Viva Italia

Instrumentation

VERSION 1 [original]: 3 Trumpets, French Horn, 2 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba VERSION 2: 2 Trumpets, 2Trombones, Tuba

Other Information

Viva Italia was written for the Leicestershire Schools’ Symphony Orchestra Brass Ensemble in 1979 and taken on their concert tour of Italy being first performed in the summer of that year. It is dedicated to Darryl Bonser, Kevin Morgan and Simon [‘Jerry’] Baum. It has had many performances since and was recorded in Q Studios, Leicestershire by the amazingly brilliant brass players [with two of their friends] at King Edward VII College: Darryl Bonser, David Blackadder,Darron Moore, Martin Axe, Simon ["Jerry"] Baum, Kevin Morgan, Pete Smith and Ken Ferguson.

Later performances have included a Local Composers Concert in 1987 at the Victorian Gallery and Concert Hall at the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery [Trumpets: Shaun Hooke, Lee Rogers, Gary Stabana; Horn: Roger Price; Trombones: Christopher Stock, Alex Hewins; Bass Trombone: Stuart Price; Tuba: James Baker]. This ensemble also took the work to Italy playing it at Pratolino near Florence in 1986. A subsequent performance by the LSSOBE was at the Great Hall of Wyggeston Collegiate College in the early 1990s conducted by Philip Penglase. Professional performances have been by the Welsh Brass Consort [brass players of the Welsh National Opera orchestra] under the direction of Brian Raby and by Blackadder Brass [in the reduced orchestration] under its genius trumpet player, David Blackadder, at many venues including Symphony Hall, Birmingham; St David´s Hall, Cardiff; Barbican Hall, City of London and Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.

One of the most successful live performances was at Derby Cathedral with the Royal Northern College of the Music Brass Ensemble under the direction of the composer on St. George’s Day [April 23rd] 1994. The RNCM Brass ensemble featured Kate Nott, Paul Newton, Tracey Redfern, Ben Storey [trumpets]; Edward Lockwood [french horn]; Ian Hogan, Paul Fisher [tenor trombones]; David Weaver [bass trombone]; Tony Hobson [tuba]; Richard Charles [timpani]; Charles Ashby and James Goodwin [percussion].

Though not strictly an original work, it is nevertheless a tribute to the Italian gift of melody with the emphasis on unusual arrangements to suit the brilliance of the amazing student performers most of who went on to tremendously successful careers in music.

Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610 [opening]

Cottrau: Santa Lucia [French Horn Solo]

Verdi: La Donna è mobile [ a tenor solo on the Tuba!]

Leoncavallo: Vesti la giubba [Trombone 1 solo]

Mendelssohn: Italian Symphony [opening of Movement 2: Trumpet 2 & Trom. 2]

Di Capua: O Sole Mio [Bass Trombone solo joined by Trumpet 3]

Di Capua: O Sole Mio [TANGO: Trumpets with percussive Tuba]

Di Capua: O Sole Mio [TARANTELLA: Trumpet 1 and Trom. 1 unison octaves]

Verdi: the end of Mira di acerbe lagrime

Mendelssohn: Italian Symphony [opening]

The photographs are all taken from the recording session at Q Studios in Leicestershire in 1980. Above left: Martyn Axe and Ken Ferguson listening to the playback. Below left: Ken Ferguson [tuba]; Pete Smith [bass trombone]; Kevin Morgan [trombone 2] & Simon Baum [trombone 1] practising. Below left: Darryl Bonser [trumpet 1]; David Blackadder [trumpet 2] and Darron Moore [trumpet 3] waiting for the next take. Below right: David Fisher & ‘Jerry’ Baum listening to the balancing of the tracks.