ONYX BRASS

Blog Archives

One of the most engaging concerts I have attended in some time. Their obvious enthusiasm for the repertoire was infectious. I’ve never heard contemporary music sound so accessible. The audience loved it. 

Tom Lewis, EMI Classics

With its scrupulous attention to balance, timbre and nuance of phrasing, it is reminiscent of the Philip Jones quintet in its prime, where total integration of five musical personalities becomes an ensemble that is much more than the sum of its parts….five stars. 

BBC Music Magazine

Onyx Brass come alive as responsive individuals most readily in the Shostakovich. The G major fugue is supremely virtuoso, the E minor resplendent and dramatic, the D major questing and deft.  And then comes the urgency of the G sharp minor, the multi-layered A flat and the orchestrally-inspired struggle of the D minor (marked resonancesof the Fifth Symphony in its new guise) – all delivered with a liberated and characterful imagination…The real achievement, however, is the Shostakovich, already downloaded on my iPod as some of the most thrilling chamber brass-playing of its kind. 

Gramophone on Fugue, Sept 2008

Bravo the Onyx! 

Philip Jones

Brilliant…the quality of brass tone and clarity of technique was evident. The members of the quintet shared responsibility for educating and entertaining the audience in a witty and informative manner … delighted the audience. 

The Barrie Examiner, Canada

One of Britain’s classiest brass acts…stands apart from the rest of the field…holds its own as one of the finest brass groups in the country…audience enjoyment is paramount….If you ever see a concert by Onyx advertised, it is certainly worth a visit to listen to this energetic and dynamic brass group, which is busy attracting audiences to the genre of new brass music. 

British Bandsman magazine, England

Their tone is clean and the phrasing well shaped, with intelligent application of slurs. 

The Times on Fugue, June 21, 2008