What The Critics Say

Reflections of Freedom. CD from the Whitburn Band

August 2004. 4 Bars Rest

Reflections of Freedom takes its title from the composition which Andy Duncan wrote for the US Army Brass Band and is a programmatic piece based on the American folk song, Bringing in the Sheaves.  It is one of three original compositions on the release, all of which are substantial works including the Concerto for Trombone, performed by the excellent Martin Wilson (another talented old boy) and the atmospheric A Hebridean Suite.

All three of these works have the mark of an intelligent musical thought process. A Hebridean Suite for instance is a four-movement work that draws heavily, but cleverly on traditional Celtic/Gaelic material. Unlike many alliteratively rhyming works of the same genre that sound as authentic as Mel Gibson's sense of historical perspective in the film Braveheart, this never has the feeling of cloying sentimentality. This is real folk music treated with respect and not showered with inappropriate make believe.

The same can be said of the powerful Reflections of Freedom - a celebration of both Scottish emigration to the United States (often forcibly) and of the grand buildings of State to be found in Washington DC itself.  Again, it is an intelligent work, formidably descriptive yet never over elaborate, with the central theme only fully realised at the end.  It is a very classy work and is very well played by the band.

The final original work is the Concerto for Trombone, here given an excellent reading by Martin Wilson. It is a powerful performance by a player of immense talent who commands the different genres in each of the three movements with ease.

The other 9 works on the disc are all arrangements, the most impressive of which are the two Shostakovich items, Scherzo from Symphony No. 10 and the March from the Jazz Suite No. 2.   Each retains the flavours if not all the colourings of the originals with the brittle hardness and soulless power of the musical portrait of Joseph Stalin in the Scherzo impressively brought to life (with some outstanding euph playing in particular, as throughout the disc).

The band's soloists also show off their talents to fine effect, with Eleanor Ferguson a very sympathetic and delicate performer in Eriskay Love Lilt and James Chamberlain giving a top notch bit of flugel playing on the old Jack Segal number, Scarlet Ribbons (very nicely accompanied on piano by the bands second euph player, Anne Crookston). Meanwhile, Gordon Jenkins who was the solo prizewinner at the 2003 British Open displays a fine soprano voice (although he is under-utilised somewhat) in a rather short version of the haunting theme from the great old spaghetti western, Once Upon a Time in the West.

Andy Duncan also shows that he can master the music from that other big screen leviathan, Selections from Titanic, with a clever selection of the highlights (made better by not having to hear the drone of Celine Dion) of the dreadful film.

There is also a fine arrangement of Alone with my Thoughts, which features the lovely voice of Rona Morrison, but also, the Clarsach, West Lothian Children's Choir and the Highland Bagpipes as well! That leaves a subtle arrangement of the traditional Scottish melody Ye Banks and Braes.

This is a fine release by Andy Duncan and Whitburn, and one which has been enhanced by the excellent post production work of the doyen of producers, Brian Hillson who has mixed the different colours and shades of the individual items to superb effect - especially the more exposed items such as Scarlet Ribbons and Alone with My Thoughts and by Andy Duncan's very informative sleeve notes.  We were just a bit disappointed with the cover, but this is a small grumble on a quality production.

Celtic Connections. CD from the Sellers International Band

October 2002. 4 Bars Rest

Tubby the Tuba is a joyful party piece that benefits from a nice bit of narration from Thom Meredith. Lawrence of Arabia, Overture is a compact little gem, whilst Andy Duncan's A Manchester Tale is a work of real character and musical expanse. Hedwigs Theme benefits from some atmospheric Celeste playing adding colour and a touch of the mysterious to proceedings, which makes it a much more interesting piece than the other times we have heard it (a pity the same can't be said of the film though), whilst we really liked Alone with my Thoughts which featured some sweet vocals from Stepahnie Helliwell and some authentic wailing from the pipes of Dougie Pincock.

Iwan Fox, 4barsrest

Haworth Suite for Eb Bass/Tuba/Euphonium/Bb Bass and Piano. By Andrew Duncan

September 2002. ITEA Journal

I have been happy to see in the past two years a number of fine pieces written for Tuba that are readily accessible to players of all ability levels. I am glad to say that Andrew Duncans' Haworth Suite is a fine addition to this type of repertoire. The piece is six minutes long and very well laid out, a treble clef part for Eb Bass as well as a bass clef concert pitch version for Tuba and a transposed treble clef part for Euphonium or Bb Bass are included. There are no bad page turns and the copy is superb. The Piano part can be played by a talented amateur.

Haworth Suite is a four movement work depicting life in the village of Haworth, Yorkshire in Victorian England.

The first movement 'Flying a Kite over Haworth Moor' is a gentle piece in 6/8 that requires a solid legato. The music rises and falls and requires a smooth style of playing.

The second movement 'The Old Steam Railway' is a pure joy. It's a wonderful folk-song style tune that is in the middle to low register and while not technically demanding is really wonderful music. The third movement 'A Lazy Summers Day at Bronte Falls' is another wonderful piece. As with the first movement it requires a solid legato sound and a good sense of shaping the phrases.

The last movement 'A Cat and Mouse Chase Down Main Street' is by far the most challenging movement. The Tuba part runsa pell-mell over the range and there are technical demands of scales and arpeggios. The tempo is quick, quarter note (crotchet) = 168, and there are meter changes from 2/4 to 3/8 or 5/8.

With the exception of the last movement, the range of Haworth Suite stays mainly in the middle to low register which makes the work playable by any size of Tuba, although in my opinion, is most playable on the Eb Tuba/Eb Bass.

Haworth Suite is great. It will give everyone from amateur to professional something to have fun with and will make a wonderful recital piece and is just plain fun to play. I hope that Mr Duncan continues to write fine Tuba music that is accessible to all. A hearty thank you. Highly recommended!

Chuck Jackson, Las Vegas.

Victory CD from the Whitburn Band

May 2002. 4 Bars Rest

Tubby the Tuba would be a fantastic concert item to attract families with young children to the joys of the brass band. Part 'Fireworks', part fairy story, it's a fable that gladdens the heart and gives hope to all those plump lads on the bass end. One day your Prince (or frog in this case) will come. Finally, some seriously good playing on Andy Duncan's arrangement of Malcolm Arnold's Peterloo Overture which is a top class bit of work from the arranger, MD and players and really gives a stirring and poignant account of the horrors that took place close to the Free Trade Hall in 1819.

Moon Pictures CD by the Todmorden Old Band

January 2002. 4 Bars Rest

Moon Pictures is a superb bit of work from the pen of Andrew Duncan. It's a work made up of series of movements that reflect the way in which man has been influenced both through nature and technology by the Moon. Thus we get reflections of the effect the moon has on the tide, the way in which man has worshipped the silver disc in the night sky, the celebration of it's eventual conquest by the American Apollo missions and it's enduring mystery to the SciFi fraternity. At Spennymoor the band incorporated the use of projected images to enhance the overall context of the music, but the piece is strong enough on it's own to provide good entertainment. It is both witty (especially in the section entitled Invasion of the Little Green Men that features that eerie high pitched whine that used to be used to accompany aliens in old 1950's sci-fi movies, and the Stars and Stripes montage) and dramatic, and holds the attention throughout...... it's a super piece and very well brought off.

Summon the Heroes CD from the Kirkintilloch Band

November 2001. 4 Bars Rest

...followed by the highlight of the programme, Andy Duncan's Braveheart Suite from James Horner's wonderful film score. We are familiar with the For the Love of a Princess which was the arranger's first from this particular film, but the addition of the opening, which has some lovely euphonium and flugel work leading in to the short dance section adds somewhat to the overall effect. The band in particular very well handles the battle scene and the music comes to a thoughtful, peaceful conclusion. Good playing throughout and an excellent reading of truly great descriptive film music.

A Witches Spell for Solo Trombone. By Andrew Duncan

June 2001. Online Trombone Journal

A Witches Spell is a single movement approximately 6 minutes in length in a slow - fast format. While there is no explanation offered for the title, perhaps it is derived from the pensive (spooky?) angular interval structure used in the slow first section. The same interval structure is used in the fast second half, which takes on a rather 'twisted waltz' feel reminiscent of goblins on broomsticks. The entire work is in tenor clef and the range spans from pedal A to c2 with an optional d2. There are difficult wide intervals throughout, which, combined with the challenging range, make this piece most appropriate for accomplished college-aged musicians. The pacing of this piece is good, with ample opportunity for expressive lyrical playing in the first half balanced by some challenging interval work in the fast part. Duncan is a fine craftsman and A Witches Spell is a nice addition to the unaccompanied repertoire. It was written for the Repton Brass Festival in 2001.

David Vining. (Assistant professor of Trombone at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.)