PRS for Music Foundation

Regent Brass wins prestigious BBC Performing Arts Fund and PRS grants for composition and performance.

  • Regent Brass to work with talented composer Raymond Yiu on his debut piece for brass band
  • Innovative composition will be inspired by Regent’s diverse local community
  • Debut performance at gala concert by Regent Brass and Regent Community Brass
  • Concert will mark the one year anniversary of Regent Community Brass

Brent-based music ensemble Regent Brass is delighted to announce that it has won two prestigious grants, one from the BBC Performing Arts Fund and one from the PRS for Music Foundation. Together, these grants will fund the composition of a 15 minute long work that draws on the musical influences of Brent’s diverse population. The work will be written by the award-winning composer Raymond Yiu, and will be his debut work for brass band.

BBC Performing Arts Fund

This exciting new piece will be launched at a gala concert in Brent next June, where it will be performed by Regent Brass and its sister ensemble, Regent Community Brass. The concert will celebrate both the new composition and the one year anniversary of Regent Community Band, and will be hosted in partnership with local schools and community groups.

Alan Duguid, Musical Director of Regent Brass, said of the band’s successful application to the BBC Community Music scheme,

“This is really fantastic news and we are all very excited about it. This funding will give Regent Brass the opportunity to commission a genuinely innovative new piece of music from Raymond Yiu, who is a very exciting compositional talent. It’s a real honour to be able to introduce work from a composer new to the brass band repertoire.”

Composer Raymond Yiu said,

“The idea of musicians with very different technical levels making music together holds a special appeal for me. This new work for Regent Brass will challenge me further by creating three formations (professional ensemble alone, amateur ensemble alone, and a combination of the two). I also hope that my existing connections will raise other composers’ interest in writing for brass band.”

Michael O’Shaughnessy, Chairman of Regent Brass, said,

“Regent Brass was set up by local musicians who had graduated from the Brent music system and has risen to become a Championship Section band. We’re thrilled to have come full circle and to be providing new playing opportunities for young musicians through Regent Community Brass, and are very grateful to have been given the opportunity by the BBC and the PRS to celebrate the Community Band’s one year anniversary with the debut performance of such an exciting new piece.”

 

PRS for Music Foundation is the UK’s leading funder of new music across all genres. Since 2000 PRS for Music Foundation has given more than £14 million to over 4,000 new music initiatives by awarding grants and leading partnership programmes that support music sector development. Widely respected as an adventurous and proactive funding body, PRS for Music Foundation supports an exceptional range of new music activity– from composer residencies and commissions to festivals and showcases in the UK and overseas.

· Website – http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com

The BBC Performing Arts Fund is a charity committed to developing new performing arts talent from across the UK. Since its inception in 2003 the Fund has awarded over £4m to aspiring musicians and talented performing arts individuals and community groups. To learn more about what the Fund does and how to apply please visit the website.