Chaconne07

Chaconne Brass was formed in 1984 and have established a reputation as one of Britain's most versatile ensembles. Their repertoire spans from Praetorius to Steve Reich, from Gershwin to Miles Davis, from Acoustic to Electro-acoustic and from Brass to Beyond...

Chaconne Brass have an ever-growing list of over 50 works written for the group, a large part of which they have recorded. In addition to extensive touring with Chaconne Brass, members work as guest principals and soloists with some of the top orchestras and ensembles in Britain. Several members are also teachers as well as successful composers and arrangers with a large number of commissions, concerts and broadcasts in Britain and other countries.

A combination of entertainment, creativity and excellence has allowed Chaconne Brass to develop a totally unique style that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds; whether it is a a recital at London's South Bank, a radio or TV broadcast, a workshop for college students or a performance for very young school children, Chaconne Brass are always met with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Chaconne has a large and diverse repertoire of music spanning 600 years including many works specially written for the group; these have been commissioned to fit in with Chaconne's aim of pushing forward the musical boundaries as well as of presenting entertaining programs of the highest musical standards.

A typical Chaconne Brass performance will range from renaissance to modern, classics to experimental and from the profound to the downright silly.

Chaconne Brass have performed to audienences at the Queen Elisabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Conway Hall, St John's Smith Square and St Martin's-in-the-Fields London, St David's Hall Cardiff, die Philharmonie Berlin, BBC Radio 3, Radio 4, BBC1 TV and Classic FM

Simon de Souza (horn) studied with the international virtuoso Ifor James at Colchester Institute, where he also won many prizes for chamber music, before going on to a post-graduate year at Trinity College of Music.

Since leaving college, Simon’s career has encompassed a wide variety of freelance playing: as a recital and concerto soloist, in orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with the Bolshoi Ballet (though only as a horn player!), West End and touring shows, chamber groups and, of course, Chaconne Brass!

Simon is also among the most highly regarded teachers of the horn in Britain, holding specialist posts at Wells Cathedral School, The Purcell School and the Junior department of the Royal Academy of Music, and acting as a consultant and coach to many other establishments and organisations. Most recently he has been appointed to the horn teaching staff at the Birmingham Conservatoire.

He also writes extensively on horn playing matters and is Vice-Chairman of the British Horn Society. When not playing the horn he reads, cooks, cycles, makes highly detailed models of railways and Chairs the Highland Railway Society!

James Doherty (tuba) joined the National Youth Orchestra at 16 and was a finalist in the Shell London Symphony Orchestra competition, before gaining a scholarship to the Royal College of Music.

He enjoys performing with orchestras and ensembles (becoming a member of Chaconne Brass in August 2000), and has also appeared as a soloist several times. Alongside a busy playing schedule, James holds teaching posts at a number of Independent Schools and with the Berkshire Young Musicians Trust where he also conducts a variety of ensembles.

James has worked as Orchestral Manager, Librarian and Stage Manager for the New London Orchestra (of which he was co-founder) and the European Community Youth Orchestra, including tours to all the European Capitals, America, Russia, Scandinavia and India.

He now assists Mark with the administration of Chaconne and between them they attempt to keep the others under control! [editor's note: Ha!]

Torbjörn Hultmark (trumpet) was born in Sweden in 1957 and came to live in the UK in 1985. He studied at the Gothenburg Conservatoire of Music and at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies, Goldsmith’s College, London - his main teachers were Bengt Eklund (Gothenburg) and John Wallace (London).

Alongside his engagements with Chaconne Brass, Torbjörn has worked with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Mozart Players, West End shows and session work. As a soloist he has worked with the Northern Sinfonia, Bournemouth Sinfonietta and the Southern Sinfonia.

Torbjörn is a teacher at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music. He is also an experienced composer whose compositions have been performed and broadcast in many countries including BBC Radio 3. He has dual Swedish and British citizenship and lives with his family in a rural village in Berkshire.

Mark Kesel (trumpet) was inspired to pursue a career in music by his first teacher Jimmy Norden and continued his studies with Sidney Ellison at the Royal Academy of Music.

After obtaining a degree in music from the University of Reading, Mark was appointed their trumpet teacher. He conducted a series of performances of the rarely staged opera by Stanford called The Travelling Companion was principal trumpet with the touring opera company Opera East for twelve years and has worked as a freelance trumpet player and guest soloist.

Mark founded Chaconne Brass in 1984 and was the driving force behind the group in its early years. He was responsible for devising their popular family and educational programme ‘Oh Good Chips for Tea!’ which has been performed to tens of thousands of children in Britain and abroad. Mark directed two lottery-funded educational projects with Chaconne Brass in his home town of Reading and has composed and arranged several works for the group, a number of which are recorded on their CDs Chaconne Brass (CBCD597) and We Are Not Alone (CBCD1101).

Mark lives in Reading with his wife, two children and dog, is a keen supporter of Reading Football Club and enjoys his tennis and mountain walks.

Emily White (trombone) was lured into the brass world by the inspiring teacher at Wells Cathedral School, Alan Hutt. She was then led further into the woods by Sue Addison while studying at the Royal Academy of Music and became entranced by the sackbut.

She is currently the Alto sackbut player in the English Cornette and Sackbut Ensemble and has played with groups such as The King’s Consort, His Majestie’s Sackbutts and Cornettes and The Academy of Ancient Music.

For her summer Shakespeare fix, Emily has played as Musician at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre since '97 and enjoys exploring the extremities of the trombone in a contemporary Duo with internationally acclaimed trombonist John Kenny.

Emily has coached early Brass at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music. She is Trombone professor at Ithaca College, London and tutored ‘BoneLab’ at this year’s Dartington International Summer School.

With Chaconne Brass, Emily is ready to boldly go where few brass groups dare!

Programme

William Tell Overture - Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Six French Renaissance Dances - Claude Gervaise (mid 16th Century)

Variations on Maeght Doen Daphne d'over Schoone -Jr.- Jacob van Eyck (1590-1657) arr. T. Hultmark

The Circus - J. Binns

Siciliano - J.S. Bach (1686-1750)

Birthday Blues - B. Castle

INTERVAL

Little Fugue in G Minor - J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Sonata - E. Longstaff

An Iberian Draft (1998) - Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999) arr. T. Hultmark

Der Kellermeister - R. Schneebiegl

Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller (1904-1943)

Just a Closer Walk - Traditional

This exciting brass quintet has a reputation for entertainment, creativity, and musicianship of a very high standard .In addition to the brass quintet classics, their enormous and very individual repertoire includes lively arrangements of early music through to modern, popular and jazz. The players establish an instant rapport with the audience by the warmth and humour of their presentation.
Chaconne Brass was formed in 1984 and have established a reputation as one of Britain's most versatile ensembles. Their repertoire spans from Praetorius to Steve Reich, from Gershwin to Miles Davis, from Acoustic to Electro-acoustic and from Brass to Beyond... Chaconne Brass have an ever-growing list of over 50 works written for the group, a large part of which they have recorded. In addition to extensive touring with Chaconne Brass, members work as guest principals and soloists with some of the top orchestras and ensembles in Britain. Several members are also teachers as well as successful composers and arrangers with a large number of commissions, concerts and broadcasts in Britain and other countries. A combination of entertainment, creativity and excellence has allowed Chaconne Brass to develop a totally unique style that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds; whether it is a a recital at London's South Bank, a radio or TV broadcast, a workshop for college students or a performance for very young school children, Chaconne Brass are always met with overwhelming enthusiasm. Chaconne has a large and diverse repertoire of music spanning 600 years including many works specially written for the group; these have been commissioned to fit in with Chaconne's aim of pushing forward the musical boundaries as well as of presenting entertaining programs of the highest musical standards. A typical Chaconne Brass performance will range from renaissance to modern, classics to experimental and from the profound to the downright silly. Chaconne Brass have performed to audienences at the Queen Elisabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Conway Hall, St John's Smith Square and St Martin's-in-the-Fields London, St David's Hall Cardiff, die Philharmonie Berlin, BBC Radio 3, Radio 4, BBC1 TV and Classic FM Simon de Souza (horn) studied with the international virtuoso Ifor James at Colchester Institute, where he also won many prizes for chamber music, before going on to a post-graduate year at Trinity College of Music. Since leaving college, Simon’s career has encompassed a wide variety of freelance playing: as a recital and concerto soloist, in orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with the Bolshoi Ballet (though only as a horn player!), West End and touring shows, chamber groups and, of course, Chaconne Brass! Simon is also among the most highly regarded teachers of the horn in Britain, holding specialist posts at Wells Cathedral School, The Purcell School and the Junior department of the Royal Academy of Music, and acting as a consultant and coach to many other establishments and organisations. Most recently he has been appointed to the horn teaching staff at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He also writes extensively on horn playing matters and is Vice-Chairman of the British Horn Society. When not playing the horn he reads, cooks, cycles, makes highly detailed models of railways and Chairs the Highland Railway Society! James Doherty (tuba) joined the National Youth Orchestra at 16 and was a finalist in the Shell London Symphony Orchestra competition, before gaining a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. He enjoys performing with orchestras and ensembles (becoming a member of Chaconne Brass in August 2000), and has also appeared as a soloist several times. Alongside a busy playing schedule, James holds teaching posts at a number of Independent Schools and with the Berkshire Young Musicians Trust where he also conducts a variety of ensembles. James has worked as Orchestral Manager, Librarian and Stage Manager for the New London Orchestra (of which he was co-founder) and the European Community Youth Orchestra, including tours to all the European Capitals, America, Russia, Scandinavia and India. He now assists Mark with the administration of Chaconne and between them they attempt to keep the others under control! [editor's note: Ha!] Torbjörn Hultmark (trumpet) was born in Sweden in 1957 and came to live in the UK in 1985. He studied at the Gothenburg Conservatoire of Music and at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies, Goldsmith’s College, London - his main teachers were Bengt Eklund (Gothenburg) and John Wallace (London). Alongside his engagements with Chaconne Brass, Torbjörn has worked with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Mozart Players, West End shows and session work. As a soloist he has worked with the Northern Sinfonia, Bournemouth Sinfonietta and the Southern Sinfonia. Torbjörn is a teacher at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music. He is also an experienced composer whose compositions have been performed and broadcast in many countries including BBC Radio 3. He has dual Swedish and British citizenship and lives with his family in a rural village in Berkshire. Mark Kesel (trumpet) was inspired to pursue a career in music by his first teacher Jimmy Norden and continued his studies with Sidney Ellison at the Royal Academy of Music. After obtaining a degree in music from the University of Reading, Mark was appointed their trumpet teacher. He conducted a series of performances of the rarely staged opera by Stanford called The Travelling Companion was principal trumpet with the touring opera company Opera East for twelve years and has worked as a freelance trumpet player and guest soloist. Mark founded Chaconne Brass in 1984 and was the driving force behind the group in its early years. He was responsible for devising their popular family and educational programme ‘Oh Good Chips for Tea!’ which has been performed to tens of thousands of children in Britain and abroad. Mark directed two lottery-funded educational projects with Chaconne Brass in his home town of Reading and has composed and arranged several works for the group, a number of which are recorded on their CDs Chaconne Brass (CBCD597) and We Are Not Alone (CBCD1101). Mark lives in Reading with his wife, two children and dog, is a keen supporter of Reading Football Club and enjoys his tennis and mountain walks. Emily White (trombone) was lured into the brass world by the inspiring teacher at Wells Cathedral School, Alan Hutt. She was then led further into the woods by Sue Addison while studying at the Royal Academy of Music and became entranced by the sackbut. She is currently the Alto sackbut player in the English Cornette and Sackbut Ensemble and has played with groups such as The King’s Consort, His Majestie’s Sackbutts and Cornettes and The Academy of Ancient Music. For her summer Shakespeare fix, Emily has played as Musician at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre since '97 and enjoys exploring the extremities of the trombone in a contemporary Duo with internationally acclaimed trombonist John Kenny. Emily has coached early Brass at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music. She is Trombone professor at Ithaca College, London and tutored ‘BoneLab’ at this year’s Dartington International Summer School. With Chaconne Brass, Emily is ready to boldly go where few brass groups dare! Programme William Tell Overture - Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) Six French Renaissance Dances - Claude Gervaise (mid 16th Century) Variations on Maeght Doen Daphne d'over Schoone -Jr.- Jacob van Eyck (1590-1657) arr. T. Hultmark The Circus - J. Binns Siciliano - J.S. Bach (1686-1750) Birthday Blues - B. Castle INTERVAL Little Fugue in G Minor - J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Sonata - E. Longstaff An Iberian Draft (1998) - Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999) arr. T. Hultmark Der Kellermeister - R. Schneebiegl Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller (1904-1943) Just a Closer Walk - Traditional