...It seemed only fitting then that Onyx Brass, tonight’s ensemble of virtuoso musicians, opened the evening’s concert with a piece as jubilant as Monteverdi’s ‘Horn Ritornello’ from his 1612 Vespers — a work played with suitable flare and grace by the ensemble, in apt commemorance of the war’s end. Following this triumphant opening, the ensemble presented an arrangement of Rameau’s ‘Entrée de Polymnie’ from his opera Les Boréades, and a pair of fugues, each in C major — all of which had been arranged by the ensemble themselves. The set consisted of Bach’s first fugue from his ‘Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1,’ paired alongside a fugue written by Shostakovich, a composer marred by the very same war we had just marked the end of. While Bach’s fugue, filled with beautiful suspensions and florid runs, allowed Onyx Brass to further display their sense of light-touch and triumph, the second fugue by Shostakovich showed a very different side of the same key. The ensemble brought to the fore an atmosphere of solemn introspection, shading the joy of Bach’s C major and instead creating space for its grave fugal voices to dwell.
Next came two works particularly meaningful to the ensemble: Arnold’s ‘Quintet No. 1’ and Turnage’s ‘Onyx 30,’ the latter written specially for their 30th anniversary. Turnage’s piece was delivered with poise and conviction, its morphing textures and emotionally tense swells carefully navigated. Harmonically rich, the work’s shifting surfaces were rendered with a conscientious ear. Arnold’s quintet was similarly compelling. A long-time favourite of the ensemble — and soon to be part of a broader initiative in promoting the composer’s unpublished works — their affinity with the piece was palpable. Its vitality was animated through antiphonal interplay, where musical phrases would rise and enunciate before retreating into more cautious, distant calls. One couldn’t help but recall the wartime speeches etched with similar clarity and resolve. The piece’s climax came to a head in the third movement. The music’s constantly flowing contours began to climb higher and higher, allowing Onyx Brass to slowly ratchet our anticipation until the inevitable eruption and return of the movement’s theme.
The second half opened with a moment of potent calm: Bach’s ‘Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland’ and Emily Hall’s ‘Eternity.’ The latter — a motet for three voices — was originally arranged and recorded by the ensemble in the woods during the COVID pandemic, and so, in an effort to uphold and honour these origins, the two trumpets and horn player spread themselves out and moved to the foot of the church. The player’s newly assumed positions enabled a catalysing of the heavenly lines that now washed over the audience, melding beautifully with the church’s acoustics. The players performed with poise and dignity — a magical moment in tonight’s concert.
The concert’s final block of pieces returned us to celebration, perhaps even brighter now that the concert’s passing had placed a metaphorical space between us and the burden of war. We were presented with Langford’s ‘Prelude, Polonaise and Promenade,’ who’s jaunty and carnivalic trombone-strong character — especially in the Promenade movement — was wonderfully conveyed by the ensemble. A suite from Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story’ also made an appearance, with each movement characterised with nuance and taste: ‘Maria’ tender, ‘America’ exuberant, ‘One Hand, One Heart’ thoughtful, ‘Tonight’ bursting with excitement, and ‘I Feel Pretty’ quip, charming, and the stage for a well-deserved spotlight on the tuba, which was met with humorous tone. It was Gershwin, however, that concluded tonight’s eclectic programme: ‘The Man I Love’ and ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me.’ A well-chosen postlude and a fitting end to a concert that echoed with memory, dignity, and joy.
Reviewed by Luca J. Imperiale
Matt Williams & Alan Thomas, trumpets
Ben Hulme, horn
Amos Miller, trombone
David Gordon-Shute, tuba