Winners of Britain’s Big Platinum Performance announced

by Classic FM and Making Music

East London Brass, Fulham Brass and London Welsh Male Voice Choir have been announced as three of the winners of Britain’s Big Platinum Performance – Classic FM’s nationwide search to showcase the UK’s best leisure-time music groups

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Each of the London-based groups have performed for a special recording that will be broadcast on Classic FM and gifted to Her Majesty The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year.

As part of Classic FM’s 30th birthday celebrations this year and to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the UK’s most popular classical music station has teamed up with Making Music – the membership organisation for leisure-time music – for Britain’s Big Platinum Performance, created to champion the everyday musician and celebrate non-professional ensembles.

Amateur music performances are an essential part of the musical fabric of the UK and have long been a vital part of the nation’s music history.

From thousands of entries across the UK, East London Brass, Fulham Brass and the London Welsh Male Voice Choir are three of seven groups – one for each decade of The Queen’s reign – that have been chosen to have their performance professionally-recorded and broadcast on air on Classic FM. The recording, featuring all seven winners, will be gifted to The Queen.

A wide range of musical groups, from brass and wind orchestras to choral and chamber, submitted recordings of their performances.

They were judged on skill, musicality and choice of repertoire by an esteemed panel of music experts, including Classic FM presenter Myleene Klass, composers Debbie Wiseman and Paul Mealor, conductor Ken Burton and brass musician Carol Jarvis.

Fulham Brass Band is a leisure time group from west London comprised of 27 members, who have moved to the capital to work or study. Formed in 1895, the band was promoted to the Championship Section in 2020 (the highest level in brass banding) for the first time in its 125-year history.

The band is often engaged for projects which would be considered ‘off the beaten’ track for most ensembles, including a 35-show run of Pity at the Royal Court Theatre and appearing in Disney’s Christopher Robin, as well as performing concertos with principals of the Royal Philharmonic and Royal Scottish National Orchestras.

“We’re really happy and proud to be one of seven winning entries for this initiative and to be playing our part in this celebratory year.

“When brass banding is done well, it offers so much to local communities and the wider musical world – we’re excited about representing our own area of music making!” - MUSICAL DIRECTOR JOHN WARD

London Welsh Voice Choir was founded in 1902 and quickly gained a reputation for excellence in performance and success in competitions in England, Wales and France. The choir has more than one hundred members and has sung at many of Britain’s most prestigious concert halls and cathedrals, appeared twice at the Royal Variety Command Performance and recorded with Charlotte Church, Bryn Terfel and Classic FM’s Aled Jones.

Bi-annually the Choir organises and hosts a Festival of Male Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall. Choirs from around the world, including USA, Hong Kong, the Caribbean and Ireland join others from Wales and England, in a glorious festival of traditional hymns and modern arrangements sung by 800 voices from the hills and valleys.

“London Welsh Male Voice Choir are delighted to be one of the winning groups for such a special occasion. We are also proud to present a brand new (and specially commissioned) work by Edward-Rhys Harry, with words also specially commissioned by Grahame Davies.

“As firm believers in expanding the male choir repertoire, whilst celebrating our own unique heritage, we feel humbled to be representing the male choir genre across the UK and the Land of Song, Wales, where some of us originally come from.

“At a time when choirs are working hard to regain a sense of ‘normal’, what better way than to celebrate through making music for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee!?.” - MUSICAL DIRECTOR EDWARD-RHYS HARRY

Finally, East London Brass was established in 1909 and is one of the oldest brass bands in London, with 30 members. The band is conducted by Jayne Murrill and has performed in a huge range of venues around London, from St John’s Smith Square to Cadogan Hall.

The band rehearses once a week in Walthamstow and, since Jayne Murrill joined, has competed at championship level across the UK and Europe. At the heart of the band is a sense of community and family, with players there for each other through both highs and lows of life.

“Winning this competition means a huge amount to us as a community of amateur musicians. As well as being testament to the hard work of every individual member of the band, it also represents how strong and vibrant the brass band movement is in the UK today.

“Brass bands up and down the country and around the world are making incredible music, innovating and pushing boundaries constantly. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase that.” - MARTIN MYERS LUSTY

“As we celebrate Classic FM’s 30th anniversary and to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, we’re excited to showcase some of the nation’s hugely talented music groups with Britain’s Big Platinum Performance.

"Along with Making Music, we are thrilled to announce that Fulham Brass Band, East London Brass and London Welsh Male Voice Choir are three of our deserved winners and we’re looking forward to shining the spotlight on these fantastic musicians by introducing them to the millions of listeners to Classic FM.” - PHILIP NOYCE, CLASSIC FM’S MANAGING EDITOR

“The impressive variety of celebratory music submitted for Britain’s Big Platinum Performance is a fine testament to the vibrancy and richness of the UK’s leisure-time music scene.

“The contribution of hobby musicians to their communities is a vital part of the nation’s musical ecology, and we’re thrilled to have teamed up with Classic FM to showcase just some of these outstanding groups to millions of listeners, as well as presenting Her Majesty with her very own recording of the music.” - BARBARA EIFLER, MAKING MUSIC CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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Source Global

August 10, 2022 9:00am ET by Global  

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