BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Awards 2013

Josiah Walters, from Glasgow in Scotland, took the Overall Radio 2 Young Brass Award for 2013 in a spectacular night of performance on Sunday 27 January at The Royal Northern College of Music Manchester.

Twenty-year-old Josiah, who was also the recipient of this year’s Player of the Year Under 21 Award, was set alongside the other 2013 award recipients - Player of the Year Under 18, Thomas Fountain, and the Youth Band of the Year, Youth Brass 2000, who were also playing for the title. 

Josiah played Song For The Skies by Paul Lovatt-Cooper and his own arrangement of James Brown In The Twilight Zone by Chris Brubeck. The adjudicators were Ewan Easton, principal tuba of The Halle Orchestra, Kenneth Crookston, Editor of the British Bandsman, conductor Richard Evans, and composer Simon Dobson. 

Kenneth Crookston commented that Josiah is, “A player who encompasses everything good about the bass trombone.”

And Ewan Easton said of one his pieces, “Your performance was one of engaging and gripping fireworks ... a gorgeous low warm sound”.

Josiah was initially left speechless after receiving the award but did manage to thank everyone who had helped him and express his delight at playing with a brass band again, something he hasn’t done regularly since attending the Conservatoire of Scotland two years ago.

The event was part of the annual Festival of Brass held at The Royal Northern College of Brass. It was presented by Listen to the Band presenter Frank Renton and percussionist Simone Rebello, who is well known in the band world as an adjudicator and former player with Fodens. It will be broadcast on Radio 2 on Wednesday 13 February at 9pm to 10pm.

(Source: BBC Media Centre)