EARTH AND MOON: Music for Brass Quartet
Ian MCQUEEN
The Heights of Halifax
Antony
ROPER A
String of Tones
Stuart SCOTT
Fellscape
Andrew SEIVEWRIGHT
Gowbarrow Gavotte
Donald
BOUSTED Tears
Peter
CRUMP The March of the Hare
David
SOLOMON Pieces of Eight
Raymond
PARFREY Tributes to
Tunesmiths, Male Voices for Brass
Guto Pryderi
PUW Visages
Michael REGAN
Quartet
Colin
BAYLISS Tuba Quartet No. 2, Ale &
Arty
Hugh Collins
RICE Earth and Moon
Derek
WOOD Tubafusion
TUBALATE TCD 4
£12.00 (£10.00 to BMS members), from John Powell, 39 Water View
Park, Leigh, Lancs WN7 4JP (tel/fax 01942 680941) [E-mai1:
tubalate@hotmail.com;
www.tubalate.com]
Tubalate is a highly accomplished group of two euphoniums and two bass tubas
which has enterprisingly commissioned a large number of original works from
modern British composers of which this CD presents fourteen. These afford
much stimulating variety. The Heights of Halifax is in the tradition
of Pacific 231 and The Iron Foundry and depicts machines of
the Industrial Revolution in the Calderdale Industrial Museum. Tears,
Visages (Guto Puw in Welsh) and the title piece are astringent,
often whimsical but well written for these instruments. Antony Roper's
A String of Tones has much contrapuntal interest; Solomon's
Pieces of Eight, mainly lyrical and Raymond Parfrey's two
attractive three movement suites all rely considerably on modal elements.
Michael Regan's Quartet, featuring jazz and Latin American
rhythms, Peter Crump's catchy March of the Hare and Canadian-born
Derek Wood's Tubafusion ("fusing" classical and jazz, though
the latter dominates) are similarly approachable, as is Andrew
Seivewright's Gowbarrow Gavotte, which contrasts syncopated rhythms
with perhaps a glimpse of Wordsworth's daffodils. Stuart Scott's
Fellscape, from much the same geographical area, is a sterner, though
still accessible, landscape. Colin Bayliss's Ale & Arty,
including spoken texts on beer, is a pure fun piece. Performances are excellent
- having been to one, Tubalate's concerts are certainly memorable - and once
one has got used to the unusual instrumentation, there is much to enjoy here.
Philip Scowcroft
