Saturday 25 April 2026 | St Edmund’s Church, Roundhay, Leeds
Welcome
Welcome to our 30th Anniversary concert featuring some of the best wind orchestra music in the repertoire. The programme will include some old favourites by composers such as Holst, Grainger and Bernstein alongside popular newer works, all chosen by the orchestra members. You will hear works by the American composer Frank Ticheli, British composers Joseph Horowitz, Martin Ellerby and Kenneth Hesketh, and Yorkshire composers Philip Wilby and our own musical director Keiron Anderson. This evening is all about celebration as we mark our 30th anniversary with wonderful music followed by a drinks reception. You are all invited so please join us for a drink and chat to current and former members after the concert.
Programme
Overture to ‘Candide’: Bernstein, arr. Walter Beeler
Las Encantadas: Keiron Anderson
A ‘Silent Movie’ Suite: Martin Ellerby
1. Hollywood Fanfare
2. Follow that Cab!
3. Gangster’s Moll
4. Bungling Burglars
5. Matinee Idol
6. Slapstick!
Bacchus on Blue Ridge: Joseph Horowitz
1. Moderato
2. Blues
3. Vivo
Happy Birthday: Trad., arr. Keiron Anderson
INTERVAL
Whirlegigg: Kenneth Hesketh
Dawn Flight: Philip Wilby
Blue Shades: Frank Ticheli
Country Gardens: Grainger
First Suite in E flat: Holst
1. Chaconne
2. Intermezzo
3. March
Programme Notes
Bernstein: Overture to ‘Candide’
Leonard Bernstein was a multi award winning American musician, combining composition with conducting and work as a pianist, music educator, and author. He also championed many humanitarian causes and engaged in numerous international initiatives for human rights and world peace. Music critic Donal Henahan described him as "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history". He is considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time and was the first American-born conductor to receive international acclaim.
As a composer, Bernstein wrote in many genres, including symphonic and orchestral music, ballet, film and theatre music, choral works, opera, chamber music, and pieces for the piano. He is perhaps most famous for his Broadway musical West Side Story, which is performed all over the world and was made into two hugely popular films.
Premiered on Broadway in 1956, Bernstein’s Candide is a tuneful operetta with the same sort of sophisticated wit as in those of Offenbach and Gilbert and Sullivan. The music received a great response from the critics but audiences were said to have struggled with the weighty themes and the production closed after only 73 performances. Bernstein continued to develop the show, which gained in popularity with each new version. Towards the end of his life, although seriously ill Bernstein managed to record a new concert version of the work, stating: “There’s more of me in that piece than anything else I’ve done.”.
The Overture itself was an instant hit and has become one of the most popular concert openers, much loved by audiences and performers alike. It is brilliantly written and perfectly scored, both in its original full orchestral version and in this wind orchestra arrangement by Walter Beeler. It’s a fantastic showpiece for the combined sounds of wind, brass and percussion. The exhilarating theme and breakneck speed generate an intense feeling of excitement from the start, so hold on to your seats and we’ll see you at the end!
Keiron Anderson: Las Encantadas
No celebratory concert would be complete without a work by our Musical Director Keiron Anderson, and Las Encantadas is one of the orchestra’s favourites. In Keiron’s words: “Las Encantadas depicts the discovery of the Galapagos Islands, exploring how the first people to arrive there might have reacted to such beauty and such strange newly discovered creatures.”
Las Encantadas, meaning The Enchanted Isles, was the name given to the Galapagos Islands by their first explorers, either early Spanish explorers or Tomas de Berlanga, who discovered the islands by accident, his ship having been blown off course. The Enchanted Isles was a reference to the mysterious properties of the islands, as the local sea mists swirled around them, making them disappear and reappear as if by magic.
Listening to the music you can imagine the impact of the islands on the first visitors travelling by boat, approaching the islands and spotting the unfamiliar landscape and unique wildlife like huge spiny lizards and strange seabirds with sky blue feet. We are taken on a musical journey from one island to another, discovering the wonders of nature and leaving us, like the early sailors, full of wonder and awe.
Fun fact: Las Encantadas is also the title of a set of ten short stories by the American writer Herman Melville, famous as the author of Moby Dick.
Martin Ellerby: A ‘Silent Movie’ Suite
1. Hollywood Fanfare
2. Follow that Cab!
3. Gangster’s Moll
4. Bungling Burglars
5. Matinee Idol
6. Slapstick!
A ‘Silent Movie’ Suite, an original work for wind orchestra by Martin Ellerby, was premiered in 2013 by Northamptonshire Orchestral Winds. The piece transports the listener back in time to the golden age of silent film, when the now classic black and white movies were accompanied by music. It is a fun, playful piece in six movements, during which the composer invites the audience to imagine the action on screen as the orchestra plays, offering the following pointers to help set the scene:
1. Hollywood Fanfare
A brief flourish sets the mood and period in the style of a Golden Age film studio ident. This leads immediately into the next movement proper.
2. Follow that Cab!
A racy 'swing' idiom evokes a pursuit scene through the streets of 'Tinsel Town' with the police showing great interest and ringing their bells from time to time as the scenario builds to its inevitable conclusion - the case is solved!
3. Gangster's Moll
A soliloquy for the lonely girlfriend waiting for her gangster boyfriend to return home after a hard day's work at the 'office' pushing illicit liquor and busting a few heads! She knows nothing of this, of course, as 'Scarface' is an angel in her eyes...
4. Bungling Burglars
Time for a night time raid on the local bank. The robbers break in, fumble around and get more and more animated as their search for the safe leads them nowhere but into each other!
5. Matinée Idol
'Valentino', the darling of them all, reflects on his rise to fame, his multiple Oscars, his magical allure with the ladies and his sure-fire place in the history books - the art of delusion!
6. Slapstick!
All aboard for the grand finale: Chaplin, Keaton, you name 'em, they're there! Someone's always chasing someone but no-one knows who or why. The police turn up, the fire brigade turn up, even the army turn up! After a suitable smattering of pies in the face, obligatory rumbles and tumbles the movement concludes with the whole ensemble vanishing into the end credits...
Joseph Horowitz: Bacchus on Blue Ridge
1. Moderato
2. Blues
3. Vivo
Joseph Horovitz was an Austrian-born British composer and conductor who was a prolific composer of ballet, orchestral, brass band, wind band and chamber music. Many of Horovitz's most substantial pieces were written for wind orchestra and brass band. He is best known for his 1970 children’s pop cantata Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo, which achieved widespread popularity in schools. Horovitz composed nine concertos, many with jazz influences including his Jazz Concerto for piano, strings and percussion, which combines jazz and baroque styles.
Bacchus on Blue Ridge was originally composed for orchestra in 1974 and adapted for wind orchestra in 1983, before being premiered at the BASBWE conference the following year. Described as a Divertimento, the piece conjures up a playful scenario in which Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, women and song, leaves Mount Olympus for some time out in the Blue Ridge mountains of North America. In Bacchus on Blue Ridge, Horowitz blends jazz, Blues and country dance influences with classical structures and instruments to great effect. Listen out for jazzy bassoons in the first movement portraying Bacchus in a grumpy mood before his weekend away, and jazz infused trumpet solos indicating his hangover in the second movement and an exuberant hoedown in the third.
The composer’s programme note states: “The Blue Ridge Mountains of North America have inspired many composers, the melodic and rhythmic patterns associated with that region provide a wholesome rustic diet, which may balance our urban sophistication.”
“The three movements of this work are composed on simple symphonic structures, but they include a programmatic element linked by the idea of Bacchus, the god of Wine, Women and Song. To me personally (and probably without conscious foundation), Bacchus has always been a rather jazzy city dweller, who occasionally leaves the rat race of Olympus for a weekend in the country. The course of this work may be taken as a light-hearted illustration of such thoughts. Jazz elements mingle with country-dance, Blues merge with prairie-style, and Valse de Paris is subdued by hoedown. The composition went through many forms from 1974 onwards and was realised in its final stage for symphonic Wind Band at the end of 1983.”
Fun fact: Joseph Horowitz also composed music for television, including the theme music for the Thames Television series Rumpole of the Bailey.
Traditional, arr. Keiron Anderson: Happy Birthday
This arrangement of Happy Birthday was made specially for Yorkshire Wind Orchestra to mark its 25th anniversary during lockdown, when members of the orchestra recorded their individual parts at home. We are delighted to be able to perform this short piece together in person as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations.
INTERVAL
Kenneth Hesketh: Whirlegigg
Kenneth Hesketh has been described in the music press as “one of the UK's most vibrant voices, having a brand of modernism that reveals true love for sound itself” and as "a composer who both has something to say and the means to say it”. Hesketh has received numerous national and international commissions and has worked with leading ensembles and orchestras in the USA, the Far East and Europe. He is a professor of composition and orchestration at the Royal College of Music, honorary professor at Liverpool University and active as a guest lecturer.
Whirlegigg, named after a spinning device, is a tuneful piece guaranteed to raise your spirits. A feeling of excitement is generated at the start with a spirited jaunty melody and lots of flourishes, where a feeling of perpetual motion is generated by the fast-moving non-stop music. A contrasting second theme provides a moment to relax as the spinning device winds down, before it springs to life again with a reappearance of the energetic main theme.
The publisher’s description explains: “Whirlegigg is the middle English word for a contraption that continuously spins. A great fascination with many inventors of the medieval period was to develop a perpetual motion machine constantly turning and giving off energy. This idea is particularly apt for this piece. A simple ternary structure gives ample opportunity for both boisterous and reflective material with gyrating accompanimental figures never far away. The machine almost stops near the end, but finally musters one last burst of excitement and energy to bring the work to its close.”
Philip Wilby: Dawn Flight
Along with Keiron Anderson, Philip Wilby is one of Yorkshire’s home grown composers. Born in Pontefract and now based near Ripon, he has remained true to his Yorkshire roots. After starting his music career as a violinist, he has combined work as a lecturer in the Music Department at the University of Leeds and as an organist and choir director with his composition career. He has composed for many different instruments and ensembles and is particularly well known for his brass band and wind orchestra writing. He has also written educational pieces and incidental music for television.
Composed in 1994 in a melodic minimalist style, Dawn Flight paints a powerful and evocative picture of two old aircraft taking off on a frosty early morning and flying together exuberantly in the sky. It’s an exciting piece and you can really hear the engines starting up and the aeroplanes gathering speed before leaving the ground and soaring in the air.
The composer’s own programme note sets the scene: “It is New Year's Day in Lealholme, situated in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, England. It is early on a bright sunny morning, but there is a bite in the air and frost on the ground. In a field stand two 1918 Biplanes. Into the stillness of the morning walk a small group of people. Suddenly, as the propellers are spun round and the machines roar into life, the aeroplanes climb into the matchless blue sky of the early morning. They soar and dive in exultant mock combat.”
Frank Ticheli: Blue Shades
Frank Ticheli is particularly well known for his distinctive concert band compositions, several of which have become established pieces in the repertoire. He has won many awards and prizes for his compositions. Commissioned by a consortium of 30 partners and composed in 1997, Blue Shades is one of his most popular wind orchestra works.
Frank Ticheli explains the background to and inspiration behind the work: “In 1992 I composed a concerto for traditional jazz band and orchestra, Playing With Fire, for the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and the San Antonio Symphony. That work was composed as a celebration of the traditional jazz music I heard so often while growing up near New Orleans. I experienced tremendous joy during the creation of Playing With Fire, and my love for early jazz is expressed in every bar of the concerto. However, after completing it I knew that the traditional jazz influences dominated the work, leaving little room for my own musical voice to come through. I felt a strong need to compose another work, one that would combine my love of early jazz with my own musical style.
Four years, and several compositions later, I finally took the opportunity to realize that need by composing Blue Shades. As its title suggests, the work alludes to the Blues, and a jazz feeling is prevalent; however, it is not literally a Blues piece. There is not a single 12-bar blues progression to be found, and except for a few isolated sections, the eighth note is not swung. The work, however, is heavily influenced by the Blues: ‘Blue notes’ (flatted 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths) are used constantly; Blues harmonies, rhythms, and melodic idioms pervade the work; and many “shades of blue” are depicted, from bright blue, to dark, to dirty, to hot blue.
At times, Blue Shade burlesques some of the cliches from the Big Band era, not as a mockery of those conventions, but as a tribute. A slow and quiet middle section recalls the atmosphere of a dark, smoky blues haunt. An extended clarinet solo played near the end recalls Benny Goodman’s hot playing style, and ushers in a series of ‘wailing’ brass chords recalling the train whistle effects commonly used during that era.”
Grainger: Country Gardens
Country Gardens is a familiar traditional English folk tune traditionally used for Morris dancing, which can be traced back to as early as 1728 when it featured in Thomas Walker’s Quaker’s Opera, a parody of The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay. The tune became widely known in the 20th century after Grainger arranged a version for piano in 1918. Despite being a very simple tune, it is considered to be the composer’s most popular work, so it is no surprise that he became disillusioned before orchestrating it many years later with intentional wrong notes.
Fun fact: Grainger himself said of the piece: “The typical English country garden is not often used to grow flowers in; it is more likely to be a vegetable plot. So you can think of turnips as I play it.”!
Holst: First Suite in E flat
1. Chaconne
2. Intermezzo
3. March
Written over 100 years ago and premiered in 1920, this is the first of two suites for military band by Holst, which along with the second suite has become a staple of the wind orchestra repertoire. These were some of the first serious works for wind orchestra, which had previously only had popular music and transcriptions of orchestral works in the repertoire, and encouraged other composers, including Vaughan Williams and Jacobs to write serious pieces for the genre.
Like many composers at that time including Grainger and Vaughan Williams, Holst had a keen interest in folk music and incorporated folk tunes into many of his works. This three-movement suite shows a different kind of folk music influence, being structured around an original melody composed by Holst in a folk music style. This short tune runs through the entire work, uniting the three movements. The piece is perfectly scored for wind orchestra, revealing the composer’s experience as a performer in orchestras and bands as well as a composer.
The first movement is a Chaconne, or theme and variations in 34 time, which features a repeating 8-bar theme in the low brass with variations in style, mood and instrumentation above and around it. The second movement, Intermezzo, is a fast, rhythmic and light melody reminiscent of a folk tune. It features solo instruments and is a perfect showcase for the ensemble sound of the wind orchestra. The final movement is a spirited March with two contrasting themes stated individually before combining in the powerful grand finale.
Fun fact: While still a student, Holst performed as a trombonist with various seaside bands and was dissatisfied with the music they played, perhaps inspiring this composition.
The Yorkshire Wind Orchestra
The Yorkshire Wind Orchestra is an amateur group of around 40 musicians from across Yorkshire who enjoy playing a wide range of music written or arranged for woodwind, brass and percussion. Members of the orchestra take pride in performing to a high standard and in coming together to communicate our music to an audience.
Yorkshire Wind Orchestra is a registered charity and, as well as promoting the work of contemporary composers with a particular focus on those from the UK, is committed to developing young wind and percussion players in the Yorkshire region.
Please see our website at https://www.yorkshirewinds.co.uk/ for details of upcoming concerts and playdays.
Musical Director: KEIRON ANDERSON
Keiron was born in Aberdeen and studied trumpet and keyboard at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where he started both a light orchestra and big band. His career has multiple strands: musical director, composer, performer, teacher.
Keiron currently directs Yorkshire Wind Orchestra (1994 – ) which he has brought to its present level of excellence, Nottingham Symphonic Winds (2006 – ) with whom he has produced many excellent concerts and recordings, and Phoenix Concert Band (2003 – ) which he has developed into a high-quality community wind band. He has worked with many other groups including Harlequin Brass, Leeds Conservatoire Wind Orchestra, Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain and numerous chamber ensembles throughout the UK and Europe as part of a diverse and rich schedule of conducting. Keiron approaches each group differently according to its particular character, capabilities, ambition and rehearsal schedule!
Keiron is a prolific composer producing unique and exciting new music across an eclectic mix of styles. Some of these works are written specifically for the groups he directs or as commissions for other ensembles. Others are intended to be enjoyed on Soundcloud.
Keiron has worked extensively as a freelance performer from performing in a chamber orchestra in Bridlington sightreading 12 concerts a week, to work with the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, London Festival Ballet, Welsh Opera, Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Northern Radio Orchestra. Keiron also established the Keiron Anderson Orchestra and completed several years working on cruise ships followed by a period in Spain before returning to the UK and performing all over the country with artists such as Cannon and Ball, Ronnie Corbett, Bob Monkhouse, Little and Large, Frankie Vaughan and many more.
Keiron’s teaching experience includes 10 years as a peripatetic teacher of brass and composition, three years as Head of the Ilkley Music Centre and 18 years as Head of Music, then Head of Creative Arts at Ilkley Grammar School.
TONIGHT'S PLAYERS
Clarinets
Lindsay Blank (E-flat)
Kathryn Booth (bass)
Philip Broadbent
Jane Clayton
Ollie Gibbon
Caroline Hamilton
Elizabeth Kelly
Katie Murray
Louise Nash
Matthew Pearson
Sarah Spurr
Tristan Watson
Flutes
Emma Cordell (piccolo)
Helen Gibson
Hannah Hardcastle
Jane Henshaw
Nicola McDonnell
Mia Sedgwick
Esme Turner
Oboes
Freya Bailes
Alison Nairn
Bassoons
Alison Elcock
Nicky Rowbottom
Saxophones
Jenny Ashley
Molly Austen
Meg Broadley
Alison Owen-Morley
Horns
Yuna Murayama
Mick Nagle
John Page
Ruth Rayner
Mike Williamson
Trumpets
Andrew Forster-Fake
Sammy Pearson
Hannah
Trombones
Dave Joyce
Jay Porter (bass)
Alan Stevenson
Euphonium
Nicky Dick
Jayne Illingworth
Tubas
Graham Boag
Camilla Priede
Percussion
Anna Beith
Lizzy Crawford
Marc Dunleavey
Katie Lamb
Matthew McKirgan
Lucy Nelson
