Divertimento - Ray Premru

Composer's Note

My Divertimento for Ten Brass was commissioned by the Harrogate Festival for the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. It was premiered at the Harrogate Festival in August 1976, and is dedicated to my daughters, Felicity and Rachel. 

As the title suggests, the nature of this work is that of an entertainment. There are nine pieces in all, which can be performed individually or in any combination or order. The four pieces not included in this collection are a Fanfare, Toccata - In Celebration, Lullaby, and an Intermezzo. These may be hired from Chester Music.

If one were to perform the whole of the Divertimento (about twenty minutes in all), I would suggest the following order: 

• 1. Fanfare 

• 2. Toccata - In Celebration 

• 3. A Tale from Long Ago 

• 4. Of Knights and Castles 

• 5. Lullaby 

• 6. lntermezzo 

• 7. Petite March 

• 8. Le Bateau sur Leman 

• 9. Blues March.

The work was written in the summer of 1976 in Montreux and London. It is the sort of music which needs no explanation. However, I would like to say something about one piece, Le Bateau sur Leman, to avoid any misunderstanding. In this piece, I am not trying to describe a boat as the title might imply. An extremely serene, peaceful mood was created by watching the lovely paddle steamers on Lac Leman on a lazy, sun-drenched June afternoon. . . .. and this in turn gave me the theme of Bateau. 

Raymond Premru January, 1981

About the Composer

RAYMOND PREMRU was born in New York State in 1934. He attended the Eastman School of Music where he studied composition with Gladys Leventon and Bernard Rogers and the trombone with Emory Remington. In 1956 after completing his B.Mus., he came to England to study with Peter Racine Fricker and has adopted this country as his home. Since 1958 he has been a member of the Philharmonia and New Philharmonia Orchestra and also plays with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. In addition to this, he co- directs a twenty-six pieces jazz orchestra in concerts, broadcasts and recordings (BBC Records, EMI Records).

Premru's compositions include much chamber music, choral and orchestral works, jazz scores and film music. In 1970, he was elected to the Outstanding Young Men of America Foundation. His commissions and performances include those from the Ben Uri Chamber Orchestra, York Festival, Harrogate Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Orchestra Nova, the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, the Royal Choral Society, the London Symphony Orchestra (Andre Previn), the Cleveland Orchestra (Lorin Maazel) and the Philharmonia Orchestra (Lorin Maazel).

Recordings

Three movements from Divertimento have been recorded by The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble on Argo ZRG 895 - "Easy Winners"

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