BBC Prom 30

Gavin Higgins – Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra (World Premiere)
Hector Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique op 14
Tredegar Band and BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Ryan Bancroft

A PAIRING of radical works, both over the top in their orchestration and introduction of under-loved instruments and gigantic in vision made for an already exciting affair.

Hector Berlioz’s genre-defining symphony is often a highlight of any concert, however, it is hard to not feel it to be slightly dwarfed by the sheer vision of Higgins’ world premiere Concerto Grosso.

Listening via the radio, we had the luxury of hearing a brief interview with Higgins prior to the premiere, and it was a simple joy to hear a composer not being shy about coming to music via brass bands, but also to hear a composer talk about the importance and the relationship of class to the brass band world.

In 1948 the Workers’ Music Association wrote “it is fundamentally a workers’ music, the brass band. Further, since the competitive spirit has brought remarkable technical ability to the front, we should like to see the scena or concerto forms more generally utilised.”