Fantasia Brilliante on Rule Britannia (John Hartmann) - David Thornton, euphonium

The final piece in a recital given at the International Euphonium & Tuba Festival held at Emory University, Atlanta during June 2018. The pianist is Keith Teepen.

John Hartmann (October 24, 1830 in Auleben – 1897 in Liverpool, England) was a Prussian brass composer. He is notable for having served Prince George, Duke of Cambridge as bandmaster in the British 4th Regiment, 12th Lancers.

When Hartmann went to fulfill his mandatory service obligation to the Prussian military, he chose to be a musician. Doing that gave him the option of choosing the regiment he would serve with.
While with the Cuirassiers in Cologne, he played solo cornet and violin and in 1854, his bandmaster, Herr Schallehn, left service and travelled to England, joining the Crystal Palace Company. Hartmann joined him when his service was over in October 1855.
Hartmann continued to play cornet in the Crystal Palace Band until he was offered the position of bandmaster of the Tyrone Militia at Sheffield. He served with them, with the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards, and with the Royal Sherwood Foresters (Nottingham Militia), who were "one of the best brass bands in the country."

Later in his career, while serving with the 12th Lancers, Hartmann was invited with his regiment to serve the Duke of Cambridge in Aldershot, Leeds, and Manchester. He did this until a requirement to be enlisted in the military forced him to end his career.

After briefly returning to Germany, he retired again in England, composing and making arrangements of music for British publishing companies.

Other solos include:
Arbucklenian Polka (Bovaco) (Fischer, 1912)
Auld Lang Syne, grand fantasy (Bovaco, arr. H. Prendiville) (Fischer, 1889)
The Champion, grand fantasy (Fischer, 1891, arr. P. DeVille)
The Conquering Hero, grand fantasy (Fischer, 1889)
Facilita (Boosey & Hawkes, arr. T.C. Brown) (Fischer, 1900, arr. L.P. Laurendean)
La Belle Americaine (cornet or euphonium solo)
New Star Polka (Fischer, 1887)
Pretty Jane, grand fantasy (Fischer, 1889, arr. H. Prendiville)
The Return, air vane (Molenaur, arr. G. MOI)
Weber's Last Waltz, variations (Bovaco, arr. P. DeVille) (Fischer, 1903) (Kalmus)