Irish Reel – Wind Band

Britten wrote Irish Reel in 1936 as the title music for a documentary film entitled ‘Around the Village Green’. It is a bravura piece, exhibiting all the energy and strong orchestral colours typical of the composer at that time,and makes good use of a traditional reel tune with the evocative title’The Bottom of the Punch Bowl’.Guy Woolfenden’s transcription for symphonic wind band skilfully captures all the fun and sparkle of this ebullient score.