• John McCabe
  • Cloudcatcher Fells (1985)

  • Novello & Co Ltd (World)

Commissioned by Boosey & Hawkes Festivals with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain as the test piece for 1985 finals of National Brass Band Championships

  • Brass Band
  • Wind Band arr. by Ruth E. deSarno
  • 17 min

Programme Note

This arrangement of Cloudcatcher Fells received its British premiere at the BASBWE conference, performed by Northampton Symphonic Winds, conducted by Alan Suttie, on 22 September 1996 at Warwick University.

John McCabe included this note in his original brass band score:

Cloudcatcher Fells was commisisoned by Boosey and Hawkes Band Festivals (with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain) as the text piece for the 1985 Finals of the National Brass Band Championship of Great Britain. The title comes from a poem by David Wright, and the work is associated with various places, mostly mountainous, in the Lake District which have particular personal significance for the composer. The emphasis is on the Patterdale area, though other parts of the Lake District are also referred to, and the work falls into a series of sections which group themselves into larger units, so that it becomes almost a four-movement work, played continuously.

Great Gable
Grasmoor (slow)
Grisedale Tarn

Haystacks (quick)
Catchedicam (Catstye Cam)

Angle Tarn (slow)

Grisedale Brow
Striding Edge (quick)
Helvellyn

Additional note by Ruth E. DeSarno:

This transcription came about as part of a Ph.D dissertation submitted to the University of California, Los Angeles. The dissertation investigates transcriptions of brass band contest pieces as a musical bridge between the parallel development of brass bands in England and bands in the United States. My transcription of Cloudcatcher Fells remains true to John McCabe's original musical intent, while exploring the unique colours and textures of the contemporary Wind Ensemble. Mr McCabe has stated, "I'm absolutely delighted with the way you've transferred its sound world so convincingly to the mixed wind medium…I congratulate you on your achievement."

© John McCabe

Media

Cloudcatcher Fells

Discography

Cloudcatcher Fells

Cloudcatcher Fells
  • Label
    Chandos
  • Catalogue Number
    CHAN 8483
  • Ensemble
    Black Dyke Band
  • Soloist
    Parkes

Cloudcatcher Fells

Cloudcatcher Fells
  • Label
    Heavyweight
  • Catalogue Number
    HR005/D
  • Ensemble
    Brass Band de Waldsang
  • Soloist
    Weide
Title Unavailable
  • Label
    GMS
  • Catalogue Number
    8905
  • Conductor
    Pascal Eicher
  • Ensemble
    Brass Bans Bienne
Title Unavailable
  • Label
    Doyen
  • Catalogue Number
    DOY CD 008
  • Conductor
    Evans
  • Ensemble
    Leyland DAF Band
Title Unavailable
  • Label
    Chandos
  • Catalogue Number
    CHAN 4509
  • Conductor
    Robin Fountain
  • Ensemble
    Black Dyke Band
Title Unavailable
  • Label
    Doyen
  • Catalogue Number
    DOY CD 030
  • Conductor
    Howard Snell
  • Ensemble
    Massed Bands / Britannia Building Society Band

Jewels in the Crown

Jewels in the Crown
  • Label
    Doyen
  • Catalogue Number
    DOYCD150
  • Conductor
    Nicholas Childs
  • Ensemble
    Black Dyke Band

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