_______________________________________________________ The Wessex Brass Quintet _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________ THE WESSEX BRASS QUINTET was formed by five local brass instrumentalists & teachers for a one-off concert at The Melksham Festival in July 1989. The group enjoyed themselves so much that they decided to meet regularly to give brass chamber concerts and to share instrumental music teaching ideas. The WBQ has performed at venues across the South of England including Winchester & Portsmouth Cathedrals, Romsey, Beaulieu & Malmesbury Abbeys, Christchurch Priory, Winchester College, Milfield & Canford Schools, Portsmouth Guildhall, The Winter Gardens, Bournemouth and at The Turner Sims Concert Hall, University of Southampton. The Quintet has been featured on BBC Radio and in July 1993 was invited to play live on CLASSIC FM's "Friday Live". In addition to these prestigious engagements, Wessex Brass has a busy schedule of recitals in towns and villages all over the South bringing brass chamber music to the wider community. The quintet is committed to working with Schools, Colleges and Universities and has been delighted to have given masterclasses and workshops across The Wessex region. The group thoroughly enjoys meeting and sharing their musical ideas and skills with younger brass players and are happy to work within music departments assisting to form new bands or ensembles. Since 1997, in partnership with The Winchester Music School, the quintet has been Ensemble in Residence at The University of Winchester and has been fortunate to be able to work with music students and staff. Over the past ten years the WBQ has played for leading business and leisure companies including Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser, BMW, Rover, Honda and Time Warner Leisure. The WBQ has provided the music for dinners, weddings, product launches, exhibitions and conferences at leading venues such as The Southampton Hilton, Bournemouth International Centre and The Winchester Guildhall. The versatility of the WBQ has meant that the group is able to tailor programmes accordingly. The WBQ has been very fortunate to have had numerous pieces of music written for them. The composers include The Rev'd Professor June Boyce-Tillman, Mr Norman Durrant, Mr Ernest Piper and Mr David Hill. Members and friends of the quintet frequently arrange pieces for the group including pieces for organ and brass, voices and brass and solos. Such pieces have been performed at The Royal Hampshire County Hospital in the presence of HRH The Duke of Kent for the opening of the new MRI scanner, also for the 1998 and 2006 Church Colleges and Universities Choirs Festival in Winchester Cathedral namely "Powerful Hope", "Call of The Ancestors" and "Peace Song". As part of the Millennium 2000 celebrations, the WBQ took part in a Watchnight Service on New Year’s Eve, broadcast live from Winchester Cathedral on BBC Radio. In June 2000 the WBQ was invited to provide music at the memorial service to Lord Coggan, former Archbishop of Canterbury, in Winchester Cathedral. The service was attended by representatives of the Royal Family, the Government and leaders of all the Christian denominations and other world religions. Since 2000 the WBQ have played for the induction and installation of Lord West, former First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, as the first Chancellor of Southampton Solent University at Southampton Guildhall and Mrs Mary Fagan, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire as first Chancellor of The University of Winchester. The WBQ has been awarded numerous “Awards for All” National Lottery Grants for community music and music education programmes which have enabled the quintet to bring their unique form of music-making to local church, school, college and university communities across the Wessex Region. Continuing its work in the community at recitals, concerts and educational workshops, The Wessex Brass Quintet maintains a full and busy schedule including the annual bands and ensembles event "Bands Ablaze", encouraging and empowering students of brass and wind to come together and make music. For further information please contact: Timothy Warren Tel: 023 8084 7639/07979 304468 Email: Timothy.warren@btopenworld.com Tim Norris The Winchester Music School The University of Winchester West Hill Winchester Hampshire SO22 4NR Tel: 07803 108265 Email: Tim.Norris@winchester.ac.uk See Contact Page