Festival News
Celebration of Brass & Percussion
With the willing and enthusiastic assistance of Miss Jennifer Cook, the Music Service Head of Brass and Percussion, the “Celebration of Brass and Percussion” workshop last weekend was a resounding success.
Our guest conductors, Richard Evans and Alan Fernie, both of whom are highly regarded all over the world for their input to brass bands through conducting, composing, arranging and adjudicating, were welcomed by 88 young people who were eager to learn. We were also fortunate to secure the services of Mr Eoin Tonner, one of the brass band movements rising star performers who plays principal cornet with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, Carnoustie & District Brass Band and Arbroath Instrumental Band.
The students were placed in either the Junior or Senior Band, depending on age, with Alan Fernie conducting the Juniors and Richard Evans conducting the Seniors as well as the Combined Band. Throughout the weekend there were individual Master Classes which were tutored by Eoin Tonner together with conductors and volunteers from most of the Island’s Brass Bands.
The culmination of the workshop was a concert at St. Ninian’s High School Gymnasium on the Sunday afternoonof the 13th September with Eoin Tonner giving a very impressive solo performance. The concert was attended by over 300 people to support the young musicians and to hear the impressive performances which were highly acclaimed by both our guest conductors.
It is hoped that this will become an annual event.”posted on: 15/09/2009
Celebration of Brass and Percussion
In 2008, the Manx Music Festival was very fortunate to receive a substantial donation from The Lord Cockfield Trust, for which the Festival is very appreciative.
This donation is helping us assist the young people on the island by organising workshops in the various disciplines of Music and Drama in which they successfully compete every year.
Our first event will be a “Celebration of Brass and Percussion” on the weekend of Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September at St. Ninian’s High School in Douglas. This event has been arranged with the assistance of Miss Jennifer Cook, the Music Service Head of Brass and Percussion, who has been able to call on the assistance of many local experienced musicians to act as guest tutors.
Our guest conductors are Richard Evans and Alan Fernie. Richard and Alan are both highly regarded all over the world with their input to brass bands through conducting, composing, arranging and adjudicating, as well as working on a regular basis with young people.
The workshop delegates will also be performing with a guest soloist, cornet player Eoin Tonner. Eoin is one of the brass band movements rising star performers. He plays principal cornet with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, Carnoustie & District Brass Band and Arbroath Instrumental Band. Eoin has just recently returned from Athens where he was guest soloist with the Aberdeen City Youth Brass Band. He has just finished high school and will be attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama next year, working on a performance degree.
The culmination of this workshop weekend will be a concert on Sunday 13th September at St. Ninian’s High School Gymnasium commencing at 2pm, to which the general public is invited to attend. Tickets are available from Peter Norris Music Shop, Finch Road, Douglas and the Music Centre, Lord Street, Douglas. Admission for this event is free of charge but by ticket only. Places are limited so it is advisable to get tickets before the event.
posted on: 06/09/2009
The Finals
Mezzo Soprano Mandy Griffin is the winner of this year's Cleveland Medal. At the end of Saturday evening's proceedings, guest adjudicator Jeffrey Wynn Davies praised all the finalists, but said that on this sort of occasion there was invariably a moment in one performance when those listening - including adjudicators - were moved, and knew they were experiencing something very special. For him, and those listening, it was Mandy who produced that moment in her magical performances of Bach's 'Et exultavit Spiritus Meus' from the Magnificat in D' and 'Silent Noon' by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Earlier in the evening Mandy also won the final of the Lieder Class (the F M Cubbon Rose Bowl), contested by the winners of the six winners of the individual Lieder classes which had been held earlier in the week.
The other winners were Rachel Hopkinson who was awarded the Sheffield Plate, and Harry Galbraith and Graham Crowe who won the Billown Rose Bowl as winners of the Vocal Duets Final.
And so the Guild is over for yet another year, and we look forward to 2010. Thanks to all involved in any way in this year's Festival for your support, and especially our competitors - whether or not winners - who have given us so many magical moments during the past eight days.posted on: 05/05/2009