It has been announced that Philip Sparke's 'Music of the Spheres' will be the test-piece for the 172nd British Open Championship to be held at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Saturday 12th September.

In what will be his 75th birthday year, it is also the first time that a work by the composer has been used at the event.

Exceptional

In making the announcement, the Mortimer family, owners of the British Open Championship, spoke of their delight that he had accepted their invitation for it to be used.

"Philip Sparke has provided the contesting movement with a host of exceptional works throughout his long career, and we are thrilled that the British Open is now able to be added to that list. His compositions are hugely admired and enjoyed by performers and listeners alike, and we feel honoured that we are able to do this in a personal landmark year.

We are also sure that it will provide an outstanding test for our competing bands, as well as a wonderful listening experience for our audience at Symphony Hall and around the world."

Superb test

Dr Robert Childs, British Open Championship Artistic Advisor added: "'Music of the Spheres' is rightly regarded as an era defining composition and a work that even two decades after it was first performed remains a superb test of the musical credentials of the elite level bands wishing to be crowned British Open Champion."

Challenge

Speaking about news, Philip Sparke said: "I'm deeply grateful to Karyn and Martin Mortimer, and to Bob Childs, for selecting 'Music of the Spheres' for this year's British Open Championship.

I find it hard to believe that it's getting on for 22 years since the YBS Band commissioned the piece and performed it at the European Championship in Glasgow. I can remember hearing them in their final rehearsal for that event as though it were yesterday. YBS at their peak.

It still remains a special piece for me and, without appearing immodest, I think it has all the ingredients to suit the 'Open' — still a challenge to play but hopefully also audience-friendly.

I'm already looking forward to September!"

It still remains a special piece for me and, without appearing immodest, I think it has all the ingredients to suit the 'Open' — still a challenge to play but hopefully also audience-friendlyPhilip Sparke

Music of the Spheres

'Music of the Spheres' was commissioned by the Yorkshire Building Society Band for use as their own-choice selection at the 2004 European Championships.

The work reflects the composer's fascination with the origins of the universe and deep space. The title is taken from a theory, formulated by Pythagoras, that the cosmos is ruled by the same laws that govern the ratios of note frequencies of the musical scale — 'Harmonia' in Ancient Greek, which means scale or tuning as Greek music was monophonic.

Pythagoras believed that these ratios corresponded to the distances of the six known planets from the sun, with each producing a musical note which combined to weave a continuous heavenly melody.

These six notes form the basis of the sections 'Music of the Spheres' and 'Harmonia'.

The work opens with a horn solo 't = 0'; a name given by some scientists to the moment of the Big Bang, when time and space were created. It is followed by its depiction, as the universe bursts from a single point of origin.

'The Lonely Planet' is a meditation on the unlikely set of circumstances which led to the creation of the Earth as a planet that can support life, as well as the search for other civilisations, whilst 'Asteroids' and 'Shooting Stars' depict both the benign and dangerous objects flying through space.

The work ends with 'The Unknown' — leaving in question whether our continually expanding exploration of the universe will eventually lead to enlightenment or destruction.

RNCM performance and British Open tickets

The work is set to be performed by the current British Open Champion, Brighouse & Rastrick as part of their programme directed by Dr David Thornton at the RNCM International Brass Band Festival this weekend.

Details about tickets for the Spring Festival and British Open Championship will be announced in due course.

Tickets for the RNCM performance can be purchased at:
https://www.rncm.ac.uk/basket/?instance_id=70401

For more information, please visit the British Open Website at: https://thebritishopen.net/