DANISH MUSIC FOR BRASS

Is a series of recordings with brass players from the Royal Danish Orchestra

as chamber music players or soloists

 

 

for TRUMPET AND CONCERT BAND

PLAYED BY

KETIL CHRISTENSEN  – TRUMPET

THE DANISH CONCERT BAND

CONDUCTED by JØRGEN “MISSER” JENSEN

THE ROYAL DANISH ORCHESTRA

 

The Royal Danish Orchestra’s emblem, the Royal Trumpeter Corps. Engraving from 1583. The Royal Danish Orchestra is the the world’s oldest orchestral institution. It started out 1448 as a trumpeter corps, and today it is an opera and symphony orchestra based at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen.

 

KETIL CHRISTENSEN

 

KETIL CHRISTENSEN studied at The Royal Danish Academy of Music with Kurt Petersen and became only 19 years old principal trumpet in The Royal Danish Orchestra. Co-founder of The Royal danish Orchestra Brass Ensemble and member of the chamber orchestra Collegium Musicum, Copenhagen. Has made many recordings and engagements as soloist. in 1980 he won a prize at the international competition for soloists in Munich and has later been a member of the jury at the same competition in 2018. Has been teaching trumpet at The royal Danish Academy of Music. The recipient of the Gade Scholarship and Gladsaxe Music Award.

 

THE DANISH CONCERT BAND

The Danish Concert Band was founded in 1968 and today consists of 65 players.The band is economically supported by the municipality of Rødovre. ​For recordings and tours the band is supported by public and private foundations. The band regularly participates in competitions and has achieved the Danish Championship as well as the Nordic and European Championships. ​The Danish Concert Band collaborates with both Danish and international Composers. These collaborations has lead to several premieres in Denmark and other very exciting projects. 

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JØRGEN “MISSER” JENSEN

 

 

Jørgen ‘Misser’ Jensen started directing The Danish Concert Band, when the band was only three years old, in 1970. Misser started his own musical career in the Tivoli Youth Garden, where he played the clarinet. In 1975, at the age of 27, he became the solo clarinet in Copenhagen Phil, until he in 1980 changed to a position as the alternating principal clarinet in The Danish National Symphony orchestra until 2012 where he retired. He still plays in Collegium Musicum and teach at The Royal Danish Music Conservatory. 

 

ROBERT FARNON: SCHERZANDO

 

 

Robert Farnon (1917 – 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works, often in the light music genre, he was commissioned by film and television producers for theme and incidental music. In later life he composed a number of more serious orchestral works, including three symphonies, and was recognized with four Ivor Novello Awards and the Order of Canada.

 

LEROY ANDERSON: A TRUMPETERS LULLABY

 

 

The american composer Leroy Anderson tell about A TRUMPETERS LULLABY: It had its beginning backstage at Symphony Hall in Boston. In addition to composing and conducting, I was arranger for the Boston Pops Orchestra for a number of years—and after one of the concerts I was sitting, talking with the conductor Arthur Fiedler and the first trumpet of the Boston Pops, Roger Voisin. Suddenly Roger Voisin asked me why I didn’t write a trumpet solo for him to play with the orchestra. It should be different from traditional trumpet solos which are all loud, martial or triumphant. After thinking it over, it occurred to me that I had never heard a lullaby for trumpet  – so I set out to write one with a quiet melody based on bugle notes played by the trumpet and with the rest of the orchestra playing a lullaby background.”

 

 

MEL BROILES: VERNAL EQUINOX

 

In 1950, Mel Broiles entered The Juilliard School. His education was interrupted with an invitation to perform with The Symphony of the Air (NBC Symphony). On his return, After freelancing in New York City Mel Broiles served with the West Point Military Academy 1951 – 1955. In 1956 he was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera to play trumpet in the stage band. He left in 1957 to play a season with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He returned to the Metropolitan Opera in 1958, where he remained as principal trumpet until his retirement in 2001. In 1971 Mel Broiles was appointed to the faculty at The Juilliard School where he taught for more than thirty years. He was prolific as a composer for trumpet ensemble, brass ensemble, and he wrote many etude books for trumpet.

 

KARL WILHELM VASSILY BRANDT (1869 – 1923): CONCERT PIECE IN Eb

 

– was a Russian trumpeter, pedagogue and composer. He became principal trumpet of the Bolshoi Theater in 1890 and became first cornet in 1903. He became trumpet professor of the Moscow Conservatory in 1900, and also taught band orchestration there. He is considered the founder of the Russian trumpet school. His 34 Orchestral Etudes, is an important study material for modern trumpet players. His two Concert Pieces for trumpet are also widely performed today. Brandt joined the faculty of the Saratov Conservatory in 1912.

 

 

DEL STAIGERS: CARNIVAL OF VENICE  

 

– was an American cornet player. He was born in Indiana. In 1919, he played as a soloist with John Philip Sousa’s band In 1926, he joined the Goldman Band and played with them through 1934.  In the words of Edwin Franko goldman, Staigers was the “greatest cornetist in the world”.

 

 

DAVID BENNET (1892 – 1990): TRUMPET ROYALE

 

– studied harmony, counterpoint, theory and arranging at the Chicago College of Music, 1910 clarinetist in the Municipal Band of Sioux City Iowa, 1919 studied saxophone, flute and arranging in Chicago, arranger and conductor for various radio shows, 1937 arranger for concert bands for Carl Fisher Publishing Company in New York.

 

 

MOGENS ANDRESEN (1945 -): CONCERTINO

I – Maestoso, allegro

II – Lento

III – Allegro

After working with the Falster Infantry Regimental Band in Vordingborg and the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, in 1974 Mogens Andresen became a bass trombonist in the Royal Danish Orchestra. In 1988-2013 Mogens Andresen was appointed professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen and head off brass. Mogens Andresen was a co-founder of a brass ensemble from The Royal Danish Orchestra and plays Baroque trombone in Den Danske Violonbande.  With these ensembles he has made many recordings and has toured in Europe and USA. The recipient of the “Neil Humfield award in 2016 for Excellence in Trombone Teaching”  from “International Trombone Association”. Writer of the book ROYAL DANISH ORCHESTRA The World’s Oldest Orchestral Institution. Composer and arranger of music for brass published on BRASSMUSICONLINE.DK. His compositions and arrangements are performed  worldwide, among others: The Brass Ensemble of the Concertgebow  Orchestra, German Brass, Brass Enslemble of the Berlin Philharmonic, The Danish trombone Quartet, the Danish Brass Quintet and brass ensbles of all the Danish Symphony Orchestras and military Bands.

ABOUT THE CONCERTINO:

The Cathedral of Roskilde is covered by a copper roof. Certain places in the joints between the tiles, the joints are particularly marked, and is forming a line. If you have that in mind, and then add the thought of these lines being music notes, the marked joints would create this tune :

 This tune is represented throughout the whole concertino