"Spectacular performances served the cause of light entertainment at the True North Brass concert...Trombonist Alastair Kay's brilliance wasn't limited to unbelievably fast tonguing and slide work...his tone remained warmly appealing and his pitch true up to stratospheric heights. Lead trumpet James Gardiner's playing was so perfectly sculpted that even the one note that didn't come out quite right was nevertheless spot-on in tune. Hornist Joan Watson's riveting solo work...but it was tubist Scott Irvine who personified the flavor of True North Brass. His playing used virtuosity for vivid characterization."
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
"We thoroughly enjoyed their performance. I must say that the trombonist of True North Brass is an absolute master on his instrument!" (Monique M. Snyder, Kerrville Performing Arts Society, Texas)
"True North is the real Canadian brass." (Fanfare)
"Everyone who left the performance was smiling! Not only were True North Brass masters of their instrument, but they played music everyone could enjoy. There explanations were often witty as well as educational. This quintet was one of the most thoroughly entertaining groups we have ever had here. The True North Brass was invited back on the spot by our Artistic Chairperson." (Eleanor Baldwin, Kerrvile Performing Arts Society, Texas)
"Marvelous concert...the group certainly was tops! The audience was packed and no one left without heaping praises on us for having True North Brass on the concert series. Certainly was a high point and wonderful way to end our season." (Karen Tindall, First Arts Concert Series, Fort Walton Beach, Florida)
"This is one of the most captivating, interesting brass quintet recordings I have heard in the last decade."
(Brass Band Bridge, Ron Holz)
"The concert was a huge success and enjoyed by all."
(David G. Haeger, Wolfeboro Friends of Music, NH)
"What a fabulous concert the True North Brass gave here...The playing of the wonderfully diverse program was stunning...The warm and engaging rapport they created with the audience through their verbal introductions was only exceeded by the razor-sharp playing that followed. They certainly deserve all of the accolades they have been receiving." (Brent Runnels, Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia)
"Delightful...The playing is distinguished by light tone and crisp attack, qualities that sometimes elude the True Northerners' most obvious competitors."
(The Montreal Gazette)
"A new Canadian brass ensemble dares to boldly go where the Canadian Brass has already left its footprints, and leaves a few distinguished footprints of its own. There is very little of the show-boating and race-to-the-finish mad-dashing that defines the Canadian Brass style, especially in concert. Instead, True North Brass concentrates on creating a warm and pretty sound, bringing intelligence and imagination to the use of harmonics and counterpoint. The best of what True North Brass does is understated, mellow, subtle, elegant, graceful." (The Calgary Herald)
True North Brass
This exciting Canadian quintet made its debut in 1997. It has already toured in some far corners of the world, including China, and its first three CD recordings, on the Opening Day label, have garnered enthusiastic press reaction. It has been featured in a full hour special on CBC Television, and has registered the most frequent classical radio station airplays throughout Canada for December 2001.
Barton Woomert, trumpet, has been on the faculty of the University of Toronto since 1982. He has performed as a member of the United States Marine Band, and both the Hamilton Philharmonic and the Toronto Symphony in Canada.
Alastair Kay, trombone, chairs the brass department at Humber College in Toronto and has worked with leading symphony orchestras and entertainers. Joan Watson, horn, is Associate Principal French Horn with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and former French Horn Principal of the Canadian Opera Company. Raymond Tizzard, trumpet, is Artistic Director of the Hannaford Street Silver Band and a member of the Canadian Opera Company and National Ballet Orchestras.
The ensemble also regularly offers organ and brass performances, especially with Canadian organist William O'Meara, or with host organists in church venues.
This ensemble is a real musical blast out of Canada, as riveting and compelling as the North wind itself. We've never heard such tight ensemble and such effective subtlety in a brass quintet before, and we're extremely honored to be asked to represent them.