Harmen Vanhoorne

Nigel has just finished his new concerto `Mysteries of the Horizon’ for Cornet/Trumpet and Brass Band. The virtuoso cornet player Harmen Vanhoorne will record the work on the 1st July in Belgium with Brass Band Buizingen under the direction of Luc Vertommen.

Nigel has worked closely with Harmen in the works development. The subject material for the concerto are four paintings by the Belgium surrealist artist Rene Magritte.

The movement titles of `Mysteries of the Horizon’ are:

1. The Menaced Assassin

2. The Flavour of Tears

3. The Dominion of Light

4. The Discovery of Fire

Nigel plans to transcribe the work in the future for Symphonic Wind Orchestra as well as Symphony Orchestra.

Extract from USA premiere of `Earthrise’ 15/04/12 MTSU Wind Ensemble

A concert review from: Art Now Nashville

Results: 2012 Flemish Open

4barsrest (brass band website) writes: “Buizingen had early set a demanding marker to beat under the direction of Luc Vertommen, as they delivered a set that included a thrilling performance of Nigel Clarke’s breathtaking own choice work, ‘When World’s Collide’, inspired by the B movie science fiction films of the 1950s.”

See news item on the Vlaams Open Brassband Kampioenschap 2012 (Flemish Open Brass Band Championships). Coverage of the championship starts at 05.45 in to the report and opens with `When Worlds Collide’ played by Brass Band Buizingen.

Click on: Vlaams Open Brassband Kampioenschap 2012

`Samurai’ has been recorded by Lt Col Chris Davis and the Band of HM Royal Marines, Plymouth on the Naxos label (Naxos 8.570429). This CD recording can also be downloaded from iTunes or from the Naxos website.

Composer’s Note: `When Worlds Collide´ seeks to recreate the atmosphere and sentiment of the American cult Sci-Fi movies of the 1950’s such as Robert Wise’s 1951 film `The day the Earth Stood Still’ and `Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ directed by Don Siegel in 1956, as well as Rudolph Maté’s 1951 film `When Worlds Collide’.

`When Worlds Collide´ is programmatic with subtitled sub-sections:

1. Crop Circles – 2. Lights in the Sky – 3. Strange Happenings – 4. Sightings - 5. “We Come In Peace” – 6. Alien Abduction – 7. Analysis of the Earthlings -
8. Teleportation – 9. New Understandings – 10. Visions of Far Off Worlds - 11. Colonisation!

Reed Thomas

Nigel is to attend the US premiere of his wind orchestra version of his space epic`Earthrise’. The premiere will be given by the Middle Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble under the baton of Dr Reed Thomas on the April 15 at 3pm in the Hinton Music Hall in the University’s Wright Music Building, Murfreesboro. The programme also includes Igor Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms” and George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. The orchestra will then record `Earthrise’ for the Naxos label the week after.

Photograph of Nigel with Bromley Youth Concert Band taken by Aliceson Carter

I would like to thank the wonderful Bromley Youth Concert Band under the direction of Mike Purton for their exhilarating performance of my `Heritage Suite’ (What Hope Saw) in St John’s Smith Square, London. This talented ensemble played with musicality well beyond their years. Bromley Youth Music Trust exists to help all young people in Bromley to develop their musical talents. It provides a high quality instrumental and vocal music education through individual and group tuition in schools as well as opportunities for performance in a wide range of settings. Bromley Youth Music Trust is a fine example of music education for school age children in our country with many  musicians going on to study at Britain’s conservatories. I wish all their various musical activities well for the future.

`Earthrise'

On the 24th March 2012 my new version of `Earthrise’ published by Studio Music will be performed by two of the world’s outstanding wind orchestras – the first by the Göteborg Symphonic Band under the baton of David Lundblad in their home town in Sweden and the second by the Band of the Grenadier Guards conducted by their new Director of Music, Captain Mike Smith in this year’s BASWE London Festival. I have had the privilege to work with these two orchestras before and witnessed many extraordinary performances, both as Associate Composer to The Band of the Grenadier Guards and in 2010 with the premiere of my Violin Concerto (Black Fire) by Göteburg Symphonic Band.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click on the two links below to read a preview article entitled `Earthrise’ A Double Premiere. This article will appear in the next issue of Winds Magazine.

Winds Magazine Article (Part 1)

Winds Magazine Article (Part 2)

The Göteborg Symphonic Band under the baton of David Lundblad  giving the Swedish premiere of Nigel’s Concert March `Forgotten Heroes’ on the 20 November 2010 at the Swedish Proms.

Harmen Vanhoorne

Nigel has finished the first movement of his new Cornet Concerto `Mysteries of the Horizo’ written and dedicated to the Belgian soloist Harmen Vanhoorne.The work will be recorded on 1st July this year with Harmen and Brass Band Buizingen under the direction of Luc Vertommen. Harmen Vanhoorne is a Besson Artist and plays on a Harmen plays a Besson Prestige BE-2028.

I would like to thank the World of Brass for allowing me to stream `Earthrise’ on to my website. To find out more about the CD and DVD go to World of Brass website: DVD – Highlights from the European Brass Band Championships 2010

Click here to view the embedded video.