Fans of Bruce Broughton’s music for brass will certainly want to get Sound the Bells! the latest CD release from The Bay Brass, which features Broughton’s Fanfares, Marches, Hymns & Finale.

ClassicsToday.com described the piece as “a substantial (20 minutes) and captivating composition that happily expresses itself within the realm of conventional brass ensemble customs and language—no gimmicks, no weird experiments, no gratuitous sound effects—while maintaining an original voice through the composer’s clever treatment of his thematic ideas.”

The long-awaited CD also includes previously unreleased works of John Williams, Michael Tilson Thomas, Morten Lauridsen (including the composer’s brass transcription of his O Magnum Mysterium ), Scott Hiltzik and Kevin Puts. The album was recorded by Shawn Murphy at the Skywalker Ranch and is being released on the Harmonia Mundi label on March 8th, Broughton’s birthday. The Super Audio CD features 5.1 Surround Sound, but also plays on regular CD players. The CD is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Described by the American Record Guide as “a truly wonderful brass ensemble with a full-bodied sound and no rough edges,” The Bay Brass, founded in 1995, is composed of brass players from the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading performing organizations, including the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Ballet and the San Francisco Opera Orchestras.

On March 27, 2011 at 7 PM, The Bay Brass will celebrate the album’s release with a performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music that will include music from the album. The concert will feature Broughton’s Fanfares, Marches, Hymns & Finale, with the composer conducting.

For further details, visit The Bay Brass website.