The latest edition of Brass Band World and BBW Digital is now out and once again packed with news, views, opinions and reviews that add up to essential reading.
Just look what is in store to enjoy in the latest issue...
TOWERING PILLAR OF FODEN'S BAND
This year saw John Barber reach a milestone quarter of a century as the principal trombone of Foden's Band — Christopher Thomas interviewed the Courtois Artist and selfless, towering pillar of consistency at the Sandbach outfit.
BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra principal trombone, Matthew Gee, considers the huge impact of his former tutor and mentor, legendary trombonist Denis Wick, on the sound of the trombone, and on the worldwide mute, mouthpiece and accessory market, to celebrate Denis' 90th birthday year.
UNLOCKING THE FUTURE
How are bands coping with meeting government guidance and risk assessments to return to full rehearsals, and how are their members feeling about meeting again as a full band? Helen Williams finds out.
BANDING SPIRIT
A new Percussion Academy is launched, concerts resume al fresco, there's a lot of love for Whit Friday, the Scottish Brass Band Association shares best Covid practice, a new memorial is unveiled at a special ceremony and much more, as Helen Williams finds out what bands have been up to.
JAMES SHEPHERD'S VERSATILE LEGACY LIVES ON
Fifty years after the formation of JSVB and six years after the group gave its final concert in 2015, a new JSVB Legacy ensemble of handpicked players has formed, which has embarked upon the herculean task of recording 100 JSVB numbers — find out about it in this edition's BBW Centre Band.
INTERNATIONAL HOMOGENISATION
Dr. Bede Williams — Head of Instrumental Studies at the University of St. Andrews, Artistic Director of Fringe of Gold, Director of StAMP, and a member of The Wallace Collection — shares his shares his fascinating thoughts about celebrating and preserving the individual national sounds of brass bands, rather than them trying to sound the same.
BLACK DYKE LAUNCHES ONLINE BRASS LESSONS
Black Dyke Band has ventured into the global brass education market with online, multi-lingual lessons. What are you waiting for — log on and learn how Queensbury's best play so seemingly effortlessly!
LEARN ABOUT STUDYING AT THE RWCMD
The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is providing virtual open days, hosted by its all-star brass and percussion faculty, to give prospective students a real flavour of what it's like to study there and what courses are offered.
THE ORIGIN OF A SEMINAL ENSEMBLE
The Wallace Collection is celebrating 35 incredibly musically innovative and collaborative years, which are leaving a legacy of seminal, historic and contemporary brass repertoire and performance. David Childs meets the ensemble's architect — John Wallace CBE.
BBW CASTAWAY
This month's Castaway is Dutch composer and conductor, Johan de Meij, whose composition, Extreme Makeover (Metamorphoses on a Theme by Tchaikovsky), recently topped the public vote as Europe's Favourite Set Test-piece at the European Championships during the years 2003 — 2019, revealed during the online European Brass Band Festival streamed last month on wobplay.com
MARCHING TO SUCCESS
Dr. Robert Childs puts players and conductors through their march paces with advice about the technical precision and artistry required
VINTER'S IMPACT ON BRASS BAND PERCUSSION
Conductor, Lewis Wilkinson, considers the impact of composer, Gilbert Vinter, on the introduction of modern and vivid scoring for the brass band, particularly his use of percussion in brass band scores leading to its introduction to the major contesting arena for the very first time.
TIPS AND TRICK FOR PERCUSSION PLAYING
In advance of the contest season restarting, percussion tutor, and timpani stick designer and maker, SeaÌn Hooper, offers expert and useful advice, from how to use timpani sticks, to developing good percussion phrasing.
YOUNG VOICES
Jonathan Bates meets a young superstar in the making, Michael MacDonald of Spennymoor Town Band, this month's BBW Young Voice, who has won no less than seven online solo competitions across the last year, which have given him the opportunity to showcase his developing talents to a global audience.
AND ANOTHER THING
Resident wit and cartoonist, Rob Nesbitt, aka Nezzy, characterises the stalwarts in a band that keep everyone on the straight and narrow, from the treasurer, librarian and chairman, to the all-powerful secretary.
PLUS THE LATEST REVIEWS
Jim Hayes takes us to the 'Edge of Forever' with his new CD and the first of 100 JSVB legacy tracks reviewed; product updates from Ev-entz; the 2021 Mountbatten Festival, Black Dyke's Picnic in the Park, the Virtual Tuba Euphonium Conference, Whit Friday and The New York Staff Band concert relived.
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