Performances

By far my favourite piece of brass band music, Gordon Langford's Rhapsody for Trombone, played by my all time favourite trombone player, my Dad, the Reverend Tom Hill.

Two definitive performances from 1980 and 1978 have been combined into one (because the recording tape ran out during the 1980 one).

The 1980 version up to the end of the cadenza is the Victory Concert in the Auckland Town Hall (as newly crowned NZ B Grade Champions - New Lynn Citizens Band, now Waitakere Auckland Brass), Dad handed the baton to my sister Karen.

After the cadenza, the recording cuts to a 1978 concert in Singapore with the 1RNZIR NZ Army band (I was allowed to guest on 2nd cornet) conducted by the great Les Mooney.

You can understand how I grew up idolising my Dad's playing, and why I am so hard on any trombone players, especially anyone playing this beautiful work.

Unfortunately, the recording quality is not the best, but the playing quality cannot be disputed. Enjoy!

I’ve reached a stage in life where the generation above (and even around) me are leaving us. The theme of the images is based around paradise, and the journey to that place, and art by many of my favourite surrealist artists is featured, as well as the first photo.

Most interesting about my recording is the concentration on giving warmth and vibrancy to each note, while virtually eliminating all vibrato. I don’t advocate that approach for most pieces by any means, but this piece really suits it - I personally believe vibrato would’ve strayed from the focus of the theme, and made it more sentimental and sad, but instead I find the warm vibrant ‘straight’ sound solid and reassuring. I tried to comfort and gently wipe away tears, rather than create more!

We are very blessed that we live in a place that gets a full view of the setting sun, we have so many photos of some incredible sunsets, so they seemed a good choice to combine with this recording. Inspired by my trumpeting hero, Maurice Andre, I was finally able to buy a piccolo trumpet and try my best to sound a bit like him if possible!

I recently visited my Dad, Tom Hill, for his 87th birthday. I talked to him about his first notable recording, made when he was 18 years old, playing a cornet solo on trombone, in a different key at short notice, playing band parts as part of the solo due to missing players, with an unsuitable mouthpiece - and yet Dad’s performance of Maoriland, made a big impact in US and UK in 1952.

The producer arrived in Christchurch on Thursday aware that Dad could play Maoriland on trombone, and wanted it for the Sunday Christchurch Citadel band recording. On the previous Friday, Dad was given the solo part, but it was written in E flat, and not C (which he had learned it in from the piano version) meaning the last note, a top C, would have to be a top E flat. So he spent Saturday morning learning the new key before the rehearsal later that day. He played it on an old Imperial trombone with a “true-lip” mouthpiece, which didn’t suit him, it had a sharp inner edge which cut into his lip, but he had to abide by the conductor’s instructions rather than use his favoured mouthpiece.

The band were down a solo cornet and struggled in some of the interlude passages, so Dad was asked to play the extra solo cornet parts as part of his performance.

At that time, trombone players “didn’t triple tongue”, but Dad was competitive with his cornet-playing uncle and older brother, so was determined to do anything they could do.

I think the result is pretty good considering.

Here is another classic recording of Dad. Due to available space on the LP, they cut it down to a 4 min recording, missing out an initial cadenza and first triplet variation, but you get to hear the loud, rapturous applause from a capacity crowd at the Wanganui Town Hall at the 1971 Champion of Champions at the New Zealand National Band contest. Bands didn't dare trying to hold rehearsals simultaneously in those days, so the halls were always full (and sometimes overflowing) for this event.

Yesterday, I talked to Dad about this performance where he was declared 'runner-up' to the legendary Errol Mason on cornet. As he recalls, the announcement on stage was that it was a split decision between the 3 judges, with Ken Smith Senior awarding top prize to Dad, but the other two judges awarding it to Errol. Dad was using an old small bore Conn trombone (no triggers of course!!), he wasn't able to afford a new King trombone until the late 1970s (still no triggers!)

Neither Errol or Dad were doing any band playing at that time, being the respective conductors of two Auckland bands, Waitemata-Onehunga (later Continental, eventually Dalewool), and New Lynn (later Yamaha, then Waitakere Brass). Errol and Dad became great friends, and along with the great pianist Claire Kendall, would perform together at various venues around Auckland. In 1987, Dad had the sad duty of officiating at Errol's funeral.

Coming from a Salvation Army background, this was Dad's first attempt at the national trombone solo, and he won the title again in 1974, 1977 and 1981. He would have won more often if it weren't for the great Bill Henderson, who won most other times in the early 1970s. Bill also gave me some lessons in Singapore in 1978!

Enjoy