Featured Performers:
Clifford Bevan, Anaconda Player

Born in Manchester, Clifford served an apprenticeship as compositor and then studied trombone and composition at Royal Academy of Music. After freelancing, he became a pianist and chief arranger of The Temperance Seven in their chart-topping period.

Following eight years as principal tuba with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Clifford moved back to London to freelance. Here he specialised in low brass instruments, playing tuba and euphonium with all the leading symphony, opera and broadcasting orchestras, as well as in West End theatre and sessions. Clifford also gave first known full-length ophicleide recital and became member of the London Serpent Trio.

He also has a PhD in music history, and has written books on musical instruments and theory, including 640-page standard work on background brass, The Tuba Family, and contributed to New Grove Dictionaries of Music Musical Instruments, Jazz, Next book and Tales from the Bandroom – a collection of pieces previously published in various British and American periodicals, due for publication in November.

Clifford's recent compositions include Les Mots de Berlioz for choir, buccin, serpent, ophicleide and bassoon. He continues to play tuba, euphonium, ophicleide, serpent, cimbasso and trombone in music ranging from opera to big band.

In How Music Works, Clifford plays anaconda on Mendelssohn's Elijah and bass tuba on John Philip Sousa's Liberty Bell.

Find out more about Clifford Bevan and the Serpent >