David Gregg sums up the Summer concert at Joseph Rowntree Theatre on Jun 14th
What more could you ask for? A full house for all our Bands at our twice yearly concert at the JoRo Theatre. Everyone came just wanting to be entertained and entertained they were!
As the audience were entering, our Brass Roots Band were playing on stage to give the first taste of what was to come later in the evening. Audrey Brown led our young and not so young learners through some uplifting and spirited music; Eye Of The Tiger, The Glory Of Spring, following a lovely Spring day, and finishing with Europe’s The Final Countdown. What a superb opening to the evening. The majority of these players have only been playing for several weeks but what a great sound came from them. Fancy a go yourself? It’s really not that hard. We are particularly looking for learners. These good people are our future and we ignore them at our peril!
The main part of the Concert started at with The Academy Brass, led by Richard Wilton. There must have been around 50 players all playing superbly at a great level. An arrangement of The Pirates of the Caribbean opened their set and what a sound they made from quite a difficult piece. What more could you ask for after that? Well none other than a timeless ABBA Medley. Everyone of the tunes was a cracker. Praise too must go to the young flugelhorn player for his solo in it. Again our Academy Band is a good mixture of ages all of whom are looking to progress.
Next up were our prizewinning Youth Brass Band. Recently returning from their magnificent 1st place in the National Youth Brass Band Championships in the Performance section, they really did show off, and so they should. Total quality, class and style with Craig Brown conducting them. Starting with the march Westward Ho! and then followed by the Scandinavian folk song Gota, they oozed confidence. The next 2 pieces were straight from their national performance. Dry eyes were in very short demand when, certainly my star of the evening, Abbie Laslett played a heart rendering solo in I Don’t Know How To Love Him. Absolutely gorgeous, no argument. They then finished with that long lost favourite of the Mamas and Papas, California Dreaming. What a way to finish. The audience certainly thought so and they left to rapturous applause.
Now ifyou want entertainment, and who doesn’t, The Concert Band were on next and they brought it in bucketfuls. Anyone who has seen their conductor Mike Pratt before knows what to expect. But really Mike? Yes ,he is a very good conductor but he also throws in vast amounts of dancing, well sort of! He opened their set with Goldcrest, a Salvationist March, that said a lot about the intentions for the rest of their session. Quick, full on and played with the cornets on top form. The trombones weren’t bad either. Next up were 4 more modern, pop if you like, pieces. A Communards number, Don’t Leave Me This Way, leading on to one of my all time favourites, Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly. Beautifully played with great dynamic range. Tears again for me. Then Geno from Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Upbeat it certainly was. Audience participation was also included. Even the Lord Mayor and his wife were giving it some. The last piece by The Concert Brass, Shut Up And Dance, was a cracking finisher. Fantastic playing, daft conductor type dancing by Mike and overall a superb ending for a truly entertaining set.
What a shirt Mike!
After the interval it was time for the top end music with our Shepherd Brass Band, Richard Wilton leading them.
Our basses preparing for the second half.
As always our Championship Section Band put on an overwhelming performance for the second half. Opening with You Can’t Stop The Beat from the film Hairspray it set the scene for what was to come, sheer style and musical class. Next up was lovely piece called Meditation Breathe, another salvationist piece who’s title reflected what the music was all about. Calm, cool and just so nice. Now a Solo. A superb Bond movie opening piece, Live And Let Die played by our Soprano cornet David Nichol. A very, very stylish rendition as well. Full of feeling and atmosphere. Great. Korobieniki was next up, a Russian folk tune played with gusto. Then the John Williams classic film theme Jurassic Park. This is where the taps were fully opened and rich, full sounds emanated.
And then onto their final piece, Somewhere from West Side Story. Glorious, sentimental and full of the deep rich sounds of wonderfully written music. For the 3rd time this evening tears appeared. Top class music from a top class Band. Sheer bliss.
After the raffle was drawn, the massed bands of The Shepherd Brass Band Organisation all crammed onto the stage to leave us with a great upbeat musical number called Band Together. How appropriate to finish on because this what our Organisation is about, togetherness.
