Review - A Portrait for 7 horns and tuba (8 horns) in memory of Ifor James by Anthony Randall

edb 0108008 Horn Club series

Horn player, conductor, and composer Anthony Randall was a colleague and close friend of Ifor James for more than 40 years. Dedicated to his memory, the composer "tried to capture Ifor's playing, his wicked sense of humour, his titanic struggle against illness and finally, his enduring spirit." This composition accomplishes its goal in fine form. The unaccompanied introduction and opening section emphasize the wonderful lyrical sense and power James had. The "Polka" that follows is extremely humourous, building to an Agitato that captures the aforementioned struggle. The calm final section uses echo effects and a gradual fading to a peaceful end, once again reflecting the composer's description very effectively. Randall's musical vocabulary is tonal and expressive, and this piece is clearly heartfelt. The overall range is c'" (optional c#'" and e'" in Horn 1) to Ab (Horn 8) and my sense is that the low colours will be better balanced if a tuba is used. The part distribution is somewhat traditional - Homs 1, 3, and 5 play higher, 2, 4, 6 and 7 play lower, but with a strong first horn, a college group will have no trouble putting together an effective performance. This wonderful tribute is heartily recommended.

Jeffrey Snedeker, The Horn Call, IHS, Vol XXXVIII No.1, October 2007

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Review - A Portrait for 7 horns and tuba (8 horns) in memory of Ifor James by Anthony Randall

edb 0108008 Horn Club series

I was present at the first performance of this fascinating piece, conducted by the composer, in October 2005 and was moved to tears. The essence of Ifor’s indomitable spirit is wonderfully captured in its chameleon-like shifts of colour and texture, its various moods encompassing an elegiac aria for the 1st horn, followed by an athletic optimism and defiance, finishing in a resigned but consolatory mood. The ensemble writing, although challenging, is tonally rewarding in all the parts. For practical purposes the Tuba part can be replaced by an 8th horn but I am sure that wherever possible the composer’s original scoring is preferable.

In this work Randall has created a superb and memorable ‘biography in sound’. On a personal note I am greatly looking forward to conducting ‘A Portrait’ in Cambridge in November 2008.

© Anthony Halstead 2007

Anthony Halstead, The Horn Player, December 2007

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