​I’d saved up my paper round money….. it had been tough getting up early every day, in fact once I fell asleep whilst cycling delivering the papers and found myself on the boot of a car! With this hard-earned cash I went to a record shop and bought my first album.
 
The album was a work of art, precious and fragile, with photos, artwork and liner notes. As I carefully placed the vinyl record on the turntable and gently lowered the stylus it felt good that I was the owner of this masterwork. This was my favourite band, they were the biggest-selling band in the world at the time. I looked at the photos and saw the sax player reading the Manchester Evening News, he was called John Helliwell, the band was Supertramp and the album Breakfast in America.
 
Forty years on I’ve had the privilege of working on various projects with John, the most recent being a collaboration that resulted in the ‘Ever Open Door’ album, released in October 2020 with Challenge Records (Holland).

This is the beauty of music; it can be a lifelong journey full of twists and turns, with great experiences, opportunities, seeing the different countries and cultures in this world, and beyond all else, friendships.
 
In between tours and albums with Supertramp, John decided to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, returning from time spent living in California. This was the early 1990’s, all of a sudden one of my musical heroes was a student at the RNCM, where I had graduated from in 1989! John & I met in Manchester and began a friendship to this day. In 1994 I asked him if he would like to play in a new saxophone and rhythm section group that I had been asked to form by Ian Croal at the legendary Manchester music venue Band on the Wall. SaxAssault recorded its debut album over two nights live at BOTW in July 1995, the Sax of Gold album followed in 2007, and more recently, and with a new name, the Group S album ‘Ruby & All Things Purple’ was released in 2017 with Basho Records.
 
On the Sax of Gold album (named after the autobiography of Manchester sax player and businessman Johnny Roadhouse, who would kindly lend me his own bass sax for gigs!), I wrote a feature for John called Lord Stackhouse. I’ve subsequently arranged the piece for different projects, and it’s included on the Ever Open Door album.

It was the end of two very intense days in the studio, recording music for harp that my wife, Lauren, and I had written. I was co-producing and planning to play and record a recently written work for tenor saxophone and a short arrangement for harp & tenor saxophone with Lauren, but we had just about run out of time.
 
My great friend Tim Redpath was engineering and co-producing these sessions, and Alex Armstrong-Holding filming, and with only ten minutes left I thought that I would quickly get my saxophone set up and improvise - an improvisation for Barbara Thompson.
 
We were in Temple Studio, based in the home of Barbara and her daughter Ana. There is a pair of worn black gloves hanging up on one of the big speakers in the control room, these belonged to Jon Hiseman, and no-one has touched or moved them since his untimely passing in June 2018.
 
Jon designed the studio, it was his home within home. Jon and Barbara are a unique couple, and I count it as an absolute privilege to have known and worked with them for the last 20-plus years.
 
The friendship with Jon & Barbara started via the Apollo Saxophone Quartet (with Tim Redpath at that time playing soprano sax in the group). Barbara wrote us an album of fantastic music which we recorded with Jon producing, ‘Three Quartets’ (Celestial Harmonies).
 
In 2015 at the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, Jon out of nowhere said “Andy, I think that you should bring your ensemble Group S in our studio and record an album”. I couldn’t  believe my luck, and the generosity of Jon & Barbara. Sure enough, the album ‘Ruby & All Things Purple’ (Basho Records) was recorded with Jon, Rob Buckland & I mixing over a fortnight during 2016.
 
Jon came and guested on drums with Group S in November 2017 when we played at the Royal Northern College of Music (what a privilege, Jon Hiseman of Colosseum fame!) and the last time that I saw him was in February 2018 when the two of us were in the studio editing some videos for promotional use from that gig, including the track that Jon played on, ‘La Grande Image’.
 
Throughout the time that I have known her, Barbara has valiantly battled with Parkinson’s Disease, she simply is incredible, and has developed a musical imagination and style that is very much her own. ‘La Grande Image’ was written for Barbara & Jon to guest on, Jon telling me that he would record Barbara on a day where her medication was working and she wouldn’t be shaking too much when playing her saxophone. He said that he set up a semicircle of microphones to account for any movement when she recorded, then he went through each mic when mixing for the final result - her playing on that track is stunning.
 
There are details about our collaborations in both Jon’s autobiography ‘Playing the Band’ and Barbara’s recently released autobiography ‘Journey to a Destination Unknown’, both of which are a fascinating and inspiring read.
 
The clock is ticking, so with ten minutes of the session remaining I wanted to improvise for Barbara, and Ana would play her the video.
 
I had my Selmer S80III tenor saxophone on this occasion, and my more ‘classical’ set up (for the pieces that I would have recorded had there been more time), a Selmer S90 170 mouthpiece, with Vandoren Optimum ligature and Vandoren Traditional strength 3 reed. When improvising I would usually be playing my Selmer Mk6 tenor sax with jazz mouthpiece and reeds, so mentally I was attempting to mould and manipulate the sound within a set up that I usually associate with more notated and dynamically contained music.
 
Improvisation is a constant fascination for me, and the words ‘free improvisation’ I think are sometimes misleading. Over 25 years (especially with Duo partner Dave Hassell) I have developed an approach to improvisation that works for me.
As soon as I start playing, with nothing or very little pre-planned, I try and remain in the present whilst also remembering what I have played. This is the composer in me, trying to be aware of the architecture and form of a piece of music. Whilst being led by instinct and concentration, I’m hoping that my ears and technique are good enough to follow (which neither is). It’s a lot to cope with mentally, with improvisation constantly being one of the biggest musical challenges that I have faced, great when it does work out, and not the end of the world when it doesn’t simply as the challenges for me are so huge.
 
Whilst producing in Temple Studio for two days with wonderful friends and musicians, many memories went through my mind of great times spent with Jon and Barbara, which I didn’t have time to think about when improvising, but which must have affected the approach I imagine? I took the musical notes B & A from Barbara as my starting point, one take only.
 
‘….. for Barbara’ an improvisation
 
Andy Scott
30th December 2020

An exciting collaboration between British Composer Award winner Andy Scott & Portuguese virtuoso saxophonist João Pedro Silva.  HOME features music written by Andy for Tenor Saxophone, performed brilliantly by João & friends. 

HOME is a journey of imagination and colour, from the virtuosity of Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler! (a World Premiere recording) to the beautiful tranquillity of Fujiko, the recording is challenging for performers yet accessible to audiences, with a virtuosic solo work, HOME, being composed especially for the occasion.

Music knows no boundaries and HOME is a celebration of a special UK-Portuguese collaboration where musical styles meet and merge, classically-based with natural jazz, folk and latin influences.

Check out the incredible music video for HOME on Andy's homepage and have a look behind the scenes at the making of the album below!

HOME available to purchase HERE

​Some musical projects and compositions are slow burners, that create their own story with twists and turns, sometimes unresolved. My Concerto for Saxophone & Chamber Orchestra is one of those experiences for me, and now seems a good time to tell the story as the piece is released on CD (in piano reduction form) on 1st September 2020. The CD, entitled HOME, is a collaborative project with leading Portuguese Saxophonist João Pedro Silva.
 
Rewind to 2005. American saxophonist Branford Marsalis was guest soloist with the Halle Orchestra (Manchester, UK). My great friend Jim Muirhead (bass clarinet & saxophonist with the Halle) invited me to a rehearsal with Branford, and the three of us ended up chatting and hanging out. The Halle were playing the programme with Branford in Manchester and then Derby the following night.

​Jim had it all worked out, Branford & he were playing in the first half only of the Halle gig in Derby, Jim gave him a lift & Branford had already agreed to come along to DeBees. I know, this all sounds ludicrous, a little pub gig in Cheshire, and sure enough Branford rocked up! He came straight to side stage, I asked him if he wanted to blow on the number that the band were in the middle of, he said ‘yeh’ and then played the rest of the gig. It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences, all thanks to Jim and the generosity of Branford.

Branford & I kept in touch via email every now and again, meanwhile we move onto the World Saxophone Congress in Thailand in 2009. I attended my first WSC in 2006 (aged 40), until then I was anti these type of saxophone gatherings, they didn’t pay, it’s geeky etc., basically an angry young(-ish) man attitude. Selmer Paris Saxophones helped arrange that my double saxophone concerto Dark Rain was programmed in Slovenia in 2006 (soloists John Harle & Rob Buckland), in one of the Gala Concerts, and that my saxophone ensemble SaxAssault played a televised concert (supporting the Yellowjackets & Slovenian Radio Big Band). So I had to go and experience one of these ‘hundreds of saxophonists in a bubble talking about reeds and articulation’ events, even though of course I was massively grateful to Selmer.

It was very cool! I realised that this was a meeting point for friends, colleagues, a learning ground, an opportunity to experience a different culture. I checked out lots of new music and musicians that I’d wanted to hear live, and proudly supported as many British musicians that had made the journey as possible.
 
​
Onto 2009 and the WSC in Thailand. The Royal Northern College of Music kindly subsidised travel and accommodation costs that allowed me to attend the Congress. Again, it was a great learning experience, thank you Shyen Lee and team. The British saxophonist Richard Ingham was directing the National Saxophone Choir at this event and subsequently led a successful bid to host the WSC in 2012 in St. Andrews, Scotland.
 
In 2010-2011 the various threads above started coming together, none of this pre-planned. Richard suggested the idea that I write a Concerto for Branford, to be premiered at the opening Gala Concert with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Old pal Clark Rundell would be conducting, this was good as I know that Clark has a real understanding of classical contemporary and jazz idioms, improvisation and is highly regarded worldwide as an orchestral conductor.
At this time I was in a fortunate position of being asked to write various commissioned works for soloists and ensembles, but had taken on too much, with 18 months of solid unrelenting work culminating in July 2012, the time of the WSC in Scotland. I’m not complaining for one moment, the music business is tough and competitive, I just hadn’t quite figured out how to pace things.
 
Richard and his team had organised part-funding from Creative Scotland, and a saxophone student of mine that runs a staging company, UniStage, also contributed to the commission fee. The stage was set, I just had to write something! At this stage not over-thinking was good; oh it’s Branford, will I write something that people like etc... Yes you think about all this but I find that once you do finally hit ‘the zone’ when composing music, nothing else then enters your mind. This is why 14 hours writing feels like 4, the challenge is reaching the zone.

​I finished the Concerto about 6 weeks before the premiere. Branford could have refused to have played it, ideally I should have given him the solo part at least 6 months earlier. Yes, there was quite a lot of improvising in the solo part, so it wasn’t a totally notated challenge, however I was lucky that he was cool with this scenario.

​The next 9 months were spent recovering from pneumonia. Something that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Some people said that I was suffering from alcohol poisoning, thanks…. well I like a drink and certainly did have more than a few in St. Andrews, I guess that it was the culmination of everything at that time; completing 18 months of deadlines, seeing friends from all over the world at the WSC, the general release of everything. Anyway the immune system was low and this tipped it over the edge! You live and learn. My doctor told me that I had pneumonia on my left lung, that I’d have scarring, to slow down, and if I was free a month later to play at a party at their house!

Pneumonia hits you badly. After the 9 months there was one day when I thought that I felt normal again. I’d taken on some commissions and gigs during this time because I wanted to do them, and you need money to live, but nowhere near as many. I could write for an hour and was exhausted, or practise my saxophone for half an hour, then had to sleep. One of the results during this time was that the revisions that I planned to make to the Saxophone Concerto had been pushed down the queue.
 
Fast forward to early 2017. I’m chatting with the great Claude Delangle. My colleague in the Apollo Sax Quartet, and Senior Tutor of Saxophone at the RNCM. Rob Buckland had invited Claude to lead a masterclass and lessons with the (lucky) saxophone students. I’d been teaching at the college that day and was chatting with Claude prior to his class. He asked me about my Concerto, saying that he hadn’t yet confirmed which Concerto to perform at EurSax in Lisbon, Portugal in July that year. In 2012 Claude found me immediately following the world premiere by Branford of the Concerto and told me that he would like to perform the piece! I was honoured, I also said at the time that the solo part contained a lot of improvisation, he said that that was fine, no problem. Respect.
 
Now there was a deadline to revise the piece, and in this case the following months were a wonderful experience for me in terms of taking a collaborative approach with Claude. From my compositional perspective, you experience isolation, self-doubt, creative bursts, you are privileged that your mind is allowed to be as imaginative as it can be, whilst retaining practicalities that are necessary for performance. I trust Claude and have huge respect for him musically and as a person, it was good receiving his feedback, time to keep any ego in check. His views on interaction between the soloist and orchestra led me to re-write large sections in the final movement of the Concerto, to expand the form, to introduce more light and shade. I made the decision to create a fully-notated solo saxophone part; the piece wasn’t jazz (although influenced in lots of ways by jazz) and this way I hoped that the classical saxophonist worldwide might consider playing it.

​Claude in 2017, as Branford did in 2012, played brilliantly. It was interesting whilst rehearsing in the hall to hear Claude explaining how he adjusts his playing to find the ultimate projection of sound for him at that time and place. Both are hugely alert, alive musically and in the present. Thank you also to Henrique Portovedo and the team at EurSax.

​Coming dangerously close to the present, and thank you if you’ve read this far, the Portuguese connection continued, as does the journey of the Concerto, when the wonderful saxophonist João Pedro Silva approached me about recording
​a CD of my works for tenor saxophone. I arranged that my colleague in Manchester, Simon Parkin (a brilliant pianist, arranger, composer, teacher and mind) created a piano reduction of the Concerto.

Flying to Lisbon in January 2019 to produce the recording with João and friends was a privilege. This guy had bust a gut practising my music, often into the early hours I was told, it’s an overused word but I’ll say it, it was humbling. Anyone that has recorded and produced an album knows how much time and effort goes into it, and we do it because we have to, there’s no choice, music is our passion.

​To the present as I write this; the CD HOME launches on 1st September 2020, available via Bandcamp as a CD or mp3s. Included on this special recording is the world premiere of Laissez les bons temps rouler! in piano reduction form. The next stage is to publish this version (Astute Music) which I will do in September, and then one day there may be a world premiere recording of Laissez with chamber orchestra, discussions are underway.
 
Sometimes things take time, that’s ok, the extra space may create valuable experiences. Keep on keeping on friends, especially during this Covid-19 time. Stay safe.
 
To be continued……

Andy Scott was commissioned by the Love Music Trust to write an 18 minute piece for massed youth brass bands in 2018. Premiered at Birmingham Town Hall as part of Music for Youth, 170 young musicians ranging from wider opportunities groups to youth brass bands took part in this performance.

Thank you to all the young musicians, directors and the Love Music Trust for their hard work with this performance. There is now a short video about the piece now available to watch.

The music is also now published and available from Astute Music here

Andy has been asked to curate a fortnightly Jazz Duo residency at Elnecot, a fantastic & much-loved neighbourhood bar & kitchen in Ancoats, Manchester. 

Starting from March 18th 2020, Andy will be playing alongside jazz pianist and Manchester graduate, Tom Barber. 

"We are absolutely delighted that he will be bringing a whole host of wonderful duos to Elnecot. This is a free event so just come on down for some drinks and food while Andy and Tom make your ears feel great" 

Get yourselves down on the first and third Wednesday of each month for this exciting new jazz residency & visit Elnecot's website to book a table.


​Update: This event was cancelled due to Covid-19, a re-start date will be announced.

A film of Golden Horn by Andy Scott for Saxophone Ensemble is now available.

Thanks to Emma McPhilemy for organising the sax players, and Jamie Sharp for filming.
​

written for Saxophone ensemble (12 saxophones & optional percussion – soprano sax x 3, alto x 3, tenor x 3, baritone sax x 2, bass sax, optional drum kit & bongos) the sheet music is available from Astute Music as a PDF download HERE

​
​Frank Griffiths has recently reviewed Andy Scott + Group S’s CD ‘Ruby & All Things Purple’, released with Basho Records in 2017.
 
Writing for bebop spoken here, Frank remarks on the ‘concoction of saxophones’ & ‘outstanding soloists’ on the album – ‘Ranging from the sopranino to bass sax and all the others in between joined by a four piece rhythm section, Group S produces a highly effective sound capable of generating an impressive array of collective textures, colours and timbres.’
 
Frank’s review touches on the various tracks on the album, from a ‘skilful graduation of drama and dynamism’ in Mike Hall’s ‘frantic and propulsive Sabretooth’ to Gwilym Simcock’s ‘reflective and peaceful’ Chapters and Scott’s ‘striking and unpredictable rhythmical canvas’ in Tin Can.  
 
“Group S, indeed. While there is a wide variety of styles on Ruby... no idea outstays its welcome with the quality of both the writing and playing ensuring the listeners' attention throughout.” 

Check out Frank’s full review here and Ruby & All Things Purple here

Andy's delighted to announce that Westland – the music of Andy Scott, performed by Grammy award-winning saxophonist Tim McAllister & pianist Liz Ames, is confirmed for release with Naxos Records in JULY 2020

Comprising a core of Dave Hassell (drums/percussion), Nik Svarc (guitar) & Andy Scott (saxophones), Hydra invites special guests to join them and their new collaboration is with the talented young singer, saxophone and flute player Caitlin Laing (known particularly for her work with Agbeko & Oystercatcher).

Hydra moves from explosive ferocity to beautiful mesmeric soundscapes in the blink of an eye, earthy grooves to suspended time, reacting in the moment.

Caitlin joins Hydra for gigs on the 30th January and 1st February 2020 (see events page) to present new songs co-written with Andy, whilst Hydra will perform originals, re-imagined jazz standards and folk-influenced melodies.

As a saxophonist within John Helliwell’s Super Big Tramp Band, Andy is looking forward to their European debut on Monday 16th December 2019 at the Markethalle Hamburg in Germany. 

The Apollo Saxophone Quartet and Artvark Saxophone Quartet will collide and merge in an exciting concert featuring eight original compositions from all group members.
 
The concert will take place on Friday 1st November 2019, 8pm at the Turner Sims, Southampton.

This performance brings to life the sound world’s captured on the Apollo/Artvark CD ‘Collide and Merge’ released earlier this year, reviewed as a “compelling listen that whets the appetite no end for the live experience.” – Rob Adam, London Jazz News 

For more information & concert tickets, click here. 

​The Apollo Saxophone Quartet and Artvark Saxophone Quartet's collaborative album, APOLLO ARTVARK, has been named Editor's Choice by the Clarinet & Saxophone Magazine, Autumn 2019.

‘This album really is a triumph of global collaboration […] It is fascinating to hear how the two groups combine, and the end result is very satisfying’ - Alastair Penman

​Within the same issue, you can read all about the groups collaborative journey from Apollo’s Rob Buckland in ’Collision Course’ 

​The album APOLLO ARTVARK is available for purchase here 

​ ​

Following the success of 'Drive,' the debut CD by Fabian Bloch, which included two compositions by Andy Scott, Fujiko and Respectfully Yours, the follow up CD ‘Spot On!’ with the Fabian Bloch Trio is released on the 13th September 2019.
 


CD Launch Concert: “The Next Generation Of Euphonium Music”
Fabian Bloch, Euphonium
François Killian, Piano
Michael Meinen, Percussion
 
Present world premieres of commissioned works that are featured on ‘Spot On!’ including ‘From this Earth’ by Andy Scott.
 
Friday 13th September 2019, 20:00 at Cultural Center Schützi, Olten, CH
For more info, click here 

​​CD launch, Westland Saxofoon Orchestra directed by Erik-Jan de With, guest soloists/composers Benjamin Herman, Bart Wirtz and Andy Scott.
 
Andy’s charts ‘Lip Service’ and ‘Sax of Gold’ feature on this recording.

​Andy is delighted to be back in Portugal for FISP 2019!

Programme from 10th - 13th July:
​10th - Workshop - The Music of Andy Scott 
11th - Concert by the Apollo Saxophone Quartet with the MPMP Ensemble 
12th - Lecture/Recital by the Apollo Quartet
13th - Concert by the UK & Portuguese collaboration, Palmela SaxAssault! 

Check out www.fispalmela.com for more info.

I'm delighted that my new work for solo tenor saxophone, HOME, will receive a world premiere tonight, performed by the wonderful Portugese saxophonist, João Pedro Silva.

"Home" will be featured on João's new CD which I've written about in an earlier blog post here.

Home is six minutes long in duration and has a spirit which is to do with family and the bonds within all our families. Where someone may travel away from an original idea planted within them in their youth, to only return to it throughout their life. The challenge was to outline the harmonies and chords with a single line instrument, and this is a virtuosic solo piece. It will be published and available from Astute Music in due course.

If you are in Portugal the concert details are HERE, do please go and support !!

Saxophonist Matt Styles in interview with Scenestr. on Andy Scott's 'Dark Rain'

The music of acclaimed British composer Andy Scott will be played in a double concerto for saxophones and wind orchestra, performed by world-renowned saxophonist Rob Buckland and cross-genre saxophone player Matt Styles.
The two performers will be joined by the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

Here, Matt Styles answers some questions about the performance.

First of all, what is 'Dark Rain'?
This is a concert that features a brilliant award-winning piece of music called 'Dark Rain' that brings together a heap of different musical styles – classical, jazz, avant garde and things in between performed in the amazing concert hall at All Saints College. It features two sax soloists in front of a powerful wind band (the WAAPA Wind Ensemble) that have to play some of the highest notes known to the saxophone! It’s hard, incredible and loads of fun. The rest of the concert also features the WAAPA wind band by itself and other sax pieces played by one of the world’s best sax players, Rob Buckland.

What kind of preparation goes into a performance like this?
Practise, practise, practise… Seriously, it takes about 12 months logistical preparation which includes (if I can remember!) music preparation, rehearsal scheduling, arranging funding and a Visa for our visiting artist, months of practise, production meetings, negotiation with the venue, a constant barrage of emails and belief that this venture will work! The WAAPA students have been practising hard and making sure they’ve got the right idea for this really tricky, but brilliant piece.


TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE CLICK HERE

Delighted to have just finished producing a CD recording of my music in Lisbon, Portugal with the amazing saxophonist, João Pedro Silva. The CD will be called “HOME”, and features music I have written for tenor Saxophone with piano, harp, flute, tuba and string quartet.

Special thanks to the musicians: Pedro Vieira de Almeida: Piano, Romeu Madeira, Ricardo Ribeiro: violin, Carlos Lourenço: viola, Nelson Ferreira: cello, Beatrix Shmidt: harp, Jorge Nunes: flute, Gil Gonçalves: tuba 

Thanks also to sound engineer: José Fortes (a true legend), sound technician: Bernardo Centeno Photos: Manuel Teles, Vasco Avença

This felt like a really good project, where everything clicked, thanks not least to the dialogue and preparation from João, a truly inspirational musician.

99% of the time I feel like an outsider looking in, however I was sitting in London at the British Composer Awards ceremony a few years ago and was listening to Rory Boyle give his acceptance speech (to an influential audience in the classical music world and fellow composers) and witnessed the room laughing as he recounted how much abuse he had been given by certain areas of the brass band community upon delivery of his work Muckle Flugga. Naturally I was a little disappointed as my work A Child Like You that had been nominated for an award (i.e. made the final three) hadn’t been named, but suddenly I felt angry, angry that everyone was laughing at the brass band world, it felt as if I was the only insider in the room. Surely this was a golden opportunity to tell your colleagues about the fantastic work that is undertaken in the brass band world? However, I guess that Rory must have felt compelled to mention what he did and he I’m sure has his reasons.

My concern was that these comments would only continue the misguided thinking that brass bands are from times gone by, performing in the park, playing musical lollipops, performing for each other to men in a tent at competitions, which of course is only a part of what this wonderful idiom has to offer.

By the way, there’s no sour grapes here, I was fortunate enough to win a British Composer Award in 2006, and was again nominated for my brass band work Spirit of Mingus. For me there’s a bigger picture here……..

Has anyone in the brass band world commissioned Django Bates? He is a musical genius (composer, pianist and tenor hornist!). I played a beautiful piece by Maria Schneider, The Pretty Road, to a couple of very well respected brass band musicians in the UK, saying that she’d given me permission to arrange it for brass band, what did they think? The answer, we think that it’s pushing it too far for brass bands. What?! Check it out for yourself, this music is beautiful. 

I was in a privileged position to have written the only own choice piece to receive a world premiere at the European Brass Band Championships in Utrecht this May, with lots of people commenting to me that it’s good to see a different composer name in the programme. Does the brass band world rely too much on names that are established in the band idiom? Does it do enough to nurture and develop young composers as they find their way in the brass band world? 

There’s more background information about Defiance in the previous blog if you’re interested.

There’s always pressure writing a new work, you give everything of course, and naturally you want people to like it. I have been incredibly fortunate (really very lucky) to have been approached by Foden’s Band to become its inaugural Composer in Residence in 2008. Fortunate because they have been musically open-minded, supportive, programmed my music, and throughout all this I’ve had a strong rapport with conductor Mike Fowles, and learnt a lot from musicians such as Bram Tovey & Howard Snell, inside the Foden’s band room and outside. This positive environment has allowed me to write and, importantly, not be afraid of making mistakes. Ego has to take a back seat, for the best results I like to collaborate closely with musicians, I’ve learnt this from being a professional saxophonist for 30+ years, with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet alone we have commissioned 100+ works since 1985, and in hindsight my composition lessons (I’ve never had a formal lesson) were when sitting in a rehearsal room with the ASQ and composers such as Michael Torke, Richard Rodney Bennett and Louis Andriessen, listening, absorbing and digesting their musical ideas.

I was gigging at Middelburg Festival in Holland three days ago, a new work by a Dutch composer scored for four saxophones, seven percussion and piano. It’s always interesting to see how others do things. Likewise, the years that I spent playing saxophone in orchestras such as the Halle, CBSO, RLPO, BBC Philharmonic and more, usually means counting a lot of rests in classics such as Bolero, Romeo & Juliet, Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris etc., which in turn gives a wonderful opportunity to listen to musical ideas, scoring and voicing, all from one of the best seats in the house!

In January Foden’s will give the world premiere of a specially-commissioned work from me, Edwin. It is a tribute to Edwin Firth who was principal cornet with Foden’s and killed in action in 1918 towards the end of World War 1. This piece required a lot of thought before writing a note, this is a heavy subject and real, Mark Wilkinson will be playing Edwin’s cornet in the world premiere (yes the cornet that he used in Foden’s 100+ years ago!). I found that I experimented with ideas, took musical risks, tried to extend myself as a composer, some of it will work, some of it won’t, maybe there will be a couple of tweaks with voicings but the form and concept is set in stone. It’s the on-going working relationship and trust with Foden’s and Mike that has enabled me to even take these musical risks, and I’m very grateful for that. Edwin isn’t a stroll in the park for the audience or players, and nor should it be, thankfully we live in a time where we haven’t experienced first hand the atrocities of a world war.

This contrasts with Brass Revolution! a commission from the Love Music Trust that was premiered at Birmingham Town Hall in July, as part of Music for Youth, by the combined forces of Foden’s, Lions, Poynton & Macclesfield Youth Bands, with Haslington School wider opportunities students. In one sense a carefree, pop/rock 1960’s vibe, Brass Revolution! also reflects the growth and visibility of the student population in America in its opposition to the approach and danger of the current leadership.

Back to my opening point (and maybe it’s 7 or 8 months of brass band writing that has led to this blog), how many people in our country realise the importance of music to all? Certainly not many politicians, but then anything that is subjective causes the numbers people problems, even though the entertainment business is one of the UKs biggest exports - the irony.

With Brass Revolution! it was wonderful for me to see first hand the enjoyment and buzz that young people get out of working together, being part of a community, forming friendships, learning how to communicate, appreciating discipline and respecting their teachers. It only confirms what I’ve witnessed in ten years with Foden’s; the players in leading bands have a responsibility and lead by example. There’s a selflessness that puts others before themselves, and it’s good to see.

So whilst the youth bands continue to develop, to me (and it’s only my point of view) the area that is lagging behind is at the other end of the spectrum. Thanks to Paul Hindmarsh, the incredible RNCM Festival of Brass continues to fly the flag when it comes to opportunities to have a piece premiered, and for composers to be encouraged to take risks and express themselves at that point in their own personal musical journey. 

Allan Withington and Stavanger commissioned a programme from me for Siddis five or six years ago, a wonderful opportunity for bands to programme imaginatively in Norway. Bob Childs and Grimethorpe Band commissioned a work from me for premiere at Brass in Concert in the UK, and it was good working with Garry Cutt & Fairies at the Europeans. I like hanging out with the musicians at these events as I know how hard they have rehearsed, and as both performer and composer you deal with a lot of pressure in concert.

So why aren’t more brass bands commissioning, giving world premieres and thinking longer term, about the next generation(s)? Whilst it’s great having more commercially-based projects (good fun for the players and audience, potentially reaching a larger audience that in turn might have creative spin offs), where is the repertoire that is allowed to take musical risks and not be pressured by formulaic expectations? Howard Skempton wrote the Apollo Sax Quartet a wonderful piece with string orchestra, beautiful and plaintive writing with subtle shape and nuance, largely long notes and phrases, and, it’s difficult to play! This approach is music where music is the priority, and which technique and demands on the players follows accordingly, as opposed to a sterile hoop jumping technical exercise.

From my performing and composing experiences outside the UK, funding does seem more readily available in some other countries, plus a more open-minded approach from audiences, yet funding opportunities are available in the UK, both through tried and tested routes and new ideas.

Surely every good standard brass band can include at least one 15-20 minute piece within every programme? Think about it, this is a minimum requirement with orchestras, chamber orchestras and new music ensembles, and not uncommon with wind orchestras and big bands. It doesn’t have to be consecutive short items when programming for a quick fix.

When A Child Like You was performed by Foden’s, Anna-Clare Monk (singer), Lauren Scott (harpist) and four Foden’s Youth Band players narrating/playing at the Southbank Centre as part of New Music Biennial in 2014, all 20 pieces commissioned by this scheme featured a performance followed by a short talk about the piece, and then a second performance. I’m certainly not suggesting doing this in regular concerts, but rather making a point that new music may be appreciated with or without background information, however if an audience knows the journey, the concept, the thinking behind a piece then surely they will be more likely to be a part of the journey, and enjoy it?

So, the outsider looking in gradually, and maybe unknowingly, becomes attached and a little protective about the subject, in this case brass bands. With good reason, there are some fantastic people, musicians and characters in the brass band world.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way where all the great work that does happen with commissioning, creative projects and education was collectively recognised, where an event such as the RNCM Festival of Brass wasn’t a lonely but brilliant annual event? A co-commissioning consortium of bands that allow works from composers such as Django Bates and Maria Schneider to be a reality with multiple premieres on the same night in different countries (I did this with the Tenor Sax Consortium & composer Graham Fitkin), and an image and approach that reflects the lives that we live in the 21st century whilst respecting tradition.

To allow new voices and ideas into the brass band world I believe requires several things; bravery on the part of the commissioning body, belief and musical understanding, also being aware that there might well currently be figures that make a nice living from brass bands and that they might find this a threat… if this is the case then they and their insecurities need to be bypassed as there’s a much bigger picture here than the individual.

When the next composer sets foot on stage and picks up a British Composer Award after writing a work for brass band there needs to be a positive message to tell!

These semi-rambling thoughts are totally my own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of any one mentioned above.


Andy Scott
29th August 2018

​Have a listen below to flautist Rachel Smith with the Coldstream Guards Band in their live performance of Andy's 'Fujiko' (for flute & wind band) as part of their 2017 Japan Tour...