At the Double!

Paxman Musical Instruments had an unexpected 1999 windfall, in the form of an order for 34 horns from the British Army. According to managing director Chris Huning, "A few weeks before Christmas I had a phone call from Richard Fox at Kneller Hall, the Army's music school, asking if we could deliver 34 horns by the end of January. My first reaction was a little incredulous, because, in my time with the company, we have never had a single order for that many horns. Then I thought that it would be impossible, because our delivery time at the moment is around six months. However, it turned out they were deadly serious."

Historic Oxford

Saturday, January 23 1999 saw Oxford University's Bradley Strauchen host a one day workshop at the Bate Collection, Oxford entitled 'An Introduction to the Natural and Hand Horn'. The event included an introduction to the hand horn and its various configurations, extensive coverage of performance techniques (including opportunities to put them into practice on a variety of instruments), a discussion of repertoire for the hand horn, and resources for modern horn players interested in the hand horn (choosing an instrument, obtaining music and method books, etc.) and, for six of those present, performance sessions of multiple horn music and orchestral passages.

Moving House

At the beginning of the year Peter Blake moved opera houses. Formerly a low horn with the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Peter has now taken up a similar position with the English National Opera.

Adolphe Goossens, the young horn player killed on the Somme in 1916, was just one of the Goossens family commemorated by a new Blue Plaque at their one-time home, 70 Edith Road, London W14. The English Heritage plaque was unveiled on January 6 by Anne Obermer, eldest daughter of Adolphe's brother, the conductor, Sir Eugene Goossens.

Congratulations to BHS Executive Committee member, Sarah Gee who has left her post as Development Manager with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields to take up the newly-created position of Director of Marketing and Development with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

The Sound of London: Ian Wagstaff, editor of 'The HORN Magazine', witnesses an historic recording event
What was Anton Horner's saying? "God created some people horn players, others he made less fortunate." Now, He in his wisdom seems to have created a third category; the 30 top London-based players who performed on the forthcoming 'London Horn Sound' CD. This is, arguably, the most significant horn recording to be produced since Dennis Brain's Columbia Mozarts. All right, so it will never be as populist, but that is down to the fact  that, for some unfathomable reason, tenors, sopranos and violinists hog the limelight. Otherwise, take the Thesaurus off the shelf, look up all the superlatives and go OTT. As Jeff Bryant, who paid a visit to the second day's session remarked, "Absolutely blinding playing. This is the horn world's answer to the 1957 recording, "Tutti's Trombones"". In 40 years time those who have lost their original copy will commit cardinal sin for a re-release. If there is any down-side to this recording it is that horn players will demand the music and then wonder how on earth to play it. But, for three cold and wet days in January, London's finest did just that.

The idea originally came from leading freelance and Guildhall professor, Hugh Seenan, who wanted to document the "extraordinary standard" of the current London scene. Such a recording fitted neatly into the Cala label's 'London Sound' series which has already featured trombones, cellos and violas. It would be invidious to pick out any one thing from the recording sessions but, from the second day at All Hallows Church, Gospel Oak, revel in Tony Halstead's low playing, specially arranged for him by Paul Pritchard in Rossini's 'La Danza', or the C to C swoops of David Pyatt and Richard Watkins in the same work. From where does Tim Jones pick the quiet top C that ends 'Stardust', presumably somewhere in the soaring vaults of the church? Hugh being Hugh, there was some James Horner the previous day and in Richard Bissill's arrangement of Titanic the prime mover of the project was required to go even higher. Paul Pritchard turned up to over-see the 'La Danza'. Listening to the staggering pyrotechnics coming from all eight players, he was heard to say "And I was worried that my arrangement might be too difficult...". "What a marvellous sound those guys made. I've never heard anything like it," observed another of the arrangers, Jim Lowe.

The various tracks are for groups of eight, 12 and 16 with the octet comprising players who all are, or were, first horns with major London orchestras. Given the undoubted tradition of British horn playing, these recording sessions must be regarded in historic landmark terms. With Frank Lloyd returning especially from Germany and Tony Halstead astounding even his colleagues with his low playing, Richard Watkins was able to remark that such a section - Richard Bissill, Nigel Black, David Pyatt, Hugh Seenan, Michael Thompson, Frank, Tony and Richard - would not have been possible, even for a film recording. "What other city could put together an ensemble like that?," asked Paxman managing director, Chris Huning, who called in on the session. What made Tony's playing all the more remarkable is that he was feeling unwell. When he was unable to return for the third session, Peter Blake, who had been present on the first day, was more than happy to be called in again. For that final day, the performers moved on to the famed Abbey Road studios. From these takes indulge in the exuberant, unbridled hooliganism (to be read in the nicest possible way!) as eight horns and eight Wagner Tubas let rip in Richard Bissill's arrangement of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (Freddy who?) and then marvel as Nigel Black brings it gently back to earth on his own. Relax into Richard's own ethereal and controlled playing towards the start of another of his arrangements, that of Van Heusen's 'Here's That Rainy Day'. It is not surprising that he once wrote of this piece, "I've liked this melody for as long as I can remember."

That such a recording has been able to happen at all, gratitude must go to former British Horn Society chairman, John Wates, as principal backer. Paxman Musical Instruments, too, regards the project of sufficient importance to take the unusual, for it, step of helping to sponsor the CD, one of only two projects with which it will be involved this year. (The other will be Michael Thompson's Strauss recording for Naxos). "Some of the most extraordinary horn ensemble playing I have ever heard," remarked Chris Huning. "This will be a CD unequalled anywhere." Hugh Seenan, himself, is a third backer. As the players were just recording the final track so three Japanese tourists traversed that famous pedestrian crossing just outside. "Ah," said one with recognition in his voice. "Abbey Road Studios!" "Ah, STAR!" said one of his colleagues. Quite. (Full details of all the players and tracks will be found with the July 1999 edition of The HORN Magazine.)

Former Royal Philharmonic Orchestra principal horn, Jeffrey Bryant would like to thank all those who have supported him in recent months. Shortly after the Summer holidays, Jeff was diagnosed as having a lymphoma. "I was absolutely overwhelmed by the messages of goodwill from horn players not just in London, but from throughout the world," he said, "Tell them to keep coming!" The support of the profession, and of his students past and present, has been of great help. Naturally, Jeff was out of action for a number of weeks. However, towards the end of term he was able to resume teaching in his capacity as a professor at both the Trinity College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is also now "doing a bit of blowing" and hopes to be playing again by about April. In the meantime, he is disappointed that he will not be able to join his colleagues on the London Horn Sound recording. "I have been  really enjoying the teaching," he states, feeling that he is now able to focus his attention on this and not have part of his mind on his own playing. "It is really good to be mixing with the youngsters." In addition to teaching at the two colleges, having returned to the Guildhall last term, he is also responsible for some of the chamber music at Trinity including brass quintets and horn quartets.

Lost Schmid. Horn players are requested to keep an eye out for a Schmid full double, serial number 1751, which was stolen the Saturday before Christmas. The rose gold horn, which has a detachable bell, is the property of Royal Northern College of Music student, Liam Duffy. It was taken, along with a Schmid hard gig bag and a Steve Lewis mute, from a car in the Seymour Grove district of Manchester.

RPO appointments. With the appointments of Martin Owen and Roger Clark as co-principal and third horn respectively, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra now has a full section line-up. Martin's earlier installation as third horn was reported in the July 1998 edition of The HORN Magazine. However, since that time, he has had little opportunity to play in that position having spent most of it in the first's chair. Indeed, he reckons to have played third on only about five or six occasions! At the beginning of November he was confirmed as Jeffrey Bryant's successor, sharing the first's position with John Bimson. At the same time Roger Clark, who had been working with RPO through much of 1998, was appointed to succeed Martin as third. "It's really good to have a full section," remarks Martin. Roger, who studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Sydney Coulston, spent 10 years with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra before moving to London 13 years ago. Here he has played with all the major orchestras and has spent four years in the pit of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Sunset Boulevard. When the show finished he was approached by the RPO, initially to work with them during the summer of 1997, sharing some of the first horn work with Jeff Bryant. He is particularly proud to have been in the section for Jeff's last concert with the RPO which featured Strauss's An Alpine Symphony. Martin and Roger now face a busy 1999. This year the RPO will be touring, in June, the Far East and, in September, South America. They will also be in residency for six weeks in Colorado during the summer. In January, Martin found himself in Spain on three separate occasions with the RPO, London Philharmonic Orchestra and with the Wallace Collection. He also has some solo dates lined up including a performance of the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the internationally renowned singer, Philip Langridge. Despite still being only 25, Martin is now in demand as a teacher and has been giving consultancy lessons to students from most of the major London music colleges. "I get a lot from it," he remarks. "I am more tired when I have been teaching than when I have been playing!"