Steve really enjoyed his visit to Charlotte, North Carolina November 1-3, 2008. He was there as the guest of the Salvation Army (North and South Carolina Division) for a very special concert entitled 'Brass Spectacular'. The concert was a big success and the following day he gave two masterclasses and taught some lessons for local young musicians.
for a large selection of concert photos go to :
http://www.thebrassspectacular.com/photos-performance.php
With beautiful autumn weather in Charlotte and with the country gripped with election fever it was a most interesting time to visit the USA.
On Saturday the 1st of November the band rehearsed from 9.00 AM right through until 5.00 PM, and in addition to Steve’s solos the band also performed several landmark Salvation Army classics including The Call of the righteous, The Holy War, The Kingdom Triumphant. A good and knowledgeable audience really enjoyed the evening. Steve’s performance culminated with Euphony by Robert Redhead for which he received a standing ovation as did his now famous encore.
There were many special guests at the concert including Bruce Silva, President of Buffet Crampon USA, and Tim Ornato, brass product specialist for Buffet Crampon USA.
Was Steve it was a great pleasure to be reunited with several old friends, especially those on the euphonium/baritone section: Aaron VanderWeele (solo euphonium with the New York Staff Band) , Lee Harrelson (solo euphonium with the Fountain City Brass band) and Helen Tyler, a former student of Steve’s at the RNCM and now playing and teaching in the USA, and also a member of the Fountain City Brass band
Conductor Jamie Hood did a quite superb job in getting the concert off the ground , recruiting all the players, and helping to secure funding for this huge project.
Steve gave two masterclasses on Monday 3rd of November for local high school and university players as well as some young players involved in a Salvation Army Youth Band project.
More photos from this day can be seen in the gallery section of this website.
A big thanks to all involved, and especially to Jamie Hood for his enthusiasm and dedication.