Nigel Clarke: Mysteries of the Horizon Harmen Vanhoorne, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Nigel Clarke, David Thornton, Sandy Smith

• Nigel Clarke (b. 1960):
• 1 Dial "H" for Hitchcock 15:22
• 2 Swift Severn's Flood 14:35
• Mysteries of the Horizon:
• 3 Mysteries of the Horizon: I. The Menaced Assassin 06:32
• 4 Mysteries of the Horizon: II. The Dominion of Light 02:31
• 5 Mysteries of the Horizon: III. The Flavour of Tears 06:55
• 6 Mysteries of the Horizon: IV. The Discovery of Fire 04:58
• 7 Earthrise 18:00
• Total Runtime 01:08:53

Info for Nigel Clarke: Mysteries of the Horizon

Nigel Clarke has always been fascinated by virtuosity and timbre – it is the brass band genre that has lent itself most to his passion for musical athleticism. Dial ‘H’ for Hitchcock is an imaginary film score in the film noir vein, complete with classic and chilling sound effects, while the heroic, brooding and violent Swift Severn’s Flood was inspired by a line from Shakespeare. Cornet concerto Mysteries of the Horizon examines the atmosphere of paintings by René Magritte, and Earthrise celebrates one of the most iconic photographs in history and the drama of the Apollo 8 mission.

Harmen Vanhoorne, cornet
Grimethorpe Colliery Band
David Thornton, conductor (track 1)
Nigel Clarke, conductor (tracks 2, 7)
Sandy Smith, conductor (tracks 3-6)

Harmen Vanhoorne
began playing the cornet at the Music School of Izegem from the age of 7, studying under Georges Coppé. At the age of 14 he entered the ‘Kunsthumaniora’ for gifted musicians in Leuven (Belgium). He went on to study trumpet and cornet at the renowned Lemmensinstitute in Leuven under Leo Wouters and Leon Petré, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree with ‘High Distinction’ as well as a Master’s Degree with ‘Highest Distinction’. He completed his musical studies with a Post-Graduate Master’s degree achieving ‘Highest Distinction’.

He first became well known to audiences in 2007, when he joined the Royal Wind Band of the Belgian Guides as cornet soloist. Since this debut, his list of achievements includes awards in major solo competitions, as well as soloist prizes in contests all around the world. In 2011, Harmen was granted the title of International Soloist of the Year after winning both the famous British Open Solo Competition (UK) and the Ern Keller Memorial Trophy (AUS).

Harmen is known in the music world as an innovator for his instrument, commissioning various international composers on a regular basis, in order to expand the repertoire for the cornet. In this capacity he has been involved in multiple recordings. A highlight was his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Fortune’s Fool’, ‘Ellis Island’, the result of a collaboration with the composer Stan Nieuwenhuis. This resulted in an iTunes chart ranking and numerous recordings for famous labels, including Naxos and Toccata Classics.

Harmen has performed as a soloist all over the world, including the UK, the USA, China, Russia, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and most of the EU. He is widely known for displaying stunning musical technique whilst delivering entertainment at its best. This reputation led to him be invited to be one of the very few official endorsers for the world renowned brand Besson, in which capacity he is actively involved in the further development of the modern cornet.

Harmen Vanhoorne plays exclusively on a Besson Prestige BE-2028 cornet.

Booklet for Nigel Clarke: Mysteries of the Horizon