Classical ensemble

Blackweir Brass

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About Blackweir Brass

Blackweir Brass are a versatile and energetic brass quintet. They are Selected Artists with Making Music and Live Music Now Artists.
Classical ensemble
Wantage
Public liability insurance of £10 million

“Blackweir are one of those rare breeds who combine superb playing with enterprising programming. They are wonderful to listen to.” -David Gordon-Shute, Onyx Brass “Blackweir Brass demonstrates all of the qualities required to entertain and engage audiences, whilst maintaining exceptional musical and professional standards.” -Kevin Price, Head of Music Performance, Rpyal Welsh College of Music and Drama Formed during their first year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Blackweir Brass are a dedicated and versatile brass quintet. They have spent over three years honing their musical style and group sound. As students of the RWCMD, they have been fortunate to have the guidance of many experienced, not to mention inspiring, professional brass musicians. These include Kevin Price, Roger Argente, David Gordon Shute, Nigel Seaman, Amos Miller and Dan Trodden. Visiting chamber groups such as Onyx Brass, Septura Brass, the Prince Regents Band and Harmonic Brass München have also given Blackweir masterclasses. The members of Blackweir Brass are all highly accomplished orchestral and solo musicians in their own right. Between them, they have played with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, the Cory Band, Flowers Band, the Band of the Welsh Guards, the Britten-Pears Young Artists’ Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta Academy, Young Musicians’ Symphony Orchestra, the St Endellion Festival Orchestra and the Rehearsal Orchestra. In February 2019, they were honoured to play at St John Smiths Square in an event celebrating the life of Philip Jones and the best brass ensembles of the UK music colleges. Individually, they have won prizes for both solo-playing and chamber music at the RWCMD. Blackweir Brass have been lucky to be invited to play twice at St Endellion as part of the Festival’s Winter concert series, Endelienta. Additionally, they have performed at the Wantage Literary Festival, in St David’s Hall, at St David’s Cathedral and twice at Theatr Brycheiniog. Last December, they embarked on an ambitious yet rewarding Christmas Tour, visiting Cornwall, Oxford, Bristol, Cardiff and finishing off with a recital in St David’s Cathedral. As members of the RWCMD’s Hire a Performer Scheme, they regularly entertain guests at private functions, as well as at public events. For example, Blackweir recently played for Welsh Rugby’s celebrations for Sam Warburton’s testimonial year. In May 2019, Blackweir performed for Cwmdu Friends of Music for their prestigious concert series. This summer, they will be Chamber Fellows at Aberystwyth Music Festival. Traditional concerts are not the only type of performance that Blackweir Brass are experienced in. In April 2018, they became Live Music Now artists. Live Music Now is a charity, founded by Yehudi Menuhin and Ian Stoutzker, which gives young professional musicians the training and opportunities to perform world-class music to audiences who wouldn’t usually have access to it. As a result, Blackweir have performed in a huge variety of spaces, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools and hospices. This chance to deliver musical outreach and give something back to the community around them has made the group stronger and more in touch with their musical emotions. Blackweir Brass aim to continue performing together after graduation, while their musical and geographical paths are diverging.

Encore badges
7th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 7 years
Musicianship
Genres:
Christmas, Military, Traditional church music, Classical, Baroque, Contemporary classical, Medieval music, Film / TV music, Fanfare, Early music, Musical theatre, Opera, Renaissance, Folk, Jazz, Blues, Modern jazz, Dixieland, Ragtime, Swing, Easy listening, Light music, Marching, Bossa nova, Flamenco, French music, Latin, Polka, Salsa, Samba, Tango, Spanish music, Mariachi, Italian music, German music
See all genres
Event types:
Concert, Funeral / Memorial service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Recording session, Theatre / Show, Cruise, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve, Church service
See all event types

Blackweir Brass' Song list

Repertoire - listed alphabetically by composer
*= Arranged by B. Pepler
Anderson - Buglers’ Holiday
Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
Arne - Rule Britannia*
Arnold - Fanfare for Louis
Arnold - Quintet
Bach - We Hasten With Eager Footsteps
Bernstein - Dance Suite
Betjeman - Indoor Games Near Newbury*
Bishop - Mammatus
Bizet - Toreador Song (from Carmen)
Brackett - Simple Gifts
Bricusse & Newley - Pure Imagination*
Britten - Fanfare for St Edmundsbury
Britten - Hymn to St Cecilia*
Bruckner - Three Motets (Ave Maria, Locus Iste, Os Juste)
Chopin - Minute Waltz*
Crespo - Suite Americana
Debussy - Children’s Corner No.6*
Evans - Noson Lawen
Ewald - Quintet No.1
Ewald - Quintet No.2
Farnaby - Fancies Toyes and Dreams
Gershwin - Porgy and Bess (excerpts from)
Ginastera - Danza de la Moza Donosa
Hall - On Leaving Wantage
Handel - Celestial Concert
Handel - Largo from Xerxes
Hill - Happy Birthday
Horovitz - Folk Song Fantasy
Horovitz - Music Hall Suite
Howard - Fly Me To The Moon
Hughes - Calon Lan*
Joplin - The Entertainer
Kamen - Quintet
Lennon & McCartney - Penny Lane
Lennon & McCartney - When I’m Sixty-Four
Lennon & McCartney - Yesterday & Here, There and Everywhere
Lovland - Adagio
Mancini - Pink Panther Theme
Mozart - Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart - The Magic Flute (Overture)
Norman - James Bond Theme
Pachelbel - Canon in D
Painter - Fanfare
Powell - How to Train Your Dragon (selections)
Previn - Four Outings
Rodgers and Hammerstein - My Favourite Things
Rossini - William Tell Overture (Gallop)
Saint-Saens - Dance Macabre*
Saint-Saens - The Swan*
Scheidt - Battle Suite
Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
Souza - Liberty Bell
Stravinsky - Petrushka (excerpts from)*
Sullivan - Overture to H.M.S Pinafore
Tchaikovsky arr. Jackson - The Nutcracker (two movements)
Traditional - Amazing Grace
Traditional - Greensleeves
Traditional - Just a Closer Walk
Various - Russian Fantasy
Verdi - Grand March from Aida
Williams - Superman Theme
Christmas music:
Berlin arr. Civil - Silent Night
Gruber arr. Jackson - Silent Night
Harvey - Carolling Brass 2
Holst arr. Jackson - In the Bleak Midwinter
Iveson - Carolling Brass 1
Iveson - Christmas Crackers
Tchaikovsky arr. Jackson - The Nutcracker (two movements)
The Salvation Army - New Christmas Praise (concise carol books)
Traditional arr. Jackon - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Traditional arr. Jackson - O Little Town of Bethlehem
Traditional arr.Jenkins - Deck the Halls
Customer questions

Do you have different line-up options?

We can appear for selected concerts and Christmas performances as a quartet or potentially a trio. We are also able to deliver outreach sessions in any combination. We can appear with Flugel Horns, Cornets, Sousaphones and in historically appropriate settings with a Cimbasso.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

We will try to be flexible for pre-arranged concerts but the further in advance that we are warned of changes, the likelier it is that we can accommodate them.

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

This is not a service that we can provide but we can play a light music in the run up to a more formal performance.

How much time do you need to set up?

Set up time is minimal but if possible a small acoustic check/balance rehearsal would be very helpful - and give us a chance to get to know the space!

Can you roam around while you perform?

There are a few pieces, including Just a Closer Walk that we can perform as we walk on stage.

Can I pick the songs you play from the set list?

Of course this is a possibility. We also offer a number of pre-selected recital programmes, including Music and Words - a recital based around poetry.

Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA & lighting) included in your quote?

Yes, we can bring our own music stands and chairs if necessary and we do not require amplification.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

Given enough notice and a small additional fee, we can arrange song requests for the quintet for events. Our tuba player, Ben, is a highly skilled arranger.

What do your clients love most about your performances?

One of our most frequent pieces of praise is that our concerts are original, refreshing and energetic. We aim to bring a fresh take to standard piece of repertoire.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

St David’s Hall St David’s Cathedral St John Smiths Square Dora Stoutzker Concert Hall Newport Cathedral St Endellion Church Theatr St Johns, Wantage

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble Onyx Brass Canadian Brass Harmonic Brass Munich The Prince Regents Band

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

We performed for His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, at an event at his private residence in West Wales in July 2018, as part of a showcase of talent from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Blackweir Brass' Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Up to 1 hour£1500
Up to 2 hours£1500
Up to 3 hours£1875
Blackweir Brass
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5 out of 5
3 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
Punctuality
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5.0

Blackweir Brass' Reviews

From Encore customers:

JB
Jonny B
4 years ago
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5 out of 5

Excellent in every way!

From other customers:

RA
Roger A
5 years ago, for a Concert in Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
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5 out of 5

An imaginative, creative opening and very well presented. Staging was excellent, thought through and well prepared. Very well punctuated. Sensitive playing and warm sound. Good contrasts of mood and performance between broad and sustained to spacious and lighter articulation. Plenty of musical personality!

DG
David G
5 years ago, for a Private event in North Rd
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5 out of 5

Stellar individual playing combined with superb ensemble skills. They programme very interesting music, often commissioning arrangements to suit a particular theme.