3/18/11
If you're a John Williams fan or a Bruce Broughton fan or a large-scale symphonic brass music fan or... well, just a great music fan - you'll want to pick up this brand new CD from Harmonia Mundi entitled "Sound The Bells!"
San Francisco Symphony French hornist Jonathan Ring was instrumental (no pun intended) in realizing this project after years of effort. I met him at a concert given several years ago by the Bay Brass, a large group of professional brass players based in San Francisco. Interestingly, at that same concert, Bruce Broughton conducted the debut of a new work he'd written for brass and it's now recorded professionally here for the first time. Bruce's work is in four parts running some 14 minutes and melds accessible harmonic language and intense writing into a sensational showpiece for the ensemble. John Williams provides three newly-prepared concert pieces for brass, including his regal "Fanfare For A Festive Occasion", the brilliant "Sound The Bells!" and the premiere recording of his "Aloft... To The Royal Masthead!"
I'd sure enjoy hearing Jonathan (and Bruce and John) all talk about their showpieces for brass being a huge hit in the concert music marketplace. It might nudge them into writing more sonic spectaculars like these!
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