Grimethorpe Special

In 1976 arguably the most important Brass Band recording of it’s time was released entitled “Grimethorpe Special” and conducted by Elgar Howarth.

The recording consists of “Fireworks” by Elgar Howarth, narrated by Lady Valarie Solti, Elgar Howarths arrangement of Takemitsu’s “Garden Rain”, Harrison Birtwistles “Grimethorpe Aria” and Hans Werner Henze’s “Ragtimes and Habaneras”.

1976 was the year after “Fireworks” had been unleashed on the unsuspecting banding fraternity at the British Open where Wingates under the baton of Richard Evans took the title playing of number 23. Grimethorpe incidentally did not take part as Elgar Howarth was in the box with William Relton and Roy Newsome, but such was the furore that many conductors thought it “undesirable” and the following years saw the Open revert to ‘Epic Symphony’, ‘Diadem of Gold’ and ‘Benvenuto Cellini’.

Around the mid 70’s Elgar Howarth was perhaps at his most radical in the way in which he brought to the brass band a new and almost revolutionary change in musical perspective. The conservative elements that even today hold back the movement were even stronger then and pieces such as “Grimethorpe Aria” were considered so wayout that they had no place in the movements development. It was perhaps the movement’s greatest mistake.

’Fireworks’ remains a delight of musical wit and invention. The idea may be borrowed but writing is still fresh and insightful and at times wickedly pointed as it highlights both the brass bands potential and its limitations. It is easy to see why so many brass dinosaurs saw it as such a threat to the cosy limits they were used to as it reveals touches of those composers who Howarth admired (and they possibly never heard of) most and there are elements of Birtwistle, Henze and even Vinter throughout.

’Garden Rain’ by the Japanese composer Takemitsu was originally written for the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble in 1974 but Howarth was allowed to re-score it for full band. It is a reflective piece, both elegant and poetic (and very slow) which explores the softness of texture and colour that up until then had not been fully explored by brass band composers.

’Grimethorpe Aria’ (1973) however is a totally different kettle of fish and remains one of the most important brass compositions of the post war period. Howarth is of course a champion of Birtwistle’s music and one of the leading orchestral conductors of his works and the listener is rewarded with a performance that should have led Birtwistle becoming as well known a brass band composer as say Robert Simpson, who’s works started to appear at around the same time.

As Howarth himself remarks in the superb sleeve notes, “It has not yet endeared itself to band audiences reared on more ear tickling fare” (How true – even 25 years later). He believed it would become a masterpiece of the repertoire, and he has been proven right.

The last work is the eclectic and almost exotically eccentric “Ragtimes and Habaneras” by Hans Werner Henze, which has fortunately remained a popular and accessible work, even though it estranges the traditional approach to brass band scoring and instrumental style. Henze knew little of the brass band (except for a list of the instruments and two recordings given to him) and so gave the banding world a brilliant entertainment of 11 miniature pieces of glittering brilliance based around a “Cuban” style of dance rhythms and musical references to Kurt Weil, Romberg and even Mahler. Even today it is as fresh as the proverbial daisy.

As Howarth points out, these composers have tackled the problem (of brass band repertoire) “…enlivening and revitalising a repertoire which had become inbred and stale”. Just remember he wrote this in 1976 – even today his words are almost prophetic.

The above excerpts taken from a review of the record and re-printed by kind permission given by www.4barsrest.com

To read the full review visit http://www.4barsrest.com/articles/art053.asp