Andrew Duncan : Composer & Arranger

During his time as Principal Tuba in the Hallé Orchestra Andrew developed his composing and arranging skills and in 1994 the Hallé gave the premiere of his Concerto for Trombone with Trombone Virtuoso Andrew Berryman as soloist. He then began to arrange works for the Hallé, mainly for their regular Family Concerts. In 2000 he took on a major commission from the Hallé to compose a work about the history of Manchester. The result was A Tale of Two Empires a twenty-six minute work which was first performed in 2000 with the Hallé. The piece received a further performance in 2001.

Photo © Leila Angus www.brighterstill.com

In 1995, Andrew started an MA course in composition at Salford University and it was during this time that he began to write and arrange for Brass Band. His success in this field is impressive, particularly in the Spennymoor Brass in Concert competition where he has won the best new arrangement prize six times, consecutively from 1996-2000 and again in 2002.

Recent works include Java Variations. For two Violins, French Horn, Bassoon, Tuba and percussion, commissioned by the British Council for a Hallé education project in Indonesia. The work was played in the Jakarta Arts Festival to favourable reviews.

Rhapsody for Tuba and Piano written for Gavin Woods (Tuba) and Stuart Death (Piano) the first performance took place at The Royal Northern College of Music in October 2001 and received it's first US performance in Greensboro, North Carolina in May 2002 when it was played by the same soloists with the US Army Band.

Moon Pictures was commissioned by the Millennium Commission for the Todmorden Old Band and is a work for Brass Band about different ways that Man has been influenced by the Moon. During the work a slideshow projected on a cinema screen illustrates the music.

Not all of Andrew's work is for professional musicians or for the 'big name' bands. He recently wrote Tewkwsbury March, a traditional brass band street march to celebrate the Tewkesbury Town Band's thirtieth anniversary.

Concerto for Baritone was written in 2004 for Katrina Marzella and will be premiered by Katrina at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in November 2004 with the Whitburn Band conducted by Andrew Duncan.

Composition Style

Andrew Duncan's style of composition could best be described as eclectic, meaning that he is influenced by many different types and styles of music.

In these three short sound clips from Rhapsody for Tuba and Piano you'll first hear a section of clashing dissonant harmonies from the first movement, contrasted by the long melodic material present in the middle movement, then finally the Jazzy 'Stravinsky-like' rhythms from the last movement.

Rhapsody for Tuba and Piano

• Clip 1 - 1st Movement
• Clip 2 - 2nd Movement
• Clip 3 - 3rd Movement

Thanks to Gavin Woods and Stuart Death for their permission to use these excerpts.
© Copyright Andrew Duncan 2001

Here are a further two short sound clips from his largest work to date, A Tale of Two Empires, scored for large symphony orchestra and Brass Band. The work which describes the history of the city of Manchester which was founded by the Roman Empire and then turned into an industrial giant during the British Empire. In the first clip, the music describes a Pagan funeral taking place moments before the Roman invaders arrive. In the second clip we hear a Celtic melody which represents the people of the local Celtic tribes.

A Tale of Two Empires

• Clip 1 - Pagan Funeral
• Clip 2 - Celtic Tribes

Thanks to The Hallé Orchestra for their permission to use these excerpts.
© Copyright Andrew Duncan 2000

Andrew is passionate that his music should communicate directly with the audience, and he is fond of writing music that has form and shape, believing that music should always have an effect on the audience.

As a composer of Brass Band music Andrew has written a number of larger original works as well as many smaller lighter pieces. Solo works he has written include; Concerto for Trombone, Divertimento for Tenor Horn and Concerto for Baritone, and he has also written three test pieces. A Hebridean Suite, Reflections of Freedom and Moon Pictures (Moon Pictures was used as the 1st section test piece for the Victoria Brass Band Championships in Australia, 2004.)

Here are two short excerpts from Reflections of Freedom. This piece is based around the American folk song, Bringing in the Sheaves. The first clip is of the opening 'Allegro' section and the second is of the build up into the Coda when the Bringing in the Sheaves tune is finally heard in full.

Reflections of Freedom

• Clip 1 - Allegro
• Clip 2 - Coda

Thanks to The Whitburn Band for their permission to use these excerpts.
© Copyright Andrew Duncan 2001.

Andrew Duncan has written and arranged for:

• The Hallé Orchestra
• The Leamington Spa Arts Festival
• East Midlands Arts
• The US Army Brass Band
• North West Arts
• The Jersey Symphony Orchestra
• The Performing Rights Society
• The British Trombone Society
• The Millennium Commission
• The British Council
• Fodens Band
• Rigid Containers Band
• Leyland Band
• Whitburn Band
• Kirkintiloch Band
• Grimethorpe Colliery U.K Coal Band
• The Todmorden Old Band
• The Sellers International Band
• West Lothian Council
• Tewkesbury Town Band
• Yorkshire Arts
• Endemol Television Productions (for the BBC Restorations series)

Music by Andrew Duncan is published by:

• Lewis Music Press
• Warner/Chappell Music
• Crabtree Music
• North Music Holland
• Musikverlag Frank
• Faber Music
• Warwick Music