Creating imaginative, new Big Band pieces for School Bands by young British composers

NCBF  

Established almost 40 years ago, NCBF (National Concert Band Festival) has developed and grown in size and prestige until it is now recognised as the largest, most active, enterprising festival for wind, brass and percussion instrumentalists who play in wind bands or big bands throughout the UK.

NCBF celebrates and promotes the music and activities of wind bands and big bands by holding annual regional festivals across the UK and a National Festival. The organisation aims to provide unique performing opportunities in a friendly, welcoming and musically enriching environment.

In addition, through NCBF Extra, an Arts Council funded programme, NCBF widens participation through live and digital mentoring sessions, workshops, playdays and composer initiatives.

PROJECT

This exciting initiative is for the 2024-25 academic year and focusses on supporting young composers to create an imaginative, original chart (approx. 5 mins duration) for Grade 3-3.5 level (US system) school big bands.

The project involves six composers from the Royal Academy of Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Royal Northern College of Music, each working with an existing school big band. The composers will be working with the bands through Autumn ’24 and Spring ’25, with the aim of the world premieres of the charts taking place at the NCBF National Festival at the RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) on 12 & 13 April 2025.

Composers will each be mentored by a jazz professional and the school big bands will receive three visiting sessions from their composer. Composers will benefit from listening to their chart ‘live’ during the compositional stages and receive practical feedback from the band and their MD, while school bands will benefit from being central to the creative process. It is envisaged that each new chart will be included on the NCBF Big Band Repertoire List for the following season.

The jazz professional mentors working on this project are:

Nikki Iles, jazz composer, pianist and educator, Professor at Royal Academy of Music

Ed Puddick, jazz arranger and composer, Lecturer in Jazz at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Callum Au, composer, arranger, orchestrator, and trombonist.

Andy Scott, composer, saxophonist and educator, Professor of Saxophone & Composition at RNCM

Iain Dixon, saxophonist, Professor of Saxophone & Jazz Improvisation at RNCM

 

PARTICIPATING SCHOOL BIG BANDS & COMPOSERS

Northampton School for Boys Big Band - Ollie Canham

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Big Band -Ted Ford

Wrekin College Jazz Band, Telford -Ben Partridge

Stafford Grammar School Big Band - Kamea Nemeth

The Barry Graham Big Band at Kingsdale Foundation School, Dulwich, London - Donovan Haffner

Trinity School Big Band, Croydon, London - Chris Diamand