SUITE FOR 6 HORNS OR HORN CHOIR Opus 69 (1999) 20'

This Suite for 6 Horns was commissioned by the Vienna Horn Society ('Wiener Waldhornverein'). It was recorded for CD by Roland Fritch, Suzanne Langor, James Lowe, Roland Horvath, Jonathan Sharp and Michael Sollner, conducted by Franz Sollner, in the Baumgarten Studios, Vienna, in May 2001. The CD, on the Aricord label and produced by Joseph Kamykowski, is entitled Schlosskonzert, and also includes Andrew Downes' Sonata for Horn and Piano, played by James Lowe with Anne Madison.

The Suite was performed by Horns from Chethams School of Music also in the spring of 2001.

The work was given its Czech premiere at Podebrady Castle, near Prague, by the Horns of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra on March 3rd 2009. In September 2012, horn students of the Brno Academy, directed by Ondrej Vrabec, gave a performance of the work in the St Wenceslaus Concert Hall, Nove Vcelnice, South Bohemia, Czech Republic. The Za rohem Horns Ensemble, directed by Ondrej Vrabec, performed the work at Brozny nad fortress, Jamu, Brno, Czech Republic in October 2012.

In March 2008 the Horns of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra recorded the work for CD entitled Andrew Downes: Music for Horns and Wagner Tubas. It is released on the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Artesmon label (AS 729-2). This recording has been broadcast many times on Musicians Page Radio, Los Angeles, USA.

'The hornists of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra have produced a first-rate performance of three excellent works for horns or Wagner tubas by Andrew Downes...
'The Suite for Six Horns... should be considered a strong addition to the Sextet repertoire... Each (movement) has a strong individual character that blends into a cohesive whole work. Downes has used the six voices to create a wide-ranging spectrum of sounds and emotions. This is a fine work which deserves many more performances.' THE HORN CALL