This Sunday saw the opening of Stockport’s bus and coach interchange. Situated on the site of GMPTE’s bus station, it improves on its predecessor as no passenger will need to change buses without getting wet. Instead of crossing many roads to go from Stand A to Stand S, there is only one road you need to cross.
Continue reading “In Pictures: Stockport’s New Bus Interchange”
What is The Most Wonderful Time of The Year like without a brass band? What if Your Most Wonderful Time of the Year involves brass banding and happens to be the least obvious Most Wonderful Time of Any Year?
A brass band is for life, culturally and spiritually, and not just for Christmas. Yet it is Christmas where they make more of their money and gain most of its followers. You might prefer The Human League’s earliest years or their mid-1990s work, yet it is Don’t You Want Me from the 1981 Dare LP that strikes a chord. In the same way many people think of hymns, marches, and Christmas carols instead of major works by Eric Ball in terms of the brass banding movement.
On the First Sunday in Advent, Littleborough Band decided to go the extra mile on turkey, tinsel, and diminutive figures on wooden furniture. If you wanted undiluted Christmas at a brass band concert, you got that with the Littleborough Band Community’s senior constituent. The result was a highly entertaining concert, if a little cloying on the Christmas count for some listeners who felt they overdosed on the mince pies.
With solo performances, we had two superb soloists, plus a trombone trio and a euphonium duet. Understandably, for a Christmas concert setting, there was nothing too complex for the band nor its audience. A concert most suitable for anyone from 18 months to 81 years of age, whether new to brass bands or otherwise.
Musical Director: Ashley Higgins
Our first piece of the night was the first of four Christmas medleys. What about a march medley? Forget that one, how about a Christmas medley set to a road march? The end product would sound very much like Marching Through Christmas. Arranged by the late great Darrol Barry, the title is a play on Marching Through Georgia and the medley includes The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and Jingle Bells (more on that piece later). Enjoyable fare all round.
What about another Christmas medley? A good Christmas medley is like a very moreish mince pie (“The M&S Classic ones are the GOAT of mince pies” – Ed). You cannot resist another one. How about another helping of Darrol Barry’s finest in A Christmas Adventure? This time, more of your favourite Christmas songs, albeit arranged in the style of John Williams’ film music. A nice, original take on our favourite Christmas songs, well played.
As ubiquitous as an overpriced bratwurst on Piccadilly Gardens at many Christmas concerts is a piece by Leroy Anderson. At our concert, the first of his works was our first solo performance of the night. Enter on principal cornet, Richard Briers with A Trumpeter’s Lullaby. The piece was written in 1949 and premiered on the 9th May 1950. For Mr Briers, we had Barsotti’s arrangement, with a very solid performance at that.
Next up was Dizzy Stratford’s A Christmas Swing. Swing music with a bit of tinsel around its manuscript, though lovingly transcripted for brass bands. Strictly speaking, more Christmas songs in a swing style – see also Regent Big Band, Glossop’s last word in swing music. Another good one.
This was followed by a euphonium duet – enter Leanne Clegg and John Whatmore with Georges Bizet’s Deep Inside the Sacred Temple. Whether you interpret the title as a sacred temple of religious variety or something else you would leave to the imagination, it is also known as the Pearl Fisher’s Duet. Our transcription of Bizet’s work was arranged by Keith Wilkinson from Fodens Band. A fabulous duet, well played.
Our next piece had a tenuous link to Christmas, inasmuch it could have been inspired by Gabriel (and we don’t mean the former Genesis front man who wore daft costumes at their gigs). The last piece of this half was our third medley of the night. We opened with Christmas songs in a marching form, then Christmas songs in the style of Indiana Jones. For the hat trick, we had Caribbean Christmas, a classy Sandy Smith medley of Caribbean Christmas songs – some of which would be classed as School Assembly Bangers like Mary Had a Baby (Yes, Lord). A joyous finale to the first half.
The beginning of the second half was marked by another medley: this time, Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival, arranged by Andrew Duncan. This piece was originally composed in 1950 for the Boston Pops Orchestra, and hailed as the most famous Christmas medley of all time. Highlights include Joy to the World, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Good King Wenceslas. Good all round.
Next up was our second and final solo of the night. Taking his position on flugelhorn was Andre Hopcroft with Away In A Manger on flugelhorn. In three verses, the most common arrangement of the carol came from William J. Kirkpatrick in 1895. It is based on the New Testament Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 4 to 7. Another fabulous performance.
For the hat trick of Leroy Anderson compositions, this was followed by Sleigh Ride, a song has been covered by numerous artistes from The Carpenters to The Ronettes. Back in the late 1970s, there was a disco version that appeared on a budget priced LP called Disco Nöel (To save your sanity, please listen to the infinitely superior Ronettes cover version). This little number really got our jingle bells ringing.
If you thought that wasn’t enough, the tranche of solos and ensembles was tailed off by a trombone trio. Taking their positions for Santa’s Little Helpers were Samir Wright, Sarah Booth, and Alison Cowans. Arranged by Darrol Barry, this is a waltz type arrangement for trombones and, in miniature form, another medley. One with We Wish You a Merry Christmas and The Holly and the Ivy. A nifty little piece, well played.
Next up was a piece that can either be Light Concert Music or a Hymn. Gavin Somerset’s arrangement of Ronan Hardiman’s Lord of the Dance is firmly in the former with its Riverdance type schtick. In Peter Graham’s Cry of the Celts, it forms part of its Victory movement. Hardiman’s song itself is ultimately an arrangement of Sydney Carter’s hymn, which is set to the music of an 1848 Shaker song called Simple Gifts. A belting performance which offered a real contrast to the next programme item.
The contrast was Chris Mallett’s arrangement of Candlelight Carol. John Rutter’s carol brought us into traditional Christmas concert territory, with the piece inspired by Geertgen’s painting Nativity at Night. Though with a traditional air, the piece was written in 1984 – back when Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder charted with Together in Electric Dreams. Another great piece, well performed.
As one Advent Calendar door closes, there was another twenty-one to go after Littleborough Band headed towards Rochdale. Apart from being home to Gracie Fields, Lisa Stansfield, and Tommy Cannon, its Metropolitan Borough is home to Harry Yearsley frozen foods – which had a local store chain called Snow City. In 1998, he let it go to Heron Freezer Centres, fifteen years before Frozen hit the screens. The most potent weapon in the power of frozen is its finale song, Let It Go. It is by far the film’s most famous song. There was nothing frosty about Littleborough Band’s rendition: it was cool, measured and solid. Fantastic.
Last but not least came Jingle Bells, the band’s choice of encore piece. Derek Ashmore’s peppy arrangement. Or The Good Version of Jingle Bells as one Musical Director said at The Brass Vegas of the North many years ago. A lovely finale, which should have got us all dancing and singing along. Well done, Littleborough Band.
Next week at Boarshurst – on the second Sunday in Advent – is Pemberton Old Wigan Band. That’ll be at 7.30 pm, doors open at 6.30 pm. Please arrive early to be sure of a good seat.
S.V., 8th December 2023.
For the last concert before the First Sunday in Advent, Loxley Silver Band gave us all a most entertaining night of music with a well thought out programme. The Main Band is a contesting band in the Fourth Section, one of three bands that make up the Loxley Silver Band community alongside the Community Band and Training Band. The Main Band finished a very creditable fourth in the Fourth Section Yorkshire Regional Finals with the Darrol Barry test piece, Hungerford Town. Continue reading “Loxley Silver Band: Sunday Brass at Boarshurst Band Club, 26th November 2023”
There are Sunday brass nights, and there are Sunday Brass Nights. There are concerts that keep us entertained for the best part of three hours that are remembered for at least a week or two before fading out of view. Then there are concerts that are remembered long after a week or two. Maybe a decade or two thereafter, an important point in any brass band’s history as well as making memories for audiences and brass banders themselves.
Continue reading “Boarshurst Silver Band and Fountain City Brass Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club (19th November 2023)”
Whilst being solemn without being too solemn, Boarshurst Silver Band marked the end of the Remembrance weekend with a solid concert. Since Jamie Prophet’s arrival in 2021, the band has polished their sound and volume. Their concerts have improved over time, and become more entertaining.
Continue reading “Boarshurst Silver Band: Sunday Brass at Boarshurst Band Club (12th November 2023)”Over the space of six weeks, your reviewer has seen the above band at two venues with two different musical directors. Firstly, at Glossop Old Band Room, Andy Mallon was at the podium, giving its dedicated audience a solid afternoon’s worth of brass band music. This turned out to be Mallon’s last concert with Tintwistle Band.
Continue reading “Tintwistle Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club (29 October 2023)”
In the beginning, Guglielmo Marconi gave us the gift of sound over thousands of miles. By the 1950s, the BBC had a piece of the action with its British monopoly only being challenged by Radio Luxembourg. Then came the pirate stations, which irritated our heads of state, despite being popular with its listeners. Then came Radio 1, BBC’s attempt to begin where the pirates (Radios Caroline and Jackie excepted) left off.
Radio 1 came close to aping the pirates, though it was argued there was something missing for its listeners. Whereas Caroline won the hearts of radio geeks the world over, Philip Birch’s Radio London proved that a well managed radio station on commercial lines could be successful. Whilst retaining a connection with its listeners.
Continue reading “Book Review: For The Record, Brian Beech and Tony Ingham”
The Band Played On.
The Band Played On is a well worn phrase in music, whether the outfit is a Championship Section band or a Slade tribute act. For Lydgate Band, the back story leading up to their latest concert lived up to that phrase. Two of its members passed away since their last concert at Boarshurst Band Club, with one of the two passing away a month ago.
Continue reading “Lydgate Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club (8th October 2023)”
In this part of the world, there are many great certainties. Chiefly death and taxes; also the postponement or cancellation of Northern English infrastructure projects. Of all the certainties in our part of the world is a much happier one that was seen at The Mecca of Brass Banding. The certainty that Milnrow Band would deliver a first rate concert for the best part of two hours.
Continue reading “Milnrow Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club, 1st October 2023”
Four years have passed since Eagley Band’s previous concert at The Mecca of Brass Banding. Since then, there has been three COVID lockdowns, three Prime Ministers, three Stalybridge Celtic first team managers, and one Mayor of Greater Manchester. For Eagley Band, there has – reassuringly – been only one Musical Director.
Continue reading “Eagley Band: Sunday Brass at the Boarshurst Band Club, 24 September 2023)”
East of the M60 