The British Horn Society - News Archive 1998

The new principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra is David Pyatt. Despite being the youngest winner of the BBC Young Musician award and already having three successful recordings to his name, 24-year old David admits to being surprised that he should have landed what is one of the most prestigious posts in horn playing. "It was one of my ambitions to play in the LSO," he told The HORN Magazine. Having now had nearly 10 years as mainly a solo performer, the move is described by David as "an interesting change of direction", commenting that he has not regularly played the "big orchestral" works since his time as principal of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. David originally played for about a week with the LSO prior to Christmas and then had a month's trial in April, a time, which included performances of Mahler's Symphony No.5 and Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel. He officially starts with the orchestra in October although he is already playing for them, having shared the first horn seat with Tim Jones in the recent series of John Williams' concerts. He will leave his present position with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in September. Meanwhile David has been recording Schubert's Auf Dem Strom for Hyperion and is scheduled to record the third of his discs for Erato, a CD of chamber music, which will include the Brahms Horn Trio. He also reports that he is back playing on a Paxman horn, having "come full circle".

Martin Owen, at 24 a contemporary and former National Youth Orchestra colleague of David Pyatt, has been appointed to the position of third horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and is currently trialling for the post of principal. Following a week long trial at the end of February, Martin officially joined the orchestra in April, since when he has mainly played the first horn part, including the Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5 with its famed slow movement solo. Prior to taking up this position, Martin had been working with the Berlin Radio Orchestra as first, and had to turn down a well paid post with that orchestra to join the RPO. Martin took up the horn aged 13 and started attending the junior department of the Royal Academy of Music a year later, studying there with James Diack. He joined the NYO at 16. During his teenage years he was also a serious sprinter, competing at national level. He went on to study at the senior Academy with Richard Watkins and Pip Eastop, and played for the London Sinfonietta during his third year there. Since leaving college he has been extremely busy and, in 1996/97, trialled for the first horn post with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Martin, who plays on an elderly Alexander 103, describes the RPO as "the most exciting orchestra I've played in." The section there is now Cormac O'Hayden who joined in 1996 as second , John Bimson and Jim Warburton. Next year looks like being a very busy one for the orchestra with a six-week residency in Colorado and a tour of the Far East.

Glass Horn

Stan Marshall, a master glass blower of Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, UK, earlier this year manufactured, entirely from glass, this playable orchestral horn valued at £2,000. It was the second that 70-year old Mr Marshall had made for a Midlands firm which required it as a gift for a client. The first was smashed when dropped!

Jim Thatcher recently had to round up no fewer than 18 horns and Wagner tubas for a couple of recording sessions. The Los Angeles-based horn player reports that these numbers were included by Joel MacNeeley in his music for a new film entitled "Soldier". Not surprisingly, Jim reports that "a good time was had by all."

A monster hit is predicted for the sophisticated animated movie "Antz", currently on release, in which a tribe of exceptionally well-developed ants makes hay in New York. They are obviously exceptionally well-trained as well, as among their exploits the ants even form a brass band! Among the London musicians recently seen in the studio helping the ants with their studies were Hugh Seenan on Eb trumpet, Chris Larkin and Laurence Rogers on tenor horns and Pip Eastop on, of all things, a tenor cornetto, which, because of its appearance, quickly gained the nickname "The Lizard".

The International Horn Society held its annual week-long festival in Banff in the Canadian Rockies at the beginning of June 1998. Around 400 players took part from just about every continent, with Britain (and the BHS) being represented by five hardies who made the 10,000 mile round trip. Each day followed the same pattern: 'warm-up my way' with a professional, followed by a choice between a masterclass and a lecture. Early lunches were followed by another masterclass (the masters and mistresses including such notables as Gail Williams of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lars Stransky of the Vienna Philharmonic and natural hornist, Ab Koster). Concerts featured in the evening and afternoon. There were competitions for young players, including the 'high horn' and 'low horn' events which tested players' sight-reading and nerves in a situation strongly resembling a formal audition. It was fascinating to hear some young players who had fared exceptionally well in their party pieces, struggling just like the rest of us when it came to tricky moments from Das Rheingold, Fidelio and Till Eulenspiegel. For the few Europeans who made the trip, it was well worthwhile. The next IHS summit takes place from May 18 to 22, 1999 in Athens, Georgia, USA. The one after that will begin the horn-players' millennium in Beijing, China.

The Paxman Young Horn Player of the Year competition received a major boost with the news that the winner is to be invited as a guest artist to next year's International Horn Society workshop in Athens, Georgia, USA from May 18 to 22. Notable young players who have performed at the Workshop in recent years include Britons, David Pyatt and Richard Berry. The victor of the first Paxman competition, Jennifer Montone received her prize at the 1997 IHS event, but this will be the first time that the winner will have been invited to play in these prestigious circumstances. At the time of writing, Paxman managing director, Chris Huning reported that interest in the competition was high with the relevant music even being requested from the Ukraine. By the time you read this the first regional round, that in Lyons, France, should have taken place with the German, US and UK rounds due to take place in early November.

Pat Strevens and Paul Kampen are working on a British Horn Society three-day educational event to be held at the brand new premises of the Leeds Music College . The dates will be April 23, 24 and 25, 1999. It is anticipated that there will be a day for non-horn player brass teachers who teach the horn, a day for horn teachers and a coaching/workshop day for all who are interested. It is hoped that a visit to an Opera North performance can also be arranged.

"I missed playing the horn," Jeff Bryant told The HORN Magazine, explaining why, after less than a year, he has resigned as head of woodwind, brass and percussion at Trinity College of Music. "I thought I 'd done enough playing," he remarked, but this has obviously not been the case. "I also miss my colleagues," he adds. In recent months Jeff has been asked to play in a variety of sessions for both film and television; "people keep asking me to play some nice things." It has proved to him that, in his heart, he remains a player, so from September he will join the ranks of the freelances. However, he will retain links with Trinity for he still finds teaching most rewarding. He will stay on there as a horn teacher and also as a brass coach. In addition, he hopes to again be able to teach at the Guildhall. "I can't bring myself to do a proper job!" the former RPO principal concludes.

Jonathan Williams, co-principal horn of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, has decided to return to his solo and chamber music career, which will include playing with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, of which he is a founder member.

Last year The Horn Magazine featured the story of a Buckinghamshire Middle School with seven horn players. Was this a record, we wondered? If it was, another school in the same county and with the same peripatetic teacher, Beatrix Taylor, has certainly smashed that record. Stokenchurch Middle School, which caters for pupils aged eight to 12, currently has no fewer than 12 horn players ranging from outright beginners to Grade 2. Headmaster, Andrew White told The HORN Magazine that "music here is valued" and believes that, whatever the Government has said about foundation subjects, it must be supported. When he was appointed a year ago he found that he had inherited a large stock of musical instruments which are hired out at £35 a term. Obviously, not all the 12 horns are school-owned and some have to be hired from outside. The school is rich, not just in horn players, but in many instrumentalists, thanks, says Mr White, to "a wonderfully supportive peripatetic team". For a recent festival at the Swan Theatre in High Wycombe, which involved all the schools in the area, Stokenchurch Middle provided around 100 out of the 140 players in the orchestra.

National Youth Orchestra principal, Mark Almond was the only horn through to the National Brass Final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. The televised event, which took place on January 15, saw the Bolton 17-year old perform Alan Abbott's Alla caccia, the Strauss Andante, the first movement of Sea Eagle, a movement of one of the Mozart concertos and a piece by Francaix. Mark also now has dates for the performances in his home town of the Gordon Jacob and Reinhold Glière concertos, these being June 13 and July 4 respectively.

Jennifer Montone, the winner of the 1996 Paxman Young Horn Player of the Year award has been appointed third horn of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

A survey by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music has shown a decline in the number of British children playing musical instruments over the past three years. It has been pointed out that, in particular, the more difficult instruments such as the horn have suffered the most. A similar survey in 1993 showed the one per cent of children aged five to 14 who learnt a musical instrument played the horn. The latest table failed to register even this percentage. The cello and oboe suffered similar falls, although there were some instruments that bucked the trend, notably, as far as the brass section, is concerned, the trumpet. Over a similar period the number of adults playing musical instruments has grown. Those playing the horn have, though, remained static at one per cent of the total.

National Youth Orchestra horn player, James Allen who was last year diagnosed as having cancer, is recovering and responding well to treatment. James has been undergoing treatment at Bristol Children's Hospital. To assist his convalescence NYO members and staff raised £1,130 to buy him a computer. Former NYO principal horn, Neil Shewan handed over the cheque to James on a visit to the hospital.

Neil Shewan has been awarded the Bulgin Medal on behalf of the Worshipful Company of Musicians for his "outstanding contribution to all aspects of National Youth Orchestra life."

Although it has full sections for its Under-14 and Under-13 Orchestras the National Children's Orchestra is still seeking horn players for its Under-12 Orchestra. Suitable candidates should contact Vivienne Price on 01372 276857.

The National Youth Orchestra of Wales horn section last year premiered Keith Whitmore's most recent horn quartet, "Augmentania". 1997 was also the last year in the orchestra for Catriona Kinloch who had played with "The Nash" since 1993. Keith Whitmore appropriately presented he with "The Nash Horn Quartet No.1".

Paul Pritchard, editor of the book on taking up the horn profession, 'The Business', has decided to retire from horn playing to concentrate on his blossoming career as a composer of television and film scores. This was celebrated at the 30th Anniversary Gala Concert of the Orchestra of St. John's, Smith Square in London during late November 1997. Paul rejoined his old orchestra for the day, with principal Ted Chance, in Beethoven's Choral Symphony. In the slow movement, the taxing, exposed fourth horn solo was played with great panache by Jim Rattigan. Tony Catterick and Tony Gladstone completed the horn section.

We are pleased to report that Guildhall student and Shell/LSO Gerald MacDonald winner, Rupert Johnson is continuing to make steady progress following his road accident last year. Despite the seriousness of the crash, Rupert's musical ability appears undiminished. He is now having regular lessons again from Guildhall professor, Hugh Seenan.

David Pyatt made full use of the soaring acoustics of Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre in a broadcast performance of Hugh Wood's Horn Trio, which celebrated the composer's 65th birthday. The event was also the first performance of the work's revised version.

Wood told listeners to BBC Radio 3's Hear and Now programme that he had heard the work played a couple of years previously and had realised that the first movement was far too long when compared to the second. He had thus trimmed the first movement and "removed some weaker material." The result is lively both in mood and structure and at times seems positively aggressive.

Other Horn News pages: