Frank Renton on Brass Frank Renton

In a special edition of our Frank Renton on Brass free podcast, Frank marks the death of James Shepherd, the former principal cornet of the Black Dyke Mills Band, and the founder of the James Shepherd Versatile Brass ensemble. He passed away on Thursday 22nd June, aged 86.
When he recorded this short podcast, Frank said:
"I’m talking about one of my dearest and oldest friends and colleagues, Jim Shepherd, known affectionately by everyone in the business as Gentleman Jim.
That he’s one of the great cornet players of all time goes without saying but his skills as a teacher and mentor to others is often overlooked.
He is simply one of the most natural musicians you could ever meet, and passing on what he knows to others is as natural as everything else.
He remains one of the most liked and respected musicians that I've been privileged to know."

He will be very sadly missed.
For more information on Frank Renton on Brass just visit our website at www.frankrentononbrass.com.

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Our Track of the Week comes from a young trumpet player who is gradually forging a reputation as an international soloist who we like to think had her first taste of fame as the winner of  the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass award way back in 2014.  It's Matilda Lloyd and it's delightful!

Frank's second track is in his opinion one of the greatest pieces ever written for the brass band, and in 1991 he and the Grimethorpe Colliery Band were to give the first performance of the music as reward for being selected as BBC Band of the Year.

"Its sheer virtuosity is remarkable, and conducting it is truly one of the high points of my long musical career.  So, enjoy the The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, playing Paganini Variations by Philip Wilby. The stuff of genius!"

This is the last free podcast of this series, but we'll be back with a longer free podcast after the Summer, with news, reviews and interviews and some more truly wonderful music, so until then from Frank, it's "Thanks for listening and bye now!".
For more information on Frank Renton on Brass just visit our website at www.frankrentononbrass.com.

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In this Frank Renton on Brass free podcast, Frank shares his Track of the Week and a piece of music that conjures up a memory from his life in music.

The memory this week is one from the early 1970s when Frank was Band Master of the Gordon Highlanders and failed to convince his commanding officer that he hadn't just conducted a lot of wrong notes with the conclusion that he'd tried to be too clever by half! 

Frank's Track of the Week is a  brilliant band that seemed to come out of nowhere and took the world by storm.

Enjoy some magical note playing - and yes they are the right ones!
For more information on Frank Renton on Brass just visit our website at www.frankrentononbrass.com.

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For twenty three years I was the writer and presenter of Listen to the Band on BBC Radio 2, an enjoyable and fascinating job, especially after thirty odd years as a member of the Armed Services.

Part of the programme was to interview people making news in the band world, and none was more interesting than the composer Nigel Hess who achieved fame as a composer for the theatre, film and television.
 
We start this podcast featuring Nigel Hess' three short ‘pictures’, inspired by several visits to a small part of the American East Coast, an area which provides great extremes in both the geography and the people.

If that's the entree, then dessert is the thrill of hearing three great cornet players working together brilliantly. Featuring David Dawes, Roger Webster and Jim Shepherd, with the Fairey Band conducted by Stephen Cobb playing The Heralds by tuba virtuoso Philip Catelinet.

It's an absolute musical feast!
For more information on Frank Renton on Brass just visit our website at www.frankrentononbrass.com.

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My Track of the Week this week features a young woman, Matilda Lloyd, whose  fortunes I have followed ever since she won the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award in 2014, accompanied by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band with me conducting them. The track's just brilliant and she's proving to be a complete trumpet star.

My second piece of music this week is also a bit special, certainly to me, not in any high flown emotional or intellectual context, but because of the sheer fun and enjoyment that the music has created. It will certainly get your toes tapping, metaphorically at least!

I first heard it in the 1990s not long after it first appeared, I’ve conducted it lots of times and it never fails to thrill, but this version is quite something else.
For more information on Frank Renton on Brass just visit our website at www.frankrentononbrass.com.

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I never really mastered playing this piano solo by Debussy but when I discovered a wonderfully sensitive arrangement for band I knew it would make a perfect and totally unexpected encore for my concerts with Grimethorpe. 

In my second selection, The Beatles' music has echoed down the decades and with Liverpool in the centre of things last weekend for Eurovision I’ve included a simply staggering arrangement of Get Back as you’ve never heard it before.
For more information on Frank Renton on Brass just visit our website at www.frankrentononbrass.com.

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