Brass bands have come a long way from the days—not so long—ago when they played marches and selections, and works by composers who wrote nothing but brass band music. Today's brass bands are virtuoso and versatile ensembles who play work by composers who write music that also includes music for brass bands. Edward Gregson has composed many orchestral works and is also known as a teacher and television pundit. Because he was born into the band world, though, he writes for that medium with great authority.
This disc contains four of Gregson's works ranging from the Concerto for French Horn and Brass Band, composed in 1971 when he was in his mid-twenties, to Of Men and Mountains, a large-scale tone-poem, composed in 1990. Gregson's music is reminiscent of the jollier side of Walton with plenty of rhythmic verve, big bold tunes and brightly-coloured orchestration (if that's the right word in this context!). Sadly, he possesses little to contrast with these virtues none of the bittersweet qualities that Walton could evoke or the kind of heart-easing melodies that could send a shiver down the spine. The result can be a little bit monotonous especially in the two set pieces, the composition of which is beset by rules and requirements.
Frank Lloyd is a splendid soloist in the Concerto and Gregson's conducting brings out the best in the Desford Band who play with great precision and produce a wide range of colour.'