Spatzle

This composition is a tongue-in-cheek ‘om-pa’ march. It was written to compliment a short series of compositions of mine to compliment the ever-popular Bavarian Bier Keller repertoire. In naming the pieces in this collection I opted not to directly celebrate the beer itself, but rather to celebrate the typical German platter that goes hand-in-hand with it.

Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. From 1987 Jock based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Jock is a former Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and was the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band from 2004 until 2020. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an “Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester” for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for their Brass Teaching Module.