Nick Etheridge’s previous three albums have all been elaborate collaborations with composers and performers under his ‘Tubagility’ banner projecting his vision of the modern tuba and music that’s challenging and perhaps sometimes unexpected. These projects are a labour of love, hugely satisfying, and always an enormous challenge to bring them safely from conception to completion. This new album is different and is unashamedly a project of specially commissioned solo concerto works for tuba. Diversity is a grand title for a substantial work with dramatic connotations and a powerful and flexible musical form of many shapes and guises. Ultimately it’s a platform for conversation between soloist and accompanying group. Between the interwoven and distinctly individual pieces he has created an interesting as well as contrasting dialogue.