Test Piece: Of Men and Mountains (Edward Gregson)

Adjudicators:  Dr Robert Childs, Dr Stephen Cobb, Prof Roger Webster

Venue: Royal Albert Hall

Date: Saturday 21st October 2023

Start Time: 10:00am

Participating Bands:

Aldbourne - West of England   

Black Dyke - Yorkshire   

Brighouse and Rastrick - Yorkshire   

Camborne Town - West of England   

Co-operation band - Scotland   

Cory - Wales   

EverReady Band - North of England

Flowers - West of England   

Fodens - North West   

Friary Brass - London and Southern Counties   

GUS - Midlands   

Hammonds - Yorkshire   

Leyland - North West   

Llwydcoed - Wales   

NASUWT Riverside - North of England   

Ratby Co-operative - Midlands   

Tredegar - Wales  
WFEL Fairey - North West   

Whitburn - Scotland   

Zone One Brass - London and Southern Counties

Here is the composer’s outline of the work: (Taken from Of Men and Mountains - Edward Gregson)

A      Slow introduction: themes in embryo – fragmented motives.

B      First fast section: two main ideas – dramatic and very rhythmic.

B1     Second fast section: development of B – scored for separate instrumental groupings.

A1     Return of opening.CLong slow section: new theme – solos for various instruments.

B2    Scherzo: re-working of material from B in the form of a gradual, increasingly paced scherzo.

D      Majestic: the culmination of the work – main theme now heard in its final and complete form.

D1     Coda: a short, triumphant, fast section based on the main theme.

Of Men and Mountains is dedicated to the memory of Eric Ball, who died shortly before Gregson started work on the piece. As he says in his note, ‘I greatly admired the man and his music and I am sure he would have shared the feelings behind the inspiration for this work.’