‘Composers Corner’ - Interview with Iain Rayner

On the next instalment of composers corner, we welcome Iain Rayner who is currently the composer in residence for The Jaguar Land Rover Band based in Coventry.

1. Hello Iain, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about your introduction to the world of music?

My musical journey started when I was quite young as I was brought up in the Salvation Army. From an early age we were surrounded by brass and vocal music, both live through the Sunday Services and via recordings that were played at home. I joined the junior band at seven years old on cornet and moved to euphonium a few years later. I had lessons at school and became one of the youngest members of the County band system at the time in Bedfordshire. I loved my banding both in school, county and the SA and enjoyed my music lessons which eventually led to me joining the Army as a musician, where I was a member of Her Majesty’s Life Guards band in the Household Cavalry.

2. Over the past number of years you have had an enormous output of new compositions, what inspires you to write?

Many of my compositions come as a result of inspiration from nature, places I have been on holiday or the need to fulfil requests such as writing solos etc. I have had many a summer holiday where I have taken my laptop with me and written a piece of music influenced by my surroundings. Like all creators, there have been moments of writer’s block, but other times music just flows and some pieces have been written start to finish in a matter of two or three days. I guess I like the idea of ‘leaving something behind’ and it’s nice to think that in many years’ time, there might be a piece of music in a bandroom somewhere with my name on it.

3. Could you tell us a little about your transition from player to conductor?

For me it started when I was just sixteen and I was asked to be assistant junior band leader at our Corps. I’m not sure that I knew entirely what I was doing then, but I used to watch and learn from many conductors of bands that I played in and just developed my own style from there, without any formal instruction. When I moved to Northampton, I took the position of Deputy Bandmaster of the senior band and later at Kettering Citadel Corps. The first time I took full responsibility for a band I became the conductor of Moulton 77, my local brass band in Northampton, then a 2nd section band. This was also my first foray into the world of contesting. Since then I have been musical director for two 1st Section bands; Kibworth in Leicestershire and Bedford Town Band. I still like the buzz of conducting and am always happy to stand in front of a band; leading bands at full tilt can still make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, although there have been a couple of occasions when I knew it was all going wrong on the contest stage, despite all the rehearsal and preparation, and felt I quite helpless. I guess that is contesting! 

4. You recently returned to playing Principal Baritone with The Jaguar Land Rover Band could you tell us a little about your decision to return to playing?

To be honest, I hadn’t really been thinking about returning to playing despite having had some time away from banding. I was approached out-of-the-blue to come back to as solo baritone and my first reaction was that I was too out of practise and wouldn’t be up to the standard required. However, the more I thought about it and began playing, I felt that it may be a good opportunity to become a player again and rekindle my love of banding in a group of like-minded players. It took a while (and a lot of practise) to get back, but as soon as I was in the chair, I felt at home and ready to take on the challenge. I have missed banding over lockdown and can’t wait to get going again with my fellow musicians from Jaguar. 

5. You were appointed as the Composer in Residence for The Jaguar Land Rover Band what plans do you hope to bring to life in this role?

I have a number of pieces in my repertoire which I hope the band will enjoy playing. I feel that my ability as a composer has developed significantly from my earlier days and I try to write music that is accessible both to players and audiences alike. My music is usually quite melodic, and I do enjoy writing programme music which tells a bit of a story or paints a musical picture. In addition, as I get to work with Jaguar Band more, I hope to write music that will be specific to the band, will expand their repertoire and help them to connect with their audiences. 

6. You recently wrote an exciting new commission for myself entitled ‘A Celtic Rhapsody’ could you tell us a little more about this composition?

I’m pleased to say that ‘A Celtic Rhapsody’ was one of those pieces that almost threw itself onto the page; it’s a good feeling when that happens! I was asked to write a euphonium solo that had a real Celtic flavour. Fortunately, I do love the driving rhythms of both Celtic and Gaelic music, so I searched around for music that would be suitable for both soloist and band that would replicate the syncopation and rhythmic drive of Celtic tunes. The piece is effectively in three main sections. After a slow introduction, the first section is based on a great syncopated tune jig called ‘Ten Penny Bit’. The second section is a beautiful tune called ‘Coinleach Glas An Fhomhair’ (The Green Fields of Autumn). This was originally written as 3/4 tune with a waltz-like quality, but I heard a recording by the band ‘Clannad’ where it was treated more as a ballad in 4/4. I created my own arrangement of the tune to treat is as almost a lullaby, where the soloist can really shine with mellifluous playing both in melody and obligato. The final section is based on a tune called ‘Cooley’s Reel’. This exciting tune is normally played on the fiddle, but I felt it would lend itself to the range and virtuosic elements of the euphonium whilst still giving the band plenty of interest as it cycles though different keys.

7. What tips would you give to a young composer just starting on their journey?

It’s great to be able to hear your music come to life for the first time. I was very fortunate that one of the first pieces of mine that was heard publicly was played at the Royal Albert Hall by the Salvation Army’s International Staff Band. That was quite a moment! However, it had taken me a long time and a few rejections to get there. To a young composer, I would advise them to offer up ideas for other people to listen to, ask people’s opinion and be prepared to learn from it. We all think that the music we have written is complete and often the ‘best thing since slide bread’ but be prepared to take criticism and accept that you may need to make changes. Keep going, even if things don’t always work out the way you intended and try to get your voice heard. I would also add to listen; listen to the Masters; they knew how it was done and are considered great for a reason, listen to other composers in the genre that you are working in, try and stay abreast of the developments in that genre and also listen to music outside your own genre. I arranged a piece for brass band once based on a tune I heard performed by a junior folk group! You never know what you might hear that could inspire you.   

8. My final question for you is where can individuals who have read this blog post find out more information about you and your music?

Thanks Micah for inviting me. More about me and my music can be found at www.birchfieldmusic.co.uk 

Thank you so much for taking the time to take part in this interview Iain and I hope it will not be too long until we are able to catch up again!