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Travelling by Tuba
Saturday 13
December 2008
7 30 p.m.
Linlithgow Academy Theatre
with mulled wine and mince pies
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Chris Cranham— Tuba
Stewart Death— Piano
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Although the tuba is of course prominent in all
their concerts it must be emphasised that this is
not just a tuba recital. Playing an innumerable
array of wind and brass instruments, Travelling by
Tuba present a concert spanning over fifteen
thousand years of music.
Beginning with the simplicity of the first natural
instruments – the conch shell from the Pacific, the
Viking horn from Scandinavia and the Australian
didjeridu— the history of the tuba is traced. These
mono-tonal instruments led directly to the
development of the first wind instruments.
Journeying through the courts of Europe you will
hear typical music of the time played on early
instruments including the cornett and the sackbutt.
As the concert moves through the centuries the
instruments become more complicated, unusual and
original. |
The
serpent, first used in French church music during
the fifteenth century, was the first proper bass
wind instrument, remaining popular for over two
hundred years. Much favoured during the first half
of the nineteenth century was the bassoon-shaped
ophicleide made of brass with holes covered by keys.
It was used as a regular member of the symphony
orchestra by composers such as Berlioz and
Mendelssohn.
The
dawn of the industrial age saw the invention of the
valve which gave rise to a new family of instruments
including the tuba.
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Chris and Stewart
first met in 1987 as students at the
Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. The
following year Stewart travelled as an accompanist with
Chris and three other tubists to Markneukirchen in East
Germany to take part in their International Tuba
Competition. The two performed together often and began to
see the potential in a tuba and piano duo. It was in 1990
that Travelling by Tuba was born, when they started working
for
Live Music Now, a national charity started by Sir Yehudi
Menuhin designed to take music to all parts of the
community. Stewart’s added ability on the trumpet gave an
extra dimension to the group in that between the two of them
the whole range of brass instruments could be played.
In November 1991, Chris moved to Germany to take up the
positions of tuba player of
Rekkenze Brass and the Hof Symphony Orchestra in
Bavaria. Gavin Woods took over from Chris and the group was
soon earning itself a reputation and performing regularly.
Travelling by Tuba’s extensive recital schedule has
included many concerts at music clubs and festivals
throughout the UK, recitals at the
Bridgewater Hall,
St. David’s Hall and tours to Canada, America and
Europe. Recently, they have returned from Carolina where
they gave the American premiere of ‘A Rhapsody for Tuba,
Piano and Wind Orchestra’ by the Scottish composer Andrew
Duncan with the USA Army Band (Pershings Own). They have
recorded three compact discs as well as having a series of
arrangements published. The group has appeared regularly on
BBC Radio and television and for many of the independent
networks.
In 2000 Stewart and Gavin invited Chris, who had now
returned from Germany, to become an associate member of the
group. It was in 2004 that Chris took over from Gavin full
time when Gavin went to live on the Isle of Lewis.
Travelling by Tuba has developed a highly successful
award winning education programme suitable for children of
all ages. It has been featured on
Channel 4 on their Okey Cokey Karioke programme and in
the
Times Educational Supplement. Recently, they
commissioned a
childrens’ operetta ‘The
Tuba Has Landed’ from the composer Robin Grant which had
six performances as part of a year-long project in Blackpool
schools. Four of the songs from this operetta are featured
on their
latest CD sung by children from the participating
schools.
This outstanding success has led to sponsorship of the
group by the world famous instrument manufacturers
Besson (formerly Boosey and Hawkes).
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Tickets available from
Linlithgow Gazette Office, Blast Off Books, or telephone 01506 844247
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