Eden nominated for 2006 British Composer Award
Eden, commissioned by the Brass Band Heritage Trust as the test piece for the Final of the 2005 National Brass Band Championship, was been shortlisted for the Wind Band and Brass Band category of the British Composer Awards. Click here for details of the awards and a full list of nominations.

The Flight of Icarus - U.S. première

On January 4, 6, 7, 8, 2006 ‘The Flight of Icarus’ received its first performances in the United States by the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. All four performances played to packed houses and the San Francisco Chronicle described the work as ‘a serious contender for the most exciting premiere of 2006’.

Read the review in full here

Eden voted test piece of the year 2005

Readers of the popular brass band website www.4barsrest.com voted Eden, John Pickard’s test piece for the 2005 final of the Besson National Brass Band Championship ‘test piece of the year’. Over 12,000 votes were logged and Eden received 36% of the poll.

Gaia Symphony named CD of the Year by Brass Band World Magazine

The December ‘05/January ‘06 issueof Brass Band World magazine voted

the recent CD of Gaia Symphony, played by the Buy As You View Band conducted by Robert Childs, ‘CD of the Year’. Anthony Leggett, one of the magazine’s principle reviewers wrote ‘not only is BAYV’s playing awesome and the quality of recording and production of the highest order, but the sheer scale and distinction of the content - John Pickard’s epic four movement symphony with each linked by musically and rhythmically relevant ‘Windows’ for percussion ensemble - is a work for which the term “tour de force” might have been coined. In my review I referred to it as “this landmark production”, and I believe it to be a worthy BBW CD of the Year’

Read more about the Gaia Symphony here
Read reviews of the Gaia Symphony from
The Brass Band Herald
British Bandsman
The Guardian
4barsrest.com (première)
4barsrest.com (CD)
Tempo

Buy the CD from 4barsrest.com here

Piano Trio issued (August 2005)

The Piano Trio, recorded by the
Chagall Trio, has been issued on
the Campion label. The disc, called
Borderlands, includes works by
Philip Grange, Paul Mealor and Camden Reeves.

Buy Borderlands here

Ave Maris Stella recorded

The short unaccompanied motet Ave Maris Stella has been released on the Cloister Records label (CLOCD0205) by Sine Nomine International Touring Choir, conducted by Susan Hollingworth. The disc also contains works by Poulenc, John McCabe and Judith Weir. The disc can be purchased direct from Sine Nomine.

Piano Sonata and A Starlit Dome now re-released

Raymond Clarke’s recordings of these two works, together with the two Mathias Sonatas, was originally issued by Athene Records. The recording was unavailable for some time, but has now been re-issued on The Divine Art label.

Buy it here for £8.99.

Read the reviews of the original release here