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Paul Archibald – Sounding Out

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Paul Archibald – Sounding Out

Tag Archives: cornet

‘Following the Science? Or are we sacrificing the arts?

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Posted by paularchibald in Personal

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aerosols, arts, Brass, Brass Bands, cornet, coronavirus, covid, euphonium, Trumpet

Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on the arts with performances cancelled, theatres and cinemas on the brink of closure, musicians and actors scrambling for any kind of alternative employment and the stimulation and exhilaration of high quality live performance denied us. The fragile, interconnected eco-system the arts depend on appeared to slip away almost without notice.

Many theatres are struggling to remain in business during the pandemic

It sounds bad, doesn’t it? But, if you were caught holding the wrong instrument, then things got worse. Strings or percussion players were fine. But wind and brass players were in trouble due to the aerosol production caused by these instruments. As for singers… well, they were the worst. 

Or so we were told…

But do these dramatic headlines stack up?

I would suggest my first paragraph is just about spot on. As a professional musician, I and my colleagues have had our performances cleared by Covid-19. When we hear theatres such as Manchester’s Royal Exchange, London’s The Globe and even the South Bank Centre are in dire straits, there doesn’t seem much hope for the minnows such as The Lexington in Pentonville Road and Slim Jim’s Liquor Store in Upper Street. Both venues are in Islington, London and are just two of scores of live music venues across the country crowdfunding to try and pay their rents and staff during the current crisis.

The Lexington Islington

However, it comes as a welcome relief to hear that restrictions around singing, wind and brass Instruments in England are to be relaxed as the UK Government updates its guidance reflecting new research into transmission risks from singing, wind and brass performance.

Of course, this is great news after months of uncertainty but what was all the fuss about concerning wind and brass instruments?

Up until the announcement today, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) seemed to have these instruments in the super-spreader league. Here’s what they said…

“Singing and playing wind and brass instruments, especially in groups, are considered higher risk activities because of the potential for aerosol production and the absence presently of developed scientific analysis to assess this specific risk” 

What the DCMS seemed to be saying was singing, wind and brass playing was high risk, not because of the science, but because of the lack of it. So the ‘potential’ for aerosol production in these activities was so great there was only one remedy – eliminate them.

So let’s just take a closer look at the science we do know. Richard Steggall, a well-recognised pro horn player brilliantly put together a short, simple video and addressed the issue of aerosol production in brass instruments. It’s worth taking a look. You just might be surprised…

https://youtu.be/xyoGz5PSuSw

As Richard eloquently said in his letter to Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport , ‘much of the rhetoric of why wind and brass instruments might help spread coronavirus has involved the idea that we “project” air as we play. Although we do use air to make vibrations in our instruments, we project sound waves, just like a piano, violin or loudspeaker. As I believe Sir Simon Rattle told you, “You cannot blow a candle out with a trombone.” The rate of airflow leaving the bell of a brass instrument is tiny, and, after going through at least 1.4m of tubing (the length of a trumpet), the droplets in the breath are caught in the instrument and can be disposed of…..it appears that, although the government keep telling us they are “following the science”, they are in fact going on their perceptions.’

Perhaps one of the culprits as to why wind and brass players became the bad guys was down to the only remotely relevant article related to the issue which was entitled  “Propagation of Respiratory Aerosols by the Vuvuzela” 

As Dr Stephen Carney says in his editorial  entitled ‘Following the Science? Or are we sacrificing the arts?’ in the influential magazine Drug Discovery Today, ‘the authors of this study recommended that, as a precautionary measure, not to blow a Vuvuzela in enclosed spaces where there is the chance of infection. There are clearly significant differences in the structure of the Vuvuzela and modern brass instruments: i) The Vuvuzela is plastic, ii) It is a straight flared tube, iii) Typical measured time blown was 2s at a rate of between 2 and 8 l/s iv) the length of the Vuvuzela is 30 cm (compared with an estimated length of about 140 cm for a standard B flat trumpet. Clearly, given this information, the Vuvuzela would not represent a good model for aerosol distribution by orchestral brass players.’

 

Vuvuzela – a brass instrument..?

Dr Stephen Carney’s full article: ‘Following the Science? Or are we sacrificing the arts? can be read here: 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.022

Support for the arguments of both Richard Steggall and Dr Stephen Carney comes from an article by Lars Brandt MD PhD, Department Chairman, Ass. Professor, Center for Performing Arts Medicine, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Odense University Hospital Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark. He concluded that:

“The emission of aerosol measured from brass and wood wind instruments was very low, and almost at the same level as background concentrations. Other experiments have shown very little airflow and very small aerosol concentrations at short distances from brass and woodwind instruments.’

Dr Carney continues ‘This preliminary research is, to an extent, confirmed, if somewhat anecdotally, by an article by Spahn and Richter and by further anecdotal studies from the Bamberg Symphony orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.’

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/bamberger-symphoniker-wissenschaftler-messen-aerosolausstoss,Ry6T6OU?fbclid=IwAR0q9LfNqv3QFBZ6EiWDlKs2vvNEnBJKb96oYhDa-PeKx6ePGu9jQqy5RrQ

Admittedly, much of this research has not been peer-reviewed but, again referring to Dr Carney ‘for those who suggest that we wait until we are in possession of peer-reviewed research, in normal circumstances I would agree; however, I am more than aware of how long this is likely to take.’

So, given the amount of information that was available, it seems a pity that the UK government was slow to act with the guidance it has now put in place. Dr Carney reminds us ‘what is at stake here is the livelihood of many musicians and the state of music and performing arts in this country, now and in the future.’

The impact of the government’s initial guidance concerning singing, wind and brass playing has been severe. Choirs, orchestras, brass bands, ensemble both professional and amateur, have been laid low for months and anecdotal evidence indicates a reticence within schools to recommend the study of wind and brass instruments due to the ‘perception’ of aerosol transmission. 

Clearly the damage to the arts as a result of this pandemic has been huge but sadly, it may be years before the reputation of wind and brass instruments is fully restored. This would be a great shame as the immense benefits of playing these, and indeed all musical instruments, is well documented. If the government can offer the resources and encourage support for the arts along with a comprehensive education programme for all instrumental studies within schools it may be the damage to the creative culture of the UK can be mitigated. Only time will tell….

Arban Bootcamp

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4barsrest, Arban, Brass, Brass Bands, Brett Baker, cornet, Geneva Instruments, Iwan Fox, Paul Archibald, teaching, Trumpet

When Brett Baker, General Manager for Geneva Instruments, invited me to create a practice regime for lockdown as part of a collaboration between the company and 4barsrest, I was delighted to accept, of course, but it did raise a few questions as to the best way to structure my ideas.

Brett Baker and Geneva Instruments

At the time of the invitation, the world had shut down for business and we were under strict instructions to ‘stay at home’. Clearly, this regime had to be both productive but also reassuring. I didn’t feel it was the right moment to introduce some revolutionary concepts using material that would be difficult to acquire and I felt the regime needed to be both playable, familiar but also challenging.

Keeping things familiar during lockdown

Probably like most brass players, I’ve become used to the idea that all the best thinking for practice regimes had been developed relatively recently. Most of the greatest players around now are passionate educators and there are many superb methods and study books available for us to really take things to the highest level.

Much to my shame, the Arban method was gathering dust on the shelf as I’d subconsciously filed it away as a classic book but perhaps a little old fashioned for today’s modern, multi-dimentional, multi-talented cornet/trumpet player.

An early edition of Arban’s Cornet Method

However, I had revisited Arban’s timeless Characteristic Study No 1 just to give it a GarageBand revamp which I have cheekily recreated as Arbanista No 1. You can check it out here when you have a moment.

https://paularchibald.wordpress.com/2020/04/18/arbanista-no-1/

Looking through the book once again I was quickly reminded that any player who mastered this method would have a solid and secure technical foundation at the end of it. All I had to do was structure some of the material into manageable sections that, when bundled together, would create an enjoyable and inspiring practice session but ultimately ensure that the time spent was worth the effort in terms of personal musical development. And so the Arban Bootcamp was born! Checkout the Arban Bootcamp video here:

https://vimeo.com/417172704

Once the exercises are familiar the Bootcamp takes around 45-50 minutes to play and it’s a great workout once completed. Once band and orchestra rehearsals, concerts and contests restart you’ll be in great shape and ahead of the game. It will be a great feeling I can promise you….

Arbanista No 1

18 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by paularchibald in Personal

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Arban, Brass, Brass Bands, cornet, euphonium, Horn, Paul Archibald, teaching, tenor horn, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba

After three weeks of lockdown it’s been a joy to see my social media feed move on from Brexit to (almost) non–stop music making as friends and colleagues turn to performing online.

From solo performances in the garden of Somewhere Over The Rainbow to complex group performances complete with multi-screen images of all the musicians, the range of creativity and ingenuity has been astonishing. It’s heartening to see the important role music still has in our lives and how much pleasure we derive from performing even the simplest of melodies.

I’ve been doing most of my practice with a practice mute (the joys of living in a flat in London) but I have occasionally given the neighbours full blast to record some of my efforts. I’ve rediscovered the joys and complexities of the Jean Baptiste Arban’s Cornet Method, an extraordinary piece of work written in 1864. The method just about covers everything you need in order to master the technicalities of performing a valved instrument.

So, to keep things interesting, I thought I’d give Arban’s Characteristic Study No 1 the Garageband treatment just to liven things up a little. I hope you enjoy this version and apologies to Arban purists. Might be best to turn away now….

https://soundcloud.com/user-849129909/arban-study-no-1

Those Magnificent Men and Women

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Brass, Brass Bands, cornet, euphonium, Horn, Iwan Fox, Paul Archibald, Regent Brass, tenor horn, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba

Like many other brass bands, the Coronavirus pandemic has put paid to rehearsals and concerts for the foreseeable future. Regent Brass, however, are continuing to perform online so as part of our big thank you to the NHS and key workers we decided to offer our version of the classic theme from the film, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying machines.

We’ve adapted the title of course to include everyone who is playing an important role in keeping the country safe and secure during the lockdown We’ve also put together a video that we hope will be both amusing and show off the wonderful players that we have in the band.

To make the recording, each player recorded their part asa video whilst in isolation at home, working alongside a guide track, which was then put together to form a wonderful performance full of energy and vigour.

Please spare a few moments to look at the video and please leave any comments if you have enjoyed our performance.

Regent Brass perform Those Magnificent Men and Women

We’ll be making more videos during the lockdown so stay in touch….

Regent Brass: An English Autumn

11 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by paularchibald in Regent Brass

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Brass Bands, cornet, euphonium, John McCabe, Noting Hill, Paul Archibald, Regent Brass, Richard Rodney Bennett, tenor horn, Trombone, Tuba

SATURDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2018

St Peter’s Church
Kensington Park Road
Notting Hill
London W11 2PN

TICKETS £10/£5 on the door or online https://www.wegottickets.com/event/451920
regentbrass.com  Facebook: regentbrasslondon

PROGRAMME

Elgar Howarth Music from an Elizabethan Court
Erik Leidzen Happy Day (soloist: Paul Archibald)
Richard Rodney Bennett The Flowers of the Forest
Dean Goffin Light of the World
Peter Yarde Martin Fabulous Gecko (soloist: Adrian Parker)
John McCabe Cloudcatcher Fells

It’s exciting times for Regent Brass at the moment. Based in Wembley the band are now part of the top-tier of brass banding in the UK having been promoted to the Championship section for 2019. This means, of course, the players need to be right on top of their game to maintain consistency at the highest level of contesting but, it also gives us the opportunity to reflect on the direction the band should take in the coming years.

Brass bands are not all about contesting of course. Since the early 19C brass bands have been a vibrant part of the community beginning as part of the effort to provide working class men, primarily in the northern industrial provinces of England, a social and cultural outlet. From these very humble beginnings many of today’s top class bands consist of highly skilled musicians of professional calibre.

As part of the artistic development of Regent Brass the band is focussing on original music by well-established composers and introducing and commissioning new works from young composers who are making their mark as professional writers.

3F9CF6ED-F244-4D99-B67B-3B3DED0C0226.png

The programme begins with Elgar Howarth’s treatment of three pieces taken from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, the primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, Music From an Elizabetheh Court. Erik Leidzen’s cornet solo, Happy Day, is a real classic and one of the composer’s most well known works. Originally born in Sweden, Leidzen emigrated to the US where he influenced the next generation of American brass composers including Stephen Bulla and Bruce Broughton.

Richard Rodney Bennett’s The Flowers of the Forest, was commissioned by the BBC for performance by the National Youth Brass Band at the 1989 BBC Promenade concerts at the  Royal Albert Hall, conducted by Sir Charles Groves. The work is based on a folksong, The Flowers of the Forest, believed to date from 1513, the time of the Battle of Flodden, in the course of which the archers of the Forest (a part of Scotland) were killed almost to a man.

Dean Goffin was one of New Zealand’s most prolific Salvation Army composers and spent much of his life working as Salvation Army officer, holding the positions of National Bandmaster and National Secretary for Bands and Songster Brigades, eventually returning to New Zealand as Territorial Commander. He was knighted in the 1983 Queens Birthday Honours List. Light of the World, based on Holman Hunt’s painting of the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, is perhaps one of the most moving and emotional pieces in the Salvation Army canon.

Peter Yarde Martin is a super-talented young composer whose music has been played by orchestras such as London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. His compostions explore spaces connecting the disparate musical world in which he works: experimental and familiar, old and new, sacred and secular. Fabulous Gecko for solo tuba and brass band (2016) was premiered by Barnet Youth Band with Jonathan Beresford at Moss Hall in 2016 and shows the lighter side of Peter’s writing.

The final work in the programme is perhaps one of the greatest pieces written for brass band, John McCabe’s Cloudcatcher Fells. Commissioned by Boosey & Hawkes as the test piece for the 1985 National Brass Band Championships the work comprises four movements played continuously. Each movement consists of sections associated with mountainous places, mostly in the area of Patterdale in the English Lake District.

English Brass Academy

  • Brass Band Boot Camp June 6-8 2014. Some thoughts… 0
  • English Brass Academy (website) English Brass Academy 0
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English Brass Ensemble

  • English Brass Ensemble Widor Symphony No 5 in F Minor The 30th anniversary of a recording made by English Brass Ensemble in 1990 0

English Music Academy

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  • Moving On – A New Life at Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok A new appointment as Head of Woodwind and Brass at Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok offers a great opportunity to focus on teaching and developing new projects at the school 0

London Mozart Players

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Personal

  • Anna Segal Requiem to the Old World (1st Movt) The first movement of Anna Segal’s Requiem to the Old World. Composed during the Covid-19 pandemic 2020 0
  • Arban Bootcamp Arban Bootcamp: the ideal practice regime for brass players to keep in shape 0
  • Arbanista No 1 A revamp of a classic study by Jean Baptiste Arban 0
  • Ave Verum A rather different version to `Mozart’s original but, hopefully, still the master wouldn’t be too offended… 0
  • ‘Götterdämmerung’ at La Scala 0
  • Bytom High School Paul’s visit to Bytom High School 0
  • Concert: Waterbeach Brass – Carry On Cornets An entertaining concert given by the fabulous Waterbeach Brass 0
  • Following the Science? Or sacrificing the Arts? 0
  • Kolbuszowa Music School 2-day Brass Course at Kolbuszowa Music School 0
  • La Scala, Milan 0
  • My Thank You To Roger Williams A personal reflection of a friend and colleague. 0
  • Toru Takemitsu Paths – In Memoriam Witold Lutoslawski A lockdown recording in memory of the great Japanese composer 0
  • Victor Tam, Chris Moyes and the Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia 0
  • Žywiec Music School Workshop and Recital Workshop and recital at Žywiec Music School 0

Regent Brass

  • Interview on Brass Band Radio Talk Live 0
  • Regent Brass April 26 2014 0
  • Regent Brass – British Open 94th Spring Brass Band Festival 0
  • Regent Brass: An English Autumn 0
  • Those Magnificent Men and Women A tribute from Regent Brass to NHS and Key Workers 0

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