Iles Medal Awarded to John McCabe
12th August 2014
McCabe first encountered the brass band genre through working with the late Ifor James, horn-player and then MD of the Besses o’th’ Barn Band (one of the oldest brass bands in the world). He was staggered by the brilliance of the playing, and went on to write Images for them in 1978. Four other works followed: Cloudcatcher Fells (1985), Northern Lights (1992), Salamander (1994), and The Maunsell Forts (2002). Cloudcatcher Fells, inspired by the magnificent vistas and evocative landscape of Cumbria, is regarded as one of the finest works in the brass band repertoire. Cloudcatcher Fells, Salamander and The Maunsell Forts have all been test pieces, either for the British Open, or the National Finals.
The Iles Medal is due to be presented to John McCabe at the next British Open, at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, in September. Commenting recently McCabe said, ‘I’m absolutely delighted, because it’s a prestigious thing – so many great musicians have received the medal, and it’s an essential part of the brass band world’.
To see the complete list of McCabe’s works for brass band, please see here.
