WINNER OF BASCA S 2012 BRITISH COMPOSER AWARD FOR WIND OR BRASS BAND.A Symphony of Colours was commissioned by the Fairey Band with assistance from the John Golland Trust. The first performance was given on 2 May 2011 during the European Brass Band Championships Montreux Switzerland by The Fairey Band conducted by Russell Gray. The same band gave the UK première on 29 January 2012 at the Royal Northern College of Music Festival of Brass Manchester. The title of this substantial work relates to the rare condition of Synesthesia where sufferers see colours or smell scent in response to hearing music. One of the most famous musicians who had thiscondition was Olivier Messiaen to whom this dramatic piece is a homage. Dobson s music incorporates sideways glances towards Messiaen s great organ work L Ascension. The Symphony s four movements which merge seamlessly into a single span are Joy Chroma (which is a journey through Dobson s own perception of Synesthesia) Endless Time (where tuned percussion features alongside extended solos for the euphonium) and the final climactic Ascent.Dobson s A Symphony of Colours which was conceived as a virtuoso work for elite brass bands.