Background information to video interview by Andy Scott
As Composer in Residence with the famous Foden’s Brass Band since 2008, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with some wonderful conductors as well as the band itself; Michael Fowles, Garry Cutt, Allan Withington, Howard Snell, and not least Bramwell Tovey (for some reason I want to call him Sir Bram Tovey!). Bram has a very special connection with Foden’s and Sandbach, which he tells us about towards the end of a very special evening that we had with him in Sandbach on Sunday 25th January 2015. Briefly, a little background to how these videos and evening came about……… When Lauren (my wife) and I moved to Sandbach in 2007 we decided to give it a couple of years to settle in, then see if we could offer something musically to the town. The most appropriate way it seemed was to create the Sandbach Concert Series (now in its fifth season); eight concerts a year given by world class musicians, with a spotlight concert preceding the featured artist, that to date has seen hundreds of young musicians take to the stage for a solo or ensemble piece). To give credit where credit is due, the idea and concept came from Lauren! I had often thought, as Artistic Director of the SCS, that it would be great to see if Bram was available to perform (piano) at one of our concerts, however we’re dealing with one of the foremost conductors/pianists/musicians in the world, and he hardly has time to visit a concert series in Sandbach! However, this is different because of Bram and the Sandbach connection, and from a practical point of view I thought about chatting with Bram to discuss the possibility of him giving an interview (where he could play piano at any point if he wished to?), and where we gain a valuable insight into his personality and life as a musician. The interview went ahead, the evening after Bram (along with Mike Fowles) had directed Foden’s at the RNCM Festival of Brass, and after a full day recording with Foden’s Band. The committee of the Sandbach Concert Series were open to my idea of creating an extra event, fortunate as it happens as there isn’t usually a SCS concert in January. Whilst coming up with an idea and realising the plan, there was the big question about who was going to interview Bram. I knew that I wasn’t the right person for this, and approached someone who has a great rapport with Bram via Foden’s and tutoring on NYBBGB courses with Bram, chairman of Foden’s Band, John Barber. The chemistry between Bram and John is great, and John expertly steered the conversation in ways that covered various and varied topics that will be of great interest to all. Bram gave an honest, open and generous interview, talking about (amongst other things) his childhood, the Salvation Army Bands, starting his career as a musician, the brass band movement in the UK, conductors (brass band and orchestral), the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, the New York Philharmonic & Vancouver Orchestras, Leonard Bernstein, Simon Rattle, in addition to equality, fairness, kindness and passion. These are two very powerful 45 minute interviews that to me are inspiring, and thanks must go to John Barber and Foden’s Band, Sandbach Concert Series and a huge thanks to Bram himself! I hope that you enjoy watching and listening to the videos, which are being exclusively released by the brass band website and company 4 Bars Rest, in conjunction with Sandbach Concert Series. Read the news item on the 4 Bars Rest website Watch the video on the 4 Bars Rest website
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Andy Scott’s SaxAssault is to give the closing concert at SaxOpen, the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, this summer. The celebratory concert will take place at 6.00pm on Tuesday 14 July, bringing to an end a packed six days of saxophone playing of the highest quality. SaxAssault will perform a pop focused programme featuring Supertramp saxophonist John Helliwell. The concert will include the premiere of some brand new charts by Andy Scott for nine saxophones and rhythm section, which sees a guitar added to the line-up for the first time. Andy Scott is grateful to Selmer Paris for supporting this free public event linked to the city's Bastille Day celebrations. Formed in 1994, Andy Scott's SaxAssault is a large jazz ensemble, consisting of nine saxophones from sopranino through to bass plus rhythm section. Andy’s compositions for SaxAssault are carefully crafted to feature every member of the ensemble, whether an improviser or more classically-trained musician. SaxAssault has been featured on BBC Radio 3 Jazz Notes performing new compositions by Andy, has released two CDs, and performed by invitation at the World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia. SaxOpen is the latest incarnation of the triennial World Saxophone Congress, which brings together professional, students and amateur saxophonists from across the globe to perform on the world stage and share their passion for the saxophone. Directed by Philippe Geiss, SaxOpen will be dedicated to research (congress) and festivities (festival). The event will be open to the public and to all styles of music, with the main themes being tradition, research and innovation. Click to visit the SaxAssault page of this website Click to visit the SaxOpen website Andy Scott’s double saxophone concerto Dark Rain will be performed in Amsterdam this month. Soloists Erik-Jan de With and Linda Arnoldus will perform the award-winning work, arranged for fanfare orchestra by Jos Dobbelstein, with the Gelders Fanfare Orkest in an afternoon concert on Sunday 22 March. The event, ‘Blowing in the Beurs’, will take place at 3.00pm at Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. Dark Rain is one of Andy Scott’s most powerful and moving works. It was inspired by a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where Andy was struck by both the devastation that mankind can inflict on itself and its overwhelming quest for peace. The groundbreaking double concerto won the brass band and wind band category of the prestigious British Composer Awards in 2006. Dark Rain has often been performed in the UK and internationally, including in Slovenia, Hong Kong, the United States, Australia, Spain, and previously in the Netherlands. The piece was composed for John Harle and Rob Buckland, who can be heard playing it with the RNCM Wind Orchestra on Gameshow, Rob Buckland’s recently released CD, available from Sospiro Records. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to visit the Beurs van Berlage website Click to visit the Sospiro Records website Works by Andy Scott that feature in the Associated Board saxophone syllabus can now be seen and heard in a new series of videos released today. The collection of 15 videos of exam pieces by Andy Scott and Rob Buckland can be viewed on the Astute Music YouTube channel, performed by students at the Royal Northern College of Music junior department. The pieces by Andy include original works such as Fujiko, And Everything Is Still and Zebra Crossing and arrangements of works by Schubert and Brahms. There is a similar mix of original works and arrangements by Rob Buckland, and all works are published by Astute Music, covering repertoire options from Grades 1 to 7. The videos were filmed and edited by Joe Mace with sound recording by Mark White. The performers were saxophonists Jess Gillam, Jess Mitchell, Joey Skinner, Jodie Buckland and James Gordon, and pianist James Orrell. Sponsorship was generously provided by Alphasax, Trevor James and Yanagisawa. Click to visit Andy’s Blog to hear all about the video recordings in his own words Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to view these works on the Astute Music YouTube channel Click to view the ABRSM Saxophone syllabus You know when you come up with an idea, and think it’s great, then there’s the reality of how much work it will take and the temptation is to forget about it…..
Well I’m glad that I followed this particular project through, because although it’s been a huge amount of organizing, time and effort, it has been a real pleasure to work with everyone involved. The project was to create 15 videos, of saxophone students at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, performing pieces that are composed by Rob Buckland and myself, published by Astute Music, and which all feature on the ABRSM saxophone syllabus. I’d just like to share a little background here on my blog, as it’s been quite a journey to reach the point of public release of these videos! Over the last couple of years I’ve undertaken some teaching at JRNCM, which I’ve now handed over to my colleague Carl Raven, and on Saturday mornings I had an opportunity to witness first hand the great positivity and energy that accompanies hundreds of young musicians coming to somewhere like the RNCM on a weekly basis. The young students have lessons, on their instrument(s), theory, musicianship, play in ensembles such as big band, brass band, orchestras etc., and there is a real buzz around the building. Parents bring their children to Manchester, quite a few of them driving 2+ hours, with parents setting up their laptops in the refectory from 9.30am until 4.30pm! The students and teachers all have huge respect for the lady that coordinates and organizes JRNCM, Karen Humphreys. She does a fantastic job, and her personality is reflected in my opinion on the whole building and everyone in it on Saturdays, a fine balance of professionalism, hard working ethic, enjoyment of music and of other people’s company, and respecting others. Karen has been fully supportive of the saxophone video project from day one, suggesting that James Orrell played piano for the sax students (himself a JRNCM student at the time), and logistically made sure that everything ran smoothly for the students, as we wanted to provide them with the experience of recording and filming in as non-pressurised an environment as possible. Then experience and contacts kick in…… I’m fortunate enough to be able to undertake projects of this nature with Joe Mace filming events, and Mark White recording them. We’ve undertaken a number of projects together and they’re both highly skilled at their respective jobs, and great fun to work with! There were a number of overheads involved in this project and it became apparent that sponsorship was a necessity. The saxophone companies Alphasax, Trevor James & Yanagisawa all came on board, and instruments were sent to the JRNCM a fortnight before recording for the students to get used to (the feel, sound etc.). Recording on an instrument that isn’t yours is quite a tall order for a younger player, and they all just got on with it and did the business! Parents kindly gave up more time and brought the JRNCM saxophone students that were involved in this project to the college on a Sunday morning, and we gradually worked our way through all fifteen pieces. Then the editing process started, and then proofing, and writing credits. All of this takes times, and then videos were sent round to sponsors and JRNCM for approval. Now they’re all done, and I’d like to publically say a big thank you to the students involved – Jess Gillam, Jess Mitchell, Joey Skinner, Jodie Buckland and James Gordon – you were all great! A massive thank you to James Orrell who was a brilliant accompanist, and to Karen & Louise at JRNCM. Also thanks to Joe & Mark, Lauren, Astute Music and our sponsors Alphasax, Trevor James and Yanagisawa. Surely it would have been easier if Rob & I played our pieces? Yes it would, but who wants to see and listen to us when we’ve got such talented young musicians at the JRNCM! I hope that you enjoy watching and listening to the videos, and that they may be useful to saxophonists worldwide who are wondering which pieces to choose to play for an ABRSM saxophone exam?! Please click on the link to go to the videos; https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQQ-HN5HHaSsEH-vgjqorM3ENZrMIgXYg Caliente, Andy Scott’s flute, harp and tenor saxophone trio, will be giving two concerts in Cheshire this month.
Caliente will give a performance for Rochdale Music Society in Oldham on 21 March, followed by a concert in the popular Sandbach Concert Series on 25 March. Both programmes will include a carefully selected range of enjoyable, stimulating and accessible music, including works bv Milhaud, Ibert, Fauré, Piazzolla, Telemann and Chick Corea as well as original works and arrangements by Andy Scott made specially for the ensemble. Caliente is Clare Soutworth (flute), Lauren Scott (harp) and Andy Scott (tenor saxophone). Exploring the dynamic between composer and performer, Caliente performs music specially written by Andy Scott, alongside works by 20th Century composers with a special focus on France. Three consummate performers and experienced educators present an engaging, stimulating and accessible event, rooted in classical music with jazz influences. Click to visit the Caliente website Click to visit the Rochdale Music Society website Click to visit the Sandbach Concert Series website Apollo Saxophone Quartet will be giving the opening performance at the Bangor Music Festival this month.
The evening concert will take place on 4 March at the city’s Reichel Hall. The programme will feature a selection of the ensemble’s commissions from their 30 year history, including the very popular music for silent film composed by members of the quartet, past and current. The music by composers such as Django Bates, Keith Tippett, Dinuk Wijeratne, Graham Fitkin and Barbara Thompson, can also be heard on the recent CD release Perspectives. The groundbreaking Apollo Saxophone Quartet has been at the forefront of the British contemporary music scene for over 25 years. The ensemble has made the largest single contribution to the repertoire for saxophone quartet in the UK, commissioning and premiering well over one hundred works. The ensemble comprises founder members Rob Buckland (soprano) and Andy Scott (tenor), and more recent additions Carl Raven (alto) and Jim Fieldhouse (baritone). The Bangor Music Festival, now in its 15th year, is Wales’ leading contemporary music festival. It has a strong commitment to presenting artist of the highest musical calibre and to enriching and educating the North Wales community through workshops and concerts. This year’s programme promises to be the most diverse and exciting to date, with events ranging from electroacoustic to jazz, and from progressive rock to experimental contemporary. Click to visit the Apollo Saxophone Quartet website Click to hear the Apollo Saxophone Quartet Perspectives sampler Click to visit the Bangor Music Festival website Andy Scott will be leading saxophone days in Shrewsbury and Bedford this month.
The Shrewsbury School Saxophone Day will take place on Sunday 8 March in the lovely surroundings of Shrewsbury School. This annual event offers participants the opportunity to work with Andy Scott and Rob Buckland in workshops, masterclasses and ensemble sessions throughout the day. There is also the chance to share the stage with Apollo Saxophone Quartet in an evening concert on the day. The Bedford Saxophone Day will follow a week later on Sunday 15 March at Putnoe Primary School. Andy Scott will be leading workshops on this full day event for saxophone enthusiasts, which takes place for the first time this year. Andy will lead participants through some of his music scored for large saxophone choir in the morning, then in the afternoon he will focus on some of his SaxAssault charts with rhythm section. Click for more information about the Shrewsbury event Click for more information about the Bedford event A work by Andy Scott will be used for a dance performance for the first time, when Nemesis, a duo for soprano saxophone and marimba, will be played in London this month.
The performance by saxophonist Simon Haram and Julian Warburton on vibraphone will accompany a specially choreographed dance by Eleesha Drennan, performed by Annabeth Berkeley, Annamarie Keskinen and Kenny Wing Tao Ho at The Place on 27 and 28 February. The programme will also include music by Mark Bowden, Graham Fitkin, John Woolrich and Iannis Xenakis. Composed between 1996 and 1998, Nemesis is a three movement work in a contemporary classical style with jazz and Latin influences. The second part includes a short improvised section with an alternative notated solo. Nemesis was recorded by Rob Buckland and Simone Rebello on the CD Towards the Light. An alternative version for flute and guitar was recorded by Paul Edmund-Davies and Craig Ogden on The Bad Tempered Flute, a CD of Andy Scott’s works for flute. Simon Haram is much sought after as a recitalist and ensemble player, appearing with many leading ensembles and orchestras. He was appointed Principal Saxophone of the London Sinfonietta in 1997. As a soloist, Simon has appeared with many of the UK’s top orchestras and has given several world premieres. He is Professor of Saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music. Click for more information about the performances Click to watch a video of the first movement of Nemesis dance Click to visit the website for Simon Haram Two works by Andy Scott featured in the winning performance at the UniBrass 2015 Championship this month.
The University of Manchester Brass Band impressed the judges with an entertaining programme of high quality contemporary works to win the prestigious national championship in Warwick on 14 February. In an inspired piece of programming, the band built their choice of pieces around the work of the UniBrass Brass for Africa charity. Opening with Andy Scott’s Madiba, the performance also included My Mountain Top in an arrangement by solo cornet player Illiam Quane, as well as works by Peter Graham and Larsson. Madiba has become a popular choice with brass bands both in the UK and further afield. Inspired by Nelson Mandela, Madiba is a powerful, uplifting piece that celebrates Mandela’s 46 year fight to end apartheid in South Africa. Featuring infectious melodies and a fiery Afro-Cuban groove, the music is challenging but great fun to play. My Moutain Top, which now exists in a number of different instrumental versions, is one of Andy Scott’s most often performed and recorded works. With a pre-recorded soundtrack featuring poetry by Lemn Sissay, it evokes a feeling of gradually drifting into a semi-conscious state in the heat of a summer’s day. UniBrass is the world's only inter-university brass band contest. Founded in 2011 by a group of Lancaster University students, the competition has quickly become a firmly established event in the university calendar. Having come second in the last two annual championships, the University of Manchester Brass Band achieved a resounding win for the first time, scoring eight points above their closest rival. They were also awarded prizes for Most Entertaining Band and Best Solo Feature, while their conductor Jonathan Evans was awarded Best Student Conductor. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to read a full report on the 4 Bars Rest website Click to visit the UniBrass website Andy Scott’s double saxophone concerto Dark Rain features in two performances in The Netherlands within two months.
The award-winning work featured in a gala concert entitled Tribute to Adolph Sax, marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Adolphe Sax, at the Westland Saxophone Festival in Naaldwijk on 31 January. Arno Bornkamp and Erik-Jan de With (pictured) were soloists with the Gelders Fanfare Orkest directed by Erik van de Kolk, in this arrangement for fanfare orchestra by Jos Dobbelstein. Andy Scott was delighted to be there in person to hear his music played live by two great performers. There will be a second opportunity to hear Erik-Jan de With and the Gelders Fanfare Orkest perform Dark Rain in the spring, this time joined by Linda Arnoldus as joint soloist. The afternoon concert, entitled "Blowing in the Beurs", will take place at 3.00pm on Sunday 22 March at Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. Dark Rain is one of Andy Scott’s most powerful and moving works. It was inspired by a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where Andy was struck by both the devastation mankind can inflict on itself and the overwhelming quest for peace. The groundbreaking double concerto won the brass band and wind band category of the prestigious British Composer Awards in 2006. Dark Rain has often been performed in the UK and internationally, including in Slovenia, Hong Kong, the United States, Australia, Spain, and previously in the Netherlands. The piece was composed for John Harle and Rob Buckland, who can be heard playing it with the RNCM Wind Orchestra on Gameshow, Rob Buckland’s recently released CD, available from Sospiro Records. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to visit the Westland Saxofoon Festival website Click to visit the Beurs van Berlage website Click to visit the Sospiro Records website Caliente, Andy Scott’s trio comprising flute, harp and tenor saxophone, will be giving concerts in the South East and North West this spring.
Caliente will give a recital in Berkshire on Sunday 18 January, linked to a workshop for Berkshire Maestros. There will also be performances for Rochdale Music Society and Sandbach Concert Series on 21 and 25 March respectively. The concerts will feature a range of engaging, stimulating and accessible music rooted in classical music with jazz influences, including works bv Milhaud, Ibert, Fauré, Piazzolla, Telemann and Chick Corea as well as original works and arrangements by Andy Scott. Caliente comprises flautist Clare Soutworth, harpist Lauren Scott and Andy Scott on tenor saxophone. Exploring the dynamic between composer and performer, Caliente performs music specially written by Andy Scott, alongside works by Milhaud, Ibert, Prokofiev and Fauré. Three consummate performers and experienced educators present an engaging, stimulating and accessible event, rooted in classical music with jazz influences. Click to visit the Caliente website Click to visit the Berkshire Maestros website Click to visit the Rochdale Music Society website Click to visit the Sandbach Concert Series website As a freelance musician over the years, quite incredibly, I have been asked the question 'what's your proper job?'. How insulting, thoughtless and quite frankly ignorant.
I am aware that this type of comment is aimed at a lot of younger musicians, and rather worryingly, I am aware that a lot of young music students are pressurised by family and friends as they consider their options post study with questions such as this. Well, let's briefly look at the people asking these questions. Their heart is probably in the right place, but they probably don't have a connection with music, in that they don't understand it, they can't really feel a particular emotional connection with it, or maybe because they can strum three chords on a guitar they think of music as a hobby and not a 'proper job'? Or maybe it's because they worry for the young musician, thinking that they will be poor for the rest of their lives? If you have no knowledge, understanding or appreciation of the subject that you are enquiring about, maybe you should research it and then choose your words more carefully? Please note that I feel no need to justify the music business here, and the incredible diversity of music, I'm so lucky to be a part of it, and if you display your ignorance by asking such an inane question, then I'm not about to waste my time on you. I find that music is a world where imagination, creativity, dedication and skill prevail, one that is a lifelong journey and isn't a 'job', one where there is a deep emotional connection, and financial matters become secondary (still important purely from a practical level, but definitely secondary). Music teaches us how to communicate. We learn how to work with people, how to be tolerant, how to encourage, and we question ourselves, have battles in our minds with ourselves, want to give up, and then work hard and battle through. The hard work and desire pays off as we learn and listen more, listening skills that are on a new level, resulting in new levels of appreciation, opening new doors in our minds that are exciting and keep us spiritually alive (and I'm not a religious person). Imagine a person in a suit and tie, who works in an office 9 to 5, Monday to Friday with the same people, someone who only travels when he or she has an annual holiday, someone who has the same monthly salary, and who will do the same job until he or she retires and takes their pension, and then dies. Now I have a respect for those people, each to their own, and I understand about the need to have financial security. But I don't want to be like you, I don't want that life, but I understand why you want to. So please, instead of bringing your insecurities and stress into the lives of young people, students, musicians that have a passion for something, who are thinking and are alive with energy and ideas, who work hard, and who thrive on not knowing what is just around the corner, why not think who has the 'proper job'? I have a job for a lifetime, that means until the day that I die, not when someone decides that I retire, because I have no choice, music is my life, and something that I couldn't live without. I strive to do my best at it, and I am in awe of musicians that inspire me. I hope that I may be able to share musical ideas with people of any age and experience that are like-minded. And on that note, I will leave my laptop and go and do some practice! Have the faith any of you young musicians that are embarking in this glorious world of music, it's bloody hard work, and if you want it badly enough then music will become your life, sounds good to me. Several works by Andy Scott will feature in the Westland Saxofoon Festival in The Netherlands this month.
Arno Bornkamp and Erik-Jan de With will perform Andy Scott's award winning double saxophone concerto Dark Rain in the evening gala concert at the Festival with the Gelders Fanfare Orkest directed by Erik van de Kolk. Dark Rain, originally scored for wind orchestra, was arranged for fanfare orchestra by Jos Dobbelstein. The concert, entitled Tribute to Adolphe Sax, will take place on Saturday 31 January at 8.00pm. Earlier in the day, the Westland Saxofoon Orkest will perform Andy Scott's SaxAssault charts Sax of Gold and Lip Service, featuring Benjamin Herman and David Kweksilber as soloists, in an afternoon concert at 2.00pm. Lip Service will receive a further performance by the same musicians in a free twilight concert at 4.45pm. The Westland Saxofoon Festival in Naaldwijk marks the 200th anniversary of Sax’ birth with a day of performances and workshops by leading saxophone soloists and ensembles. The daytime events will take place at Maesemunde, Koningin Julianaweg 158, 2691 GH 's Gravenzande, and the evening gala concert at De Voorhof, Dijkstraat 88 in Honselersdijk. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to visit the Westland Saxofoon Festival website September 1985, it seems like a lifetime ago! This was when four first year students at the Royal Northern College of Music were thrown together in a practice room on a Friday afternoon and told that we were going to have weekly rehearsals as a saxophone quartet. Tim Redpath played soprano sax, Rob Buckland alto sax, myself tenor sax and Jon Rebbeck baritone sax. What followed over the next 12 or so years was amazing, and a privilege to be a part of; we loved working together and for the best part of four years at the RNCM rehearsed for 4 to 6 hours a day. We entered competitions, and won the Ensemble Prize at the Royal Over Seas League, were the inaugural winners of the Tunnell Trust and then (at the second attempt) won the Tokyo Chamber Music Prize, which in itself resulted in eight tours of Japan over the following ten years! I'm not a great believer in music competitions, however they do create opportunities for young musicians, and are an endorsement. In the 1990s the ASQ received countless invitations to perform at Festivals and music societies, travelling the world, and recording its debut CD 'First & Foremost' on the Decca/Argo label at the famous Abbey Road Studio 2! I remember us staying at the Abbey Road Studios guest flat right next door to the studios, thinking that we were rock and roll stars, being met by an enormous fridge that was stacked full of beer, the problem was that we were exhausted from 12 hour days of intensive recording, and barely touched a drop before falling asleep! Inevitably there are personnel changes with a music group, and after about 12 years, Jon decided to pursue his other love, and trained and qualified as a pilot! A change of personnel is always difficult, for many reasons, and also positive. Each person brings something individual to a group, and Will Gregory did exactly that, joining the ASQ on baritone sax. His first concert was when we played at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival, and it was a heavy gig! Broadcast on BBC Radio 3, the programme featured amongst others; Stub by Graham Fitkin & Facing Death by Louis Andriessen, with the composers present! It was hot work, and I looked at Will during Stub and noticed that his (long) hair had fallen forward and over his glasses, meaning at times that he couldn't see a thing! Fortunately Will survived this baptism of fire, and we had a great few years with him in the Apollo before he became busy with his new writing partner, Alison Goldfrapp, and it was impossible for him to keep both commitments, Apollo & Goldfrapp. David Roach brought a new perspective to the ASQ, again joining on the baritone sax chair! Dave bought himself a new Selmer Paris bari sax and came up to the North West to rehearse for two days at a time from his London base, a big sacrifice as the student days had well and truly gone for us all, and time was becoming more precious for everyone, with families and the reality of earning a living as freelance musicians. Dave would get into real detail in rehearsals, which was good for the group, as we continued to commission, record and give world premieres of now, nearly one hundred works!! The baritone sax chair curse struck again, and we welcomed Carl Raven in the Apollo fold! Shortly afterwards our soprano sax player, since the beginning, Tim Redpath, unfortunately had to leave the group through ill health (I'm delighted to say that Tim is in very good health these days, and playing as well as ever!). This was a massive personnel change as Tim was like a brother to Rob & myself, and of course the soprano sax chair is crucial with the added responsibility of leading/directing in concert a lot of the time. So, Rob moved to soprano sax, Carl to alto sax (I hope that you're following this? :-), and we approached Jim Fieldhouse to play baritone sax. Our first concert with this revised line up was in Groningen in Holland. A triple bill concert with the Amstel & Aurelia Saxophone Quartets, two fantastic groups, so no pressure then! I mentioned to Arno Bornkamp at breakfast in our hotel the day after the concert that this was the first concert with the new line up. He seemed surprised, which was a good sign, and so this line up of Rob, Carl, Jim & myself continues. Inevitably, the gung-ho, confident, student early days competition-winning music ensemble develops into something else over the years (if it continues to operate at all?). It isn't practical to undertake regular unpaid rehearsals, and becomes more challenging to organise rehearsals and concerts as individually everyone becomes more established and in demand. In the case of the ASQ, we operated on a more project focused basis from about 2000 onwards, and continue to do so. It's not often that I reflect on any aspect of my musical life, I don't like to, I don't like listening to recordings of myself in any setting, I prefer to listen to others, however the Apollo Saxophone Quartet and the time that I've spent in it to date is very special, hence this blog. A group of musicians who spend a lot of time together, and who operate as a collective, no matter whether this is jazz, pop, classical, contemporary, world music, learn to grow up together both personally and musically. You discuss everything, and are not 'told' things as you might experience in lessons or working with a conductor or musical director (nothing wrong with this by the way), and as a result have to really think things through. It's pretty amazing when you're on stage playing a piece of music with your friends/musical colleagues, that you have commissioned (i.e helped create) and when there is a high level of musical trust, knowing that you can play a certain phrase differently if you like and that others will be listening and responding, keeping it musically fresh and alert via interpretation. It's also good to know that as a member of the ASQ that I've played a small part in expanding the quality saxophone quartet repertoire worldwide. It's fantastic to see and hear sax quartets in many countries perform and record works that were commissioned by the ASQ, as long as they remember how these pieces of music that they're playing came to be. For example, if you ever play 'Songs for Tony' by Michael Nyman you should know that the four of us in the Apollo at that point in time decided to give our concert fees to pay the commission fee, and that meant struggling to pay rent for a good few months! This blog is turning out to be a little longer than anticipated, so if you're still here I'll wind it up by saying that the reason that I'm thinking about times with the ASQ is that in September 2015 the group will be celebrating, yes celebrating, 30 years of music-making, commissioning, performing and recording worldwide. No small achievement, and it's been a pleasure working with Tim, Jon, Dave, Will, and with the current line up of Rob, Carl & Jim! The RNCM in the student years was particularly supportive, and John Harle was also a great source of inspiration and guidance. We recorded and released a new CD in 2014, to tie in with a tour of South Africa, entitled 'Perspectives'. It felt as if we had a number of wonderful commissions that hadn't made it to CD, including 'Serenade for Seikilos' by Michael Ball (the first ASQ commission!), 'Just Four Men' by the great (and sadly late) Kenny Wheeler, 'Cartoons' by Eddie Parker, 'Visaya' by our good friend Dinuk Wijeratne, a wonderful (best part of 20 minute) quartet from Keith Tippett and a sax quintet from Bob Mintzer, with the man himself guesting with the Apollo! In 2015 the Apollo will present a snapshot of our work at Sax Open, the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg in July, plus give the world premieres of newly-commissioned works from August onwards. If you are interested in buying the 'Perspectives' CD please don't go to itunes, amazon, spotify, as the Apollo has decided to sell exclusively via our website; http://www.apollosaxophonequartet.com/ September 1985, it seems like a lifetime ago! This was when four first year students at the Royal Northern College of Music were thrown together in a practice room on a Friday afternoon and told that we were going to have weekly rehearsals as a saxophone quartet. Tim Redpath played soprano sax, Rob Buckland alto sax, myself tenor sax and Jon Rebbeck baritone sax. What followed over the next 12 or so years was amazing, and a privilege to be a part of; we loved working together and for the best part of four years at the RNCM rehearsed for 4 to 6 hours a day. We entered competitions, and won the Ensemble Prize at the Royal Over Seas League, were the inaugural winners of the Tunnell Trust and then (at the second attempt) won the Tokyo Chamber Music Prize, which in itself resulted in eight tours of Japan over the following ten years! I'm not a great believer in music competitions, however they do create opportunities for young musicians, and are an endorsement. In the 1990s the ASQ received countless invitations to perform at Festivals and music societies, travelling the world, and recording its debut CD 'First & Foremost' on the Decca/Argo label at the famous Abbey Road Studio 2! I remember us staying at the Abbey Road Studios guest flat right next door to the studios, thinking that we were rock and roll stars, being met by an enormous fridge that was stacked full of beer, the problem was that we were exhausted from 12 hour days of intensive recording, and barely touched a drop before falling asleep! Inevitably there are personnel changes with a music group, and after about 12 years, Jon decided to pursue his other love, and trained and qualified as a pilot! A change of personnel is always difficult, for many reasons, and also positive. Each person brings something individual to a group, and Will Gregory did exactly that, joining the ASQ on baritone sax. His first concert was when we played at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival, and it was a heavy gig! Broadcast on BBC Radio 3, the programme featured amongst others; Stub by Graham Fitkin & Facing Death by Louis Andriessen, with the composers present! It was hot work, and I looked at Will during Stub and noticed that his (long) hair had fallen forward and over his glasses, meaning at times that he couldn't see a thing! Fortunately Will survived this baptism of fire, and we had a great few years with him in the Apollo before he became busy with his new writing partner, Alison Goldfrapp, and it was impossible for him to keep both commitments, Apollo & Goldfrapp. David Roach brought a new perspective to the ASQ, again joining on the baritone sax chair! Dave bought himself a new Selmer Paris bari sax and came up to the North West to rehearse for two days at a time from his London base, a big sacrifice as the student days had well and truly gone for us all, and time was becoming more precious for everyone, with families and the reality of earning a living as freelance musicians. Dave would get into real detail in rehearsals, which was good for the group, as we continued to commission, record and give world premieres of now, nearly one hundred works!! The baritone sax chair curse struck again, and we welcomed Carl Raven in the Apollo fold! Shortly afterwards our soprano sax player, since the beginning, Tim Redpath, unfortunately had to leave the group through ill health (I'm delighted to say that Tim is in very good health these days, and playing as well as ever!). This was a massive personnel change as Tim was like a brother to Rob & myself, and of course the soprano sax chair is crucial with the added responsibility of leading/directing in concert a lot of the time. So, Rob moved to soprano sax, Carl to alto sax (I hope that you're following this? :-), and we approached Jim Fieldhouse to play baritone sax. Our first concert with this revised line up was in Groningen in Holland. A triple bill concert with the Amstel & Aurelia Saxophone Quartets, two fantastic groups, so no pressure then! I mentioned to Arno Bornkamp at breakfast in our hotel the day after the concert that this was the first concert with the new line up. He seemed surprised, which was a good sign, and so this line up of Rob, Carl, Jim & myself continues. Inevitably, the gung-ho, confident, student early days competition-winning music ensemble develops into something else over the years (if it continues to operate at all?). It isn't practical to undertake regular unpaid rehearsals, and becomes more challenging to organise rehearsals and concerts as individually everyone becomes more established and in demand. In the case of the ASQ, we operated on a more project focused basis from about 2000 onwards, and continue to do so. It's not often that I reflect on any aspect of my musical life, I don't like to, I don't like listening to recordings of myself in any setting, I prefer to listen to others, however the Apollo Saxophone Quartet and the time that I've spent in it to date is very special, hence this blog. A group of musicians who spend a lot of time together, and who operate as a collective, no matter whether this is jazz, pop, classical, contemporary, world music, learn to grow up together both personally and musically. You discuss everything, and are not 'told' things as you might experience in lessons or working with a conductor or musical director (nothing wrong with this by the way), and as a result have to really think things through. It's pretty amazing when you're on stage playing a piece of music with your friends/musical colleagues, that you have commissioned (i.e helped create) and when there is a high level of musical trust, knowing that you can play a certain phrase differently if you like and that others will be listening and responding, keeping it musically fresh and alert via interpretation. It's also good to know that as a member of the ASQ that I've played a small part in expanding the quality saxophone quartet repertoire worldwide. It's fantastic to see and hear sax quartets in many countries perform and record works that were commissioned by the ASQ, as long as they remember how these pieces of music that they're playing came to be. For example, if you ever play 'Songs for Tony' by Michael Nyman you should know that the four of us in the Apollo at that point in time decided to give our concert fees to pay the commission fee, and that meant struggling to pay rent for a good few months! This blog is turning out to be a little longer than anticipated, so if you're still here I'll wind it up by saying that the reason that I'm thinking about times with the ASQ is that in September 2015 the group will be celebrating, yes celebrating, 30 years of music-making, commissioning, performing and recording worldwide. No small achievement, and it's been a pleasure working with Tim, Jon, Dave, Will, and with the current line up of Rob, Carl & Jim! The RNCM in the student years was particularly supportive, and John Harle was also a great source of inspiration and guidance. We recorded and released a new CD in 2014, to tie in with a tour of South Africa, entitled 'Perspectives'. It felt as if we had a number of wonderful commissions that hadn't made it to CD, including 'Serenade for Seikilos' by Michael Ball (the first ASQ commission!), 'Just Four Men' by the great (and sadly late) Kenny Wheeler, 'Cartoons' by Eddie Parker, 'Visaya' by our good friend Dinuk Wijeratne, a wonderful (best part of 20 minute) quartet from Keith Tippett and a sax quintet from Bob Mintzer, with the man himself guesting with the Apollo! In 2015 the Apollo will present a snapshot of our work at Sax Open, the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg in July, plus give the world premieres of newly-commissioned works from August onwards. If you are interested in buying the 'Perspectives' CD please don't go to itunes, amazon, spotify, as the Apollo has decided to sell exclusively via our website; http://www.apollosaxophonequartet.com/ Foden’s Band will play a work by their composer in residence Andy Scott at the RNCM Festival of Brass this month.
The piece, Forgotten Place, will feature in Foden’s Band’s programme in the main evening concert of the Festival on Saturday 24 January. Forgotten Place is the first part of The Dirty River, commissioned by the Armagh Old Boys’ Silver Band, which was inspired by Armagh’s natural watercourse, also once known as the Scotch Street River. Forgotten Place can be heard on Spirit of Foden’s, the band’s second CD of works by Andy Scott. Reviewing the CD for the 4 Bars Rest website, Steve Jack commented on the “sepia tinted memory landscape of ‘Forgotten Place’ infused with a stimulating evocativeness”. The RNCM Festival of Brass, directed by Paul Hindmarsh, is an annual event featuring some of the UK’s finest brass bands and international soloists. Under the title Spirit of Celebration, the 2015 Festival, which runs from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 January, will pay tribute to composers who have made a significant contribution to the brass band medium. Foden’s Band will also play a composition by former RNCM principal Edward Gregson and several works by their principal guest conductor Bramwell Tovey. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to visit the RNCM website for more details about the Festival of Brass Andy Scott’s flute, saxophone and harp trio Caliente will be giving concerts in Berkhamsted and Berkshire in December and January.
Caliente will give an evening recital at Berkhamsted Music Society at the Civic Centre in Berkhamsted on Saturday 6 December at 7.30pm. The programme will include a new work by Andy Scott as well as his Sonata for Flute and Harp and Aquarelle Dances. There will also be a range of other works by 20th century composers along with some special arrangements of Christmas music. This will be followed by a performance in the new year in Berkshire, linked to a workshop for Berkshire Maestros. Please visit the Events section of this website nearer the time for further details of the concert venue and start time. Caliente comprises flautist Clare Soutworth, harpist Lauren Scott and Andy Scott on tenor saxophone. Exploring the dynamic between composer and performer, Caliente performs music specially written by Andy Scott, alongside works by Milhaud, Ibert, Prokofiev and Fauré. Three consummate performers and experienced educators present an engaging, stimulating and accessible event, rooted in classical music with jazz influences. Click to visit the Caliente website Click to visit the Berkhamsted Music Society website A piece by Andy Scott will receive its premiere at a BBC Philharmonic music education project with Manchester Music Hub this month.
Andy Scott has made a new expanded arrangement of The Golden Horn for massed woodwind and saxophones. The five minute work will be performed by 118 young people from schools across Manchester at the woodwind education day in the BBC studios at Media City on 30 November. The ensemble will include a wide range of woodwind instruments, including 32 flutes and 24 saxophones. The event will be directed by the BBC Philharmonic principal flute Richard Davies, with wind players from the orchestra taking sectional rehearsals for each instrument. The Golden Horn is an energetic and tuneful Turkish influenced number in true Andy Scott style, which is both entertaining to listen to and great fun to play. It is named after the new bridge in Istanbul, linking the two sides of the estuary of the same name, but is equally applicable to the saxophone itself. The arrangement for massed woodwind and saxophones includes additional new material. The BBC Philharmonic is acknowledged as one of the UK’s finest orchestras. It is part of the BBC's family of six performing groups and tours widely in the UK and internationally, with most concerts broadcast live or recorded for BBC Radio 3. The BBC Philharmonic is supported by Salford City Council, enabling the orchestra to build active links in the area through a busy learning and community programme. Manchester Music Hub works with schools, communities and a range of partners to identify and support local priorities and to ensure that all young people’s musical needs are met. The Hub partners include high quality regional music and arts organisations, arts venues, charities, colleges and universities. Its vision is to inspire young people in Manchester to enjoy music throughout their lives by providing a wide range of high quality music education opportunities. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to visit the BBC Philharmonic website Click to visit the Manchester Music Hub website Andy Scott will be taking part in an orchestral concert in Liverpool this month, and the saxophone is at the heart of the programme.
The concert by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at the city’s Philharmonic Hall will take place at 7.30pm on 27 November under the baton of the orchestra’s brilliant Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko. Andy will be playing bass saxophone in Strauss’ Symphonia Domestica, which sees the saxophone take on an orchestral role and concludes the orchestra’s Strauss Edition series. The orchestra will be joined by Tim McAllister as alto saxophone soloist in the John Adams Saxophone Concerto, which was written for him in 2013. The concert will also include Gershwin’s An American In Paris, an exuberant work that evokes the jazz age in Paris. Click to view details of the concert on the RLPO website Foden’s Band played a work by their composer in residence Andy Scott at the Brass in Concert Championship this month.
Foden’s Band performed at the 2014 Brass in Concert Championship at The Sage, Gateshead on Sunday 16 November. The Caliph Visits Trevor by Andy Scott featured at the centre of a varied programme by Foden’s, built around arrangements of Baroque works. The concept based programme, entitled In the Court of Trevor IV and devised by the band’s Professional Conductor Allan Withington, explored the idea of Coronation era courtly and cultural exchanges in the contemporary digital age. The Brass in Concert Championship aims to provide a platform for the finest brass bands in the world to display their excellence as performers of high quality original and arranged brass band music. Foden’s Band’s principal euphonium player Glyn Williams won Best Euphonium 2014. Andy Scott’s works are published by Astute Music Click to visit the Foden’s Band website Click to visit the Brass in Concert website Photo: 4 Bars Rest The annual RNCM Saxophone Day directed by Rob Buckland and Andy Scott has grown over the years to be the largest event of its kind in the UK, and this year proved to be the biggest and most successful to date.
About 200 keen saxophonists of all ages and abilities from all over the UK attended the day on 9 November, which started with a massed saxophones session featuring works by Andy Scott, Rob Buckland and an arrangement by Carl Raven. This year’s special guests were Philippe Geiss, Professor of Saxophone at Strasbourg Conservatoire and Director of the World Saxophone Congress 2015, and Mark Lockheart’s Big Idea. RNCM graduate Anthony Brown gave the spotlight concert, in which he was joined by duo partner Leo Nicholson for the premiere of two movements of Andy Scott’s Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. The piece, adapted from the flute sonata, will receive its world premiere as a complete work in London next year. RNCM saxophonists Rob Buckland, Andy Scott, Carl Raven, Mike Hall and Junior RNCM tutor Ruth Bourne led a wide variety of workshops throughout the afternoon. Andy Scott led two workshops using his compositions for his large jazz saxophone ensemble SaxAssault, attracting record numbers in the first, and was joined by Supertramp saxophonist John Helliwell as soloist in the beautiful ballad Lord Stackhouse, which Andy had composed for him. The RNCM Saxophone Orchestra also featured prominently in the day, sharing the stage with Philippe Geiss, performing their own tribute to Adolphe Sax as a prelude to the evening concert, and launching their Road to Strasbourg campaign, which aims to raise the necessary funds for the ensemble to attend the World Saxophone Congress next year. As well as a record number of participants and workshops, there seemed to be a record number of trade stands, with all kinds of saxophones, equipment and sheet music for sale. This is a highlight of the saxophone calendar and an event not to be missed! So if you didn’t make it to Manchester this year, make a note in your diary and save the date for next year! Hope to see you there. Click to visit the RNCM website Click to view the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra on Twitter or Facebook The Royal Northern College have released a video about its popular annual Saxophone Day, which takes place next month.
The 15th RNCM Saxophone Day will take place on Sunday 9 November 2014. In the video, co-directors Rob Buckland and Andy Scott talk about the event and how the format has developed over the years. In particular, they explain that the activities are aimed at people of all ages from eight to 80 and of all levels from beginners upwards - what unites everyone is a common love of the saxophone. Rob and Andy also comment on how the saxophone day removes the barrier between performer and audience. At RNCM, because the event has been running for 14 years, many people know each other and return each year to meet up, giving the day a friendly family feel. Rob and Andy themselves know most of the regular participants and look forward to seeing everyone each year. Click to view the RNCM Saxophone Day video on YouTube Click to visit the RNCM website for more details about the Saxophone Day The 15th RNCM Saxophone Day will take place on Sunday 9 November 2014, just three days after the 200th anniversary of Adolph Sax’ birth.
This year’s event is neatly timed, taking place on the exact day that Sax’ birth was registered 200 years ago, and will feature new works to celebrate the 200th anniversary performed by the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra on the RNCM concourse before the main evening concert. There will also be new pieces to be workshopped in the huge Massed Saxophone Orchestra session, which traditionally starts the day. The Saxophone Day, directed by RNCM tutors Rob Buckland and Andy Scott, has developed over the years into the largest event of its kind in the UK, attracting over 200 saxophonists of all ages and levels. This year’s event, the first RNCM festival to take place in the conservatoire’s newly refurbished concert hall, promises to be the best ever. There will be a packed programme of workshops, masterclasses and concerts, as well as many trade stands, with a wide range of instruments, accessories and sheet music. Special guests include Mark Lockheart's Big Idea and Philippe Geiss. Big Idea will give the main evening performance, and Mark Lockheart will also provide an insight into his successful career in an interview with Rob Buckland. Philippe Geiss, Artistic Director of the World Saxophone Congress 2015 in Strasbourg, will give a performance, a masterclass and a presentation on the Congress. Award winning RNCM alumnus Anthony Brown will also return to give a recital with Leo Nicholson. Click to visit the RNCM website for more details about the Saxophone Day Andy Scott received a visit from a flute and harp duo from Germany this month.
The Queens Duo, comprising flautist Verena Schulte and harpist Hanna Rabe, made the journey from Germany to Cheshire to work with Andy on his Sonata for Flute and Harp. The Duo will be performing the popular concert work next spring, and also plan to record it for a CD next year. The three movement Sonata for Flute and Harp is influenced by Eastern European folk rhythms and jazz harmony. The writing calls for special effects and timbres, including using the harp as a percussion instrument to create rhythmic intensity. It has already been recorded by Clare Southworth and Lauren Scott on The Bad Tempered Flute CD. The Queens Duo met while studying at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, and spent a term in London together, where they were inspired by English music for flute and harp. As well as performing English works, they often play pieces by German and French composers. Click to view the Sonata for Flute and Harp on the Astute Music website Click to visit the website for the Queens Duo |
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May 2023
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