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CHAN 4544 FRONT COVER.qxd 10/1/08 1:12 pm Page 1 Chan 4544 CHANDOS Spanish The Williams Fairey Band James Gourlay Impressions Bryan Hurdley CHAN 4544 BOOK.qxd 10/1/08 1:14 pm Page 2 Spanish Impressions Martin Ellerby (b. 1957) Evocations* 15:55 9 Jaime Texidor (1885 –1957) arr. Aubrey Winter I Harlequin’s Carnival 3:16 10 1 Amparito Roca* 2:28 II The Death of Don Quixote 5:53 11 III Sueño (Dream) 1:55 12 Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) arr. Derek Bourgeois IV The Royal Hunt of the Sun 4:39 2 Alborada del gracioso† 7:31 Léo Delibes (1836–1891) arr. Gordon Langford Rodney Newton (b. 1945) * 3 Maids of Cadiz† 3:42 Four Spanish Impressions 14:08 13 Brian Taylor solo cornet I Seville 2:38 14 II Xativa 3:59 15 Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) arr. Allan Street III Tarragona 2:07 16 4 Ritual Fire Dance† 3:36 IV Sant Iago di Compostella 5:12 TT 67:39 Georges Bizet (1838–1875) arr. Gordon Langford 5 A Carmen Fantasy* 6:17 The Williams Fairey Band James Gourlay* † Enrique Granados (1867–1916) arr. Howard Snell Bryan Hurdley 6 Andalucia† 4:47 Simon Stonehouse solo flugel horn Jerónimo Giménez (1854 –1923) arr. James Gourlay 7 La boda de Luis Alonso* 5:45 Jaime Texidor arr. Aubrey Winter 8 Bonds of Friendship – Spanish March* 2:36 2 3 CHAN 4544 BOOK.qxd 10/1/08 1:15 pm Page 4 melody suggests the dancer’s movements and, and became Director of the Teatro Apolo in Spanish Impressions after a moment’s stillness, the dance gathers Madrid where he mounted the first momentum and ends in a wild frenzy. performance in Spain of Bizet’s Carmen. His chief interest however was the zarzuela – a The music of Spain with its lively rhythms, and a Basque mother, and the sounds and A Carmen Fantasy type of operetta very popular throughout distinctive melodies and exotic harmonies has colours of Spain permeate his music. This Despite its surprisingly unsuccessful premiere Spain. Here James Gourlay has arranged music influenced composers of many nationalities. curiously titled piece (which may be translated in 1875, Bizet’s Carmen has become one of from the operetta The Wedding of Luis Alonso, Spain’s folk music is mostly centred around as The Jester’s Morning Song) originally the best-loved and most-performed operas in one of Giménez’s most popular zarzuelas. vocal traditions and the dance, with formed part of his piano suite Miroirs. An the repertoire. The story of the alluring, instruments (largely wind, percussion and the orchestration followed and the work has flirtatious gypsy girl and her obsessive lover is Bonds of Friendship familiar guitar) serving as an accompaniment become a popular orchestral show-piece. The brought to life by Bizet’s richly colourful music In this bright march Texidor brings together a to both. There is even a band tradition to be music evokes the sound of the Spanish guitar which creates the sights and sounds of Seville number of themes, one of them in the found in Catalonia where the cobla bands as well as the court jester’s caperings and his in its use of Spanish-style melodies and distinctive minor key which is a feature of so (comprising pipe and drum, shawms, soulful song. dance-rhythms. Gordon Langford has selected much Spanish music, and combines them trumpets, flugelhorns and double bass) some of the best-known melodies from the skillfully to form a short piece full of life and accompany a popular circle-dance known as Maids of Cadiz opera and arranged them to form a pot pourri. colour. the sardana. The French composer Léo Delibes is best This disc contains musical impressions of known for his ballets Coppélia and Sylvia and Andalucia Evocations Spain seen through the eyes (and heard the opera Lakmé but also wrote a number of Enrique Granados was one of the most This work was written in 1996 for the through the ears) of French and English songs, the best known being ‘Maids of Cadiz’. important figures in Spanish music of the late- National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain composers as well as the Spanish themselves. This attractive piece, which seems to borrow nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. A during Martin Ellerby’s tenure as composer-in- its opening phrase from Bizet’s Carmen, brilliant pianist, he founded his own academy residence. There are four movements whose Amparito Roca becomes an effective cornet solo at the hands and wrote much music based on Spanish titles are derived from Spanish art and Jaime Texidor, bandmaster of the Catalonian of arranger Gordon Langford. subjects. His compositional style is elegant and literature. The composer points out that he town of Baracaldo, was born in Barcelona in distinctive as may be discerned in this delightful has not included any folk elements in his 1885 and died in Baracaldo in 1957. In this Ritual Fire Dance arrangement for flugelhorn by Howard Snell of music, but rather has suggested the latter by brief, lively piece Texidor uses the minor key Manuel de Falla’s ballet El amor brujo (Love the one of his most popular melodies. melody, harmony and rhythm filtered through and melodic inflexions which give a hint of the Magician) tells the tale of a gypsy girl haunted his own listening experience – the result being Moorish origins of much Spanish music. by the ghost of her dead lover. The only way La boda de Luis Alonso more that of ‘an affectionate observer than a the spectre can be laid to rest is for a ritual to Jerónimo Giménez y Bellido was born in native correspondent’. Alborada del gracioso be performed. The music begins with eerie trills 1854, was a child prodigy on the violin, The first movement is entitled Harlequin’s Maurice Ravel was the son of a French father and an ostinato figure in the bass. A twisting studied composition at the Paris Conservatoire Carnival and takes its inspiration from a 4 5 CHAN 4544 BOOK.qxd 10/1/08 1:15 pm Page 6 painting by the surrealist Miró in which evoked by the use of characteristic phrases, Symphony Orchestra and is currently solo tuba has enjoyed an increasing reputation as one of ‘several disproportionate animal species harmonies and rhythms. in the Zurich Opera House. As a soloist and the finest conductors of his generation and engage in a capricious dance’. The music is The piece was inspired by various visits its chamber music player he has performed all over from 1989–1995 he was Musical Director of intended to evoke the ‘riotous playground of composer paid to Spain and the four the world, most notably as a member of the the Sun Life Band before taking up the this extravagantly presented study.’ movements bear the names of Spanish towns. Philip Jones and English Brass Ensembles. Solo position of Resident Conductor with the The second movement is inspired by The first is Seville and the music contains engagements have included first performances Williams Fairey Band. Cervantes and deals with The Death of Don references to flamenco vocal and dance of works written for him by such composers as Quixote. A funeral cortège is envisaged and traditions. Dissonant fanfares suggest the Gregson, Horowitz and Sparke. Since living in Fifteen times British Open Champions, seven the reflective music provides ‘glimpses of what savage spectacle of the bull-fight. Switzerland James Gourlay has devoted much of times winners of the title ‘National Champion was and what might have been’. The second movement, Xativa, takes its title his time to conducting and writing for brass Band of Great Britain’ and currently All The third movement is entitled Sueño from a small town which lies to the North of band and is one of the most successful England Masters and Brass in Concert (Dream) from a gentle poem by Lorca and Valencia. Here it is seen at siesta time, conductors on the Swiss brass-band scene. Champions, The Williams Fairey Band is in serves as a quiet interlude before the finale sleeping in the heat of the midday sun. constant demand for concerts both at home bursts upon us. The third movement describes an evening Bryan Hurdley won a scholarship to the and abroad. In 1993 the Band were holders This last movement, The Royal Hunt of the in the Southern port of Tarragona. A gentle Birmingham School of Music where he gained of both the National and British Open titles Sun, takes its title from Peter Schaffer’s habañera floats to us on the warm air. distinction in teaching, performing and recital and in 1994 they were European Champions. celebrated play about the Spanish conquest of In the final movement, Sant Iago di diplomas and was the winner of many Apart from its regular appearances throughout Peru and the relationship between the Compostella, a procession of medieval prestigious performance prizes. A founder the British Isles the band makes regular trips conquistador Don Pizzaro and the Inca king pilgrims is imagined approaching the great member of the English Tuba Consort he has abroad to countries such as Canada, Hong Atahualpa. Savage rhythms evoke the ritual cathedral of Saint James at dawn. We see the travelled widely in Europe and the USA. In Kong, Switzerland, Germany and Holland. dances of Spain and towards the end the candle-lit interior of the cathedral where 1993 Bryan Hurdley was appointed Director Since its formation the Band has had an players swap their brass instruments for priests are singing their morning office.