The Slide Action Trombone Quartet has claimed first prize in the prestigious Royal Overseas League Mixed Ensemble Competition, and also won the 'Philip Jones Memorial Prize for Outstanding Brass Ensemble'.
Freelance players
The quartet are all full time freelance trombonists in London, working with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Opera House and BBC Symphony as well as in the pits of the West End on shows prior to the Coronavirus pandemic.
They have close links to the brass band world with Huw Evans having formerly been a member of Tongwynlais Temperance and Josh Cirtina with Fairey Band.
The group won through the hard fought semi-finals to the final at the Royal Overseas Club in St James, London.
Boiler suits
Supported by Denis Wick Products Ltd and clad in bespoke boiler suits, they performed music by Bruckner, Kodaly, Poulenc and Simon Wills, against a trio of other talented chamber ensembles.
At the end of the evening, judges Gavin Henderson CBE, Geoff Parkin, Sarah Field and Huw Wiggin not only presented them with the £10,000 first prize but also the 'Philip Jones Memorial Prize for Outstanding Brass Ensemble'.
We're extremely great to the ROSL for holding the competition, in a socially-distanced format, providing our first public live performance since MarchJosh Cirtina
Thrilled
Spokesperson Josh Cirtina told 4BR: "We can't express how thrilled we are to have won the award. We're extremely great to the ROSL for holding the competition, in a socially-distanced format, providing our first public live performance since March."
This is not the group's first success in competition, as in July last year they won first place in the International Trombone Association Quartet Competition, held during the International Trombone Festival at Ball State University, Indiana.
Find out more
To find out more go to: https://www.facebook.com/slideactionquartet/
