Music: Pandemic 1349

Paul McGhee delivers a uniquely sinister concert work that captures the fear and terror of the Black Death as it spread through London in 1349. An ominous, tonally ambiguous opening is interspersed with disturbing hints towards the nursery rhyme ring-a-ring o’ roses, before building to a chaotic, screaming climax. A more reflective passage follows, led by a lyrical flugel feature.

The fear and chaos never quite leaves however, with the melodic material being played against the backdrop of what has gone before. Whilst perhaps not to everyone’s taste, a band willing to work on mastering McGhee’s unique contemporary sound world will reap rich rewards from this wonderfully imaginative piece - winner of the Best New Composition Award at the 2016 Brass in Concert Championships.

THOMAS DUNNE