Test Piece Preview: Three Haworth Impressions by Gordon Langford

Insights into Gordon Langford’s Three Haworth Impressions for Brass Band

Gordon Langford’s Three Haworth Impressions is a deeply descriptive work that, similar to the works of the three famous authors that feature within the composition, is full of character. From the darkness of Wuthering Heights to the colourful depiction of victory for local heritage, it’s a charming piece that hasn’t featured as a set work in the UK contest circuit for over 20 years. 

Let’s have a look at what will test the bands and what the listener can expect from this musical illustration of the famous West Yorkshire village.

Who was Gordon Langford?

Gordon Langford was born in Edgware, North London in 1930 is a well known name within the banding community having written a lot of repertoire for brass band. Many of us have seen his name appear on our stands through beloved brass band favourites, like Fantasy on British Sea Songs, fun concert pieces like Blaydon Races and major works, such as Facets of Glass and the piece we’re about to explore - Three Haworth Impressions. 

Alongside his vast range of brass band repertoire, Langford worked as an orchestrator for several musicals in the West End and Hollywood blockbusters like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clash of the Titans. He was also a celebrated composer of choral and orchestral music, winning an Ivor Novello Award for Best Light Music Composition in 1971 for his march from the Colour Suite and won the European Broadcasting Union’s competition for new music for brass twice. 

When was Three Haworth Impressions composed? 

Gordon Langford’s Three Haworth Impressions was composed in 1979, but only made it’s debut on the UK contest circuit in 1985 where it has only been featured a handful of times, with its last outing being at the West of England Bandsmen’s Festival in 2001. 2026 marks the first year it has been chosen as a set work for the Regional Championships. According to a social media post from the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, the Kapitol Promotions Music Panel chose the work ‘as part of their wider focus to bring older music ‘back to life’.

Exploring Three Haworth Impressions by Gordon Langford

Langford’s Three Haworth Impressions is a suite of three movements written to describe the landscapes and scenery of Haworth and the famous Brontë sisters who called the little West Yorkshire village home. 

Movement 1: Top Withens

It’s fitting that this work has been picked in the same year that the latest remake of Emily Brontë’s gothic masterpiece, Wuthering Heights has hit the big screen, as this opening movement depicts a ruined farmhouse that although wasn’t a direct inspiration for the book’s eponymous location, but may have contributed to some of the scenic elements in her description of the moors. It’s a dark, brooding opening movement that is not only intended to describe the eerieness of the building, but also works as a musical representation of the mysterious and darkly passionate Heathcliffe (sadly, the performance doesn’t come with an appearance from Jacob Elordi, who plays him in the recent film adaptation - devastating!).

The intense, but musically descriptive nature of this opening movement would not be out of place in a soundtrack, which makes sense given the composer’s musical background. It’s cold and bleak, with foreboding, isolated lower brass chords punctuated by a bass drum underneath a mysterious muted cornet motif that sounds almost questioning. It does conjure up images of an emotionally fraught Heathcliffe, sitting by the fire, alone with his tortured thoughts. 

Principal cornet enters with a solo version of the opening cornet melody line, with the accompaniment changing the tone into a brief more uplifting moment, before it moves into a desperate, pleading emotive mood  - the ghost of Cathy appears, perhaps? It really offers the soloist a chance to showcase their emotive playing and nerve with not much in the way of accompaniment, aside from thinly scored chords underpinning the solo line. 

The band grows into a full-bodied, passionate recapitulation of this motif and,when performed well, it holds the power to really tug at your heart strings. You can feel the pain and despair of the doomed lovers depicted in the story. The mist starts to settle as the ensemble gradually settles down into a calmer more pensive atmosphere, allowing solo euphonium to shine through with the motif. 

A dark bass solo leads us into a steady, pacing, contemplative section. Bands will need to keep a lid on the dynamics here and take care that the gradual accelerandos and crescendos are well-paced to build tension and emotion to really make an impact as we head into big, sombre, but powerful renditions of this ‘Heathcliffe’ motif. 

Finally, we return to the cold, eerie atmosphere from the beginning of the work. Intonation and support within the muted cornets will be so key to really make this ghostly writing effective and speak clearly. The timing and ‘togetherness’ of the final bass chords are crucial to pack a final emotive punch as Heathcliffe returns to his place by the fire, consumed by his lost love. 

It’s an incredible movement that works just as well as a concert item that I think (with the back story and context given to the audience) would resonate and interest audiences - especially with the remake of the film having been released this year!

Movement 2: The Three Bells

Now this movement is a clever little bit of compositional brilliance! The second movement of this work references the three pseudonyms used by the Brontë sisters. The first, Acton Bell (Anne), is represented by an Ab, with Currer Bell (Charlotte) represented by a Cb and Ellis Bell (Emily) represented by an Eb struck by tubular bells to open this whimsical, dance-like second movement. 

Principal cornet offers the first melody line (punctuated with a twinkle of glock on each of these ‘pseudonym’ notes). It’s reminiscent of the melody line from Dance Macabre, which given some of the dark subject matter the sisters covered in their writing, I think is quite fitting! This melody flits and floats with a melancholic grace that I think perfectly personifies the three sisters. 

The cornets take over this melody line with euphoniums offering an equally whimsical countermelody alongside. The middle of the band will need to take care to not overpower these two main melodic lines with their steady ostinato accompaniment. 

We head into a more playful moment with overlapping melody lines from all around the stand, creating a (hopefully!) delicately balanced musical tapestry. Basses remind us of the dark nature of the sisters’ writing and the sadness that stains their real-life stories with a short quotation of the motif from the previous movement. 

The lower band takes over the melody line, whilst the cornets twirl above with little, playful interludes, before they are handed the melody once more. We descend into a less bittersweet and more sinister vibe as we head towards the end that is finalised with three last knells from the ‘pseudonym bells’ - a musical reminder of their tragic and untimely deaths of the three sisters from tuberculosis - repeated by the basses before a final chord. 

An intricately crafted movement with so much symbolism intelligently woven within its staves. 

Movement 3: The Worth Valley Railway

We move away from the lives and stories of the Brontës and into a more uplifting tale of the people of Haworth in their fight to retain their Railway. A fanfare of trombones opens with the motif from the first movement, which is echoed in the cornets, before they push forward with a driving ascending rhythm, as the band grows and our steam engine sets off! The nine-eight rhythm underpinning this movement and the distinctive ‘clickety-clack’ four beat quaver rhythm in the percussion offers the industrial motion of a train traveling over the tracks.

There is a clear sense of determination and pride throughout this final movement - a complete contrast to the two movements that precede it. This is the movement where the trombone section truly shines, but they will need to take care and not let the enthusiastic nature of their feature tip over into overblowing or harshness in their loud, but poised features. 

Langford takes the eight-note motif that has previously been used to depict sadness and turns it on its head, presenting it in a major, triumphant, declarative statement. A decisive, proud final performance of this motif brings this characterful, cinematic and just utterly brilliant work to a close.

When Exploring Our Musical Heritage Pays Off

When older repertoire (fondly referred to as ‘Yellow Music’) is chosen for these major competitions it can sometimes be met with a frustrated ‘eye roll’. Speaking as both a player and a writer, I have sometimes found myself frustrated when met with an older piece to work on or listen to that doesn’t really inspire or enlighten. 

In my opinion - this is not the case with Langford’s Three Haworth Impressions. Quite the contrary. I think it’s a good example of why it can still be worthwhile to look into our musical archives and dig out a hidden gem like this. 

This isn’t to say that we should keep airing older pieces that have already had their chance in the sun at major competitions - I think it’s still massively important to champion some newer pieces within the UK contest circuit to maintain engagement from both musicians and composers within our community. However, unlike Indian Summer, Three Haworth Impressions hasn’t had that chance to shine in a major national competition in the UK until now, and I’m glad that it was given the opportunity to be introduced to a new generation of audiences. 

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