John Clough, Euphonium - Rule Britannia

An older recording of the great John Clough, performing John Hartmann's setting of Rule Britannia. Seen on stage with Clough is the legendary conductor Harry Mortimer.

[@markcope3522]

I saw John Clough play this at the Victoria Hall in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent around 1972. I was primed by my Uncle Bill (who himself was some player) that he was the best. I was just starting to play and he became the model to try to emulate. Superb. I believe he went to Dyke as a cornet player.

[@davidapaulson2005]

Why haven't we players heard more about this amazing musician. Does he have a collection of recordings on the market. He is special!

[@dwerden]

I don't think he ever did a solo album. To have heard him, you would have needed to buy a few brass band albums where he did a solo. That gets expensive fast, although with MP3 sales nowadays you can often buy just a single track.

[@TheSproutarian]

Many many players grew up admiring and being inspired by this man. He had no ego, he simply played his part and did his job in the band. The real crazy part of his story was that he never used to practice after he got established on euphonium. The instrument only came out of the case when he went to band.

[@Mark64W]

@@TheSproutarian Hi . I knew of John Clough as Black Dyke legend as a young player and listening to their fantastic records but then got to know him in person when he a had a couple of years conducting for Meltham and Meltham Mills Band . He was just SO funny , laid back and likeable but we were also in total awe of him . When he spoke we listened and learned . Such a great character !

[@jajoh6473]

@@TheSproutarian Is this really? He was and still is my favorite Euphonium player!

[@MrMFHORN]

Another legion

[@teulusills-jones4358]

What a player - check out his solo in the 1984 BDM recording of Refrains and Cadenzas (kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5STk3WsoaZoe5Y) - 03.42-06:45 - incredibly refined. He could do Hartmann air-varies and contemporary music. But I think the humility is the thing that marks him out - listen to the top Euph line in 'Cloudchatcher Fells' (kzbin.info/www/bejne/r52pZJ-eob2mbtU) between 05:54-06:26 - he is an octave above the 2nd Euph, doing high Cs in p-mp dynamic, and you can hear him floating there, but not musically dominating, just part of the texture. Or what about the ghost;y aparition of his solo in the last movement of Vinter's 'Salute to Youth' (kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5XSknlrpKeDZpI), a totally different conception of what the euph should be doing in a British brass band at a musical moment like that.

[@Utoobtime27]

Great stuff my friend - keep it coming!

[@Utoobtime27]

Come join us at the JOHN CLOUGH - EUPHONIUM MASTER Facebook page for more amazing euphonium playing by one of the true greats: facebook.com/groups/49144391874