CD REVIEW
– MOSAIC
A4 Brass Quartet
Somm Recordings
SOMM D0638 [70:59]
'
Here is another
slightly left-field release of
the kind that makes this label so
fascinating. It will definitely
be of interest to lovers of brass
bands and, indeed, anyone who
favours instruments being blown
rather than bowed. So, we have
the principals from four of the
UK's top bands, including Black
Dyke, Foden's, and Brighouse
& Rastrick … don’t
know why the fourth gets no
mention.
For their Somm
debut the A4 Brass Quartet have
chosen an exciting programme mix
of the familiar – Overture
to 'Candide', Autumn
Leaves, Molly on the
Shore, Salut
d’Amour, Bartok's
popular Six Romanian Folk
Dances – with the less
well-known.
The opening work, Cuarteto,
originally written as a saxophone
quartet and specially revised for
this disc, is by José Serebrier
(born 1938). He is also among the
most recorded conductors of his
time, and it would be no surprise
if many readers have at least one
of his albums (this label has
four) in their collection.
Popular at the
group's concerts, Tsuna'ngari
(Connection) was written by
award-winner Kentaro Saro in
tribute to victims of Japan's
2011 earthquake and tsunami. This
lovely reflective piece could
become the album’s earworm.
Another favourite,
Locus iste, was composed
by the 19th century Austrian
composer, Anton Bruckner, to
celebrate the dedication of the
votive chapel at Linz Cathedral,
where he had been organist. The
helpful commendably clearly
printed liner notes inform us
that due to the nature of the
quartet's instrumentation, choral
works translate across very
easily.
Four more of the
dozen works are receiving a first
recording: Toccata 2 by
Jonathan Bates (b.1995), three of
the 5 Miniatures by
Christian Overhead (b.1989),
competition-winning The Black
Dahlia by Daniel Hall
(b.1996) – inspired by a
truly gruesome happening –
and Street Songs by
Bramwell Tovey (b.1953), who is
Principal Conductor of the
wonderful BBC Concert Orchestra.
The inspiration here was from
seeing photographs of early
open-air Salvation Army bands
with their random combination of
instruments. Mirabile dictu,
there are tunes among these 28
minutes of contemporary music.
Responsible for
what is an extremely entertaining
album, the members of A4BQ,
formed in 2013, are Jamie Smith
on cornet/flugelhorn, composer
and arranger Jonathan Bates on
tenor horn, Mike Cavanagh on
baritone horn and Chris Robertson
on euphonium, as well as arranger
of the Bartok and Bruckner.
At the time of
writing, the disc is available
direct from Somm at a special
price of £8.80, plus £3
postage, and the download for
£4.80. Other record outlets are
available.
© Peter
Burt 2021
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