June Emerson Wind Music at the RNCM Sax Day - Sunday 13th November 2011

We'll be taking all our saxophone music and books off the shelves and over to Manchester for the 11th annual Sax Day at the Royal Northern College of Music. With such a comprehensive stock of music available for you to look through and buy, you can't afford not to come and see us! If you're going to be there and would like music put aside for you, please give as much notice as possible, as some things may be needed to be ordered in, which can take time.

If you haven't yet registered for this hugely popular event, please visit www.rncm.ac.uk for booking details. This year's programme includes workshops, masterclasses and performances featuring John Harle, Julian Arguelles and Rob Buckland.

About the Royal Northern College of Music Saxophone Day

This year, the 11th RNCM Saxophone Day, we have another action packed day of concerts, masterclasses and workshops for saxophonists of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, covering a wide variety of saxophonic styles and genres. Special guests this year are all UK artists, celebrating the rich tradition of world class saxophone playing that we have in this country: John Harle joins the RNCM as featured classical guest, and Julian Argüelles makes his first appearance at the event as the featured jazz artist, in a duo with award-winning pianist Kit Downes.

As ever, there will be a comprehensive trade exhibition featuring the world’s leading instrument manufacturers, retailers and publishers, plus a series of creative workshops especially for young beginners.

Venue
The RNCM is located one mile south of Manchester City Centre, in the heart of the Education Quarter, on the corner of Oxford Road and Booth Street West. Oxford Road connects the RNCM by bus to the City Centre and all of Oxford Road, Piccadilly and Victoria train stations.

Successful Open Day for June Emerson Wind Music

June Emerson Wind Music, Windmill Farm

It was a blustery day up at Windmill Farm, but we were very pleased to welcome a steady stream of customers, some of whom had travelled quite a distance to visit us for the first time.

Among the first-time visitors was a group of six friendly and enthusiastic young players who make up part of Blow Me Down Woodwinds (www.blowmedownwoodwinds.co.uk) – an organisation run by Caroline Leak, dedicated to providing playing and performing opportunities for young woodwind players in Lincolnshire. They had recently been awarded a grant and were looking for lots of new repertoire, so they all made the 2 and a half hour trip to arrive for 10.30am, finally leaving with 2 big boxes of sheet music at 3.30pm! They’d brought their instruments along and treated us to a play-through of many of our flexible ensemble titles.

Other visitors had travelled from as far as Leicester, Nottingham, Harrogate and Hull.

Our next Open Day will be on Saturday 14th January 2012, weather permitting…

The Kudo Saxophone Quartet - Launchpad Winners 2011

The Kudo Saxophone Quartet

The Kudo Saxophone Quartet is comprised of Abraham Mennen, Eleanor McMurray, Amy Green and Rebecca Parrish; a young, lively quartet dedicated to performing contemporary and classical chamber music.

In June 2011 they were awarded the Royal College of Music June Emerson Launchpad Prize. They performed in the Festival of Britain at London’s Southbank Centre in May 2011 and at the Science Museum as part of the 2010 Exhibition Road Music Festival. Other venues have included Somerset House, Lincoln’s Inn and St Stephen’s Church.

The Kudo Saxophone Quartet was formed in September 2008 at the Royal College of Music where they received coaching from Kyle Horch and Martin Robertson and performed in masterclasses with Nobuya Sugawa, Claus Oleson and Frederick Hemke.

For more information and updates join their Facebook Group.

The Hafren Wind Quintet - Launchpad Winners 2011

The Hafren Wind Quintet

The Hafren Wind Quintet was formed by a group of friends who began studying as BMus (hons) students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in September 2007. They came together through a mutual love of ensemble playing and their motivation, drive and determination together with their sense of fun, passion and ambition has proved a winning formula. Following the success of their first recital just a few months after their formation, the Quintet have performed at music societies and in concert series across Wales and England, gaining a reputation for exciting and musical playing. Keen to make the best use possible of their creative music making, the quintet have raised money for many good causes and taken part in outreach projects for the Touch Trust and school children both locally and further afield. Lovers of new music, the quintet have performed premieres of many works, not only for wind quintet, but also in collaborations with string quartets, singers, and other performers.

The Hafren Wind Quintet have played in masterclasses with many renowned artists and coaches, their main coaches being Meyrick Alexander (former Principal Bassoon, Philharmonia Orchestra) and Christopher Vale (Sub-Principal Bassoon, Orchestra of Welsh National Opera). They took part in the Welsh National Opera Elgar Project in 2007 and as a result, were asked to coach ensembles at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Junior Department. Many members of the Quintet have since been invited to perform as members of the Welsh National Opera Elgar Quintet. In just their second year at the College, the Quintet won second place in the RWCMD Woodwind Chamber Prize. In 2009 they were invited to be the Welsh National Opera Young Players of the Year, culminating in a performance with the National Dance Company of Wales.

The future looks bright for the talented Quintet. They are grateful and privileged to have won the June Emerson Prize, providing them with support at the crucial time when many members graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. With many recitals and outreach projects to come, the Quintet are looking forward to a great deal more years of very enjoyable music making.

Bells Up! - Launchpad Winners 2011

Bells Up! Andrew McLean (horn), Cillian Ó Ceallacháin (trombone), Eoin Tonner (trumpet),
Rachel Brown (tuba), Holly Boddice (trumpet)

“Bells Up!” Brass Quintet was formed in 2009 by a mixture of first and second year students studying on the undergraduate BMus course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. The brass quintet is young and fresh and there is a surplus of ambition and enthusiasm within the ranks. The members all hail from different corners of Scotland and Ireland which include Dunoon, Carnoustie, Glasgow, Mid-Lothian and Cork. Individually, each member of the quintet is a highly experienced ensemble player. They have experience in orchestral, wind band, jazz band, wind ensemble, brass band and symphonic brass playing, to name but a few.

The group's learning environment offers the expertise of the best professional players and teachers throughout Scotland of which Tony Swainson (former Principal Tuba BBCSSO), Nigel Boddice (former Principal Trumpet BBCSSO), Bryan Allen (former Trumpet Fine Arts Brass) and John Wallace (Principal RSAMD) have offered their advice. Bells Up! Brass Quintet have been fortunate to play in many beautiful places in Scotland including Dunkeld Cathedral and "A House For An Art Lover" in Glasgow. As well as this, the group have performed with numerous Choirs and Choral Societies including Les Sirenes and The Bridge of Weir Choral Society.

Bells Up! performing

This brass quintet are also keen enthusiasts of music education in Scotland and have recently started working with primary schools helping to promote instrumental tuition. Bells Up! are the recent recipients of the Mary D Adams prize for Chamber Music from the RSAMD and were finalists in the Academy’s Governor’s Recital Prize for Chamber Music.

The highlight of the quintet's career so far has been appearing on the Christmas Eve television broadcast for the BBC in 2010 where they were chosen to play as representatives of the RSAMD's Brass department. This can be viewed on the Bells Up! Facebook page.

Les Trois Canards - Launchpad Winners 2011

Les Trois Canards is made up of three postgraduate oboe students from the Royal Northern College of Music. The trio was formed in September 2009 and has already achieved success, having made it to the final of the Woodwind Chamber Music Prize in both 2010 and 2011.

The trio has also taken part in master classes in both Manchester and London. In March it had the opportunity to provide a whole recital programme as part of the Monday Lunchtime concert series at the RNCM.

Les Trois Canards enjoys playing a wide range of music from Baroque to contemporary, as well as discovering some of the lesser known works written for oboe trio. In 2011 they will be recording ‘Intercession’ by James Macmillan to be part of a new CD of woodwind works performed by students at the RNCM.

Vesuvio Wind Quintet - Launchpad Winners 2011

The Vesuvio Wind Quintet was founded in 2006 when its members were all students at Trinity College of Music (now Trinity Laban). Past highlights include competing in the 6th Henri Tomasi International Woodwind Quintet Competition in Marseilles, performing in the 2009 Chiddingly Festival and a recital at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel, Greenwich. In April 2011 the quintet travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform for the International Concert Committee and British International School in Al-Khobar, and at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal.

The Vesuvio Wind Quintet is focused on performing contemporary quintet repertoire by living British and Irish composers, recently commissioning a new work from Irish composer Cormac McCarthy. They like to combine these works with standard repertoire of both European and British works from early 19th century onwards, alongside solo, duo, trios and quartet works in order to add more colour and interest to their programme.

The quintet is also committed to music education and has enjoyed performing many school and family concerts.

The Vesuvio Wind Quintet is grateful for support from the Fidelio Charitable Trust.

For details on future performances visit www.vesuviowindquintet.com