by Beatrix Taylor and the Buckinghamshire Music Service, with help from the British Horn Society, in the form of music from the BHS music library and assistance from myself for coaching and playing (writes Hugh Seenan). The day was a resounding success with a turnout of 55 players, most of whom were young players between 8 and 18 years of age. Also present were Roger Montgomery, who gave a magnificent talk and demonstration on the natural horn, and Steve Bell, the principal horn of the BBC Concert Orchestra, who played, coached and conducted in the evening concert. There were various local teachers present, and some senior students from Trinity School of Music helping out with the youngsters. I spotted the BHS magazine editor, Ian Wagstaff, who I seem to remember was complaining about having to play in bass clef, which he hates. Well, you cannot please everyone all the time. Roger, Steve and myself performed three Reicha horn trios, with no rehearsal I might add, in the middle of a tea break to entertain the crowd. I played Dukas Villanelle for horn and piano at the beginning and the end of the event and the day finished with individual groups of various levels playing and a massed blow, with everyone performing in front of an audience of family and friends. Beatrix Taylor did a wonderful job organising the event - I really enjoyed the day and everybody looked relaxed and happy at the close. I was certainly ready for a pint!

The Second Edinburgh Horn Jamboree, which took place on September 30 2000, was a great success with a large number of horn players taking part, with the emphasis on performance. Everyone who wished had the chance to play a solo and in an ensemble (writes Jacquie Johnstone).

In the morning we were treated to a dozen solo performances from players whose age ranged from 10 to 18 years. The standard was extremely high. Paxman very kindly donated two CDs, which were awarded to 12 year-old Douglas Carrick and 17 year old Christopher Flynn, both from Glasgow, for their performances. The afternoon consisted of rehearsals for each of the small ensembles, and two rehearsals for the tutti pieces that would end the evening concert. We also had a short talk/demonstration on the natual Horn by Harry Johnstone of The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and on the Vienna horn by Tim Barratt of the Scottish Vienna Horns, after which the audience had an opportunity to ask questions and have a blow.

It was a great pleasure to have with us for the day Maurice Temple RSAMD, former RSNO and BBCSSO, David Flack from the BBCSSO and Harry Johnstone. They made a great team, adjudicating solos, rehearsing ensembles and giving all sorts of advice and encouragement to the youngsters. We ended the day's activities with five performance ensembles; one trio, three quartets and a sextet. The evening concert began with two of the ensembles from the afternoon session quartet and a sextet followed by six of the best solos from the morning including our youngest player, 10 year old Andrew Johnston. Then came an extremely exciting 20 minutes from the Scottish Vienna Horns.

After the interval we heard a stunning performance of Mozart's Concert Rondo played on the Natural Horn by Harry Johnstone followed by a beautiful rendition of the Franz Strauss Nocturne on the modern horn by David Flack. David and Harry also performed a short duet, which had been composed by one of the youngsters, Craig Ballantyne from Edinburgh, for his Standard Grade music. Then we were treated to a selection of quartets, played by David Flack, Harry Johnstone, Paul Klein and Graeme Hodge. To finish off we all played a selection of German folk songs and an arrangement of the Pilgerchor from Tannhauser conducted by Maurice Temple.

The 2000 British Horn Festival was a resounding success, beating atrocious weather and a badly disrupted transport system. The fact that so many people attended - from as far afield as Japan, Italy and Sweden, was a testimonial to horn players' determination, and the delegates' perseverance was amply rewarded by some of the most virtuosic playing ever heard at a British Horn Festival - and the standards are legendary. Leading the lineup were Radovan Vlatkovic, Jim Thatcher and Ifor James, with sterling support from many of the leading names in British horn playing. The full timetable was: Radovan Vlatkovic

Saturday 28 October - Opening Event
5.45pm Official CBSO pre-concert talk (Englishness in music)
6.15 - 6.45 pm Pre-concert Horn Ensembles in the Symphony Hall foyers.
7.00 pm CBSO concert at Symphony Hall including a performance of the Britten Serenade for tenor, horn and strings with Radovan Vlatkovic (horn), Mark Padmore (tenor), and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo.
(BHS members received specially discounted tickets from the CBSO).
After the concert there was an informal social at the Fiddle and Bone Pub near Symphony Hall.

Sunday 29 October - Horn Day at the Birmingham Conservatoire
9.30 - 9.45 am Incidental horn music from the Gallery
9.50 am Opening address by BHS Chair, Shirley Hopkins
10.00 - 10.30 am Concert - Birmingham Conservatoire Horn Ensembles directed by Peter Dyson and Angus West
10.30 -12.00 am Coached ensembles for delegates
12.00 - 1.00 pm Recital - Andrew Clark (natural horn), Richard Pearce (piano) and Margaret Faultless (violin) perform Brahms: Horn Trio and Czerny: Fantasy No.3 (horn & piano)
1.00 - 2.00 pm lunch break, including an informal (and hilarious) talk by Ifor James, "A life in music".
2.00 - 3.00 pm Recital - Jim Thatcher (horn) with Hugh Seenan (horn) and Richard Pearce (piano), including Richard Strauss: Horn Concerto No.1 (horn and piano), Saint-Saens: Romance in E (horn and piano), Schuller: Intermezzo and Pavanne (horn and piano) and Bissill: New work for 2 horns and piano
3.00 - 3.30 pm Talk by John Humphries about his new book "The Early Horn".
3.30 - 4.00 pm Concert - The Purcell School of Music and Wells Cathedral School horn ensemble, directed by Simon de Souza.
4.00 - 5.00 pm Masterclass with Jim Thatcher (horn) and Jonathan French (piano), with students from the Birmingham Conservertoire, The Royal Academy of Music and The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
5.00 - 6.00 pm British Horn Society Annual General Meeting and supper break.
6.00 - 7.00 pm Recital featuring Radovan Vlatkovic (horn) and Richard Pearce (piano). Richard Strauss: Andante (horn and piano), Berg: Horn Solo 2000 (solo horn), Chabrier: Larghetto (horn & piano), Messiaen: Appel Interstellaire (solo horn) and Dukas: Vilanelle (horn & piano).
7.00 - 8.00 pm Masterclass by Ifor James (horn) and Jonathan French (piano), with students from the Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity College of Music.
8.00 - 8.30 pm Grand Finale, starring: The Advanced Coached Ensemble, formed from delegates, conducted by Simon de Souza, playing Roland Lo Presti: Fanfare and March from Suite for 8 horns; followed by Reicha Horn Trios, played by Radovan Vlatkovic, Jim Thatcher and Hugh Seenan. The day came to a resounding end with the BHS Festival All-Star Horn Ensemble (Radovan Vlatkovic, Jim Thatcher, Ifor James, Andrew Clark, Hugh Seenan, Tim Jones, Angus West and Peter Dyson), conducted by Geoffrey Simon, which played Rossini: La Danza arr. Pritchard for 8 horns and "Starcheque", a hilarious new work for horn octet by Jim Rattigan.
After the event there was a well-earned social for players and audience at the Fiddle and Bone pub.

Pat Strevens reports on the action at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama on 20th October 1999:

The feature of this latest Festival, which was masterminded for the British Horn Society by Hugh Seenan, was the number of leading British Professional Horn players, both relative newcomers and established players, who gave up a precious Sunday to appear. The 20th October started with a stunning display from a group of tomorrow's professionals, the Guildhall Horn Quartet. The rest of the morning was devoted to those who had come to be coached in a wide variety of ensembles: an advanced group of amateurs who revel in a challenge - a large intermediate group; ensembles for adults of moderate ability; a small group of school age players; and a quartet of students from Trinity College who were thrilled to be coached in Schumann's Konzertstück - that is, until they put their Horns away to try out Wagner Tubas under the guidance of Shirley Hopkins and Timothy Jones

Peter Francomb travelled down from Newcastle to join Steven Bell in a recital that concluded with Beethoven's Sextet for two Horns and String Quartet, string players from the Guildhall completing the ensemble. Steven Bell also gave the world première of Four Seasonal Nocturnes for Horn and Piano by Roderick Elms. Well written for the Horn, the flavour of this easy on the ear piece is given by the titles: A Little Fall-ish (Horn Abroad), The Horn in Winter (Le Cor en Hiver), The Well Sprung Horn (Vorsprung durch Horn Technik) and Little Horn in the Sun (Sol un Cornetto).

After a generous lunch break the Horn Quartet of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain displayed the high standards reached by today's young players even before they reach our music colleges.Only a few weeks before the Festival Timothy Jones damaged his right hand while on holiday. It had to be kept in a flat position by a rigid piece of plastic, forcing him to change his programme so that it didn't include any hand stopping! No ill effects could be detected in his playing, as he alternated with Frank Lloyd in the next recital. We then migrated to the highly raked seating of the Lecture Hall for a fascinating potted history by Jeffrey Bryant of his brilliant horn-playing career. The acoustics suited his fireside-chat approach, laced with a dry wit. He used a loose variation on Desert Island Discs to highlight events on the concert platform.

The Final Concert opened with a performance by the advanced ensemble, which had been coached by Hugh Seenan during the morning. Jeffrey Bryant then conducted a Guildhall ensemble in Kerkorian's Sextet for Horns. This was followed by Chris Parkes of the NYO quartet in Gwilym Simcock's Sonetti, accompanied by the composer. Hugh Seenan played Richard Bissill's arrangement of Evergreen. Frank Lloyd repeated his breathtaking playing on the London Horn Sound disc of Tico Tico, accompanied by six Guildhall Horn students. The Festival ended with a display of jazz Horn playing by James Rattigan accompanied by sixteen Horns, many of them to be heard on the London Horn Sound disc, piano, bass and drums in Ellington's Take the A Train and Caravan. For those who wanted to wind down gradually the Pavilion Jazz Quintet led by James Rattigan played the evening out in the student Union bar.

Horn enthusiasts from across the United Kingdom and abroad enjoyed a fascinating weekend of teaching and playing during the BHS Northern Horn Long Weekend on 23-25 April 1999. Those who were there report:

Horn Teaching Without Tears - 23rd April by Paul Kampen

Many years ago, I read an article by Barry Tuckwell in which he said that,in his opinion, there was far too much mystique in some people's minds about horn playing. Certainly, our instrument is viewed with fear and trepidation by many 'general' brassteachers - especially those whose roots are in the brass band movement. So it was with things of this nature in mind that Patrick Strevens developed the concept of a day for non-horn playing brass teachers. Twenty such teachers - from as far afield as Stoke-on-Trent, Carlisle and Worcester apart from more civilised areas such as Rotherham and Skipton - assembled at the West Park Centre, Leeds for a day of intensive work with Patrick Strevens and Willi Watson. Participants had been asked to bring a horn in F with them and most did. Many of these instruments had clearly been retrieved from the nether regions of the stock cupboards and were in poor condition - possibly not having been played for years, but the brave souls who brought them made some amazingly mellifluent sounds in the group playing that ended the day. One pleasing feature was the way that, once the ice was broken, there was a constructive dialogue between the participants and 'professors' - and between the participants themselves.

Teach the Horn With Pride - 24 April by Pam Harris

An enthusiastic group of horn teachers gathered together on 24 April in Leeds for a one day seminar on current horn teaching methods. We sat down with some trepidation opposite the impressive line up of Patrick Strevens, Simon de Souza, Bob Ashworth and Julian Baker. Very soon a fascinating morning session unfolded as various aspects of teaching the first lesson were discussed. Shirley Hopkins put forward many valid points as well as the panel. It was very refreshing to find that although there was agreement on the ‘correct’ ways of teaching fundamental techniques there was also universal recognition that people are individuals and rules are made to be broken. The experts were happy to put differing views forward and I certainly found this useful giving me a bank of ideas to try out.

I have found the exercises in the Infopak we all received on the day a valuable resource especially the ‘hidden tenth’ concentrating on the low register. I only have a few pupils who will aspire to the heights of Grade 8 and even fewer who would consider studying music at college level but it was illuminating to receive advice on how to prepare pupils for college auditions and to hear, from the people who sit in judgement, exactly what they are looking for. All too soon the day was drawing to a close and to finish with the nerves returned as we played some pieces while the experts listened, quite a good reminder of how pupils sometimes feel!

Mini-Seminar - University of Huddersfield - Sunday 25 April by Paul Kampen

After the events of Friday and Saturday, we decamped to Huddersfield for the final part of our 'Long Weekend in Yorkshire'. The accent for the day was group playing; feedback from participants of previous northern events has suggested that the majority of the punters are very keen to get their instruments out of the cases and have a blow. So, after putting the customers in the mood with the Koetsier 'Cinq Nouvelles', we divided them into groups led by Julian Baker, Pat Strevens, Maggie Houlding and John Thornton. All abilities were represented. It is amazing how, with the right coaxing, the most shy and retiring people can often rise to levels that they themselves consider unattainable.

Our guest artist was Roger Montgomery whose talk fascinated the assembled company. He took us through the history of the valveless horn - not just the handhorn but also the baroque instrument and the 'Corno di Tirarsi' - a conjectural instrument akin to the 'Tromba di Tirarsi' or 'Zugtrompete' which involves a sliding mouthpipe. Roger's contribution towards the recital (optimistically entitled '80 Minutes of Horn Music' by someone who appears to have poor judgement over timings of various pieces) delighted the large audience. We all know the Beethoven Sonata, which was given a lively and nimble performance on a 1996 copy by John Webb of a horn made by M.A. Raoux in 1810. But what a revelation the Ferdinand Ries Sonata was - as revealed by Roger and the accompanist Ian Buckle.

Earlier, the Chethams School of Music Horn Choir had opened proceedings with 'On Vacation' from Richard Bissill's 'Three Portraits' and they re-appeared later with the 'Tristan Fantasy' which the Dutch player Hermann Jeurisson arranged from themes of Wagner's opera. Not to be outdone, the Huddersfield Students contributed Alan Civil's 'Horn Bluff' and Dougie Scarfe's arrangement of 'I Got Rhythm' with solo pianist Ian Buckle. When you add to that the performance of the Tippett 'Sonata for Four Horns' by the Royal Northern College of Music Horn Quartet, you get an idea of just what a wealth of talent is lurking in the music colleges just waiting to take the business by storm.

For our Grand Finale, what better piece is there with all those horn players present than the 'Idylle und Jagerlust im Wienerwald' by R. Huber? To be sure, the Huddersfield St Paul's Hall does not exactly give the ambience of the Vienna Woods and we had all forgotten to bring our Zithers. But under the baton of Pat Strevens, the assembled students and the Opera North Horn section (led by John Thornton as Bob Ashworth was away moonlighting with the Royal Opera House Orchestra) wallowed in the ecclesiastical acoustic of this lovely building to end proceedings.

The 1998 British Horn Festival took place on Sunday 18th October 1998 at the Royal College of Music in London. Several hundred happy horn players, drawn from a wide age range and several European countries, attended an interesting and inspiring day, which included special workshops and clinics, lectures, and the traditional "massed blow" for all the players. There were also two splendid celebrity concerts, including several seldom-heard but taxing pieces. The event was masterminded for the British Horn Society by Julian Baker, and featured many leading players, including:

Froydis Ree Wekre, formerly solo horn in the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and now an international soloist and professor at the Norwegian State Academy.
Julian Baker, a free-lance horn player and a Professor at the Royal College of Music.
Susan Dent, a principal player in London and Professor of natural horn at the Royal College of Music.
Pip Eastop, a soloist and a regular player with all the major London orchestras. He is also a professor of horn at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music.
Peter Merry, a free-lance horn player, and horn teacher at Oundle and Uppingham Schools.
Roger Montgomery, a soloist and principal player, and Professor of natural horn at Trinity College of Music.
Martin Owen, 3rd horn in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Simon Rayner, principal horn of the Royal Opera House, and Professor of horn at the Royal College of Music.
Simon de Souza, a free-lance player and teacher at Wells Cathedral School, Wellington College and other colleges and schools.
Stephen Stirling, a soloist and well-known free-lance player, and a Professor at Trinity College of Music.
Pat Strevens, for many years a regular player in London, and a respected horn teacher in Kent.
Peter Widgery, a free-lance player and horn teacher at various schools including Winchester College.
Vasco Vassilev, the leader of the Royal Opera House Orchestra.

The Welsh National Opera horn section left to right Angus West, Donald Clist, David Shillaw and Ian Russell

More than fifty eager participants, including many young players, enjoyed a challenging day's playing and listening in Exeter on 28 June, when BHS Regional Representative, Colin Stiff, organised a splendid Regional Horn Day. It featured the horn section of the Welsh National Opera - Angus West, Donald Clist, David Shillaw and Ian Russell, who played a wide variety of works, from a quartet arrangement of "If you were the only girl in the world", to the Schumann Adagio and Allegro, with Angus West, the Mozart Quintet with David Shillaw, and the Beethoven Sextet with Donald Clist and Ian Russell. String colleagues from the WNO orchestra gave valuable support in the Mozart and Beethoven.

The day also included a workshop with David Shillaw on horn parts in classical chamber music and a talk by Angus West on "The Horn in Opera". There were plenty of opportunities for the many participants to play both in coached ensembles and a massed blow, and everybody had a busy and enjoyable time.

As a continuation of the British Horn Society's education programme, horn teachers made a 'bee-line' for Radley College, Oxfordshire on Sunday, April 26. 'Teach the Horn with Pride' presented today's best practice in horn teaching at all levels. The morning was mainly devoted to the early stages of horn teaching. Simon de Souza and Pat Strevens covered the selection of pupils and instruments in 'The First Lesson' (including warm-ups, breathing, tonguing, embouchure and posture) and 'The Hidden Tenth (a fancy name for the horn's low register).

After lunch provided by Radley College, more advanced techniques were considered by a great line-up of music college professors: Julian Baker of the RCM, Hugh Seenan of the Guildhall and Richard Watkins of the RAM. They emphasised the importance today of being fluent in all registers, and explained that life does not end with Grade 8, and that there is still plenty to teach. Other topics included the mare's nest of transposition, lip trills, repertoire - some pieces not included in exam syllabuses are worth tackling! - and hand stopping. At the end of the day all the teachers joined in ensemble playing. If you have any burning ideas for future events, please let us know.

The 18th British Horn Festival, held on Sunday 2 November 1997, was a resounding success. Almost two hundred horn players of all ages packed the Birmingham Conservatoire for a day that mixed fanaticism and fun in equal proportions.

The action-packed day featured many famous artists, including:

Claire Briggs - Principal Horn of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Nicholas Korth - Principal Horn, Birmingham Royal Ballet Sinfonia David Pyatt - The Gramophone Young Artist of the Year 1996 Angus West and the horns of the Welsh National Opera The Royal Artillery Horn Quartet The Horn Belles Leicestershire Arts Horn Ensemble The Horns of the Birmingham

There were lots of attractive happenings during the day, including:

The Traditional Massed Horn Blow, which was coached and conducted by Hugh Seenan (This year it was the Overture to the Music for the Royal Fireworks by Handel). Coached Groups, with Pat Strevens Special coaching for intermediate students (below Grade 4) A chance to play as second horn with the Welsh National Opera Horn Section Horn Players' "Problem Clinic" with Julian Baker

Many interesting and unusual works were heard during the day, in two memorable concerts. Among the highlights were:

The World Premiere of the Octet for Horns and Wagner Tubas by Steven Reading, played by the Birmingham Conservatoire Horn Octet, directed by Angus West. This splendid work was commissioned by the British Horn Society. The Mozart Horn Quintet, delightfully played by Mark Phillips, with Peter Thomas, Angela Swanson, Catherine Bower and Jill Heathfield. The Quintet for three horns, oboe and bassoon by Beethoven , with Nick Benz, Oliver Green and Jim Cheek on horns, and Tom Simmonds trying to compete on bassoon! The Berceuse by Damas and Morceau de Concert by Saint-Saëns, dashingly delivered by David Pyatt. La Chasse by Rossini, with the Birmingham Conservatoire Handhorn Group, directed by Bob Evans. Villanelle by Dukas, beautifully played by Claire Briggs. Auf dem Strom by Schubert, played by Nicholas Korth, with Soprano Nicola Weentt. The first movement of the Dvorák Wind Serenade, arranged for horn octet by Hanna Koop, and nicely performed by the young players of the Leicestershire Arts Horn Ensemble.

The day was rounded off in style by the all-star Festival Horn Octet (David Pyatt, Martin Wright, Claire Briggs, Angus West, Nicholas Korth, Ian Smith, David Shillaw and Peter Dyson), giving a rousing first performance of John Humphries' arrangement the Overture to The Barber of Seville by Rossini.

Special thanks go to Peter Dyson, Sub-Principal Horn of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, for his sterling help in arranging the day, and ensuring that it all went smoothly.

The 1998 British Horn Society Festival will be held at the Royal College of Music, London, on either October 11 or 18. Watch this page for further details!

The British Horn Society organises a variety of workshops, and coaching days across the United Kingdom. In 1997 events took place in Taunton, Oxford, Leeds, Nottingham, Tenbury Wells, and Dartford, and were attended by several hundred players and teachers.

The distinguished coaches who took part included Julian Baker, The Horn Belles, Francis Markus, Neil Shewan, Simon de Souza, Pat Strevens, Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins and Willi Watson.

Enthusiastic players at the Tenbury Wells Horn Day

The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London echoed to the sound of horns on Sunday, October 13th, as more than 200 enthusiastic delegates gathered for the 17th British Horn Festival. The participants enjoyed a wide range of special events, from a 'massed blow', through coached group playing to more specialised coaching from Chris Larkin of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jonathan Lipton of the London Symphony Orchestra.

The day featured several fine concert performances, including an accomplished rendering of the Tippett Sonata for four horns and the Samuel Barber Adagio (arranged for twelve horns and four Wagner tubas) by the Guildhall Students' Ensemble; the Telemann Concerto in D with Jeffrey Bryant, principal horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Christopher Saunders, tenor, and Hugh Seenan, principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra; and the Haydn Concerto No.1 in D with Richard Bissill, co-principal horn of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

The day was crowned by the evening recital, which included several very difficult works by Reicha, Bozza, Bachelet, Comeskaya and York Bowen, stunningly played by Jonathan Barrett, principal horn of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Laurence Rogers, co-principal horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Raul Diaz, principal horn of the Hanover Band, and friends. The day, which was masterminded by Hugh Seenan and Pat Strevens, was rounded off by a spirited appearance by the Guildhall Professors' Horn Ensemble, playing (of course) a work by the celebrated Otto Fisch - the Wolf Galop, and finally an arrangement for eight horns of the Roman Carnival Overture by Berlioz.

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