Some of the contents of the pages on this site are Copyright © 2016 NJH Music | [Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] CD of period brass band music
My apologies if this subject has appeared on the mailing list before (the recording in question seems to have been released in 1996), but I have just come across a CD by The Wallace Collection called 'The Origin of the Species - Virtuoso Victorian Brass Music from Cyfartha Castle, Wales' (phew!) The CD comprises performances of unpublished pieces, recently rediscovered, which were written for the Cyfartha Band, founded in 1838. This band was sponsored by a man called Crawshay, who made his fortune in iron, and was made up of top quality musicians from the orchestra pits, travelling circuses etc. As the music was bespoke, it gives a good idea of just how good these musicians were - and they do seem to have been pretty good, even by today's standards. The music is played on period instruments - keyed and rotary instruments as well as valved ones, ophicleides, trombones etc. There are some obvious tuning problems which even players of this calibre can't entirely solve, but the overall sound is surprisingly impressive - particularly in the low brass, I thought - but quite different to the modern brass band. The repertoire is a mixture of the familiar - The Lost Chord, The Carnival of Venice, Whirlwind Polka, Zampa etc. - and other works, some specifically written for the Cyfartha Band. I've been out of banding for a few years, so I don't know if this recording featured in the band press at the time of release, but it doesn't appear in R Smith's catalogue, which is usually a good guide to known band recordings - so I suspect it has avoided attention. It's available on the Nimbus label, catalogue number NI 5470. Recommended if you want something a bit different to listen to. Cheers Alec ________________________ Alec Gallagher alec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- unsubscribe or receive the list in digest form, mail a message of 'help' to listserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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