L'Histoire de l'Ensemble Dents du Midi
de 1970 à 1980
Chronique de la naissance et de la fin d'un Brass Band en Valais
Thanks to all my visitors from over 30 countries :
Norway, Switzerland, Great Britain, Netherland, Denmark, France, Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, United States, Australia, Sweden, South Africa, Cyprus, and Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates, Isle of Man, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Malte, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Jersey, Spain, India.
My last Coup de Coeur
Arsène Duc, un Chef Valaisan à l'honneur au Royal Albert Hall à Londres
Arsène Duc
Arsène Duc, directeur et fondateur du Valaisia Brass Band a été engagé par la fameuse Brighouse & Rastrick Band pour conduire ce prestigieux band lors du concours national de Grande Bretagne du 2 octobre 2021 au Royal Albert Hall à Londres. Leur performance fut classée au 6ème rang sur 19 participants (ici l'interview de Canal 9)
Juste avant de remporter son 10ème titre de champion suisse le 28 novembre 2021 à Montreux dont le 7ème avec le Valaisia Brass Band. Il faut y ajouter un titre de champion d'Europe en 2018 et le très fameux British Open en 2017. Quel palmarès !
27 novembre 2021, Auditorium Stravinsky à Montreux, Championnats suisses de brass bands.
Edward Gregson, Philippe Berrut, Michael Bach, Oliver Waespi et Jean-Chales Dorsaz.
Mes 16 Coups de Coeur 2020 - 2021 :
28 novembre 2021, restaurant le Bellagio au Royal Plaza de Montreux.
Petit déjeuner des compositeurs .
Jean-Charles Dorsaz, Philippe Berrut, Oliver Waespi, Edward Gregson et Régis Gobet.
Mon Coup de Coeur
Philip Harper
Conductor of Cory Band
Philip Harper
Conductor of the Cory Band
Philip Harper with all the trophies after the first Grand Slam in 2016
Philip Harper life story, in my own words...
The week I turned forty years old was the week I also won my first major banding title, The 2013 European, in Oslo, Norway. It felt like a turning point for me and was the first of many achievements with the Cory Band, including winning all the major titles multiple times in the last seven years.
When I was asked to take over as the Musical Director of Cory in 2012, it was far from an easy decision for me – which sounds like a crazy statement with the benefit of hindsight! The truth was that Cory was already the best in the world and had a formidable reputation, and I was earning a decent living as a freelance conductor and composer. Most people whose advice I asked told me not to take the Cory job, as it looked like the fabled ‘poisoned chalice’ and could only end in failure. My wife Anri was a voice of reason, insisting that I would always regret not knowing if I could have made a mark at the top if I didn’t take it. After a few weeks deliberating, I finally accepted the job and it is safe to say I certainly don’t have any regrets about it now!
It is quite a strange fact that I ended up with brass bands at all really, as I have no banding history or even any musical history in my family. I suppose music was a natural passion and talent of mine, but nobody knew that before my parents sent me along to the local Castle Point Brass Band at the age of seven, having seen a small wooden sign posted at the end of the band secretary’s driveway. I picked up a tenor horn which was to be my instrument for the next 20 years.
1982 a quartet of brass with Philip Harper
1983 Philip with Castle Point uniform in London
1987 The Castle Point Brass Band. The conductor is Malcolm Lewis. I am sixth from left on the back row.
With no-one particularly to advise me otherwise I just followed my musical nose – something I have continued to do to this day – and I got more and more enthusiastic about banding and playing my horn. I had some success as a player, for example as Principal Horn of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB), and as a Brass Finalist on the BBC Young Musician of the Year contest in 1991. I elected to study music at university and, mainly because I wanted to play with the Sun Life Band – a dream I eventually achieved – I chose the city of Bristol for my studies and ended up living there for 20 years, graduating, getting my first job, getting married and having children.
2016 The Cory Band and Philip Harper. The Grand Slam
This is not quite true actually, as I spent two years between 1996 and 1998 living and working in Japan. I had met my wife-to-be, Anri, in Bristol. She was Japanese and, as I knew next to nothing about the country, I decided to spend some time there (although she didn’t join me and, ironically, stayed in the UK). Living in Japan was life-changing and I could feel my attitudes to and understanding of the world broadening widely during my time there. Alongside this came an urge to pick up the baton and transfer from the horn section of the band to the podium. I wanted to be a conductor.
When I returned to the UK I began learning how to conduct and took a job with the Thornbury Band, before quickly progressing to the Flowers Band where I spent a rewarding eight years – even though learning my trade in the Championship Section meant I made plenty of high-profile mistakes along the way! My composition work was also starting to take off and I had several big commissions including for the National Championships of Great Britain (A Gallimaufry Suite 2004), the NYBBGB (Elan 2000) and the Cornwall Youth Brass Band (Beyond the Tamar 2005).
Upon leaving Flowers in 2008 I began to do more and more freelance work, with bands like Tongwynlais Temperance in Wales and Leyland in North West England. I also began travelling abroad a lot more, especially as an adjudicator.
And then, in June 2012, still following my nose, my current musical adventure with Cory Band began and I picked up the gauntlet with the best brass band in the world.
Alongside Cory I continued to work on some new and diverse projects. I composed Journey in 2012, for 800 orchestral and choral musicians in Gloucestershire, which I conducted at the Royal Albert Hall, London at the Music for Youth Schools Prom. I also began an association with the Manger Musikklag Band in Bergen, Norway from 2013 and later that year conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Brass at the Cadogan Hall in London.
Starting with the European win in 2013, I have now won three Europeans, four UK Nationals, three British Open and six Brass in Concerts with Cory, including winning a Grand Slam of all available major titles in both 2016 and 2019. Not bad going so far !
On top of that we have carried out several exciting projects together. We love to tour and often visit the Continent, but the 2-week tour of Australia in 2013 was an early highlight, and we have also visited the USA twice, once in 2016 and again in 2019. In 2020 we had a tour to South Korea planned and we would have been the first British-style brass band to visit this country. We hope we can work this out for 2021 now.
1990 National Youth Brass Band of GB with Roy Newsome conductor. I am on inner-row, 7th from left
''One of his first arrangements was ‘William Tell’ duet for cornet/horn which he performed with Castle Point principal cornet Graham Lewis at his own concert''
Malcolm Lewis
Philip Harper
Brass Finalist on the BBC Young Musician of the Year contest in 1991.
1993 Sun Life Band on stage with Roy Newsome at the Royal Albert Hall playing The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. I am on the right of the picture.
Cory and I have also commissioned and performed a lot of new music together, not just with my bespoke Brass in Concert programmes, such as Roald Dahl (2016), Romeo and Juliet (2018) and The Jungle Book (2019), but working with other composers too, such as John Pickard for the premiere of Rain, Steam and Speed in 2017, Philip Sparke with Perehelion (2013) and Raveling, Unraveling (2016), Derek Bourgeois with the Cornet Concerto (2018) and Christopher Bond with Corineus (2018).
It was as conductor of Cory Band that I invented my composer pseudonym Paul Raphael to create Destination Moon (2017) and Explorers on the Moon (2019). The main reason for the pseudonym was that I didn’t want the judges of the contests we were playing these own-choice pieces at to know which band was playing – for advantage or disadvantage. Maybe it was a failed plan, as it is difficult to keep a secret in the banding world, but the whole Paul Raphael personality has grown into part of my Cory story and, if nothing else, is a lot of fun.
And so to current times and, like all bands, coronavirus has stopped my plans from developing for now. I am Music Editor of Wright and Round in the UK, and I also have my own publishing company Harper Music, so there is plenty of creative work I can do during a lockdown, and at Cory we are learning to innovate to stay alive, with several online virtual projects taking place or planned. We all miss the thrill of live music, and travelling around the world and are looking forward with great enthusiasm to when we can return.
At that point I suppose I will continue to follow my musical nose to wherever the next destination is. It’s a wonderful life being the Musical Director of the best brass band in the world, so I hope it continues for a few more years yet !
1994 Sun Life Band on stage at St George's Hall Bristol with conductor Bryan Hurdley. I am on inner-row 5th from left.
Cory Band and Philp Harper won the British Open 2019
Version française de la biographie.
Cliquez sur le texte pour l'agrandir
The Art of Conducting by Philip Harper
Cory Band and Philip Harper - Triumph of Time - British Open 2016
Dynasty (Peter Graham) - The Cory Band conducted by Philip Harper - British Open 2019.
Philip's Interview July 2020
Dear Philip, what really struck me while reading your biography is that you give the impression that your career only really started at the age of 40 with the Cory Band. Still, you had done various other things before that. Is the European Championship of 2013 truly the most important event of your career ?
This was the time when I knew I had become a ‘household’ name in the banding world – I doubt many people would have paid attention to me before then! And yes, I did think winning that first ‘major’ was very important. Probably winning the UK Nationals at the Royal Albert Hall later that year was probably the most significant moment of my career as I felt like I had won membership to a very exclusive club of brass band conductors. I knew things wouldn’t be the same after that.
The beginnings of your apprenticeship as a musician were pretty odd. We can figure it out by reading the touching testimony of Malcolm Lewis, your first teacher. Basically, were it not for your mother’s authority, you might have never learned music ?
Ha ha! I was so young that I don’t have any recollection of this. I do know that I was a painfully shy and socially awkward child – someone else tells a story about me hiding behind my mum’s skirt rather than going to rehearsal !
My mum took me along to the band after I had seen the movie Star Wars at a very young age, and pronounced that I would like to play the trumpet. So I think it was a combination of Maurice Murphy and my mum that got me started !
1991 was a great year for you: you were solo horn at the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and finalist of the BBC contest as young musician of the year. What memories did you keep of it ?
It was also the year I left school, started University, and met my wife-to-be, Anri. I suppose my ambitions were still to make it as a tenor horn player at that stage and it was encouraging to make some good achievements this year. But again I didn’t have anything mapped out or advised to me (otherwise I probably should have gone to a conservatoire) and chose my university based on the brass band I wanted to play for (Sun Life). I was so naïve I didn’t even realise the difference between the banding regions of Yorkshire (where Leeds University was my second choice, and there are dozens of top class bands) and the West of England (where Sun Life was the only top band, and remains the only West of England band ever to win the British Open). So I still had a lot to learn !
At the time, you talked about your project and desire to perform with the Sun Life Band, which was conducted by famous Roy Newsome. Please, tell us more about that time and about that band sadly very little known on the continent.
Sun Life Band started as Stanshawe Band in 1968. A group of ambitious bandsmen wanted simply to develop the band to be the best in the world. In 1978 sponsorship from the local insurance company Sun Life began which opened all kinds of opportunities, including engaging conductors such as Walter Hargreaves, Geoffrey Brand and then Roy Newsome. Roy conducted Sun Life to the British Open title in 1990 and I joined the band on the crest of the wave in 1991. The band was really fantastic and I met some wonderful people there. It was my first experience of playing with a top class band and it was a real thrill !
Has Roy Newsome, who was an incredibly famous conductor, inspired you as a conductor ?
Yes. He was very encouraging to me as a young musician playing with the NYBBGB, and his qualities of professionalism, musicality and personal integrity are ones I have tried to emulate. I think he would have been very interested to follow my career, and it was so sad to have to attend his funeral in 2011. But I still bump into Muriel Newsome so that’s a good present-day connection back to Roy.
You lived in Japan for 2 years, after marrying a Japanese woman. What did you do during those 2 years in the Land of the Rising Sun? Music? Has this uncommon experience benefited your career and has it altered your personality ?
I was an assistant English teacher on the JET Programme, and I lived in Saitama Prefecture, quite close to North West Tokyo. But the trip wasn’t really about the work, it was about broadening my horizons, learning about a different culture, and particularly experiencing everything Japan had to offer, from food, communal bathing, karaoke, sumo, and of course learning Japanese.
It certainly did alter my personality. In hindsight I can see that I was very narrow-minded before my trip, and the two years in Japan showed me just how huge and diverse a place the world is. I love travelling !
You admitted having committed very mediatized mistakes while conducting the Flowers Band. Can you tell us more about it ?
I had a lot of ideas in my head which I wanted to try, and I wasn’t afraid to try them, especially at entertainment contests. I can remember one time where we had drawn to play no. 1 at the Yeovil contest. I had arranged a special fanfare to precede the National Anthem (which the first band always has to play) and I positioned all the players around the theatre so the audience got a kind of ‘wraparound’ sound. I stood on stage and conducted, but as we reached the National Anthem, the whole audience stood up and I lost all visual contact with my musicians! Goodness knows how we kept it together.
Another time I had planned an elaborate entrance from the back of the hall in a concert, and had rehearsed the route in the afternoon. Unfortunately I’d failed to realise that the guest performers in the concert was a steel pan band which, by the time of the evening concert, was set out all across the front of the hall. I appeared at the back of the hall to make my entrance through the audience and found a wall of steel-pans to climb over before I could get close to the stage – very embarrassing.
Probably the most infamous time was when I tried to introduce some ‘puppets’ to an entertainment contest finale. It was so tacky and gimmicky and I received an absolutely hilarious and justifiably coruscating review on 4brasrest.com. I never made that mistake again.
And many more mistakes, too many to mention !
You have had the occasion to conduct in Great Britain and in Norway and you were a consultant for the in Switzerland and other bands. Please, tell us about the differences between a British band, a Norwegian band and a Swiss band ?
Ultimately they are the same – a group of 30 players blowing or hitting things. My favourite challenge is finding out the personality of each band, and the individual personality of each player, and in this respect bands from anywhere in the world are exactly the same – a great variety of different types of people who all share an objective of music-making.
The difference come in the ‘cultures’ I guess. British bands have a long tradition which is sometimes an impediment to progress. Norwegian bands have a reputation for a much more liberal and innovative approach, and their National Federation provides a much stronger framework for banding than exists in the UK. I personally have always found Swiss bands to be more like UK bands in terms of their traditional approach, but you also of course have a strong National Body and the Swiss Nationals is one of the most vibrant events in the brass band calendar.
In 2012, you composed “Journey” and conducted an ensemble of 800 musicians and singers at the Royal Albert Hall. What an incredible experience! Can you tell us more about that exceptional moment ?
My friend Steve Legge commissioned this piece – he always thinks big! The Music Service in my home county of Gloucestershire had been given the chance to be the main ensemble at the School Prom which is an annual festival of youth music-making. I composed a piece based on the famous Gloucestershire legend of Dick Whittington and his cat. We used the entire Cheltenham Town Hall to rehearse (no room for any audience!) and the experience at the RAH was incredible. It’s like a party atmosphere where the 6,000 audience consists of other children and their schools and parents. From where I stood on stage, the choirs just vanished off into the distance, way up high! I couldn’t see the faces of the people I was conducting they were so far away. A very special night.
You have been conducting the Cory Band for the past 8 years and you have won with this band every imaginable title. What is it that makes the Cory Band better than the others ?
I don’t know the answer to this. I just try and assemble the most exceptional group of musicians around me, think of an imaginative and ambitious vision in my head, and then we work very hard at achieving it together. We only really ever judge ourselves in comparison to our own potential, not other bands. And I’m happy to say that we can almost always achieve that potential, and that seems to be enough to win competitions, which is a bonus !
Can you tell us more about the musicians of the Cory Band ? Are they professionals or enlightened amateurs ? Do they have a profession ? If so, what kind of profession ?
Cory Band players all have other ‘proper’ jobs. We have teachers, salespeople, surveyors, admin staff, factory workers, as well as several students. Of course the band is a big commitment for them but they are there because they love it – a situation I try to maintain for them.
The Cory Band already went on several international tours, went twice to the US, to Australia and, this year, you were supposed to go to South Korea, were this trip not cancelled because of the Coronavirus. Only a few days ago was I talking about it with Arsène Duc, conductor of the Valaisia Brass Band, who explained to me that the fact that his musicians were amateurs and actually had a profession aside made this kind of tour abroad very difficult, in not impossible. So how was the Cory Band able to go on so many international tours ?
We always programme tours for the school holidays so the teachers in the band can travel without having to miss any work. Then other people take time off work, sometimes unpaid, so they can commit to Cory. We try not to take any guest players on the tours, but we’ve always had a couple as of course it is impossible for everyone to get the time off. But I do know that touring is one of the big attractions for people who come to join Cory Band.
Now, I realize that this is a sensitive question to ask the conductor, but how is the Cory Band financially supported ? Is it by a main sponsor or by individual supporters ? Do you receive any regional or state help ?
Cory Band was heavily sponsored for many years but unfortunately that ended the year I joined. We’ve had a few donors and supporters since then, but mainly the band is now self-supporting. We have occasionally had help from the Welsh Arts Council, but this is not regular. There is no regular government help at all – for any band in the UK. It’s the biggest change we’ve had to make since I went to Cory and we’ve been very close to the wire on many, many occasions. Like all bands and other arts organisations, we are currently wondering how the Covid-19 lockdown will affect the viability of the band in the future – it’s a worrying time.
I looked at the catalogue of your compositions and, if I am not mistaken, they are all exclusively for brass band. Don’t you ever feel the need or the desire to compose a symphonic work or a piece intended for another type of musical formation ?
I have written for most combinations including full orchestra, choirs of various descriptions, lots of small groups and wind band. Brass band is where I get the most work and so that’s how my catalogue is skewed. I’m also in a privileged position with Cory that I can hear my music almost immediately, played by a world-class ensemble. Composing a piece for orchestra would be an academic exercise for me, without prospect for performance. And besides, I have plenty still to say for brass band !
I was told by Malcolm Lewis, who was your conductor at the time, that, at the age of 10 I think, you had already composed a duet for cornet and alto on the theme of Guillaume Tell of Rossini. Lewis still talks about it. Do you remember it ?
It was just a very simple arrangement for myself and a friend of mine of the finale from the William Tell Overture. It always went down well in concerts when we played it. I can’t remember how old I was, but I guess I have always been creating things for as long as I can remember.
I do recall taking an arrangement of ‘Happy Birthday’ for Malcolm and Castle Point Band to try out. I had added vibraphone, marimba and tam tam, none of which this little 4th Section band owned. Malcolm said “This is the most expensive birthday ever!” which I thought was quite funny.
Eventually, your collaboration with the Cory Band will someday come to an end, the later the better. But is there any other band, in Europe or else, that you could imagine conduct in the future ?
I am spoiled conducting Cory Band and the band has been consistently the best in the world since before I arrived. I don’t feel I have many ambitions left that I haven’t achieved with Cory. But I do share a very special bond with the band and I’d like for it to continue for as long as we still appreciate each other. After that, who knows ? I’m sure something will come up, but I have no specific plans.
Cliquez sur les image pour l'interview de Philip Harper en français
Philippe Berrut
Dear Philip,
Quite crazy to imagine that were it not for your mother’s caring authority as you walked into the rehearsal hall of the Castel Point Brass Band, you might have never conducted the Cory Band !
Maybe your fate as a brass band conductor had been sealed at that particular moment. You have to admit that music took you and has never left you since then.
Taking over the Cory Band when at its finest and succeeding the great Bob Childs was probably the biggest challenge of your career. Still, you succeeded brilliantly. And what modesty and sincerity to have accepted to share in my interview your failures as well as your triumphs.
The Cory Band has a very particular place in my heart: they indeed won the Nationals of 1974, the first competition that I ever attended at the Royal Albert Hall.
Learning about your career and sharing it right here was an honour and a great pleasure.
I will not take any more of your time, as I assume you still have a lot of things waiting…
With my warmest thoughts.
2013 - Phillip Harper's brilliant arrangement of Corea's 'La Fiesta', recorded at the Norwegian National Championships at the Grieg Hall in Bergen.
2019 - Titan's Progress, Cory Band And his conductor Philip Harper
They express to Philip their strongest admiration and affection
Helen Williams
Flugel soloist with The Cory Band
My husband Glyn and I had played for Foden’s Band for many years, and I think the whole banding community thought we would stay there forever. The offer of a change came in 2015 when we guested for Cory at that year’s European Brass Band Championships and were asked to make move a permanent fixture. It was a huge decision for us to relocate our lives to facilitate the change, but the temptation to play for the World’s Number One Brass Band conducted by Philip Harper was just too good an opportunity to miss.
In my 5 years playing under Philip’s direction I can honestly say that I’ve grown as a player. He has high expectations of all his players but also finds a way to help you to be the best that you can be. Being given the space to express myself as a soloist is a great feeling, and is actively encouraged by Phil. Playing for him is a joy and the ethos that he has brought to Cory is exemplary.
Malcolm Lewis
Former conductor of
Castle Point Brass Band and Philip's first conductor of music
This very smart young man walked into Castle Point Brass Bandroom and stood there with his mum, “I am not doing that” Philip said, “yes you are” his mum replied. Well he turned up the following week and started in the learners showing great promise he soon moved through the beginner’s band, their favourite piece was Lions Pride from Zoo Ball by Keith Strachan, Philip enjoyed this one. Again showing great promise he moved into the Youth Band. Once in the Youth Band he started contesting full band and solo contesting.
Philips solo contesting did not go to well and his mum asked me to give him lessons, I changed his pieces to The Lost Chord and The Holy City, and I even transposed the piano parts for him. On his next solo contest he entered three sections and won two of them.
At the Regionals Castle Point did the double win in the 3rd section and the Youth section, meaning the youth band had a trip to the Albert Hall with Gareth Wood’s ‘This Happy Island’. This is the first time Philip heard Phillip Sparks’, ‘Harmony Music’ and he was smitten by him. Philip even wrote him a letter and he got a wonderful reply, I was so please for him. We would try and play ‘Harmony Music’ at the end of each rehearsal then we tried ‘Year of the Dragon’.
Philip would bring his own compositions to try out in the band; one of his first arrangements was ‘William Tell’ duet for cornet/horn which he performed with Castle Point principal cornet Graham Lewis at his own concert. You can see his concert notes on the photo. Philip went from us to the National Youth Band to the Aveley Band. I can remember his saying to me “how does one become a Brass Band Conductor”.
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Richard Evans
Conductor of Leyland Band
My first meeting with Philip was at a rehearsal in the bandroom of SunLife Band, Bristol in 1996. He had recently graduated from the University of Bristol and was still studying for a Masters Degree.
Philip had been the solo horn player in the National Youth Band of Great Britain and had taken the post of solo horn in SunLife Band.
I had been engaged by the Band to prepare them for their forthcoming competition and conduct them at the Colston Hall, Bristol in a work by the late John Golland called "Sounds".
Philip immediately struck me as, not just a most accomplished horn player, but for me, a most dedicated musician, showing all the signs of a professional player. The rehearsals were a joy and I felt very proud of the Band. We won the competition outright and the Band were fully justified in their success.
Sadly, I think that was the last time the band performed together. A lack of sponsorship gave them no choice but to fold. Very sad. Since that time I have worked with Philip on several occasions, mainly with national Youth Bands and at times with other top bands. I was delighted when he came North to direct the Leyland Band, an outfit I have been connected with since the early '50s. His excellent workrate soon lifted the standard of playing and it was a shame when, because of travel distance he went back to Gloucester and Bristol.
This man has so much to offer musical combinations. He has wonderful musicianship, his man/woman management is almost legendary and his workrate in front of any combination is to be admired greatly.
The man is a person full of respect for everyone, and I have so much respect for him
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Nigel Seaman
Consultant at Cory Band
Philip invited me to become Cory Band's Musical Consultant back in 2014 and since that time I have derived great pleasure and pride in our collaborations. Philip's work ethic and attention to detail is legendary and it is always fascinating to see him at work and how he always gets the very best out of his musicians. His every rehearsal with Cory is a masterclass in organisational professionalism.
Of course, he doesn't limit his musical attentions solely to Cory. His in great demand worldwide as a clinician and director and he is undoubtedly held in highest esteem both inside the brass band fraternity and the wider musical sphere. My admiration of his musical versatility and prowess is profound and we all can look forward to more successes for Philip and the world's number one brass band.
Philip Sparke
Composer and Philip's friend
My association with Philip goes back to the mid-80s, when, as a dazzlingly talented horn player, he constantly beat members of the band I conducted at solo contests in the south of England! He was then also starting to compose and we corresponded a few times about his and my pieces when I worked as Editor at Studio Music. His playing career saw him star at the National Youth Band of Great Britain and the Sun Life Band, but he and I have become great friends and musical colleagues since he has become Musical Director of the Cory Band.
I have produced quite a few CD recordings with the band and have been fortunate to have written two own-choice pieces for Philip to use at the European Championships.
This close association has enabled me to see him working close at hand – and it has been a revelation!
His rehearsal and recording preparation is always meticulous, down to the last detail – something that is reflected in the beautifully detailed texture, balance and intonation apparent in the band’s consistently thrilling performances; but it is Philip Harper ‘the man’ that impresses most, coaxing the music out of his players and always treating them with the respect they deserve. And I think this is an important factor in the band’s consistency on the concert and contest stage – the players want to play for him. Long may it continue!
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Howard J. Evans
Conductor
It’s great to have the opportunity to write a message for Philip to go with this online tribute. I have known Philip for some years now and our paths have crossed in the band world on a number of occasions. Sometimes this has been at special events or contests, or meeting at a departure gate where we were on the same flight home from the Norwegian Nationals, having both been conducting. In April last year, before the Cory Band took part in the European Championships, the band and Philip visited Bournemouth where they took part in a joint concert with the Boscombe Salvation Army Band, of which I was the conductor for over seventeen years. Philip and the band have a reputation for being extremely open and friendly and this event clearly evidenced their rapport and communication on so many levels, as well as delivering a high level of musical skill.
However, on all our meetings there is one common thread. Philip will ask how my father, Dennis Evans, is doing, and whether he is well! My Dad was Head of Music at the Westcliff-High School for boys for over twenty years. One of his well-remembered students was Philip. It was a vibrant music department with many activities, and Philip belonged to the choir and ensembles and took part as a soloist in most of the school concerts. My Dad even remembers him playing ‘The Last Post’ on his tenor horn for Remembrance Day in November. Each year the choir took part at the Llangollen Eisteddfod, and undertook trips to Europe. Even I those early years, my Dad remembers his contribution ‘as excellent’. All these years later Philip continues to show those attributes of excellence in all that he does. With very warm greetings from myself and my Dad,
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Neil Bockley
Commercial Manager Cory Band
Philip, it has been an absolute pleasure and inspiration to work alongside you for the last 8 years in our quest to maintain and enhance Cory Band as the recognised best brass band in the World. From day one I think we've both said several times that we both took a chance on each other but what a partnership it has turned out to be. Your drive, passion and creativity is highly regarded and respected in all corners of the globe and yet I am so glad that the musical magic of this partnership keeps bringing you to south Wales week after week. As my boyhood band and as a member for 25 years I thank you for everything that you bring to Cory.
Mike Kilroy
Chairman of
Brass Band England
I know Philip Harper very well indeed and have worked with him on developing some of our projects over the past few years. He is one of Brass Banding's leading innovators and educators. This passion and focus on innovation has seen Philip push the boundaries of performance by challenging bands both technically as well as in the choreography needed to deliver all of the elements in his entertainment based music. He excels in many areas of music making but his ability to tell stories and engage audiences through his composition and programme planning is possibly where he stands out from almost everyone else at this particular moment in our Brass Banding history.
From winning every major title, tours of Australia and America, CD recordings and TV broadcasts and the whole spectrum of concert projects from classical to Britpop and from the best concert halls in the country to a marquee for a garden party, your high standards have never changed. Your expectations for all Cory members have never changed from day 1 - To play brilliantly, To commit 100% and To be a team player – Simple but so, so effective. Thanks Philip! The journey together, long may it continue.
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With National Trophy winning in 2015