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" ...players of real class..engaging and entertaining"
| Harlequin Brass: | |
| Benjamin Lees | - trumpet |
| Oliver Preece | - trumpet |
| Clare Lintott | - horn |
| Tracy Holloway | - trombone |
| Graham Sibley | - tuba |
"...Harlequin Brass did a splendid job and added just the right amount of glitter and shine to make the event something really special."
(Clair Jaquiss - producer - BBC Radio Recording of 'Easter Glory' - April 2003)
One of the UK's leading ensembles, Harlequin Brass was formed in 1988 by five students studying at the various music colleges in London. This group of virtuoso performers has been delighting audiences around the United Kingdom with its hugely popular recital programmes.
The members of the group perform regularly with many London-based orchestras, in addition to solo work and playing in West End shows. Foreign tours have taken them to South America, India, Japan and the Far East.
Workshops and masterclasses form an important part of Harlequin's work and schools throughout the UK have benefited from memorable visits by these exciting young artists. Individual coaching, ensemble work and big band rehearsals are always enjoyed by students and teachers alike.
Harlequin Brass has developed a repertoire that covers a wide range of styles from the majestic fanfares and dances of the Renaissance period to the diverse musical experiences of the 20th century.
Harlequin Brass often expands to accompany Choral Society concerts in repertoire as diverse as the Rutter Gloria, Walton's Coronation Te Deum and Renaissance polychoral works of Monteverdi and Lassus. The quintet draws on some of its finest freelance colleagues to make this transformation to the larger ensemble.
"… players of real class … engaging and entertaining." The Guardian
Ben studied the trumpet with John Wilbraham at the Royal Academy of Music. During his first year there, he reached the brass final of the BBC 'Young Musician of the Year' competition. Following his graduation in 1991, Ben has played with many London-based orchestras, including the London Festival Orchestra, Ballet Rambert, the London Mozart Players, Premiere Ensemble, Parnassus Ensemble, Apollo Chamber Orchestra and the London Soloists' Chamber Orchestra. He has also worked with the Garsington Opera Orchestra and La Camerata of Athens.
As a soloist, Ben has performed the Haydn and Torelli concertos, the Bach second Brandenburg Concerto, the Vivaldi double trumpet concerto and Copland's 'Quiet City'. He has also recorded the Brandenburg with St. Bride's Chamber Orchestra. Show work has included the West End production of 'Scrooge' and UK tours with 'Cats', 'Barnham', 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' and a Broadway revue show around Europe. Other foreign tours have taken him to South America, Japan and the Far East.
Oliver was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for three years, during which time he studied with Denis Wedgwood. In 1985 he entered the Royal Academy of Music, studying under John Wilbraham. Further studies took him to Berklee College of Music, Boston, USA, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Orchestral engagements have included concerts, tours and recordings with the London Festival Orchestra, EOS, La Camerata of Athens, Parnassus Ensemble, St. Bride's Chamber Orchestra, Apollo Chamber Orchestra and the Orquestra do Porto, Portugal. Work with contemporary music groups includes the Steve Martland Band, De Stijl Ensemble and the Premiere Ensemble.
Oliver has performed and recorded with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and several other professional Big Bands, such as Mike Garrick, Pete Cater, Graham Collier, and Hugh Fraser. As well as both classical and jazz radio broadcasts, he has appeared on BBC TV, HTV, Spanish TV, and the Channel 4 production of Dennis Potter's 'Lipstick on your collar'. West End show work has included 'Oliver', 'Wind in the Willows', 'Mack and Mabel', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Chicago'. He has also played for the UK touring productions of 'Pickwick', 'Carmen Jones', 'Chorus Line' and the Royal Shakespeare Company's 'Hamlet'. Work abroad has taken Oliver to Europe, the U.S.A. and the Far East.
Clare's early tuition was under the guidance of Willi Watson. In 1983 she joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, becoming principal horn in 1985. In 1987 she entered the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Derek Taylor. Clare is now pursuing a busy freelance career. She performs regularly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, for concerts, radio broadcasts, commercial recordings and tours, and has appeared with them on the BBC 'Last Night of the Proms'. Clare has also played with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the London Festival orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestral Royal Ballet Sinfonia City of London Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Corydon Orchestra, London Virtuosi, St. Bride's Chamber Orchestra and La Camerata of Athens. Foreign tours have taken her to the Far East, the U.S.A., South America and Europe.
Clare has also performed and recorded with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and has played in the West End productions of 'Mack and Mabel', 'Sunset Boulevard' and 'Oliver'.
Tracy studied trombone at the Royal Northern College of Music with Peter Gane and Chris Houlding and later at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Eric Crees & Dudley Bright. During her musical studies she received several awards including a 'Countess of Munster Trust' award, 'Worshipful Company of Musicians' grant, 'Ian Fleming' award, the 'Miles Medal' for orchestral playing and a 'European Community Youth Orchestra Scholarship'. It was with the ECYO that she toured in Europe and India.
Professional engagements have included performances with the Royal Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestras, London Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Opera North and the English Northern Philharmonic. Tracy has also played in many theatre productions including 'Mother Courage', 'Mountain Giants', 'Lady in the Dark' and 'Oklahoma' for the Royal National Theatre. In the West End she has played for 'Martin Guerre', 'Oliver', 'Grease', 'The Dame Edna Experience', 'Sunset Boulevard' and 'Crazy for You'. A production of 'Les Misérables' took her to Bermuda.
Other work includes solo recitals and a European tour with the 'Mike Westbrook Jazz Orchestra'. She also plays regularly with the 'Don Lusher Big Band' and has performed with the 'National Youth Jazz Orchestra', 'Roberto Pla Latin Jazz Ensemble', 'Echoes of Ellington Jazz Orchestra' and the 'Bootleg Beatles'.
Graham was a member of both the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, from 1985-87, and the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Jim Anderson and Patrick Harrild. He was principal tuba with both the European Community Youth Orchestra, with whom he toured extensively around Europe and India, and the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. Graham has also continued his studies with Arnold Jacobs, the retired principal tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Since leaving music college, Graham has worked professionally with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, New Queen's Hall Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, English Chamber Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He is principal tuba with the Northern Ballet, and has regularly toured with them, as well as the English National Ballet and the National Symphony Orchestra. Graham has performed, on several occasions, the Vaughan Williams and Gregson tuba concertos, and is also a tutor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department.
All the members of Harlequin Brass perform with the Chameleon Arts Orchestra.