TRACK OF THE WEEK
Every week Frank selects his own favourite track of the week from our weekly Music Podcast, and it's completely free to listen too, here on Frank Renton on Brass. As he says this week,
"Every once in a while as a conductor you get asked to be involved in something that is not only musically satisfying but quite intriguing and fascinating.
So it was, some twenty years ago now, when Cornet Virtuoso, Russell Gray asked me to conduct some of the sessions for his new album, The Arban Collection. The album contained recordings of all the famous old cornet solos that we know so well, from the book of studies written by Jean Babtiste Arban and which has become the cornerstone of learning for brass players the world over.
What made the project totally fascinating was that Russell was going to play an instrument played by Arban in the 1880s, which had been lovingly cared for by the makers Courtois, and loaned to Russell for the recordings.
To say that he brought it to life is the understatement of the century, he was brilliant, despite the instrument being pretty basic in today’s terms.
So my track of the week this week on Frank Renton on Brass is a bit of a trip down memory lane for me and a treat for you.
Russell Gray plays The Cornet Polka by Msr Arban, arranged by Simon Kerwin and accompanied by the Fodens Band, conducted by me Frank Renton. Enjoy!"
We hope you’ll enjoy our free track of the week that's below - and then will join us to hear all our many programmes, interviews and music podcasts. It’s a lot less than a cup of coffee a week!
