Film composers’ cherished trumpet calls it quits
mainElmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith made their recordings with the Royal Scottish National Symphony Orchestra because they loved its principal trumpet, John Gracie.
Yesterday, after 35 years, John blew his last notes with the orchestra and went into retirement.
He remains Professor of Trumpet at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, and a member of the Paragon Ensemble, Chamber Group of Scotland, and the RSNO Brass Ensemble.
I learned all my orchestral repertoire with John Gracie as principal trumpet of the SNO and RSNO. Such a wonderful sound but as he points out it was also a partnership with Lance Green, then principal trombone , which created that distinctive sound.
If you listen to any of the Sibelius recordings with Gibson you will hear incredibly delicate playing. And then if you listen to the Shostakovich recordings with Jarvi that laser like sound.
We often talk about a particular conductor’s sound for an orchestra but the reality is its musicians like John Gracie and their colleagues that define the sound.
Small correction it’s the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland- until recently headed up by another great trumpeter John Wallace.