Cat No. JM36022
Price £89.95
Composer: Edward Gregson
Category: SOLOS - Tuba in BC

Commisioned by Besses O' th Barn Band with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain. It was dedicated to John Fletcher who gave the first performance with Besses O' th Barn Band conducted by the composer on the 24th. April 1976 in Middleton Civic Hall Manchester. An alternative scoring for orchestra and wind band were subsequently made.

The Concerto is in the usual three movements

1. Allegro Deciso 6.11
2. Lento e Mesto 6.22
3. Allegro Giocoso 6.25

Composers Note :
The concerto is in three movements, following the usual quick-slow-quick pattern: Allegro deciso, Lento e mesto, Allegro giocoso. The first is in a sonata-form shell with two contrasting themes, the first rhythmic in character, the second lyrical. There is a reference made in the development section to the opening theme of Vaughan Williams’s Tuba Concerto, but only in passing. The second movement unfolds a long cantabile melody for the soloist, which contrasts to a ritoniello idea which is announced three times by the band. The last movement is in rondo form, alternating the main theme with two episodes. The first of these is a broad sweeping tune, the second is jazz-like in styln. After a short cadenza, reference is made to the opening of the concerto, and the work ends with a triumphal flourish.

The quotation from Vaughan Williams’s Thba Concerto is used by kind permission of Oxford University Press.
Edward Gregson
Duration: c. 18 minutes

Percussion requirements:
Player 1
snare drum
glockenspiel
woodblock
vibraphone

Player 2
suspended cymbal
tam-tam
clashed cymbals
triangle

Duration 18.00

Tuba Concerto, by Edward Gregson, is available on the CD 'Debut - Joseph Cook' by Black Dyke Band, conducted by Dr. Nicholas J. Childs.

To purchase the CD or see a track listing please click here.