How often do you hear a trombone concerto in an orchestral programme? It’s a rarity at best, but the most versatile instrument in the brass section can tingle spines and melt hearts in the hands of a great soloist, and with Peter Moore, former BBC Young Musician winner at the age of just 12, we’re in the presence of trombone superstardom. For his Nottingham concerto debut he’ll be playing the piece specially written for him by the brilliant young British composer Dani Howard, whose sparkling sound world has been winning legions of fans. Written during the pandemic her concerto is a celebration of hope and humanity during the most difficult times and draws on every element of the trombone’s enormous expressive range, from warm, soaring lyricism to spring-heeled, sonic gymnastics.
The rest of the brass section also gets plenty of places to shine in this concert. Mahler’s epic 1st Symphony features seven French horns, standing to deliver in its stormy finale, whilst Debussy’s Symphonic Suite, La Mer, is a memorable showpiece for trumpets, adding their brilliance to his impressionistic study in light and movement, beginning with the sea emerging at dawn and ending in a tumult of crashing waves.
