Ellin: Gresley - Bass Trombone & Piano

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https://warwickmusic.egnyte.com/dl/GBi8cvHBrY/TB2039_sample_score.pdf_

This concerto is inspired by the life and work of Sir Nigel Gresley (1876 – 1941), one of the greatest railway engineers of all time and the man who invented some of the most famous and loved steam engines in the world such as The Mallard and The Flying Scotsman. This concerto is in two substantial parts and explores a theme that I hope will resonate will all of us - the rebuilding of the human spirit after great loss.

In 1929, Sir Nigel’s wife Ethel was diagnosed with cancer and died later that year. Apart from the obvious tragedy of this event, what struck me was that ‘Gresley’ hadn’t by that point begun the work that would later make him so famous. In short, his ability to rise again from such a huge loss and go forward to be the engineer that he was speaks an enormous amount about his inner sprit, his sheer determination and his brilliant positive creative energy.

Part 1 of the concerto plunges us in to an emotive world of loss and confusion that perhaps all of us can relate to in some way. The movement asks questions, tries to knit together possible positives of emotion and is then thrust back into doubt, anger and desperation.

Part 2 is in three parts. The opening ‘scherzo’ is a playful and somewhat innocent throwback to earlier times of Sir Nigel and Ethel. Occasionally the movement takes a darker reflection but the light continues before waning somewhat toward the end and hinting at the emotion of Part 1.

This flows immediately into a prayer-like recitative for the soloist and orchestra where, at the end, the solo voice is once again consumed with grief. A small woodwind chorale, based on the numbers of some of Gresley's steam engines links to the final section where, determined, Gresley – and in this case our bass trombone – begins to invent and create before finishing triumphant and at one with the world that so often had been at odds with him.

This concerto is written for my friend, the brilliant Christian Jones.
It is dedicated to Sir Nigel Gresley.

Benjamin Ellin

2023

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SKU:  TB2039
Composer:  Benjamin Ellin
Instrumentation:  Bass Trombone & Piano
Difficulty:  Advanced
Year Published:  2023