LSO Brass at the Barbican

BBW Editor David Childs reviews the LSO Brass in concert at the Barbican Centre.

The iconic sound of the London Symphony Orchestra Brass has, for many years, been a defining feature of the LSO itself. Brilliance in attack, breadth of tone, an ability to display innate lyricism juxtaposed with sheer power are just part of what makes this section the envy of orchestras throughout the globe.

Having recently taken the same programme on tour to Japan, this concert provided the ensemble’s ‘home fans’ with a chance to hear them perform it in the wonderful acoustic of the Barbican Hall.

Performed in chronological order, the four works comprising the first-half began with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in G major, in which the delicate piccolo trumpet playing of Jason Evans, was a particular highlight.

Two Brahms’s Intermezzos followed, expertly arranged by former LSO trombonist, Eric Crees. The dynamic contrast achieved by the ten musicians on stage really was quite staggering, but so too was the beautifully lyrical flugel playing of Gerry Ruddock.

A lack of well-crafted repertoire can often be an issue for brass ensembles, but with the likes of James Maynard and Dudley Bright
in the trombone ranks, no such problem exists for the LSO Brass. Maynard’s masterful arrangement
of four Lyric Pieces by Edvard Grieg was the highlight of the first half. Philip Cobb shone in Arietta, before the playful Grandmother’s Minuet showcased a delicate and precious side to the ensemble. Homeward brought with it phenomenal technique from all quarters, whilst the finale, Remembrances, was particularly notable for seamless dovetailing of lines in the trumpet section and the stylish tuba playing of Patrick Harrild.

As well as providing a velvet bass foundation throughout the evening, Patrick also provided moments of great wit through his entertaining, yet perfectly informed compèring. Whilst justly celebrating the LSO’s many fine education initiatives, he recalled composer Ayanna Witter- Johnson’s ‘quality of invention’ as the catalyst to commission her new work, Where Clouds Meet the Sea. The composer’s intention was to ‘explore the lyrical qualities of brass’, and this she did in a colourful work featuring a variety of muted sounds.

Nine of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, expertly arranged by Principal Trombone Dudley Bright, began the second-half, before 
the group’s players let their hair
down a little! It would be easy to
use superlative after superlative
 when describing the ensemble’s performance of Jim Parker’s A Londoner in New York and Mark Nightingale’s arrangement of Suite from Porgy and Bess, but it really wouldn’t do them justice. World-class brass playing, world-class ensemble playing - an absolute pleasure to hear.