The Arts Centre, Aberystwyth

A 'training camp' for professional and student brass players. For details and application form contact music-fest@mid-wlaes.net or check the website at www.musicfest-aberystwyth.org. Here's a report from last year's event!

The big day had arrived! The first brass course specifically designed for upwardly-mobile music students and players already establishing themselves on the 'pro circuit' was about to begin! After months of emails and 'phone calls between myself and the ever-patient admin team of Janet Hughes and Gwen Stimpson the concept of a 'training camp' for some of the UK's most talented young brass players was, at last, a reality!

The idea for such a course began in the Summer of 2002 when I was approached by David Campbell, the artistic director of the Aberystwyth Musicfest, to develop a course for brass instrumentalists that would compliment the existing courses for keyboard, wind, strings and composition. On thinking about the idea it occurred to me that there were many opportunities for the keen 'amateur' to participate in summer courses but nothing for players who wished to play with others of a similarly advanced standard. Indeed, it may seem strange to even conceive of a course for players who are aiming to be professionals but the reality for many students at university or music college, and for those in the early stages of their career is that, due to academic or altenative work commitments, there is often little time to concentrate specifically on performing!

So it was that early on the morning of Saturday July 19 Dominic Cotton and I loaded up the car with crates of music, instruments, bikes (for those early morning training rides!) and clothes for every possible weather variant and began the six hour journey from London to Aberystwyth. Any reservations I may have had about twenty four young, hot-headed brass players hitting a sleepy backwater were immediately dispelled when I saw the fabulous facilities available to us at the Arts Centre and excellent accommodation that was given to us.

The centre itself is a really inviting, people-friendly place and the café there has possibly some of the best views in town (and does a great line in cakes!) It is the largest arts centre of its type in Wales and is one of the most popular attractions in the area. The facilities include a theatre, studio theatre, hall, cinema, arts workshops, cafés and exhibition galleries so it was an ideal space for all the rehearsals and performances that were to take place throughout the week.

Aberystwyth itself came as a surprise to all of us as most of us had only known it as an impossible word to spell rather than an important historic town! Here are a few things I learnt whilst in the town:
1415: Henry V used the castle to hold prisoners from Agincourt.
1637: A Royal mint was established in the castle, and lasted until 1643
1645: As part of the Civil War Cromwell's army lay siege to the castle.
1649: The order is given for the castle to be blown up - accounting for its current state!
1909: National Library of Wales founded.

The 24 players on the course comprised 12 trumpets, 5 horns, 4 trombones, 3 tubas (John Watts doing a great job doubling on euphonium!) and the two main works for the week were, Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev, and the last two movements from Widor's Symphony No 5. In addition to this the course had it's own composer-in-residence in the shape of Cecilia McDowall. Cecilia has written some terrific pieces for brass so it was a invaluable experience for the players to work with her and to learn about her music.

The structure of the week was based around the the two concerts given as part of the Musicfest 2003 on the Friday and Saturday evenings and two informal concerts given in the Arts Centre foyer as a 'warm-up' act for the concerts taking place later that evening in the concert hall. The repertoire for the week was incredibly varied and included music for quintet, septet, octet and dectet with horn quartets, trombone quartets and trumpet ensemble repertoire thrown in for good measure! One of the foyer concerts even included an excellent piece by Cecilia, Bells In The Air, for trumpet and horn - a nerve-wracking experience for the two soloists, Martin Grisdale and Lindsay Kempley!

Although the week was 'full on' musically, the social aspect of a course such as this was all important and it was obvious from the first day that everyone had come to have a geat time! The atmosphere amongst the whole group was totally supportive and the warm and friendly attitude that was prevalent was inclusive to everyone. I think I should say, at this point, a big thank you to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Trinity College of Music for financially supporting its' students on this course - it was a vital contribution that went a long way towards the success of the week!

Needless to say, the standard of playing was exemplary and the course made a memorable contribution to the Musicfest 2003. So much so that everyone had been invited back next year before this year's course had finished! So a big thank you to everyone on the course and to Brass Wind Publications, Roger Harvey's Brass Works and Cala Records for providing and supplying so much wonderful repertoire for us to play.

Here's to next year…….