It has taken many years to come to fruition, but Edward Gregson’s new Euphonium Concerto, commissioned by international euphonium soloist David Childs, will receive its premiere in its incarnation for brass band on 16th June in Kawasaki, Japan. Further performances will take place in the Autumn in Belgium and Switzerland. The orchestral version will be recorded next January by David Childs and the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Bramwell Tovey, for the second volume of ‘The Symphonic Euphonium’. It will be released on the Chandos label later in 2019.
The three-movement concerto, lasting some 22 minutes, is a truly symphonic work in both its structure and scale. Its three movements, subtitled Dialogues, Song without Words, and A Celtic Bacchanal, explore the full range of the technical, musical, and emotional scope of the euphonium. It is demanding for both soloist and band/orchestra.