Tadley Concert Brass

Tadley Concert Brass enter the Brass band Championships each year and are presently in the 4th Section.

2008

Our last contest was at Stevenage on 16th March 2008.
We came 2nd out of 21 which is more than we could have hoped for!

We played " Four Cities Symphony" by Rodney Newton

This piece was commissioned by the National Contesting Council as the 4th section test piece for the 2008 Regional Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

This symphony (the composer's 12th) has four movements played without a break. The first centres on two aspects
of the city of London: its history and pageantry and its role as a busy modern metropolis.


The second movement depicts Paris, its street cafes and boulevards and riverside walks, in the form of a romantic
waltz.


The third movement is constructed around the Gregorian chants of the Lord's Prayer (Pater noster, qui es in caelis) and the Creed (Credo in unum Deum) in an evocation of the city of Rome. After a powerful climax, mysterious tramping footsteps are heard as the ghosts or a Roman legion march through the city by night. The vision fades and the pater noster is heard once again, before the movement is brought to a close with the ancient Ambrosian chant,
Christus Vincit, Christus Regnet, Christus Imperat.


The final movement is an evocation of the city of Moscow, with its great historic buildings, its turbulent history and its
fiery traditional music. At the outset a rather dour folk-like melody is heard which is transformed into a lively Cossack dance.


This work is dedicated to Howard Wilson, former principal euphonium of City of Coventry Band who, in 1972,
introduced the composer to top section brass band contesting.


2007

Last year, (2007) We competed at Stevenage and came 6th out of 23 which we were really happy with

We played "The Seasons" by Phillip Wilby.

"The Seasons" is a piece written in three movements and was commissioned in 1998 By IanThompson in memory
of his wife Myra. Movement One is "Turn of the Leaf: Prelude and Dedication" which is described as "Autumn
through to an indoor Winter" Movement Two is "Spring Waltz" Which is led by the solo Horns. Movement Three is "High Summer Marziale" 

Past results are available by Clicking on the "Contest Results" Tab (above left) or by Clicking Here.