GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA
British Invasion! is a program of works for trombone or euphonium with piano accompaniment, performed by music faculty members Micah Everett and Stacy Rodgers. The opening piece, Gordon Jacob‘s “Trombone Concerto” was premiered in 1955 by Denis Wick, performing with the City of Birmingham (UK) Symphony Orchestra. It has since then been a standard “warhorse” in the trombone repertoire. “The Eternal Quest” comes from the Salvation Army catalog, a very important stream of British brass music. Originally for trombone with brass band accompaniment, the composer intended for the piece to depict a troubled soul seeking after God, only to discover that God had been seeking him as well.
The entire second half of the program consists of works originally for euphonium and brass band. “The Euphonium Concerto” by Joseph Horovitz is a vital part of that repertoire, and serves as something of a model for the other fine euphonium concerti that have been written since its premiere in 1972. Philip Sparke is usually known by euphonium players as a composer of works filled with difficult fast passages, but “Aubade” instead exploits the beauty of the euphonium’s tone quality. The final piece, “Brillante“, is an exciting theme and variations on the “Rule Britannia” theme.
$10, $8 Students, $5 Children
