Philip Wilby
Encyclopedia
Philip Wilby is a British
composer
.
Educated at Leeds Grammar School
and Keble College
, Oxford
, he joined the staff at the University of Leeds
in 1972. There he taught various composition, liturgy, directing, and score reading classes as well as co-founding the Leeds University Liturgical Choir
.
Composing for many different instruments and ensembles (piano
, organ
, voice, chamber ensemble, wind orchestra), Wilby is most known for his compositions for brass band
. Many of Wilby's pieces are based on his strong Christian
beliefs. Famous works that fall in this category are ... Dove Descending, Revelation, and The New Jerusalem. Many of Wilby's works are written especially to be used as test pieces in brass band contests all over the world. One recent composition to fit this description is Vienna Nights, which was commissioned as the test piece for the 2006 British Open Brass Band Championship held in Symphony Hall, Birmingham
. Most famously though Paganini Variations, one of his finest pieces of work, which was selected as the test piece for the 2011 Regional Championships (Championship Section) and has been used as the test piece for many other major competitions over the years, and has been recorded by a number of bands including Black Dyke, Fodens and Grimethorpe.
... Dove Descending was featured by Black Dyke Band
at the 2007 BBC Promenade Concerts in a day devoted to music for brass. Wilby also wrote the descriptive Northern Lights commissioned by the Black Dyke Band which was scored for a brass band and 4 dancers. It was later adapted for the Contest Stage when it was selected for the Butlins Mineworkers Championships in January 2007.
One of his latest compositions is entitled "A Brontë Mass" which was commissioned for the Leeds Philharmonic Society
, in memory of their late Chairman, John Brodwell. The work includes poems by the Brontë
sisters and text from Latin Mass. This piece premiered on Saturday 24 November 2007 at Leeds Town Hall
. A recording, by The Bach Choir and Black Dyke Band, was made at Blackheath Halls in November 2009 and was released on a CD called Red Priest in September 2010. The title track of this CD "Red Priest" was commissioned by Black Dyke Band and first performed in the Brucknerhaus, Linz, Austria in May 2010 as part of the European Brass Band Championships. It was subsequently chosen as the test piece for the 2011 British Open Brass Band Championship.
Philip Wilby now resides in Bristol.
Several CDs of his music for brass and wind bands have been released on the Doyen label in recent years;
Wilby
Sacred Symphonies
Vienna Nights
Red Priest
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Educated at Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School was an independent school in Leeds established in 1552. In August 2005 it merged with Leeds Girls' High School to form The Grammar School at Leeds. The two schools physically united in September 2008....
and Keble College
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, he joined the staff at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 1972. There he taught various composition, liturgy, directing, and score reading classes as well as co-founding the Leeds University Liturgical Choir
Leeds University Liturgical Choir
Leeds University Liturgical Choir was formed by Dr Bryan White, Dr Stephen Muir and Prof. Philip Wilby of the School of Music, University of Leeds in 2002, with the primary purpose of performing sacred choral music in liturgical settings...
.
Composing for many different instruments and ensembles (piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, voice, chamber ensemble, wind orchestra), Wilby is most known for his compositions for brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
. Many of Wilby's pieces are based on his strong Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
beliefs. Famous works that fall in this category are ... Dove Descending, Revelation, and The New Jerusalem. Many of Wilby's works are written especially to be used as test pieces in brass band contests all over the world. One recent composition to fit this description is Vienna Nights, which was commissioned as the test piece for the 2006 British Open Brass Band Championship held in Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Most famously though Paganini Variations, one of his finest pieces of work, which was selected as the test piece for the 2011 Regional Championships (Championship Section) and has been used as the test piece for many other major competitions over the years, and has been recorded by a number of bands including Black Dyke, Fodens and Grimethorpe.
... Dove Descending was featured by Black Dyke Band
Black Dyke Band
The Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best-known brass bands in the world. The band has won many prizes and competitions over the years...
at the 2007 BBC Promenade Concerts in a day devoted to music for brass. Wilby also wrote the descriptive Northern Lights commissioned by the Black Dyke Band which was scored for a brass band and 4 dancers. It was later adapted for the Contest Stage when it was selected for the Butlins Mineworkers Championships in January 2007.
One of his latest compositions is entitled "A Brontë Mass" which was commissioned for the Leeds Philharmonic Society
Leeds Philharmonic Society
Leeds Philharmonic Chorus is a leading choir in Europe, regularly performing to professional standards with internationally renowned soloists, orchestras and conductors....
, in memory of their late Chairman, John Brodwell. The work includes poems by the Brontë
Brontë
The Brontës were a nineteenth-century literary family associated with Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte , Emily , and Anne , are well-known as poets and novelists...
sisters and text from Latin Mass. This piece premiered on Saturday 24 November 2007 at Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...
. A recording, by The Bach Choir and Black Dyke Band, was made at Blackheath Halls in November 2009 and was released on a CD called Red Priest in September 2010. The title track of this CD "Red Priest" was commissioned by Black Dyke Band and first performed in the Brucknerhaus, Linz, Austria in May 2010 as part of the European Brass Band Championships. It was subsequently chosen as the test piece for the 2011 British Open Brass Band Championship.
Philip Wilby now resides in Bristol.
Several CDs of his music for brass and wind bands have been released on the Doyen label in recent years;
Wilby
Sacred Symphonies
Vienna Nights
Red Priest