The British Horn Society

The Horn Orchestra of Russia

Russian Horn Orchestra

In February 2008 Paul Sawbridge met Sergei Polyanichko to hear about his remarkable reconstruction of the Russian horn capella which were extremely fashionable in Russia from about 1750 to 1830. This meeting stimulated research into these remarkable bands where each player generally played but a single note. The result is an article in the Spring 2008 edition of The Horn Player (published in mid May) entitled The History of Russian Horn Bands and their historical reconstruction by the Horn Orchestra of Russia

On hearing one of the finest horn bands Louis Spohr commented '"An overture by Gluck…. with a velocity and an accuracy which would be difficult for stringed instruments; how much more, then, for the hornists, of whom each player plays only one note. It is hardly to be believed that they bring out the fastest passages with great clarity, and I would not think it possible, had I not heard it with my own ears.'''

With Sergei Polyanichko's permission we are pleased to be able to let you hear this unique sound in an arrangement of the William Tell Overture by Rossini, recorded in 2008 by The Horn Orchestra of Russia conducted by Sergei. To listen to the track, click on this link William Tell track (or right click to download it) - NB file size 5MB.

Composer Andrew Downes's new Sonata for Violin, Horn and Piano opus 93 was premiered on February 5th 2008 in the Suk Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic, and broadcast on Czech Radio. The players were:
Monika Vrabková (violin)
Ondrej Vrabek (horn) - Ondrej is principal horn in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Daniel Wiesner (piano)
They are together known as Brahms Trio Prague.

In addition, during the summer of 2007, the horn players of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra recorded for CD and internet distribution three horn ensemble works by Andrew Downes. The works are 5 Dramatic Pieces for 8 Wagner Tubas, given its world premiere at the Dvorak Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague in October 2005 by the CPO hornists; Suite for 6 Horns, commissioned in 1999 by James Lowe, Roland Horvath and the Vienna Horn Society (The 'Wiener Waldhornverein') and Sonata for 4 Horns, commissioned by James Lowe and the British Horn Society in 1981.

The Czech Philharmonic horn section has already recorded Andrew Downes' Sonata for 8 Horns on a CD entitled 'Czech Philharmonic Horns' on the Classicprint label CPVP12CD.

Triple Grammy nominee and French horn virtuoso Barry Tuckwell is featured in conversation in a recent episode of the University of Melbourne’s Up Close audio podcast. Upclose is a fortnightly talk show featuring in-depth discussions with prominent personalities from or connected to the University of Melbourne. Listeners can download or subscribe to Up Close at: http://upclose.unimelb.edu.au/
In the 30 minute audiocast, Barry Tuckwell discusses his art and current endeavors, as well as a musical career spanning more than 50 years. The interview was conducted by Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) presenter and musician Sian Prior.

Barry Tuckwell has been a French horn player since joining the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at age 15. He has been nominated for three Grammy awards and is honorary president of the British Horn Society. He currently lives in Australia and is an honorary professorial fellow in the University’s Faculty of Music. Geoff Collinson, head of brass at the University’s Faculty of Music, says Mr Tuckwell has provided students with a vast knowledge bank through his involvement with the University. “Professor Tuckwell is without doubt one of Australia’s most important and internationally respected musicians”, he says. “He has made an enormous difference to the brass department and made us an exemplar in the Australian education scene.”

For four days in November the normally quiet residential district of Marchmont in Edinburgh resounded to the thrilling sound of Vienna horns, playing at every conceivable dynamic, in a wide range of ensemble music. The occasion was the visit to Edinburgh of Franz Söllner, for twenty five years a distinguished member of the Vienna Philharmonic horn section, now a superb teacher and ensemble coach, to conduct a workshop in the excellent facilities provided by Marchmont St. Giles’ Church and Centre.

Armed with local goodwill, a number of spare Vienna horns, and generous financial assistance from BHS and other patrons, BHS members Marshall Halliday, Norman Macdougall and Martin Prowse adopted the name Vienna Horns of Scotland and invited anyone from the society who could make it to come to Edinburgh for a long weekend to investigate, or renew acquaintance with, the charismatic if treacherous instrument which even Wolfgang Tomböck of the Vienna Philharmonic has described as the “beloved enemy“.

An encouraging number, coming from as far afield as Kent, the Welsh Marches, Yorkshire, and the hills of Angus, proved equal to the challenge. Among them we were fortunate to have Shirley Hopkins and Bob Ashworth with us for the entire weekend, while Harry Johnstone of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra promised to look in for half an hour and stayed for three. All our professionals entered wholly into the spirit of the enterprise, and long before the end a cheerful collegiality had been established, aided and abetted by sustaining intakes of liquid refreshment, some of it alcoholic.

Over the four days, a huge amount of work on ensemble, breathing, intonation and musical style was undertaken, with Franz showing himself a first-class ensemble leader, exhibiting a kind of supercharged exhoratory zeal. While never settling for less than he believed we could achieve, he was always conscious of the wide range of ability amongst us, with the result that everyone learned a great deal, not least about Viennese teaching methods( about which Bob Ashworth has more to say elsewhere in this issue).

As for music, we played a large variety of pieces, ranging from Austrian marches to “Tristan” and “Parsifal”. A novelty was Klaus Wallendorf’s superb if highly demanding arrangement of “ Der Freischütz”, which was made available to us at the last moment by Erwin Zsaitsits of Heavy Brass. Incidentally his website www.heavybrass.com is well worth exploring for groups on the lookout for horn ensemble music.

On the Sunday morning, we gave our first performance as Vienna Horns of Scotland, taking part under Franz’s direction in the morning service at Marchmont St. Giles, performing pieces by Kolin, Stiegler, Lorenz and Fauré. It turned out that a baptism was taking place that morning, and it must be reported that Findlay Alexander Pringle not only behaved himself impeccably but received the best possible musical start in life - the mellow sound of nine Vienna horns. It should be added that the congregation’s spontaneous applause at the end of the service was also very gratifying!

So thanks to all who came and made the workshop the success which it certainly was. For the future, Vienna Horns of Scotland will continue to rehearse in Edinburgh, and amongst our objectives will be the organisation of further open events and the forging of closer links with Franz Söllner and members of the Wiener Waldhorn Verein. Do try to join us some time if you can - apart from anything else, it’s fun! (Norman Macdougall)

Calling All Horn Teachers. The BHS committee has been supporting a number of initiatives to try to halt the decline in numbers of children taking up the horn and perhaps more importantly to sustain that interest during the teenage years when many children give up.

The BHS Executive committee approved a plan in December 2005 to create junior membership for players up to the age of 18 which will provide the complete BHS package, including the Horn Player Magazine and CD at cost of only £10 per Annum. This is an extremely good deal and we hope it will contribute to sustaining young players' interest. We also plan that the magazine will have more articles which relate to technique, youth orchestras and amateur music making.

We need the assistance of all horn teachers to promote BHS Junior Membership amongst pupils, and we plan to develop a network with the Music Services throughout the UK.

Calling all Yorkshire Horn Players! The Yorkshire Wind Orchestra is a registered charity striving to promote the performance of quality British wind music in the Yorkshire region. We are currently welcoming new players, especially brass and percussion players and therefore if you are a horn player and able to commit to fortnightly rehearsals in Wakefield on a Monday night from 7.15 - 9.15 and perform up to five concerts a year around Yorkshire please register your interest on the website www.yorkshirewinds.co.uk

And all west London Horn Players! The Kew Wind Orchestra is looking to recruit horn players to complete its section following the departure of key players. KWO is one of the leading wind ensembles in the UK, regularly receiving Gold awards at the NCBF events, including the only Gold Award in the Open Class at the 2006 finals in Glasgow. Our rehearsal base is in Richmond, SW London.
See www.kewwindorchestra.org.uk for details and contact info.

There have been several appointments to the horn sections of British orchestras over recent months. Hugh Seenan reports:

Etienne Cutajar has been appointed 3rd horn of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Born in 1983 in Malta, Etienne started playing the horn at the age of ten in Malta under the tuition of Baul Borg. Etienne was appointed 3rd horn of the Malta National Orchestra aged 18; he resigned the post after 2 years in order to pursue a 2 year postgraduate course as an ABRSM scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins.

His solo appearances have won him great critical acclaim, and he has appeared as a soloist in Malta, at the Royal Academy of Music, major London venues the Purcell Room (where he performed Sir Peter Maxwell Davies's "Sea Eagle") and the Wigmore Hall and very recently with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.

Etienne was for consecutive years 1st horn of the European Union Youth Orchestra, including in the summer of 2005 playing Mahler’s 7th symphony for Bernard Haitink. Etienne has appeared as a guest 1st and 3rd horn with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and London Brass.

Etienne has had the recently composed ‘Fantasie Sonata for Horn & Piano’ by Charles Camilleri, also from Malta, dedicated to him and he premiered it in April 2004.

Timothy Jackson has been appointed 3rd horn of the Philharmonia orchestra. Prior to his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Tim had several teachers who influenced him including Bob Aspden, Barbara Maclaren, Roy Nuttall, Simon Twigge, Derek Taylor and Lizzie Davies. He studied the horn with David Cripps at the RNCM. Tim is a former Principal horn of the European Union Youth Orchestra and a former 3rd horn of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He has performed as a soloist at BHS festivals and is very active as a composer; the BHS premiered his Symphony for Horns at last year's 25th Anniversary Horn Festival.

Rebecca Hill has been appointed 3rd horn of the Scottish Opera Orchestra. Rebecca is the daughter of Robert Hill, Principal clarinet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Rebecca's first horn teacher was Simon Holroyd. She was also a Junior Exhibitioner at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying the horn with Raul Diaz and David Bentley.
She was Principal horn of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and a former member of the European Union Youth Orchestra. In 1999, she won second prize in the Shell/LSO competition, then went on to study horn with Jeffrey Bryant, Richard Bissill and Hugh Seenan at the Senior GSMD. Rebecca is also a member of the Lancier Brass Quintet which won the 2006 Royal Over-Seas League Competition.

Huw Evans has been appointed 3rd horn of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Huw first studied the horn in Wales with trumpet player Tony Small before having lessons with Bill Davies, formerly of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. During this time he was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. Huw went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music with another Welshman, Terry Johns, before embarking on an extensive freelance career over a period of 15 years. He was fifth horn of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1998 -2006.

Simon Griffiths has been appointed 2nd horn with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Simon's first horn teacher in Wales was David Ewrof Parry and then he had lessons with Bob Clayton, formerly of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Simon went on to study at the Royal College of Music with Julian Baker and Jonathan Lipton. He taught the horn and freelanced in Wales prior to his appointment to the RLPO. His wife Katie is also a horn player.

Bethan Watkeys has been appointed 3rd horn of the RTE National Orchestra of Ireland in Dublin. Bethan first studied with Roberta Amos in Bristol and then went to study at the Royal College of Music with Julian Baker, Philip Eastop, Simon Rayner and Nigel Black. She freelanced in London for a few years before taking up her position in Dublin.

Timothy Nicholson has been appointed 4th horn of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Tim is the son of David Nicholson who was for many years Principal flute of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Tim had his first horn lessons with Harry Chessman in Edinburgh and then studied with Fiona Elliot and Harry Johnstone; he also had some lessons with Ifor James. He was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, and went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Hugh Potts and Bob Ashworth. On leaving the RNCM, Tim freelanced as a horn player for nine years before his appointment at the RLPO.

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