The work that initially attracted
me to this disc was On Alderley Edge.
Not only is this an affluent district of Cheshire which is home to top-class footballers
and business executives, it is also a hugely attractive geographical feature.
The Edge itself is owned for the nation by the National Trust. It is a few
years since I have explored this impressive 600ft high red sandstone ridge, but
I recall that the views are stunning. High above the Cheshire Plain, one can
see towards Wales and Snowdonia in the west, Manchester and Blackstone Edge
high above Littleborough in Lancashire to the north and the Peak District in
the east. Unfortunately, trees now obscure some of these views, but it is still
an evocative and energising place to explore.
In fact, Alderley Edge was not
far away from the composer’s one-time home in Cheadle Hulme. Peter Graham has
considered the impact of this landscape in his work, but has also added
legendary content derived from the fantasy novels by Alan Garner which are set
in the locality. There are many evocative places located on The Edge including
Wizard’s Well, Stormy Point and the Devil’s Grave. In the depths of the hill are rumours of
hidden caves with a ‘sleeping army’ ready to rise and protect the country from
a formidable enemy. Peter Graham has captured much of this magic in his piece. The
composer has noted that On Alderley Edge
is a series of ‘tone-pictures’ that are ‘evocative of European romanticism. There
are musical references to Weber’s Der
Freischutz and ‘the ideas of a redemption theme and the triumph of good
over evil’. The music is written in an immediately approachable style, but is
not simplistic. It is very much in the trajectory of brass band music from
Percy Fletcher and Cyril Jenkins without being derivative.
A spin-off from this piece is the
short Holy Well with the baritone
horn soloist Katrina Marzella who is a relatively new member of the Black Dyke
Band. The work makes use of one of the themes prominent in On Alderley Edge. The composer has written, ‘The Holy Well is one
of the landmarks on the Edge, a very ancient site. The arching melody
demonstrates the lyrical art and control of our soloist to perfection’.
I knew virtually nothing about
the composer so I guess a few biographical facts may be of interest to the
potential listener. Peter Graham was born in Scotland in 1958. He grew up in
the milieu of Salvation Army brass band music. Later he studied music at
Edinburgh University and Goldsmith’s College in London. For a number of years Graham
worked as musical editor for Salvation Army in New York and London before
settling in Cheshire. At present he is a full-time composer, however for some
time he was Professor of Composition at Salford University.
Peter Graham has won a number of
awards including American Bandmasters Association/Ostwald Award for Original
Composition for Symphonic Winds and the Iles Medal of the Worshipful Company of
Musicians.
The composer has described how on
17 March 1923 his grandfather set sail from Glasgow on the TSS Cameronia bound
for West Virginia, USA. It was a voyage of hope motivated by thoughts of a
better life after the Great War. Voyage
to Worlds Unknown is a musical exploration of the challenges of this
journey. It is ‘unashamedly programmatic in character.’ The progress of the
work is based on a historical timeline of his grandfather’s actual sea voyage.
Events represented include the ‘grandeur’ of the ship, a jig presumably danced
by the emigrants, a farewell ‘Ae fond kiss’ to loved ones, a storm in the Atlantic,
and finally the first sight of the Statue of Liberty. It is straightforward in its exposition of the
material, however I am not sure that the introduction of the Scottish song is
not just a little kitsch. Voyage to
Worlds Unknown (2012) was premiered in March 2012 at the New York Staff’s
Band 125th Anniversary in the Carnegie Hall.
The Essence of Time dates back to 1990 and is the oldest piece on
this disc. It is a meditation on the well-known passage from the third chapter
of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes – ‘To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heavens.’ Graham has developed this
philosophy by writing an effective set of variations which examines a number of
clauses from this scripture. The piece is largely reflective, but there are a
number of irruptions of violence into the score such as ‘The Time for War’
which acts as a scherzo to the symphonic stature of the piece. ‘The Time to Hate’
is aggressive and dissonant. The heart of the work is ‘The Time to Mourn’ presenting
a cornet solo which eventually is re-presented as the ‘redemption’ theme in a section
entitled ‘The Time for Peace’.
This is a challenging work that
is both moving and imaginative in its working out of the theological statements
of the biblical text.
The other short piece on this CD
is A Time for Peace which showcases a
beautiful solo for flugel horn played by Zoe Hancock. This was extracted from The Essence of Time. The composer has
written that ‘at a time when dark clouds are gathering, and life becomes
increasingly hectic, it seems to offer solace and resolve. It deserves its
place in the repertoire.
The title track of this CD, The Triumph of Time is a largely
abstract piece of music. It is subtitled ‘variations for brass band.’ The liner
notes suggest influences in this music as diverse as Olivier Messiaen and
American Jazz. The opening ‘clock sounds’ will remind filmgoers of the introductory
scene of Back to the Future I. This
is a magical work that explores a wide range of moods and brass band textures.
I loved every bar of this music. It could be criticised as being eclectic, yet
to my ear the synthesis is near perfect. The Black Dyke Band play this complex
and technically challenging piece with consummate skill. It is not my favourite
piece on this CD (On Alderley Edge
is) but it is certainly the most challenging and effective.
It seems superfluous to state
that the playing by the Black Dyke Band under their conductor Prof. Nicholas J.
Childs is superb. The liner notes by a certain Ronald W Holz PhD are helpful,
if a little verbose. It would have been good if the dates of composition of all
the pieces had been given. The sound quality of this music is excellent.
This is a disc of music that I
can recommend to all brass band enthusiasts. I have never enjoyed simply
hearing arrangements of ‘pop’ tunes and the classics played by our great bands.
There is a wealth of original music that has been written by experts in the
medium that deserves to be heard apart from the inevitable brass band
competitions. Peter Graham must be one of the best exponents of the medium
composing today. This new CD deserves all success.
Track Listing:-
Peter Graham (b.1958)
Peter Graham (b.1958)
The Essence of Time (1990)
A Time for Peace (1995)
On Alderley Edge (1997)
The Holy Well (after 1997)
Voyage to Worlds Unknown (2012)
The Triumph of Time (2014)
Black Dyke Band/Professor Nicolas J. Childs
Doyen DOYCD337
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