The Prince Regent’s Band present: “The Best In Europe”
18 May 07:30
Holywell Music Room, Oxford
The Prince Regent’s Band takes its name from the early nineteenth-century elite wind ensemble known by the same name. Our Oxford programme delves into the wide repertoire associated with the original ensemble, known as “the Best in Europe”, and its later incarnations, exploring the evolution of brass instruments during this exciting and experimental era.
From exhilarating military marches featuring unusual instruments such as the serpent, slide trumpet and keyed bugle to the extremely fashionable Italian operatic works performed on a more familiar line up of cornets, tenor horn, baritone and bass saxhorn, PRB will showcase a melting pot of ideas and innovations and the amazing range of brass instruments that could be encountered in nineteenth-century Europe.
The taste of Regency Britain was well catered for by the original Prince Regent’s Band and the modern incarnation will be performing popular glees and catches of the time as well as works by George Frederick Handel. As fashionable society developed a taste for the emerging Italian operas of composers such as Rossini and Donizetti, the original Prince Regent’s Band incorporated these flamboyant works into their repertoire.
Do join us as we rediscover the excitement, innovation, and amazing potential of brass playing in Regency Britain!
