Burtch On Brass
Mervyn Burtch MBE (7 November 1929 – 12 May 2015) was a Welsh composer, closely associated to Lewis-Merthyr Band.
Burtch was born in Ystrad Mynach in 1929 and, except for his two years of National Service in the RAF, lived his entire life in the Rhymney Valley. He studied at Cardiff University, and subsequently became Head of Music at Bargoed Grammar Technical School, Head of Music at Lewis Girls' School and then, in 1979, joined the staff of the then Welsh College of Music and Drama (WCMD).
Mervyn was Head of the Performance course at the College until 1989, after which time he devoted himself entirely to composition. His extensive output of instrumental and vocal works included 17 string quartets, 14 concertos, 13 operas for children and numerous choral and brass band pieces.
His collaborators include The Banff Centre, Alberta, Manitoba Opera and CanWest Performing Arts Centre, Winnipeg Canada, the Royal Albert Hall, London, the Welsh National Opera Company, National Youth Ensembles of Wales and Welsh National Opera Company. Mervyn passed away on the 12 May 2015, at the age of 85.
Burtch was born in Ystrad Mynach in 1929 and, except for his two years of National Service in the RAF, lived his entire life in the Rhymney Valley. He studied at Cardiff University, and subsequently became Head of Music at Bargoed Grammar Technical School, Head of Music at Lewis Girls' School and then, in 1979, joined the staff of the then Welsh College of Music and Drama (WCMD).
Mervyn was Head of the Performance course at the College until 1989, after which time he devoted himself entirely to composition. His extensive output of instrumental and vocal works included 17 string quartets, 14 concertos, 13 operas for children and numerous choral and brass band pieces.
His collaborators include The Banff Centre, Alberta, Manitoba Opera and CanWest Performing Arts Centre, Winnipeg Canada, the Royal Albert Hall, London, the Welsh National Opera Company, National Youth Ensembles of Wales and Welsh National Opera Company. Mervyn passed away on the 12 May 2015, at the age of 85.
Mervyn & Lewis-Merthyr Band
Lewis-Merthyr Band enjoyed a long and close association with Mervyn Burtch, which began in the 1980's between the composer and then Musical Director Nigel Seaman. Mervyn wrote two works specifically for Lewis-Merthyr Band. In 1982, the band gave the first performance and broadcast of Mervyn Burtch's Overture: Pinocchio and, a year later in 1983, the premiere broadcast performance of Paean, both on the BBC.
Mervyn wrote numerous additional light and major works for brass band, which included Revolt In the Valleys for mixed voices and brass band (a commemoration of the 1839 Chartist uprising, which was premiered in Cardiff in 1993 with Michael Foot narrating); Beowulf & Grendel, a large scale work for male choir and brass band, and his recently rediscovered Wind In The Willows suite.
Lewis-Merthyr Band enjoyed a long and close association with Mervyn Burtch, which began in the 1980's between the composer and then Musical Director Nigel Seaman. Mervyn wrote two works specifically for Lewis-Merthyr Band. In 1982, the band gave the first performance and broadcast of Mervyn Burtch's Overture: Pinocchio and, a year later in 1983, the premiere broadcast performance of Paean, both on the BBC.
Mervyn wrote numerous additional light and major works for brass band, which included Revolt In the Valleys for mixed voices and brass band (a commemoration of the 1839 Chartist uprising, which was premiered in Cardiff in 1993 with Michael Foot narrating); Beowulf & Grendel, a large scale work for male choir and brass band, and his recently rediscovered Wind In The Willows suite.
The Project
Working in partnership with Oriana Publications, Rita Burtch and the Mervyn Burtch Trust, Lewis-Merthyr Band have recently identified 61 unpublished manuscripts for brass and voices. Together with Oriana, the Welsh Proms and the Mervyn Burtch Trust, the band now proposes to undertake a recording of a number of works for full band, brass ensemble and solo artists by Mervyn Burtch in early 2020, in order to promote the composer's oeuvre and celebrate what would have been his 90th birthday year, running between Thursday November 7th 2019 and 2020.
Working in partnership with Oriana Publications, Rita Burtch and the Mervyn Burtch Trust, Lewis-Merthyr Band have recently identified 61 unpublished manuscripts for brass and voices. Together with Oriana, the Welsh Proms and the Mervyn Burtch Trust, the band now proposes to undertake a recording of a number of works for full band, brass ensemble and solo artists by Mervyn Burtch in early 2020, in order to promote the composer's oeuvre and celebrate what would have been his 90th birthday year, running between Thursday November 7th 2019 and 2020.
Burtch On Brass - Proposed Content
Lewis-Merthyr Band
- Overture: Pinocchio (1982) m/s 4:00
- Paean (1983) m/s 2:00 (premiere broadcast)
- Wind in the Willows Suite (with Narrator) Vanderbeek 12:00
I) The River Bank
II) The Open Road
III) Mole
IV) The Wild Wood
V) Mr Toad
Tom Hutchinson (cornet)
- Will o' the Wisp Oriana 2:00
- Suite for Cornet & Piano m/s
Owen Farr (horn)
- Dream Sequence for Horn & Piano (1986) Oriana 16:40
Mvt I - Mvt II - Mvt III - Mvt IV - Mvt V
3:05 - 4:25 - 4:25 - 1:45 - 3:15
- Nocturne for Tenor Horn and Brass Band Vanderbeek 5:00
*available for both piano and brass band accompaniment (sheet music)
David Childs (euphonium)
- Nocturne & Dance for Euphonium & Piano (2013) Prima Vista Musikk (sheet music) 8:30
- Fantasy for Euphonium, Oriana 8:00
Gavin Wyn Saynor (tuba)
- Prelude, Cadenza and Dance (1980) m/s 6:00
- Sonatina for Tuba, Oriana (sheet music) 9:00
Band, Choir & Organ
- Deep Harmony m/s 7:15
Total Running Time:
73:10 plus narration
Timeline
It is proposed that the recording could be announced in November 2019 (Mervyn's 90th birthday month) and undertaken in January / February 2020. The release could then be made available for digital and hard copy sale at the 2020 Welsh Proms, the season running at St David's Hall, Cardiff, from July 18th to 25th 2020.
The possibility of a "fringe" launch performance on the Level 3 stage at St David's Hall plus a separate November 2020 commemorative performance is also entirely feasible
It is proposed that the recording could be announced in November 2019 (Mervyn's 90th birthday month) and undertaken in January / February 2020. The release could then be made available for digital and hard copy sale at the 2020 Welsh Proms, the season running at St David's Hall, Cardiff, from July 18th to 25th 2020.
The possibility of a "fringe" launch performance on the Level 3 stage at St David's Hall plus a separate November 2020 commemorative performance is also entirely feasible
Additional Works by Burtch for Brass
Major Works
- A Revolt in the Valleys (1993)
- Beowulf & Grendel (1997)
- Concerto for Piano & Brass Band
Works with Oriana Publications
- Coryscations (MS) flugel;ten hn;bar;Eb bass
- Divertimento (MS) brass band
- Fanfare for Band (TR) brass band
- Fanfarette for Northop (PC) brass band
- Five Pieces for Horn Trio (TR) 3hn
- Flourish for Brass (TR) Ebcrt; Bbcrt; Ebhn; 2trb
- Full Circle (PC) brass band
- Hiraeth (MS) brass band
- Hiraeth (PC) 4tpt; hn; 3trb; tba
- Panache (MS) brass band - Vanderbeek
- Partita for Brass (TR) 3tpt; 2hn; 2tentrb; btrb; tba - Oriana
- Suite for Brass Band (TR) brass band
- Terzetto (PC) 3 Trumpets
- Three Piece Suite (TR) 2tpt; hn; trb; tba
- Triptych for Trombone Quintet (MS) 4 ten trb; btrb
Other Recordings
- Christian Morris
- Mervyn Burtch: A Celebration
Major Works
- A Revolt in the Valleys (1993)
- Beowulf & Grendel (1997)
- Concerto for Piano & Brass Band
Works with Oriana Publications
- Coryscations (MS) flugel;ten hn;bar;Eb bass
- Divertimento (MS) brass band
- Fanfare for Band (TR) brass band
- Fanfarette for Northop (PC) brass band
- Five Pieces for Horn Trio (TR) 3hn
- Flourish for Brass (TR) Ebcrt; Bbcrt; Ebhn; 2trb
- Full Circle (PC) brass band
- Hiraeth (MS) brass band
- Hiraeth (PC) 4tpt; hn; 3trb; tba
- Panache (MS) brass band - Vanderbeek
- Partita for Brass (TR) 3tpt; 2hn; 2tentrb; btrb; tba - Oriana
- Suite for Brass Band (TR) brass band
- Terzetto (PC) 3 Trumpets
- Three Piece Suite (TR) 2tpt; hn; trb; tba
- Triptych for Trombone Quintet (MS) 4 ten trb; btrb
Other Recordings
- Christian Morris
- Mervyn Burtch: A Celebration
