Gregson: Music of the Angels London Brass & Rumon Gamba

• Edward Gregson (b. 1945):
• 1 Fanfare for a New Era 02:48
• Symphony in 2 Movements (Version for Symphonic Brass & Percussion):
• 2 Symphony in 2 Movements (Version for Symphonic Brass & Percussion): I. Toccata 05:24
• 3 Symphony in 2 Movements (Version for Symphonic Brass & Percussion): IIa. Theme 01:48
• 4 Symphony in 2 Movements (Version for Symphonic Brass & Percussion): IIb. Var. 1, Fast and Mercurial 01:36
• 5 Symphony in 2 Movements (Version for Symphonic Brass & Percussion): IIc. Var. 2, Strict Tempo, Menacingly 01:29
• 6 Symphony in 2 Movements (Version for Symphonic Brass & Percussion): IId. Var. 3, As the Beginning, but Serenely 04:27
• 7 Symphony in 2 Movements (Version for Symphonic Brass & Percussion): IIe. Var. 4, Fast, with Energy 03:20
• 3 Dance Episodes:
• 8 3 Dance Episodes: No. 1, Molto allegro 02:27
• 9 3 Dance Episodes: No. 2, Andante con espressione 04:01
• 10 3 Dance Episodes: No. 3, Vivace 02:43
• Edward Gregson:
• 11 Flourish for an Occasion 00:52
• 12 Fanfare for P.L. 01:34
• Brass Quintet:
• 13 Brass Quintet: I. Andante sostenuto 05:44
• 14 Brass Quintet: II. Allegro, molto ritmico 05:01
• Edward Gregson:
• 15 Aria for Philip (Revised 2019 Version) 04:28
• Music of the Angels:
• 16 Music of the Angels: I. Slow and Sombre 05:39
• 17 Music of the Angels: II. Slowly, with a Sense of Desolation 02:28
• 18 Music of the Angels: III. Faster 00:51
• 19 Music of the Angels: IV. Cadenza 02:11
• 20 Music of the Angels: V. Fast, with Energy 05:28
• Total Runtime 01:04:19

Info for Gregson: Music of the Angels

Edward Gregson began composing from a very early age, and his extensive output covers a wide range of musical sound-worlds. Music for film, television, and theatre sits alongside choral pieces and works for full orchestra. Having played in a brass band as a teenager, he has shown a special affinity in his compositions for brass throughout his career – both for brass band and for symphonic brass, which we celebrate with this new album. His seminal Quintet for Brass, Three Dance Episodes, and Aria for Philip mark his connection to the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. The album includes Fanfare for PL and Fanfare for a New Era, complementing his two largest-scale works for brass: the Symphony in two movements, and Music of the Angels. Virtuosic playing from London Brass under the direction of Rumon Gamba makes this an essential tribute to Gregson in his seventy-fifth year.

This outstanding programme contains all of Edward Gregson’s significant works for Symphonic Brass, including the seminal Brass Quintet, the Symphony in two movements and Music of the Angels. Edward Gregson is an English composer of international standing, and one of the leading composers of his generation, whose music has been performed, recorded, and broadcast in many countries. He has written orchestral, chamber, instrumental, vocal and choral music, as well as music for theatre and television, with his contribution to the wind and brass repertoire being of particular significance worldwide. He has been commissioned by many leading orchestras and ensembles, including the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Halle orchestras, and has been nominated for both a British Composer’s Award and an Ivor Novello Award. Edward Gregson writes in a highly approachable style, but within a challenging contemporary framework, often using ‘traditional’ forms such as sonata, variation, and fugue to encapsulate his ideas. He has a strong vein of lyrical expression and melody running through his music, but it is also often highly-charged, both rhythmically and texturally. He has been described as ‘a superb craftsman, with great orchestral flair and genuine melodic gifts’, and his music as being both ‘gritty’ and ‘serene’. Another critic has remarked that ‘his ability to suggest a world both familiar and strange is impressive.

London Brass
Rumon Gamba, conductor

London Brass
was born in 1986 out of the world-famous Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, having been brought to a close by its namesake and founder upon retirement. Today, London Brass comprises a pool of the best players in the UK from backgrounds in every genre of music making.

During the 1980s and 90s, former PJBE members continued the pioneering spirit, producing ground- breaking recordings (with Warner Classics), concert programmes and educational events throughout the United States, Asia and Europe. In the mid 1990s, the group embraced a new direction with the addition of a jazz trombone & trumpet, leading to collaborations with artists such as Jango Bates, Mark Anthony Turnage, Mike Gibbs, Richard Rodney Bennett, Moondog, John Surman & Jack DeJohnette.

In recent times, the ensemble has toured many countries throughout Europe and performed at various notable landmarks in the capital: Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, Barbican, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Old Whitehall & Banqueting House and 10 Downing Street - for global televised occasions, such as the BBC Proms, Millennium Celebration Concert, Queens Jubilee and Papal Visit.

Since the 2016 celebratory 30th year, London Brass has appeared in the UK: Wigmore Hall, Newbury Spring Festival, Trinity Laban Conservatoire & Kings Cross Cubitt Series; and abroad: Italy, Poland, Russia. Summer festivals in Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg, Worlitz and St Moritz. Our annual christmas concerts in Germany are always very popular, playing to full capacity houses in wonderful venues such as the Elb, Köln & Berlin Philharmonies. We are very happy to be associated with the Hannover Boys Choir for some of these events.

Rumon Gamba
British conductor Rumon Gamba held the positions of Principal Conductor and Music Director of NorrlandsOperan between 2008 and 2015 and Chief Conductor of the Aalborg Symfoniorkester between 2011 and 2015. He was also Chief Conductor and Music Director of Iceland Symphony Orchestra between 2002 and 2010. He regularly leads the BBC orchestras and has appeared at the BBC Proms on a number of occasions.

A champion of new music, Gamba has conducted several high profile premieres including the world premieres of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys at English National Opera, Brett Dean’s Viola Concerto with the composer and BBC Symphony Orchestra; national premieres of Poul Ruders’ Dancer in the Dark and Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Blood on the Floor and Scherzoid with Norrdlands Operan and the Australian premiere of the original version of Sibelius’ Symphony No.5 with Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In 2016 he conducted Larsson Gothe’s The African Prophetess with the orchestra of Norrdlands Operan and Cape Town Opera Chorus as part of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestras’ composer week. In 2019, Gamba debuted with Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra to conduct a programme dedicated to the film composer, Frédéric Devreese.

Highlights of Gamba’s 2019/20 season include conducting Francesco Tristano’s Island Nation project with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and conducting the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Gamba also returns to Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Oulu Symphony, Romanian Radio Symphony, Macedonian Philharmonic, and RTE National Symphony orchestras.

Rumon Gamba has conducted a number of operatic titles including Carmen, La bohème, Otello, Candide and a new production of Rigoletto. In celebration of Umeå’s status as European Capital of Culture 2014, he conducted NorrlandsOperan in an epic outdoor production of Elektra with La Fura dels Baus, which was critically acclaimed.

Booklet for Gregson: Music of the Angels