Funk Engine was commissioned for the Intermediate Section of the 2016 National Youth Brass Band Championships.

When I was commissioned to write a piece for the championships I decided that I wanted to create something a bit different to standard brass band repertoire. I decided that the best way to do this was to go a bit out of my comfort zone and explore some styles of music that I have yet to experiment with.

 

 

I have always been a great lover of Jazz, Funk and Big Band music and the sounds associated with them. In Funk Engine I have tried to capture some of these sounds, however, I am a brass-bander at heart and as such I've tried to create a fusion of styles that hopefully combines the best of brass band and jazz into one piece.