Arranging the choral works of John Rutter for brass band is one of those decisions that seem so obvious in retrospect that one wonders why no one thought to do it earlier. Of course, it took someone to think of it and someone else to execute it, the latter in this case being band director and composer Luc Vertommen. Rutter's particular brand of polyphony, bright and optimistic yet surprisingly dense (which is what keeps choirs on both sides of the Atlantic coming back to it), offers Vertommen many possibilities, and it is ...
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Arranging the choral works of John Rutter for brass band is one of those decisions that seem so obvious in retrospect that one wonders why no one thought to do it earlier. Of course, it took someone to think of it and someone else to execute it, the latter in this case being band director and composer Luc Vertommen. Rutter's particular brand of polyphony, bright and optimistic yet surprisingly dense (which is what keeps choirs on both sides of the Atlantic coming back to it), offers Vertommen many possibilities, and it is likely that even listeners not particularly enamored of Rutter will appreciate the artistry here. The lion's share of that artistry comes from the Black Dyke Band, the preeminent member of the shrinking group of British brass bands. Vertommen gives the players the chance to display their impressive pianissimi on such pieces as What Sweeter Music, and overall, the range of quasi-orchestral effects is large and virtuosically executed. These arrangements are hereby recommended to...
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