British Bandsman 125th Anniversary Concert
Crown Imperial (Walton arr Wright)
A Bandsman’s Overture (Sparke)
Caravan (Ellington)
When the Saints (Trad arr Duffy)
Things ain’t what they used to be (M Ellington arr Morrison)
Brass (Wilby)
When Thunder Calls (Lovatt-Cooper)
Canite Tuba (MacMillan)
Zog’s Jog (Morrison)
Basin Street Blues (Trad arr Morrision)
The Old Rugged Cross (Trad arr Morrision)
Journey into Freedom (Ball)
The BB and CF (Ord Hume)
Bonus features; Frank Renton in conversation with James MacMillan: Brass;
Illustrations by Tony Husband, live raw footage from the concert
Black Dyke Band/Nicholas J Childs
Guest soloist; James Morrison. With Ian McMillan (reciter) and Tony Husband
(illustrator)
rec. live in concert 1 July 2012, Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Dolby Digital 5.1 surround; Colour; English (no subtitles)
16:9; All region; PAL DVD-9
WOB DVD 168 [106:00 plus 22:00 bonus features]
This gala celebratory concert, marking the 125th anniversary of
British Bandsman, took place at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in July 2012 and
fortunately it was recorded for video. The Black Dyke Band was the chosen
one, and the genial but ever-alert director was Nicholas J. Childs. The sparkling
guest soloist was multi-instrumentalist James Morrison, Australian virtuoso
extraordinaire.
To help the audience see better there was a screen on-stage. We have the advantage
of good crisp camera work. The band has a number of very young players in
its ranks, eager and expert. Together they make a fine corporate sound, not
least in the opener, Walton’s Crown Imperial - a rousing start,
though there’s a bit of a fade to the next track, A Bandsman’s
Overture, a fine six-minute piece by Philip Sparke, here earning world
premiere status. I assume the fade was because Frank Renton introduced either
the concert, or Sparke’s piece, to the audience. Morrison appears next
to take on a trio of Jazz pieces; he’s cheeky and droll in Ellington’s
Caravan - the band looks on approvingly - whilst, armed with a plunger
mute, he goes to town on cornet player Paul Duffy’s arrangement of When
the Saints. There are few finer at introducing numbers and his intro to
Thing’s Ain’t What They Used To Be is one of his best.
He then does one of his long-established party tricks by turning into a two-instrument,
one-man brass section as he plays both trumpet and trombone, the former in
his right hand, the latter in his left. One defiant passage has a repeated
series of multiphonics on the trombone. It’s quite a sight and indeed
quite a sound. Brass is a recitation by the ‘Bard of Barnsley’,
Ian McMillan whilst to the side of the stage illustrator Tony Husband sketches
away - his drawing being shown on the big screen.
Part Two witnesses the band musicians coming on stage singly, or in twos,
or more, and they start When Thunder Calls. There is another world
premiere in this half, namely James MacMillan’s Canite Tuba.
The composer was present at the concert and his typically wide-ranging, colourful
and exciting piece gets a virtuosic performance from the band. Morrison is
back for another trio of pieces. This time he plays the euphonium and the
piano as well, so can’t be accused of hiding his light under a bushel.
At least he has the modesty not to play them simultaneously, though doubtless
he could if he wanted to. Oh, wait. He does accompany himself on Basin
Street Blues, where he plays the piano and trumpet simultaneously. Outrageous!
Appropriately this son of a Preacher man also essays The Old Rugged Cross.
There are brief bonus features. MacMillan is heard in conversation with Frank
Renton, talking about his piece and brass band music in particular - he hopes
more British composers will write for bands. Then we see ‘live raw footage’
of Husband’s illustrations from the concert.
Band aficionados will enjoy the concert. Sterner and more conservative adherents
may perhaps feel that Morrison, brilliant though he is, overshadows too much
the evening and represents, in any case, something of a divergent tradition.
Fortunately the audience loved it all.
Jonathan Woolf
Band aficionados will enjoy the concert and the audience loved it all.
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