Childs:Bbc Now:Tovey - The Symphonic Euphonium

For many years since its invention in 1843 the�euphonium was only to be heard in ensembles, but recent�decades have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity�of the euphonium as a solo instrument. Today David�Childs leads the way as the world's foremost euphonium�soloist, making the case for this once neglected�instrument to growing audiences worldwide with his stunning virtuosity and extrovert�musicality. Here he performs four important concertos by British composers with Bramwell�Tovey and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.�Joseph Horovitz's Concerto for Euphonium, commissioned by the National Brass Band�Festival in 1972, was among the first euphonium concertos ever written and set the benchmark�for future generations of soloists and composers. Philip Wilby's Concerto was composed in�1995 and has remained immensely popular ever since, especially for its fast and furious second�movement, entitled 'Zeibekiko' after the plate-smashing Greek dance. The other two works on�the disc were commissioned by David Childs and represent a small part of his enormous�contribution to the euphonium repertoire. Alun Hoddinott's 'The Sunne Rising - The King Will�Rise' is full of the Welsh composer's characteristic orchestral colour, while the solo part is�dazzling in its virtuosity. Perhaps the most popular of Childs's commissions has been Karl�Jenkins's Euphonium Concerto from 2009. It encapsulates the essence of the euphonium in its�four character movements.