Read through my most recent articles:

• New Ensemble Pieces Available
• Woodwind Orchestra Playday

See a full list of articles.

 Subscribe to latest articles.

See more upcoming events.

Learn about the ensembles I've had involvement in:

• Harlequin Brass Ensemble
• Leeds College of Music Wind Ensemble
• National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain
• Nottingham Symphonic Wind Orchestra
• Phoenix Concert Band
• Yorkshire Wind Orchestra

Listen to my thoughts, ideas and compositions via my new podcast.

+iTunes +ZENCast +Zune +My Yahoo!

 Subscribe to podcast.

NOTTINGHAM SYMPHONIC WIND ORCHESTRA
Lakeside, Djanogly Recital Hall

Original pieces for winds rubbed shoulders with diverse arrangements in a richly entertaining weekend concert under Keiron Anderson. The orchestra's conductor commutes from Yorkshire. He clearly feels his trips are worthwhile. The audience too, judging by their response to Paul Hart's Cartoon. It was a stunning concerted feat.

Elsewhere, the players explored more poetic sounds, especially in a Belgian work entitled Arcana. Either side of this, Finnegans Wake and Song of Lir evoked folk sounds and legend. The orchestral sections blended well, and the grasp of rhythms and dynamics is first-rate. You can't ask for greater variety than an Astor Piazzolla tango, a Gustav Holst jig and Dan Godfrey's arrangement of the Polovtsian Dances from Borodin's Prince Igor.

North America supplied the close to each half. A suite from Guys and Dolls gave us the Loesser musical in a nutshell. And a handsome Count Basie tribute had zest.

Fitting the Symphonic Winds into the Djanogly Recital Hall was, however, a squeeze. The city's Albert Hall should be the right place for their 20th birthday concert in November.
Peter Palmer