Tredegar continues to make a high-profile mark with their music making with the news that their latest CD release, 'Vaughan Williams on Brass' remains high in the official classical music charts.
After coming straight on at number 2 following its release on the Albion Recording label, it now sits at number 4 after its second week and re-print run, alongside recordings from the giant Decca and Deutsche Grammophon labels from Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richet and Jonathan Tetelman.
Conducted by Martyn Brabbins and Ian Porthouse, it features the composer's 'Variations for Brass Band', and 'Prelude on Rhosymedre' which the band performed in their recent Proms concert performance at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as, 'English Folk Song Suite', 'Sea Songs' and 'Suite from 49th Parallel'.
The featured soloist is Scottish virtuoso Ross Knight playing the iconic 'Tuba Concerto'.
Plaudits
Plaudits have already come form a wide variety of critical sources.
The 5-star review from James Altena from the influential Fanfare Archive called it "a class production"that is "enthusiastically recommended".
Meanwhile, Andrew Palmer of 'The Yorkshire Post', summed his review up by saying "the ebullient playing is engaging and heart-warming"on "a lovely album showcasing wonderful gems from the pen of RVW", with Ross Knight's playing "adding sparkle".
Alan Cooper of the British Music Society described Ross Knight's performance as being "ultra-smooth"with a "perfectly pointed, sizzling finale"on release that contains playing from the band that is "rich, gleaming and glorious".
Recording of the month
In his extensive 'Recording of the Month' review for the Music Web International website, Nick Barnard said that "...if one disc from this 150th anniversary is going to make it into my "recordings of the year"I suspect it might be this."
He described Ross Knight's playing on the 'Tuba Concerto' as displaying an "alert wit"that "is particularly successful".
Very special
Elsewhere, his colleague John France calls the recording "a splendid contribution"to the Vaughan Williams celebrations aided by Ross Knight's "remarkable contribution".
Closer closer to home there have been a number of highly recommended reviews with Brass Band World magazine reviewer Chris Thomas stating that it is "brass playing of the very highest order and the result is very, very special indeed."
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