Concert, 9th August 2025

A recording of the concert is available here.

Pageantry – Suite for Brass Band | Herbert Howells
In 1934 Herbert Howells was commissioned by John Henry Iles to compose a brass band suite, which Howells entitled ‘Pageantry’. It was first performed on 3rd September 1934 in Manchester. ‘Pageantry’ comprises three sections: ‘King’s Herald’, ‘Cortège’ and ‘Jousts’ and was written for the 1934 British Open Championships, although the second movement was omitted on that occasion. Early sketches show that the last section was originally titled ‘Prentices’ Dance’. The contest was won on this first occasion by the Brighouse & Rastrick Band conducted by William Halliwell.

Howells’ approach was far more symphonic or orchestral than was the norm in the brass band world of the 1930s. ‘Pageantry’ has been used as a Test Piece at Brass Band Championships on several subsequent occasions.

In 1937 Howells adapted the score of ‘King’s Herald’ to be used as a fanfare prelude for the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In 1995 some amendments were made to the score by Philip Wilby at the request of the publishers, the then Novello & Chester Brass Band Series.

Tenor Horn Concerto (Three Gods) | Edward Gregson
Soloist Tim De Maeseneer
Edward Gregson’s ‘Tenor Horn Concerto (Three Gods)’ was commissioned by tenor horn soloist Tim de Maeseneer for a recording of commissioned works he made in 2024 with his own band, Brass Band Willebroek.

The subtitle of ‘Three Gods’ refers to three mythological Greek Gods: Zeus, Hermes and Apollo. The idea for this came from a ‘sister’ work, a viola concerto, which he composed in 2023 and which was similarly subtitled ‘Three Goddesses’. Indeed, the first movement of the horn concerto shares some common material with the viola concerto, although the other movements are newly composed.

The concerto exploits the noble character of the tenor horn, but the writing is also virtuosic in character as well as lyrical and melodic, demanding an extended playing range of nearly four octaves with a variety of colouration in its sonorities. The unifying motif of the whole concerto is the interval of a rising 5th, heard at the outset. The opening also has some other surprises (both seen and heard).

The musical ideas, cast in three separate movements, take their starting point from the characters of the Three Gods in the title: ‘Zeus’ ruled as King of the Gods on Mount Olympus, and was the God of Thunder and Lightning and of War. The dominant mood is one of foreboding. ‘Hermes’ was the great messenger to the Gods who could travel between realms on his winged sandals. Thus, his music is fast, fleet of foot, and mercurial ‘Apollo’, the God of Music and Dance (and the Sun), symbolises virtue and beauty.

Variations on ‘The Shining River’ | Edmund Rubbra
Edmund Rubbra was a pupil of Holst and of Vaughan Williams. His ‘Variations’ are a test of musicality rather than technique, requiring sensitive control not only from solo players, but from the whole ensemble. The theme was conceived as one of nine Teaching Pieces for piano, opus 74 in 1952. In the brass band composition there are six variations, among them two Dances, a Pageant and a final Lament with decorative writing reminiscent of the Tudor keyboard, before the work ends with a developed restatement of the theme. This thoughtful and unusual work has been much neglected since it was composed in 1958 for the National Championships of Great Britain. The winning band on that occasion was the Foden Motor Works Band under the baton of Rex Mortimer.

Variations On An Enclosure | Will Everitt
WORLD PREMIERE | Winner, NYBBGB Young Composers’ Competition
‘Variations On An Enclosure’ is a work lightly inspired by English composers Derek Bourgeois and Gustav Holst. The essence of the piece can be distilled into a single four-note cell, derived from explorations into the use of ‘enclosures’ in jazz melody and improvisation. An enclosure refers to the technique of selecting a chord tone, or ‘target note’, and preceding it with the surrounding notes above and below. The composer constructed an enclosure around the chord tone C and used a variety of inversions, retrogrades, and re-orderings of the enclosure to extrapolate these variations into a melodic and harmonic material.

INTERVAL

Shapeshifter | Daniel Hall
WORLD PRÈMIERE | New Commission by The NYBBGB
‘Shapeshifter’ is an expressive and unapologetic new work that reflects the complexities of identity and the journey toward self-acceptance. At its heart, ‘Shapeshifter’ is a celebration – not of the music itself, but of what it represents: the human capacity to adapt, evolve and embrace authenticity. It explores the ways we often shift ourselves to meet expectations, conceal vulnerability, or blend into the world around us – something the composer has felt deeply in his own life. Written for The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, the music journeys through contrasting moods, colours and textures, each one expressing a different “shape” of emotion and experience. From moments of stillness to bursts of raw energy, the composition captures the ever-changing emotional landscape of growing up, finding your voice and discovering who you really are. ‘Shapeshifter’ is ultimately a celebration of change, resilience and the courage it takes to stand in your own skin.

Dansul Focului | Stijn Aertgeerts
Soloist Tim De Maeseneer
The work was written especially for Tim de Maeseneer and was recorded for his solo album ‘Beyond the Paradox’. ‘Dansul Focului’, Romanian for “Fire Dance”, is strongly influenced by Balkan music from Eastern Europe. Characteristic features include the tight 7/8 rhythms and prominent percussion instruments such as darbuka, djembe and drum kit. In the cadenza, both the band and soloist are able to showcase their vocal qualities. Through their long-standing friendship, composer Stijn Aertgeerts is intimately familiar with this evening’s soloist’s impressive technique and lyrical expression. These skills are fully utilised in ‘Dansul Focului’,
making it a virtuosic and expressive work.

Betws-y-Coed | Nina Martin
WORLD PRÈMIERE | Winner, NYBBGB Young Composers’ Competition
This piece was inspired by the composer’s first solo backpacking trip to Betws-y-Coed in Wales. Whilst exploring, she wrote down musical ideas based on the bubbling of the river, the contour of the surrounding hills and the feeling of joy when immersed in our natural habitat. However, this joy is tinged with tension and nostalgia to represent thoughts wondering whether or not this beautiful place will be around in the many years to come as we battle the climate crisis. The romantic theme can be considered to represent both a tragic romance and battle between the human race and the natural world.

Nocturnal Dances | Samuel Thackray
WORLD PRÈMIERE | Winner, NYBBGB Young Composers’ Competition
‘Nocturnal Dances’ is composed as if for a video panning over a nocturnal cityscape, with an imagined abstract collection of scenes gradually introducing themselves and coming to the fore before subsiding. The scoring varies drastically between sparse, skeletal writing and melodramatic climaxes. Structurally, the quiet energy and incessant pulse of the opening materials quickly gathers into a frenetic and contrapuntal climax, as if representing the chaos of an inner city. This gradually subsides as the piece progresses, with the mood returning to that of the subdued and slightly eerie opening as the more energetic material becomes more distant in both dynamics and time.

Baba Yaga and The Great Gate of Kiev | Modest Mussorgsky arr. Elgar Howarth
Modest Mussorgsky’s ‘Baba Yaga’ and ‘The Great Gate of Kiev’ are the closing movements of his piano suite ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’. ‘Baba Yaga’ depicts the fearsome Slavic witch known for her hut on chicken legs, while ‘The Great Gate of Kiev’ is a grand, triumphant piece inspired by a proposed gate in Kiev. ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ is a suite of ten piano pieces plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. It became widely known through various orchestrations and arrangements produced by other composers and musicians, with Maurice Ravel’s 1922 adaptation for full symphony orchestra being the most recorded and performed. Elgar Howarth (a former Musical Advisor and President of The NYBBGB) arranged the whole of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ for the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble in the late 1970s and re-scored the work for brass band a few years later whilst he was conductor of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

Martyn Brabbins was recently appointed Chief Conductor of the Malmö Symphony and of the Symphony Orchestra of India, both starting in the 2025/26 season.

He guests with top international orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw, San Francisco Symphony, DSO Berlin and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, as well as the Philharmonia, BBC Symphony and most of the other leading UK orchestras. He is a popular figure at the BBC Proms, which in 2019 commissioned 14 living composers to write a birthday tribute to him, released in 2024 on the BIS label. Known for his advocacy of British composers, he has conducted hundreds of world premières across the globe. He has recorded nearly 150 CDs to date, including prize-winning discs of operas by Korngold, Birtwistle and Harvey. In 2023 he received the RPS Conductor Award for his “colossal” contribution to UK musical life.

He was Associate Principal Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 1994-2005, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic 2009-2015, Chief Conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic 2012-2016, Artistic Director of the Cheltenham International Festival of Music 2005-2007, and Music Director of the English National Opera 2016-2023. He is Prince Consort Professor of Conducting at the Royal College of Music, Visiting Professor at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire and Artistic Advisor to the Huddersfield Choral Society.

Brabbins has had a busy opera career since his early days at the Kirov and more recently at La Scala, the Bayerische Staatsoper, and regularly in Lyon, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Antwerp. He opened English National Opera’s 2023/24 season with David Alden’s production of ‘Peter Grimes’ in what turned out to be his swansong, as well as a musical highpoint of his seven year tenure. He also led a rare performance of Tippett’s opera ‘New Year’ with the BBC Scottish Symphony, recording it for release on NMC.

Amongst his symphonic highlights of 2024/25, he conducted the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony at Suntory Hall, the BBC Symphony at the Barbican (Boulez), made his debut with the Danish National Symphony, and returned to the Antwerp Symphony, BBC Scottish and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In 2025/26 he returns to conduct the Adelaide Symphony, the BBC Symphony at the Barbican, and the BBC Scottish Symphony. Highlights of his first season as Chief Conductor in Malmö include Mahler and Shostakovich symphonies, and star soloists such as Bomsori Kim, Hakan Hardenberger and Peter Mattei.

His discography ranges from Romantic to contemporary repertoire, with over 60 recordings for Hyperion Records alone, notably of Elgar, Walton and Tippett. He has received three Gramophone Awards, for Birtwistle’s ‘Mask of Orpheus’ with the BBC Symphony (NMC), Pickard chamber works with the Nash Ensemble (BIS) and (in 2023) shared the Concerto Award with viola soloist Tim Ridout for Elgar and Bloch with the BBC Symphony (Harmonia Mundi). He also won the Cannes Opera Award for Korngold’s ‘Die Kathrin’ with the BBC Concert Orchestra (CPO), and the Grand Prix du Disque for Jonathan Harvey’s ‘Wagner Dream’.

Brabbins studied composition in London and conducting with Ilya Musin in Leningrad, subsequently winning first prize at the 1988 Leeds Conductors’ Competition which launched his international career.

Tim De Maeseneer is saxhorn professor at LUCA School of Arts (Campus Lemmensinstituut) and Soloist in Residence with Brassband Willebroek. He is an ambassador for Besson Musical Instruments and AR Resonance Mouthpieces. As a celebrated soloist, Tim performs worldwide with leading orchestras. Since 2008, he has taught brass and saxhorn at the Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Ghent and more recently at the Academy of Music in Willebroek. During 2023-2024, he was Tenor Horn Professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music Copenhagen. Born into a musical family in Belgium, Tim began studying the tenor horn at the age of six. He pursued secondary education at the Lemmensinstituut Leuven and later at the Secondary School of Arts in Brussels, under the expert guidance of Frans Violet.

Tim continued his studies at KASK & Conservatorium Ghent with trumpet virtuoso Benjamin Wiame before completing his cum laude graduation at LUCA School of Arts under saxhorn specialist Nick Ost. In 2019, Tim earned a second Master’s degree in Hafabra Conducting (cum laude) studying with Ivan Meylemans and Jan Van der Roost, and afterwards studied privately with esteemed conductors Edmond Saveniers and Alex Schillings. As a conductor, he leads Mercator Brassband (Belgium), The Woodshockers Brassband (Germany) and Paris Brassband (France). That same year, Tim released ‘The Birth of Time Echoes’, Belgium’s first solo album for tenor horn and brass band, which earned international acclaim, including nominations for Solo CD of the Year. 4barsrest praised Tim’s artistry, noting his “storyteller’s skill for subtle phrasing, shaded tonal texture and adroit sensitivity”.

His follow-up album, ‘Beyond the Paradox’ (2025), continues to solidify his reputation as one of the world’s leading tenor horn players.

Visit www.timdemaeseneer.com for more information.

Daniel Hall is a professional composer, arranger and conductor whose music has been performed by leading ensembles including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, as well as Flowers, Foden’s, Tredegar Town bands and The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Internationally, his work has been performed by Brass Band Treize Etoiles, Stavanger Brass Band, Brass Band Willebroek, Brass Band Oberösterreich, JugendBlasorchester VBJ, and others across Europe, Australia, Japan and North America. A composition graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with First Class Honours, Daniel composed the set works for the National and European Youth Brass Band Championships while still a student. In 2019, he won the European Composers Competition in Montreux, Switzerland for ‘A Dialogue of Transmogrified Souls…’. His recent major works include ‘Gl!tCH’ (Swiss Nationals 2021) and two full 25-minute programmes with Stavanger Brass Band: ‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall’ (SIDDIS 2022, conductor Allan Withington) and ‘humAnIty’ (SIDDIS 2023, conductor Ian Porthouse). Daniel is the professional conductor of Brunel Brass and remains in demand, with upcoming work including a full 35-minute touring programme for the Swiss Armed Forces Brass Band.

Will Everitt (age 20) grew up in London playing cornet and trumpet and has studied composition for the last seven years. He has been involved in both jazz and classical idioms for most of his musical life, and is increasingly interested in the crossover between the two genres. Will grew up playing for his local youth band before playing with The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and currently with East London Brass. The banding movement has played a big part in his musical education and development, so writing for The NYBBGB Youth Band is something he was very passionate about. Will’s composition ‘Variations On An Enclosure’ is a winner of this year’s NYBBGB Young Composers’ Competition.

Nina Martin (age 20) is a composer and saxophonist, currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, and before that at the Royal Northern College of Music. Her compositional journey began aged 15 when her first composition for string quartet was performed three times at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall by string players from the RLPO. Nina’s awards include the Peter Redfearn Prize for Composition, Highly Commended in the BBC Young Composer Competition and First Prize winner of the Sandbach Concert Series Young Musician. Nina has had works premièred by the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Session Orchestra, Equilibrium Quartet, RNCM Saxphone Choir and RWCMD Saxophone Choir amongst others. Her works have been featured in the ‘Sound & Music British Music Collection’, in collaborations with the Royal Northern Ballet School and on UK Selector Radio. Nina’s latest commission was performed at the Bute Park Christmas Lights Show 2024/25 alongside the new installation ‘Mycelium Network’. and she was recently awarded the Howarth of London Single Reed Prize. Within her work, Nina is often driven by environmental activism as it has long been a focus for her to take inspiration from nature. Nina’s composition ‘Betws-y-Coed’ is a winner of this year’s NYBBGB Young Composers’ Competition.

Samuel Thackray (age 21) is a London-based composer, trumpeter and recent music graduate, having studied at Cambridge University from 2021 to 2024. He has loved composing for as long as he can remember and started learning the trumpet aged seven. Whilst most of his performing and composing experience has been with classical, jazz or choral ensembles, he enjoyed conducting Cambridge University Brass Band’s première of his piece ‘Emergence’ at Unibrass 2024, winning the in-contest Best Student Composition award. Since returning to London, he has enjoyed playing for numerous ensembles such as the City of London Symphonic Winds, Royal Orchestral Society and North London Youth Orchestra. Samuel’s composition ‘Nocturnal Dances’ is a winner of this year’s NYBBGB Young Composers’ Competition.