This is the first of two special podcasts which as you might expect will be full of festive music, starting off with an arrangement by Stephen Roberts of the 16th century Christmas carol ‘Gaudete’, which roughly translated means Rejoice which even in these straightened times is a great sentiment to celebrate at Christmas.

There are traditional carols to sing along to and a Merry Christmas wish from overseas, Puerto Rica to be precise where they say ‘Feliz Navidad’.

I can remember hearing Martin Winter play the Thad Jones jazz classic A Child is Born at a Sunday morning sort of ‘farewell’ concert at the end of the European Brass Band Championships. At the end of the piece the audience rose to its feet to salute a quite wonderful performance that I will never forget.

I’ll also never forget the days in the studio with the Brass Band of Battle Creek when we recorded their Sleigh Bells and Brass album, which produced a Twelve Days of Christmas that for me is quite unrivalled.

A trombone quartet play Tchaikovsky, plus there’s a group of musicians who celebrate the true meaning of Christmas like no other, The International Staff Band of the Salvation Army.

I’m looking forward to sharing some season's greeting and wonderful music on the first of these two special music podcasts here on our Frank Renton on Brass Music Podcast.