ONYX BRASS

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Onyx Brass at the Aldeburgh Festival 2025

What a great time we had at the Aldeburgh Festival. Not only did we give the world premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Funeral completed by Bernard Hughes, we were joined by students of Royal College of Music on both days, raising it to another level. This weekend wouldn’t have been the success it was. Huge thanks…

World Premiere of Britten’s Funeral Music

This Sunday 29th June sees us giving the world premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Funeral Music, a work that has been completed from fragments that live in the Britten Pears Archive in Aldeburgh by composer Bernard Hughes. Though similar in scoring, this is a different piece from the Russian Funeral for Brass and Percussion. It is…

Transatlantic Arrives on 27th June

We are pleased to announce that our latest collaboration with Chandos Records and John Wilson, Transatlantic will release on 27th June. Composers featured are John Adams, Sir Malcolm Arnold, Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten, George Gershwin, Joseph Horovitz, Gordon Langford, Florence Price, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Sir William Walton. As is always our focus, many of…

The Guardian Review for Bradford NMB Weekend

Take a read of the full 4* review from our visit to the NMB Bradford weekend. “Growling through the trombone is a new one for me,” admitted one musician between performances of Ailís Ní Ríain’s work Holocene. Bradford Cathedral echoed with squawks, rattles and primordial grumbling as the combined forces of Onyx Brass and Hammonds Band conjured Ní Ríain’s…

Bradford Holocene Performance Success

A great day was had by all in Bradford on 7th July for our World Premiere performance of Ailís Ní Ríain’s Holocene alongside the formidable Hammonds Band. The piece formed part of the wider New Music Biennial Weekender, allowing audiences a chance to see all twenty commissions that are part of this years New Music…

World Premiere of Holocene

It’s almost upon us, Saturday 7th June at 430pm sees the world premiere of Holocene, Ailís Ní Ríain’s new work for Brass, at Bradford Cathedral. Alongside The Hammonds Band, we will perform the piece as well as record it for future use by BBC Radio 3. The performance forms part of the Bradford 2025 UK…

Rehearsals for Holocene Commence

Good to get underway with rehearsals for our New Music Biennial project, Holocene, this week with the composer, Ailís Ní Ríain in attendance. Performing alongside a brass band, and 4 cymbals the piece promises to be an assault on the senses, using many forms of advanced technique including harmon and plunger mute for the horn.…