Edward Gregson: Two World Premieres
27th April 2018
Euphonium Concerto
The new Euphonium Concerto by Edward Gregson, commissioned by international euphonium soloist David Childs, will receive its premiere in its incarnation for brass band on 16th June in Tokyo, Japan. Further performances will take place in the Autumn in Belgium and Switzerland. The orchestral version will be recorded next January by David Childs and the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Bramwell Tovey, for the second volume of ‘The Symphonic Euphonium’ on the Chandos label.
Gregson’s three-movement concerto, lasting some 22 minutes, is symphonic in both its structure and scale. Its constituent movements, subtitled Dialogues, Song without Words, and A Celtic Bacchanal, explore the full range of the technical, musical, and emotional scope of the euphonium. It is demanding for both soloist and band/orchestra.
The Salamander and the Moonraker
On July 1, Gregson’s cantata The Salamander and the Moonraker receives its long-awaited premiere at the Bridgewater Hall. Stephen Bell conducts the Hallé Orchestra and Hallé Children’s Choir in a concert of ‘Magical Journeys’ featuring famous music from the movies, not least the Murder on the Orient Express Suite by Richard Rodney Bennett.
The story tells of the adventures of some children caught up in the magical realms beyond Earth. They are transported into space to rescue the Moonraker, held captive by the god Thor. They enlist the help of the mythological Salamander to carry them through Thor's barrier of fire and rescue the Moonraker and take her back to the Moon.The music is widely contrasting in its use of ‘free’ passages that tell the story, and set songs, some ‘popular’ in style and idiom. The orchestration is highly colourful with particularly important roles for piano, harp and percussion.
Book Tickets: Halle Orchestra: Magical Journeys
