Description

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Gabriel V Brass Ensemble presents Celebration in Brass an inspiring collection of fanfares, beloved hymns, and masterworks arranged for brass by twentieth-century composers.   Music lovers will know the hymns Be Thou My Vision, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, Be still, my soul, God of Grace and God of Glory, All Creatures of our God and King.  Gabriel V's charge to promote excellence in music for worship for all generations is embodied in this program, featuring works by James Curnow, Karl Jenkins, Jack Stamp, John Stevens, and others. Music lovers will revel in these resounding works of praise, meditation, and faith-filled celebration. Joining Gabriel V are the award-winning members of Spirit of America Band's Winter Percussion Ensemble. Recorded in the stunning acoustics of Mechanics Hall, Worcester, this Super Audio CD provides the listener with all the warmth and brilliance of hearing Gabriel V perform firsthand.

About the Author

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GABRIEL V BRASS ENSEMBLE offers the best in fanfare and solo brass works, presenting distinctive programs from classics of the Venetian School to contemporary works, as well as elegant jazz, patriotic favorites, and holiday fare. Gabriel V collaborates frequently with Glori‘ Dei Cantores, and has toured 23 countries in the UK, Europe, and Russia, and by invitation performed works by Gabrieli for the 900th anniversary celebration of Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy. In the U.S. they have performed in 49 cities from New York to San Francisco, and they can be heard at their annual concert series in the Church of the Transfiguration.

Praise For…

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"The program leans heavily on arrangements by James Curnow, who's written extensively for brass band, including arrangements of traditional music. The settings on offer here are all as professional as the playing. My favorite pieces on the program are Steven Sherrill'sVariations on Down Ampney, based on a hymn tune by Vaughn Williams, and Curnow's Fanfare Prelude on Lobe den Herren, both of which transform their originals in the most interesting and memorable ways.  The grand finale, Welsh composer Jenkins's Benedictus, has an appealing folksiness to it that's refreshing after the brasher settings of the American and Canadian composers.  The recording was set down at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts, a venue that has served other projects well, as I recall. But engineer John Newton's work is especially fine, capturing a real hall sound, with thrilling detail and transparency as well. Given the many virtues on display here, this SACD may well find a larger audience than brass fanciers or fans of hymn tunes in arrangement." "—Lee Passarella, Audiophile Audition

"Inspirational works abound on this recording. The compositions consistently embody the spirit of unity and new life.  All these brilliant contemporary additions to the brass ensemble repertoire bring forth the precision, resonance, and uniformity of the Gabriel V Brass Ensemble and the Spirit of America Winter Percussion Ensemble. All therse works complement a concert stage or worship service equally well." —James T. Decker, International Trombone Association Journal