Eric Crees celebrates the Royal Ballet

Boasting the largest professional brass section in London, the Royal Opera House have used their forces to assemble a large brass ensemble for some outstanding concerts in recent years. And this year, the Royal Opera House Brass Soloists will be directed by Eric Crees in a celebration of the Royal Ballet's 75th birthday. The concert on 4 June 2006 in the beautiful Floral Hall in Covent Garden will feature Crees' new arrangement of Sir Arthur Bliss's ballet score Checkmate. This is complemented by the classic arrangement of Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet by former ROH principal trumpet Paul Archibald. He won an Oscar for the film score to The Bridge on the River Kwai, but as Sir Malcolm Arnold celebrates his 85th birthday, interest in his concert music is strong and continues to grow. This concert includes the monumental Symphony for Brass Instruments written for Philip Jones. While the concert features a piece about a game of chess, another most unlikely concept is a ballet about an outlaw of the Wild West, but Crees' arrangement of Copland's Billy the Kid will surely provide a stirring opening. Sunday 4 June 2006, 3.00pm Venue: Floral Hall, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London Tickets: ??8 (??5 students and ROH Access List)

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