A4 Brass

JAMIE SMITH (cornet / trumpet )

JONATHAN BATES (tenor horn)

MICHAEL CAVANAGH (baritone horn)

CHRIS ROBERTSON (euphonium)

 

Jonathan Bates

Toccata

Leonard Bernstein arr. Daniel Thomas

Overture to ‘Candide’

Antonio Vivaldi arr. Jonathan Bates

Finale from Violin Concerto

Kentaro Sato arr. Jonathan Bates

Tsunangari

Percy Grainger arr. Jonathan Bates

Molly on the Shore

Edward Elgar arr. Jonathan Bates

Salut d'Amour

Martin Ellerby

Electra Dances: ii. Threnodies iii. Nemesis

 

INTERVAL

 

Andy Wareham

The Code

Bela Bartok arr. Chris Robertson

Six Romanian Folk Dances

Scottish Traditional arr. Jonathan Bates

Loch Lomond

Astor Piazzolla arr. Jonathan Bates

Libertango

Anton Bruckner arr. Chris Robertson

Locus Iste

J.B. Arban arr. Chris Robertson

Carnival of Venice

Jonathan Bates

Mists of the Mountains iii. Requiem from the Tuvan Hills iv. A Tale of Two Peaks

 

This wonderfully mellow brass quartet is comprised of four exceptional – and truly entertaining – musicians. They will perform a super mixed programme, which includes arrangements of familiar pieces and new works composed for them, and will introduce these in their own inimitable way. Works that you may already know are a Vivaldi violin concerto finale; a Sato choral work; a Grainger folk song arrangement, rearranged; a charming Elgar salon piece; Bartok’s folk-inspired Romanian Dances; Loch Lomond; Piazolla’s Libertango; Bruckner’s Locus Iste; and the popular Carnival of Venice; they are all refreshed by adaptation for the distinctive sound world of A4 Brass. The compositions for the group – in style virtuosic and attractive, reflective and lyrical – include a fanfare and two dances, and others take us on journeys – to the Far East, and the Moon.

A4 Brass Quartet comprises principal players from some of the UK’s top brass bands, including Black Dyke, Brighouse & Rastrick, and Foden’s. With “technical virtuosity in abundance” (Brass Band World), these four astonishing musicians come together to perform both lyrical and high-octane works, forming a distinctive and new take on chamber music.

The Quartet has a unique blend of instruments, with a cornet, tenor horn, baritone and euphonium creating an exclusive sound that stands out from the standard brass quartet.

Formed in 2013 at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), the Quartet has performed widely throughout the UK, appearing at major venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan Hall, the Purcell Room, Lake District Summer Music, Northern Aldborough, Wimbledon International and King’s Lynn Festivals. Overseas engagements include a residency at the Lieksa Brass Week in Finland, and a concert in the Ceresio Estate Festival in Switzerland.

The Quartet has featured on national television and radio. In 2016 they released their debut CD at the RNCM Brass Band Festival, featuring new, original music composed for them, including works by Martin Ellerby, Edward Gregson, Oliver Waespi, and Nigel Clarke.

In September 2018 they were selected to become City Music Foundation Artists and the following month were the first brass ensemble ever to win the Royal Philharmonic Society Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award. They regularly work with Live Music Now and Music in Hospitals & Care, and are committed to expanding and diversifying their work.

Hear, and see, Jonathan Bates in conversation with Anthony Pinching about A4 Brass.