Sunday Bandstand 29 August 2021

Sunday Bandstand 29 August 2021

Hamish MacCunn (22 March 1868 – 2 August 1916) was a Scottish late-Romantic composer, conductor, and teacher. His opera Diarmid (libretto by the Marquis of Lome), was produced at Covent Garden on October 23, 1897. His other music includes cantatas. Concert overtures, part-songs, instrumental pieces and songs, all markedly Scottish in type. He had a genuine love of Scottish folksong, and although he lived in London, he was a lifelong champion of Scottish music and of the country's musical life.

He was born in Greenock as James MacCunn, the son of a shipowner, he went to London in 1883 and was educated at the Royal College of Music, where his teachers included Sir Hubert Parry and Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. His first success was with the overture The Land of the Mountain and the Flood on November 5, 1887, at the Crystal Palace, and this remains far and away his best-known piece. It was followed by other compositions, always with a characteristic Scottish colouring. From 1888 to 1894, McCunn was a professor at the Royal College of Music, where he had a long artistic association and friendship with Marmaduke Barton.

In 1888, he married Alison Pettie, daughter of John Pettie, RA, who had painted MacCunn's portrait several times. They had one son. John Pettie was an enthusiastic musician, who helped MacCunn build up his career by organising concerts of his work. It was at this point that Carl Rosa commissioned MacCunn to write an opera on a Scottish subject. The world premiere of his first opera, Jeanie Deans, conducted by the composer, took place at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh on November 15, 1894. He was for some years a conductor with the Carl Rosa Opera Company and subsequently to other companies. A hectic programme of composing, conducting and teaching brought about a gradual deterioration in MacCunn's health, and he died in 1916 aged only 48.

We are featuring his overture Land of the Mountain and the Flood on this show.

Playlist 29 August 2021 

Recording Details 

Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Opening for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010
The Ambassadors - Peter Graham Black Dyke Band MD: Dr. Nicholas Childs - 2011  'World Class Salvation Army Festival Marches Vol 3' - CD - Doyen Recording DOY CD254 - 2011
Rhapsodic Variations - My Strength, My Tower - Dean Goffin  Yorkshire Building Society Band MD: David King - 1996  'Essays for Brass Vol. 1' - CD - Polyphonic Recording QPRL 080D - 1996
Notturno Opus 44, Number 1 - Richard Strauss arr. Kenneth Downie Tenor Horn Soloist Sheona White with the Yorkshire Building Society Band MD: David King - 2000  'The Voice of the Tenor Horn' - CD - Polyphonic Recording QPRL 206D - 2000
The Arcadians Overture - Monckton and Talbot arr. Arthur Wood Harry Mortimer and his All Star Brass - MD: Harry Mortimer recorded at the De-Montfort Hall Leicester - 1978  'Harry Mortimer & His All Star Brass – A Lifetime Of Music' - Vinyl - EMI – NTS 145 - 1978
As Summer was Just Beginning (Song For James Dean) - Larry Daehn arr. Brian Stephens Brass Band of Columbus (USA) MD: Dr. Paul Droste - 2000  'Americans We' - CD - BBC - 2000
Losing My Mind - Stephen Sondheim arr: Bill Charleson Vocalist Jessa Liversidge with the Shepherd Group Brass MD: Richard Wilton - 2018  'Shepherd Group Brass Band - In Concert Vol. 2 - 2018
The Ellacombe Chronicles - James Curnow Melbourne Staff Band (Australia) BM: Ken Waterworth - 2014  'Chronicles' - CD -  2014 
A Song to Swing - Martyn Thomas  Cornet Soloist David Daws with the International Staff Band of the Salvation Army BM: Stephen Cobb - 1999  'Golden Slippers' - CD - SP&S  CD126 - 1999
On The Quarter Deck - Kenneth Alford  Grimethorpe Colliery Band MD: Richard Evans - 2007  'Grimethorpe in Concert Volume III' - CD - Egon Recording  SFZ 134 - 2007
Fantasy for Brass Band - Malcolm Arnold  The Italian Brass Band (Italy) MD: Filippo Cangiamila - 2016  'First Italian Contest for Brass Band' - CD -  Fm Records - 2016
Latin Brass - Gordon Goodwin and P.B.Ruiz  arr. Joe Laube Trumpet Soloist Hans Gansch and Trombone Soloist Lito Fontana with the Brass Band Obersteirrich (Austria) MD:  Hannes Buchegger - 2010  'Special Moments' - CD - Weinberg Records: CDSW01318-3 - 2010
Sato No Aki - Traditional  Sayuri Ishikawa arr. Joanne Riseley NSK-RHP Ransome Band Md: Brian Grant - 1997  'NSK-RHP - A Ransome Note -  CD - Plantagenet Music PMRD 9411 - 1997
Centennial March - Philip Sparke  Cory Band MD: Dr. Robert Childs - 2010  'British Bandsman Compilation CD - 2010' - CD - British Bandsman  BBCD103 - 2010
Merry Mancunians - Gordon Langford  Foden's Band MD: Rex Mortimer - 1967  'Fodens Motor Works Band* – Sounding Brass' - Vinyl - HMV CLP 3629 - 1967
The Land of the Mountain and the Flood - Hamish MacCunn arr.  Glyn Bragg    Williams Fairey Band MD: Alan Lawton - 1994  'Procession to the Minister' CD - Grasmere Recording GRCD42 - 1994
Le Professionnel - Chi Mia - Ennio Morricone arr. Denzil Stephens  Brass Band Burger Luzern (Switzerland) MD: Ludwig Wicki - 2002  'Brass Cinema 3' - CD - Obrasso Recording CD861 - 2002
Two Guitars -  Russian Gypsy Air - arr. Frank Bryce The Virtuosi Brass Band Of Great Britain MD: James Scott - 1974  'The Virtuosi Brass Band of Gt. Britain Vol. III' - www.kirkleesmusic.co.uk - 1974
Alpine March - Bertrand Moren  City of Cambridge Brass Band MD: Duncan Wilson - 2009   'Rememberance' - CD - Mitropa Music M-DISC  209-39-3 - 2009 
Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Closing for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010

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