National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain
The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (founded in 1952) and the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain (founded in 2004) offer the finest young brass players in the country between the ages of 8 and 18 the best possible musical experience.
Introducing Bramwell Tovey - Artistic Director, National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain
"Music is a language through which kids can express themselves. It gives them a sense of harmony and working within the framework of a community towards a common goal."
Bramwell Tovey has been Artistic Director of the for two years. An internationally acclaimed conductor, composer and pianist, he is also Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, which was awarded a Grammy in 2007, and is Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.
“I was brought up in the world of brass bands. I was born in Ilford in Essex and my family were pretty ordinary people. In those days they were members of the Salvation Army, so I was brought up playing music in Salvation Army choirs and bands. Brass bands were my introduction to music. So when the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain approached me I was very anxious to get involved because I believe so sincerely in what they are doing. I see doing this as going straight back to my roots and giving something back. I have enormous respect for the people who have looked after the band over the years.
"Brass bands came from a really solid working-class tradition – from the mines and the industrial north – and filtered down to the south. The vast majority of the volunteers and people on the board have been part of that and they really have dedicated themselves to making it work. I tend to be involved in two courses a year, one as a full conductor and the other as a tutor and adviser to the band members. The kids give the band tremendous loyalty and there is a real desire to play as well as possible.
"Some kids come from really difficult backgrounds but they come in, do the work and become a member. By the end of a course you realise what incredible people they are. When we did our recording last year I found myself treating them as I would my professional musicians – that is, with great courtesy but also with great musical demands – and they responded so well to that. I always say to the staff that I get much more out of it than I put in. When you can throw your energy at kids in this way and hear them respond… I get enormous satisfaction and stimulation from that.
"Music is a language through which kids can express themselves. It gives them a sense of harmony and working within the framework of a community towards a common goal. When I see a kid develop from being really shy and withdrawn to being a confi dent member of the band, the transformation is wonderful. The professional orchestras I work with are real crackerjack outfi ts but the end result with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain has turned out to be just as satisfying. It can be hard work but it reaps its rewards nine-fold when you get to the end of the week and the kids are playing to such a high standard. It’s a great experience.”
Case Study: Peter Moore - 2008 BBC Young Musician of the Year (NYBBGB)
12 year-old Peter Moore was awarded the pretigious BBC Young Musician of the Year title this year and as the youngest ever winner in the 30 years of the noteworthy competition showed the maturity and musicianship of a player far beyond his years.
Peter lives in Stalybridge, is Principal Trombone with Wingates Band and is a student at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester under the guidance of Andy Berryman. Belfast-born, he comes from a family of experienced brass players. Both his parents were professional French horn players in the Ulster Orchestra. His brother David is studying trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and all the family play in brass bands around the North West.
For Peter the BBCYM experience was an increasingly exciting journey culminating with his appearance in the Grand Final at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff in May with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Peter comments: “Looking back on my progress in the competition, it has been a very long journey. The whole thing started for me in early July 2007 and only finished in May 2008. In that final week I arrived with my brother David after a three and a half hour train to Cardiff Central from Manchester Piccadilly. I met the other Grand Finalists that night as the BBC took us all out to dinner.
“Rehearsals with the National Orchestra of Wales started on the Wednesday at the BBC studios and each of the finalists had an hour each day until Saturday morning, when we all had a final run through with the orchestra in the Millennium Centre. The auditorium was incredible. When you looked up, the height was overwhelming.
“I did the full Tomasi Concerto on the Saturday night with the National Orchestra of Wales, which was a great experience. We all came back on the Sunday and performed a movement of our concertos, which the adjudicators chose, plus a short five-minute piece of our own choice. I picked Jan Sandstrom’s Sang til Lotta. The hard work was all over then as we waited backstage anxiously! I couldn’t believe it when I was announced as the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008. It was all a dream until the next week when it finally sank in!”
And of course there are now new and equally exciting opportunities, “I have a Wigmore Hall Recital and a concerto with the BBC National Symphony Orchestra of Wales in October. There is also talk of a tour to the Gulf States and possibly a trip to Frankfurt as well as confirmed solo recitals and many solo spots with brass bands in the next year. I also have a concerto in April 2009 and one in the 2009-2010 season.”
Watch Peter’s complete performance online at
www.bbc.co.uk/youngmusician/sites/competition/brass.shtml
Visit the official website for the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain
www.nybb.org.uk
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