Onyx Brass
John Wilson conductor
CHAN 20399
This mixed bag of British and American music by the distinguished Onyx Brass is never less than entertaining, though I doubt I shall return to some of them often. World premières of fanfares by Britten, Walton and Vaughan Williams are intriguing as are some of the lesser-known American works.
Walton’s Roaring Fanfare (1976) was composed for the entrance of the Queen at a reception marking the 150th anniversary of the Zoological Society of London in 1976. Scored for trumpets and trombones, to which three percussionists are added, it is very brief, great fun and completely Walton. I wonder what the royal guests thought.
Britten’s Funeral March for brass octet and percussion was begun in 1938 but never completed. Here it is heard in a version by Bernard Hughes. It is a tremendously effective and packs a lot of emotion into the space of about four minutes.
Gordon Langford had a brilliant ear for brass, as his Prelude, Polonaise, and Promenade demonstrates. In barely seven minutes he brilliantly encapsulates an entire genre of traditional British writing for brass.
Sir Malcolm Arnold’s Brass Quintet No1 was a hit from its première in 1961. As a trumpeter Arnold new exactly what the ensemble could do. That did not mean he made things easy, and in 1961 this would have been a very challenging work with every player put through their paces. Here the hero is tuba player David Gordon Shute who throws off the solos with ease.
Joseph Horovitz’s Music Hall Suite from 1963 has likewise proven very popular. He studied for some time in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and there is a French elegance to the writing. The group enter fully into the tongue-and-cheek humour. The tempi are slower than usual but are well chosen.
The American works by Price, Gershwin, Bernstein and Adams sound, well, very American alongside the British. The last piece, Bernstein’s Dance Suite, was also his final work. Each brief movement is dedicated to dancers he knew. It is of course well written for the ensemble but sounds, as indeed it was, assembled from different works. Fun as it is, the final MTV for Jerry does not sound quite like a finale, and the brief appearance of a drum kit seems unnecessary.
No work has more than 10 players and so, apart from marketing, I am not sure there was any need for a conductor, and certainly not one as busy as John Wilson.
Review by Paul RW Jackson