The Shop Window - SHEET MUSIC On The Way Alan Danson Dunn & Broadbent

On The Way consists of four movements. The first is a March which is heralded by a simple fanfare figure. The march itself has some clever touches for such an easy piece. It makes good use of imitation and keeps sneaking into a Lydian mode to make it more interesting...that means it has E naturals in B flat major! It ends with final calls from the first horn as the march goes off into the distance.

The second movement is a very short lullaby and therefore aptly subtitled 'Cat Nap'. It is in 6/8 and lilts along comfortably with the lead line being shared out between the first and third. There is a 9/8 bar thrown in for good measure to catch out those not concentrating. Close harmonies are used effectively throughout.

There is a Charleston-like dance for the third movement, which allows the fourth horn a share of the limelight with a punchy base-line and a couple of ascending scale passages, one of which is again in a Lydian mode.

The finale is a lively gallop which is introduced using bare fifths. The players are divided into pairs, with an alternating on versus off beat rhythm. The writing is very hornistic and lies mostly on the harmonics. It gives a rousing end to a well thoughtout quartet.

The collection in particular must surely have a place in the repertoire as an alternative to the Fripperies. I do hope Alan will be inspired to write more.

-Lindsay Robinson, The HORN Magazine

The Shop Window - SHEET MUSIC Just For Starters Alan Danson Dunn & Broadbent

Alan Danson is a composer, horn player and teacher. He is well aware of the problems encountered by people of all ages who decide to tackle this fiendish instrument. His Just For Starters is aimed at Grade 1 and 2 pupils and consists of six movements for horn quartet. Each movement has a title. Children will be far more interested in playing Tick Tock March and Wild Goose Chase rather than just plain Movements 3 and 6. They have time signatures of 2/4. 4/4, 6/8 and AlIa Breve to cope with. and plenty of variation in tempo between the six movements. The range covered is from G below middle C for the fourth horn up to 0 on the fourth line for the first. Each player has to count rests and cope with the first and second time bars as well as a D.S. and Coda in the final movement.

In fact. all the things that we need to concentrate on for the dreaded sight-reading tests are here: dynamics galore. accidentals in abundance and several challenging intervals to develop the sense of pitch. Staccato and legato passages, together with accellerando and rallentando markings could all help with the aural tests at a later date.

-Vivien Davies, The HORN Magazine

Music for a May Afternoon, QUANTUM - A Musical Concert

Four Movements in a Jazz Idiom written by Alan and commissioned by the Duo Dunamis, opens with a "Dance" featuring cross-rhythms of two against three. "Quasi Rag" borrows from 1930's- style ragtime, and the "Ballad" begins with an expressive improvisatory violin solo. "Blues Plus One," named for its 13-bar pattern (one more than the standard 12-barblues), is indebted to stride piano. This delightful work exploits the characteristic rhythms and harmonies of jazz, and requires a wide range of sounds and effects from the violin.

Wigmore Hall , Ensemble Inconstantes - Spring Remembrance Concert, Conductor Alan G Danson

Alan Danson studied horn, piano and orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His experience as a musical director, composer and arranger includes working for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the B.B.C., London Fashion Week and Media.

His works have been premiered at the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Salzburg, Dartington and Edinburgh Festivals. His compositions span genres as diverse as jazz, chamber and full symphony orchestra. Current compositions include a brass Quintet, song arrangements and a string quartet. He is a musical director of Ensemble - Inconstantes.

ENSEMBLE-INCONSTANTES

Violins 1: Colin Callow (leader), Jennifer Thorn, David Lewis, Frank Leprince
Violas: Adrian Smith, John Rayson, Linda Kidwell
Violins 2: Katherine Chappell, Stephen Brown, Ilya Ushakov, Claire Lyons
Cellos: Harry Napier, Helen Cooper, Emili Mitchell
D. Bass: Ian Anderson