ONYX BRASS

Work with Choirs

Over the past four years, Onyx Brass have focused a lot more intently on repertoire for brass and choir. This is mainly due to their hugely beneficial partnership with the John Armitage Memorial charity. This organization promotes between 2 and 5 concerts a year which in the past have been held in London, Cambridge and Edinburgh. The programme is always based around a major commission and then supported by submitted entries from composers yet to break in to the mainstream. These are then assessed and selected by a panel of distinguished composers and musicians. In the past, Tim Jackson, Jonathan Dove, John McCabe and Paul Patterson have composed the featured commission. In 2006, the composer will be Judith Bingham and the concerts in March will be performed with the BBC Singers and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Onyx are very proud to be part of an organization which fosters new compositional talent as well as commission major works each year from established composers.

For more info, go to www.jamconcert.org

At the other end of the spectrum, “A Sporting Chance” is a piece written for Onyx and primary school choir. It was written by Bob Chilcott for a Making Music tour that the group did a few years ago and, due to its unmitigated success, has been repreised many times. First, with the help of sponsorship from ING Barings and secondly, thanks to the support of Arts Council England. For more information on this project please go to the education of our website.

Onyx Brass were the subject of a 3 page feature in the May/June edition of the Choir & Organ magazine. Possibly the first time a brass ensemble has featured in the magazine, the article looks in depth at Onyx's work with choirs and choral composers.

CONGRATULATIONS

Judith Bingham has just won a British Composers Award for her piece My Heart Srangely Warm'd. This was premiered by OnyxBrass and the BBC Singers in March, 2006. Subsequently, Onyx gave the next three performances including a BBC Radio 3 broadcast in October. Huge congratulations to Judith. It is a great piece which we really enjoyed performing.

Last edited 27 Nov 2006