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Composing the Welsh Guards Centenary

18 March 2015

Filed Under:

Composition
Music

On Sunday 7th March all eyes were on the stage of the Dora Stoutzer Hall as the College played a key role in celebrating the Welsh Guards Centenary, with a concert that married live music with stirring performances from our second year actors.

The concert featured the Band of the Welsh Guards and the RWCMD Brass Ensemble performing traditional repertoire, alongside specially commissioned work by composition students Charlie Jackson and Daniel Soley.

RWCMD-WelshGuards022Final year composer Charlie wrote the processional. He told us about the challenge of writing for symphonic brass:

“Brass isn’t something I’m used to writing for a lot, but part of my plan for this year is to write for as many different things as possible. I imagined this as both a reflective and celebratory event so I wanted my piece to reflect both these aspects.”

Charlie enjoyed the process of working closely with an ensemble, attending rehearsals and watching the work develop.

“The best thing about this was that at each weekly rehearsal I was able to develop and change parts of the piece. I felt really involved. I’d definitely like to work this way in the future, it’s a really useful way of learning and working for a particular ensemble.”

Second year student Daniel Soley composed the fanfare. Despite having written the processional for last year’s graduation ceremony at St David’s Hall, writing for the Centenary was no mean feat:

I had a 20-piece brass ensemble, with an entire battalion, guests and a host of key Welsh figures to please. And, of course, I wanted to do the whole nation of which the guards represent proud too!”

Daniel worked with the College Symphonic Brass ensemble to rehearse the piece, which was then sent to the Band of the Welsh Guards to rehearse.

It was very exciting to imagine them practicing it at their barracks in London, just as we were here.