Septura Brass
- MStarke
- Posts: 1031
- Joined: Jan 01, 2019
Yesterday I visited a great concert bei Septura Brass from London (https://septura.org/)
Extremely impressive musicianship, 3 great trombonists, 3 great trumpet players and 1 great tuba player.
First half was some pieces by Schütz and Bach as well as an arrangement of the Hänsel and Gretel overture, second half highlights from Nutcracker.
They named their key goal as showing that brass ensembles are fully capable of playing chamber music on the highest level. Which in my opinion they reached easily. On the same level as German and Canadian Brass.
Matthew Gee played first, mostly tenor and one or two pieces on alto, very musical and warm sound, technically very impressive - same as second and bass trombone.
Also the ensemble structure works really well. It allows more of a section sound than a classical brass quintet but on the other hand is more soloistic and chamber music than a tentet. The arrangements sound great, but are probably almost not playable by most other people.
Extremely impressive musicianship, 3 great trombonists, 3 great trumpet players and 1 great tuba player.
First half was some pieces by Schütz and Bach as well as an arrangement of the Hänsel and Gretel overture, second half highlights from Nutcracker.
They named their key goal as showing that brass ensembles are fully capable of playing chamber music on the highest level. Which in my opinion they reached easily. On the same level as German and Canadian Brass.
Matthew Gee played first, mostly tenor and one or two pieces on alto, very musical and warm sound, technically very impressive - same as second and bass trombone.
Also the ensemble structure works really well. It allows more of a section sound than a classical brass quintet but on the other hand is more soloistic and chamber music than a tentet. The arrangements sound great, but are probably almost not playable by most other people.
- Posaunus
- Posts: 5018
- Joined: Mar 23, 2018
[quote="MStarke"]Yesterday I visited a great concert bei Septura Brass from London (https://septura.org/)
The arrangements sound great, but are probably almost not playable by most other people.[/quote]
Ay - there's the rub!
The arrangements sound great, but are probably almost not playable by most other people.[/quote]
Ay - there's the rub!
- CalgaryTbone
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: May 10, 2018
I've been following Septura for a while - I know one of the regular players in the group and "got hooked" as soon as I heard their first CD. Great group!
Hard arrangements, but they do use a variety of players in the group depending on availability, so there are more than 7 players out there that are able to pull off those spectacular charts!
Jim Scott
Hard arrangements, but they do use a variety of players in the group depending on availability, so there are more than 7 players out there that are able to pull off those spectacular charts!
Jim Scott
- MStarke
- Posts: 1031
- Joined: Jan 01, 2019
[quote="CalgaryTbone"]I've been following Septura for a while - I know one of the regular players in the group and "got hooked" as soon as I heard their first CD. Great group!
Hard arrangements, but they do use a variety of players in the group depending on availability, so there are more than 7 players out there that are able to pull off those spectacular charts!
Jim Scott[/quote]
Absolutely. Certainly playable by quite a few professionals. What I meant is that it's not what even ambitious amateurs should play with a limited number of rehearsals.
Hard arrangements, but they do use a variety of players in the group depending on availability, so there are more than 7 players out there that are able to pull off those spectacular charts!
Jim Scott[/quote]
Absolutely. Certainly playable by quite a few professionals. What I meant is that it's not what even ambitious amateurs should play with a limited number of rehearsals.
- CalgaryTbone
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: May 10, 2018
Of course, but the fact that they use different players in the group as needed is a testament to the quality of brass talent in the London area!
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