There are some moments in my career that I look back on with emotion and very special memories. This live performance, March 30. 2001, with my wonderful colleagues from the Brass Band of Battle Creek is one of those. A packed auditorium, Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, and a concert that the band had been looking forward to for a couple of years. This was the second item in the concert. I've always enjoyed Philip Sparke's music, and this second movement of his first Euphonium Concerto, 'Lento', is so beautiful. It's from another world. I remember I could feel my heart beating during the last note. Special memories, and especially as the sound engineer was the late great Mike Moor. I hope you enjoy.

Lento (from Euphonium Concerto No.1) - Sparke-  Steven Mead and the BBBC, Live from Hill Auditorium

Live

Hallows Concerto 1st mov - Rolf Rudin. Steven Mead + Stuttgart Philharmonic

John Hartmann's Arbucklenian Polka performed by Steven Mead and the Fairey Band, conducted by Howard Snell from the Bravura CD.

Bravura!

Arbucklenian Polka

From the original Euphonium Magic CD recorded by Steven Mead - enjoy!

Euphonium Magic

Clair De Lune - Debussy Arr. Bale

Howard Evan's beautiful setting of the hymn tube Ascalon, dedicated to my father Rex Mead.  This is the last track from my new UFO CD, accompanied by Brighouse and Rastrick. The CD is available from www.euphoniumstore.net and other digital providers. A tribute to a wonderful man.

Pastorale; My Joy And Crown - Howard Evans. Steven Mead and the Brighouse and Rastrick BB

When He Cometh - Howard Evans
Performed by Steven Mead (euphonium) and Boscombe Salvation Army band, conducted by the composer

Locomotion

When He Cometh

Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner, played by 18 Meads

The Ride Of The Valkyries - from Euphonium Magic vol.1 Steven Mead

This is the third movement from Pearls II, composed by Roland Szentpali. This brilliant music deserves to be heard, so we're happy to post it here. This is taken from the CD entitled Pearls by Steven Mead recorded with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, conducted by Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs. Recorded in October 2013.

Pearls II (Szentpali) - The Last Dance - Steven Mead and the Central Band of the RAF

Ave Maria - Schubert
from the 2013 Album by Steven Mead - Hosanna

Ave Maria／Franz Schubert

Astor Piazzolla's haunting Ave Maria, scored for solo euphonium and brass ensemble performed by Steven Mead, from his Dream Times CD, BOCC124, recorded in March 2016. A beautiful soothing piece for the difficult times that we live in; perhaps these are not quite the dream times that we lived in a couple of years ago, but now we live in hope!

Ave Maria - Piazzolla - Steven Mead with RNCM Brass Ensemble

Steven Mead's Euphonium Virtuoso CD, released in 2006 was a big success, one of his biggest selling and most award-winning CDs. One track however was recorded and mastered but never made the disk - not enough space on the CD!! 
Lucy Long is a classic theme and variation solo, originally composed for the bassoon by Fred Godfrey.The Godfrey clan were an important influence in the British musical scene throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Charles Godfrey (1790–1863) played in the Coldstream Guards Band in 1813, becoming their Bandmaster twelve years later. He had five sons, of whom the second was Adolphus Frederick (known as ‘Fred’) – the composer of Lucy Long. (The most famous of the Godfreys was Dan, the son of Fred’s younger brother Charles, who formed and conducted the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra.) Fred trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London, taking over as Bandmaster of the Coldstream Guards after his father’s death. It was in the popular Lancashire seaside resort of Blackpool that Lucy Long received its first performance, written for and played by the orchestra’s seventeen-year-old bassoonist Philip Langdale. The work also featured in the very first London Promenade concert conducted by Henry J Wood at the Queen’s Hall on Saturday 10 August 1895, when the soloist was Edwin F James (for whom Elgar composed his Romance fifteen years later). Lucy Long went on to become a favourite at the Proms – by 1900 James had given another five performances in the series. 
It also has had some popularity with euphonium players notably of course Steven Mead here and earlier, Lyndon Baglin, who recorded it on his groundbreaking LP, Showcase for the Euphonium. 
So here is the recording that nearly was lost forever!

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