Gentleman's Brass
Gentleman's Brass (formerly Norfolk Students Brass Quintet) is an innovative brass quintet formed of musicians who all studied music in Norfolk before leaving to study at different music colleges around the country.
Now graduates and professional musicians, the members have revived the brass quintet and are looking to make it an active part of their diverse careers within the music industry.
As part of the revival, the name of the group has changed from the now unsuitable "Norfolk Students Brass Quintet" to "Gentleman's Brass". This name is derived from the nickname used for the brass players in the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra all those years ago.
Norfolk Students Brass Quintet:
The Norfolk Students Brass Quintet was formed in April 2013. All of the members met in the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra and were involved in the Triorca project in Germany, Serbia and England. It was the final residential course in England when they decided that they would like to form a brass quintet. Shortly after this residential, the first rehearsal was booked, and the music began. Since then, they have performed in several concerts, busked on the streets of Norwich, and have recorded and produced a CD!
Trumpet: Matthew Frost
Matthew started to play the trumpet when he was 7 years old. He now hopes to pursue a career in music. Matthew plays in the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra, Norfolk County Symphonic Wind Band, Norwich Students Jazz Orchestra, and plays cornet with the Norwich Citadel Salvation Army Band. He also often plays with other orchestras/ensembles across England. Matthew’s trumpet playing has seen him travel the world with various bands, from Detroit, USA in 2010 to Verona, Italy in 2012. Matthew is currently studying trumpet with a scholarship at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Trumpet: Harry Evans
Harry started playing the cornet in 2005, and moved to trumpet shortly afterwards. He is a keen jazz musician, having performed in the London Jazz Festival and the Watermill with the National Youth Jazz Collective, and being lead trumpet of the Norwich Students Jazz Orchestra. He also plays orchestral percussion and jazz bass, playing in Norfolk County Youth Orchestra and other local ensembles. Outside of music, he is interested in computers, cooking and other cultures. He is currently studying Jazz trumpet at Trinity Laban in London.
French Horn: Jack Evans
Jack has played the horn for 7 years, currently having lessons with Kay Dawson. Jack has considerable classical and chamber experience, participating in projects such as Triorca and was a founder member of the Britten Sinfonia Academy. He has also taken part in two National Youth Jazz Collective summerschools, working with giants of the UK jazz scene such as Issie Barratt and Dave Holland. Jack has been a member of Aldeburgh Young Musicians for 3 years, seeing him working in styles including not only contemporary classical music but also indian music, folk and electronic Music, a diveristy he enjoys greatly. Jack listens as widely as he plays, enjoying the sound of virtually all music. In addition to playing the French Horn, Jack has grade 8 singing with distinction. Jack has also performed on piano, guitar, bass guitar and on his accordion, Humphrey. Outside of music, Jack is an experienced public speaker and debater, reaching the national finals of the Cambridge Union Schools' competition in 2013, and is also an assistant Explorer leader on Wednesday nights. Jack lives in the middle of nowhere in South Norfolk with his family and 3 cats named after jazz singers. He is currently studying music at Oxford.
Tenor Trombone: Toby Carr
Toby started playing the trombone in 2005 at his primary school. He is a regular member of Northgate High School’s Concert Band and Brass ensemble, the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra, Norfolk Symphonic Wind Band, Norwich Students Jazz Orchestra, The Jonathan Wyatt Big Band, Norfolk Brass and plays on and off with a number of other local groups including Monkey Spanner, a local Ska band. Toby enjoys playing a wide variety of music and hopes to study music of some form at a Conservatoire in the near future.
Bass Trombone: Matt Smith
Matthew Smith began his trombone studies at the age of 11, under the tuition of Richard Hall. Four years and many practice hours later, he achieved Grade 8 trombone with merit. Matthew then began jazz improvisation lessons with Richard and gained Grade 5 Jazz Trombone in 2013.
Realising that he wanted to make music a career, Matthew began lessons with Jayne Murrill, a trombonist of the acclaimed Bones Apart trombone quartet. He auditioned at The Royal College of Music, The Royal Northern College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and was accepted at all of these.
He enjoys playing with a variety of ensembles, including the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra, the Jonathan Wyatt Big Band, and his own brass quintet, the Norfolk Students Brass Quintet.
Matthew is currently at the Royal College of Music, studying with Roger Harvey, Lindsay Shilling and Richard Edwards. He has been awarded the Gordon S. Lang Scholarship by CCL Ind. to study at the RCM.
Tuba: Ben Musgrave
Ben is the 6th member of the Quintet. He plays as a dep when one of the members can't do a gig, and will be playing drums and euphonium on the Quintet's upcoming CD, as well as designing the CD case.
Ben started playing the tuba in 2010 but has been playing the euphonium for 8 years, being taught by the legendary Andy Grand. He plays with the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra, Norfolk Symphonic Wind Band and various other school bands and orchestras. Ben has also played drums for 10 years and plays in a variety of classical, rock and jazz groups including the Honeybadgers who have supported such jazz musicians as Jim Mullen and Kit Downes. Ben continues to play a wide variety of music as he studies at Sheffield University.
Performance Archive
21st-24th December 2014 - Christmas busking
Programme:
Carols out of the Salvation Army Carol Books
Thank you very much to the generous people of Norwich!
18th July 2014 - Summer Reception at Norwich Castle
This is probably the best location that the quintet has played at so far: from the balcony in the main hall at Norwich Castle! We played for around an hour at a private event for a summer reception.
8th July 2014 - Brass Quintet and Cream Tea
The residents of the Cedars Care Home enjoyed our playing last Christmas so much that they asked us back for some more! We performed a nice variety of classical and jazz music to them, while they enjoyed some cream tea! Thanks again to everyone who organised the event.
1st May 2014 - Inner Wheel Lunch
Programme:
Liberty Bell
The Lost Chord
Svjati Bože
The Trumpet Shall Sound
Fitzroy Street Blues
17th-24th December 2013 - Christmas busking
Programme:
Carols out of the Salvation Army Carol Books
Thank you very much to the generous people of Norwich!
16th December 2013 - Private Cheese and Wine Event
Programme:
Half normal Quintet stuff
Half carols
This lovely concert went down a treat with the residents at Cedars Care Home in Norwich. We played a programme of classical and jazz music before a short break for a buffet, and then took requests for Christmas carols. Thank you to everyone who organised this event.
10th November 2013 - Christmas Carols
Programme:
Carols out of the Salvation Army Carol Books
We played many carols to the people looking around the Christmas Fayre at the Chalk and Cheese, in Shouldham.
This was a great start to our carolling season which will be continuing throughout December.
4th September 2013 - Evening Recital
Programme:
The Jazztets
Ewald Brass Quintet No. 1
The Lord Bless You And Keep You
Washington Post
And more...
This lovely evening recital organised by Claire Clarke in St Faith's Church in King's Lynn featured ourselves, The Cello Company and Emma Bradley singing, accompanied by Sylvia Newton on piano. There was a wide variety of repertoire peformed by the three groups and the audienced seemed to appreciate every piece.
A brief write-up of the concert can be found here.
29th August 2013 - Busking in Norwich
Programme:
The Jazztets
Ewald Brass Quintet No. 1
Several marches
Lots of renaissance and classical stuff
Thank you to everybody who listened and donated to us in Norwich while busking.
26th August 2013 - Busking in Norwich
Programme:
The Jazztets
Ewald Brass Quintet No. 1
Several marches
Lots of renaissance and classical stuff
Thank you to everybody who listened and donated to us in Norwich while busking.
20th August 2013 - CD Recording
Our first recording session was very successful, and we're now well over half way through recording the CD! All that is left for the next session is Nimrod and the Jazztets. The Jazztets will also include Ben Musgrave on euphonium and drums, creating the extra challenge of having parts being recorded seperately and 'glued' together later.
8th July 2013 - Busking in Norwich
Programme:
The Jazztets
Ewald Brass Quintet No. 1
Several marches
Lots of renaissance and classical stuff
Thank you to everybody who listened and donated to us in Norwich while busking. A special thanks to a very kind lady who has made our CD project possible.
24th June 2013 - Norfolk Schools' Festival of Britten Concert
Programme:
Brass Quintet No. 1 Ewald
Movs. III and I
Our second performance was for a concert with several other bands at St Nicholas' Church in Great Yarmouth, commemorating 100 years of Benjamin Britten. Due to time constraints, we were only able to do two of the Ewald movements, but the audience enjoyed them nonetheless. All the members of the Quintet then played with the Norfolk County Syphonic Wind Band in the second half of the concert.
19th June 2013 - NPO post AGM entertainment
Programme:
La Rejouissance Handel
Brass Quintet No. 1 Jacobowitz
The Earle of Salisbury Byrd
Brass Quintet No. 1 Ewald
Our first performance was a great success. We played to about 30 members of the Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra after their AGM at the Norwich Assembly Rooms. As Toby could not attend this performance, we had a brilliant dep of Ben Musgrave, who stood in and played tuba for us after just one rehearsal.
