A Redbridge Raga

Put simply, a ‘Raga’ is a scale used in Indian music, but aside from being a series of ascending and descending notes, ragas are also associated with different moods and with particular times of the day or year. A Redbridge Raga is influenced by the use of the ‘Raga Bhairav’ (a morning raga) which is clearly outlined in the mysterious opening of the piece. The following section is much more lively, incorporating elements of Bhangra (a musical style emanating from the fusion of Indian folk music with British pop culture). The title reflects the location of the first performance that took place at Redbridge Town Hall, East London.

Chris Wilcox studied the tuba at the Colchester Institute and later at Trinity College of Music where he graduated in 2003 with a postgraduate diploma. A year later Chris toured Japan with his quintet Docklands Brass who were the winners of the Philip Jones Brass Chamber Prize. As a soloist, Chris has performed the Gregson and Ellerby Tuba concertos and he continues to perform regularly in the London area.  Previous teaching posts have included Brass Co-ordinator for Redbridge Music Service and Head of the Deptford Music Centre in Lewisham. As a composer, Chris has written a large amount of educational music and songs. Previous commissions have included work for the History Channel and Sky TV. In 2012 Chris premiered his work ‘Olympic Visions’ at the Royal Albert Hall which received widespread praise. In 2014 Chris returned to the Albert Hall to conducted 3 further works for symphony orchestra and choir: What if, Be The Change & My Dream. Further information about Chris’s music can be found by visiting his website: www.chriswilcoxmusic.co.uk

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