In what has already been a fantastic two days at the Hannaford Festival of Brass, euphonium player Kohei Kamikawa's rendition of Carnival of Venice won over the audience en route to his victory in the Hannaford Youth Solo Competition.
He will have the opportunity to perform with the Hannaford Street Silver Band at today's concert.
Hannaford Cup
Although the festival is not particularly competitive (the main purpose to bring together and showcase the best of community bands), the Hannaford Cup is the one aspect of the festival that pays respect to brass banding's competitive British roots.Yesterday, amongst a great showing from a variety of Ontario bands and two from the US, the Brass Band of Columbus will be taking the Hannaford Cup to Ohio for their rendition of the Padstow Lifeboat.
Finale
Today, the finale to the festival will feature trombonist Joe Alessi as guest soloist with the Hannaford Street Silver Band. As usual, there is a pre-concert chat at 2:15 with Joe Alessi and Alain Trudel, hosted by Ray Tizzard, in the lobby of the Jane Mallett Theatre.
For a fourth return engagement, the HSSB is again delighted to welcome guest conductor Alain Trudel, one of Canada’s most gifted and celebrated artists. “Slide Show” — sponsored by NSK Canada Inc. — is the grand finale to the Festival of Brass weekend.
One highlight will be the Canadian première of Urban Cabaret, a new work for trombone and brass band written by Bramwell Tovey especially for Joe Alessi. Alessi will also perform Sparke's Sambezi for trombone and brass band. Alain Trudel steps down from the podium and picks up his trombone to join Alessi in Arthur Pryor’s Air Varie.
The HSSB’s solo performances include Jaime Texidor’s Bonds of Friendship; Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F Major; Malcolm Arnold’s The Padstow Lifeboat; and Edward Gregson’s major work Variations on Laudate Dominum.
The concert’s grand finale features the combined forces of the HSSB, the Youth Band and trombone soloist Joe Alessi performing Meredith Willson’s thrilling 76 Trombones from “The Music Man”.
