NYBBS feature in a tale of two cities

Today is about a tale of two cities for the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) students who have been a week-long summer course at Strathallan School in Perthshire.

Their tutorials and rehearsals have drawn to a close as they now head off to Perth Concert Hall for performances of the music they have been practising for this end-of-course event. The Children’s band will be performing at 3pm in the venue and the Reserve and Senior bands will be on stage from 6.30pm.

But before that the Reserve band will be making the 60-mile journey down to Scotland’s capital city to take part in the opening show of the Edinburgh International Festival where the players will be joining over a dozen other music organisations to bring a variety of listening experiences to the occasion.

Festival director Nicola Benedetti has fused together brass bands and pipers, rappers and choirs in a diverse community of Scotland’s young musicians for an energetic afternoon of music making from 12 noon.

The NYBBS Senior band will be making an appearance at the festival alongside the Grit Orchestra in the city’s Ross Bandstand tomorrow.

Repertoires for today’s concerts in Perth Concert Hall will include:

Children’s band

Starlight (Alan Fernie)

The Gift of a Thistle [from Braveheart] (James Horner arr. Jan Van Kraeydonck)

Neverland (Christopher Bond)

Percussion feature – Crazy Train (Osborne/Rhoads/Daisley)

The Mickey Mouse March (Jimmie Dodd arr. Bocock/Sparke)

Jurassic Park  (John Williams arr. Cameron Mabon)

A little Disney (arr. Alan Fernie)

Reserve band

Olympic Fanfare and Theme (John Williams arr. Peter Graham)

Breezin’ Down Broadway (arr. Goff Richards)

My Ain Folk (Laura Lemon arr. Peter Graham)

Summon the Dragon (arr. Peter Graham)

Sanctuary (Philip Sparke)

Calling Cornwall (Goff Richards)

How to Train Your Dragon (John James Powell arr. Fredrick Schjelderup)

African Funk (Alan Fernie)

Encore: When I Grow Up [from Matilda] (Tim Minchin arr. Philip Harper)

Senior band

Horizons (Paul Lovatt-Cooper) 

Erl Konig [The Elf King] (Schubert, arr. Paul Saggers) 

Do You Take This Monster... (Paul Saggers) 

The Devil in I  (Root and Taylor, arr. Paul Saggers) 

A New Life (Frank Wildhorn, arr. Paul Saggers)

Organum  (Alan Fernie) WORLD PREMIERE 

Starlings (Alan Fernie)

Glorifico Aeternum (Dean Jones)

Admission to the Children’s band performance can be booked via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nybbs-2023-childrens-band-concert-tickets-666525695297 and the joint Reserve/Senior bands concert is bookable at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nybbs-2023-senior-and-reserve-bands-concert-tickets-666545825507

Tickets can also be purchased on the door, priced £5 and £12.

The NYBBS summer course is supported with funding from Creative Scotland through its Youth Music Initiative.