Gods of Brass

Håkon Berge started his musical career in a school band, and has several brass-compositions on his list of achievements. Brass Blot is however his first work for a contest.
- The title is supposed to be a little different, kind of a skewed look at the contest. Those who offer most to the gods, in this case the judges, will win. It really takes brass music back to heathen times. I’m not talking about contests, but music. Music that will live even after a winner is selected. Music that the performer must make his own is what’s important. I also hope the audience feels a familiarity to the music, that they listen with an open mind and experience it in their own way.

Craig Farr - Composer “Cornucopia” - B section set test piece

“Cornucopia” is the Horn of plenty, which provides a never-ending abundance of nourishment and is represented within the opening pastoral section of the piece.
The Earth, which once provided endless nourishment for its inhabitants, now warns us of a less than paradisal future due to global warming forced by our own hand.
This is reflected in the music where the tonality changes from major to minor and finally to an atonal coda portraying a dismal and foreboding image of paradise lost.
After having received the commission to write the test piece for the B-Section of the 2008 European Brass Band Contests I felt determined to write a piece that would be challenging for the contestants but also fun to play and exciting to listen too.
Having been a “bander” myself I know the feeling of having practised a test piece for weeks on end while still having several weeks to go and wanted to avoid boring the contending bandsmen. The various parts are quite definitely a technical challenge but hopefully not a trial of their patience.

Craig Farr was born in Hertford, England in 1975. At an early age his family moved to Yorkshire where his father Ray started a career as a band conductor and it didn’t take long before Craig was joining in on percussion.
In 1990 the Farr family moved to Stavanger, Norway where Craig, joined local bands and the Stavanger Youth Symphony Orchestra. During the four years Craig lived in the Stavanger area he became interested in jazz and free-improvisation, performing with Didrik Ingvaldsen, Kaada and Per Zanussi among others. At age 19 Craig moved to Tromsø where he worked as a free-lance percussionist with various jazz and rock groups as well as subbing with the Tromsø Symphony Orchestra.
He was encouraged to apply to attend Kates` course at the Grieg Academy of music. After his first year of the bachelor of music Craig took an audition at the army band in Trondheim and was given his first full-time position as percussionist.
In 2004, Craig won a position in the army band in Bergen and was able to continue his percussion studies as well as work in the highly esteemed Norwegian Army Band, Bergen who commission new works from contemporary composers on a regular basis.
He is currently studying composition at the Grieg Academy with Morten Eide Pedersen and is working on a commission by the Manger Musikklag.