Happy and Glorious III

Sutherland Shire Brass

Musical Director: Warwick Tyrrell
Sunday 21 October
Sutherland Entertainment Centre

On Sunday 21 October Sutherland Shire Brass held their 3rd annual proms-style concert Happy & Glorious III. It was held at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre and while they almost did it last year, this one was SOLD OUT! That's about 800 seats and the audience (and the band!) had an absolute ball.
 
Sutherland's Musical Director Warwick Tyrrell put together a very entertaining concert with special guests, audience participation, great music and lots of flags and streamers!
 
The concert opened with a "bang" with Festive Overture (Shostakovich trs. Barrie Gott). Warwick then briefly told the audience about the band's recent success in the NSW State Championships and then treated the audience to the hymn arrangement You Know That We Love You (Howard Davies). This was Sutherland's much talked about winning hymn in the NSW B Grade Championship. Washington Post (Sousa) provided a big change of pace and it was followed by Edelweiss in which the guest vocalists for the afternoon were featured. They were Isabella Tyrrell (Warwick's young daughter), Romona Togher and Dallas Watts. Romona and Dallas are both very accomplished and well respected soloists who have performed in many professional shows, opera and theatre.
 
Pie Jesu (Lloyd-Weber) featured Romola and Isabella in the very popular and beautiful arrangement from Requiem. Dallas Watts then performed one of the most well known of all vocal solos Nessun Dorma. Both of these numbers were extremely well received by the audience.
 
Next up was Stephen Williams playing Arban's Carnival of Venice especially arranged for band for him by a very kind uncle! (Thanks again Dennis!)
 
So Deep is the Night (Tristesse) is based on a melody by Chopin and arranged for band by Arthur Wood. This arrangement is almost 60 years old however the beauty of the melody is ageless and was a real favourite of the afternoon.
 
No proms concert would be complete without Fantasia on British Sea Songs (Henry Wood arr. Denis Wright) and the audience didn't need much prompting to get into the "proms spirit" with much stomping, whistling, humming and crying!
 
Ray Farr's fantastic arrangement of Bach's Toccata in D Minor featured percussionist Stephen Clifford in a dazzling display of mallet playing!
 
Romola Togher returned to sing God Save the Queen before intermission.
 
The second half started with another old arrangement, this one from 1927! Montague Ewing's Classica is a "Grand Selection of Standard Favourites" and whilst time limits forced a few "cuts" the band still managed to play Toreador Song from Carmen, Spring Song (Mendelssohn), William Tell (Rossini), Largo (Handel) and Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 (Liszt). Another example of why bands should really spend some time looking through all the music in their libraries. This is a very good compilation and a real crowd pleaser.
 
Dallas Watts returned to sing to Langford's arrangement of Waltzing Matilda and there was no chance the audience were not going to join in with this one! 800 people singing something they really love make a very big sound. Dallas kept the Aussie flavour going with On the Road to Gundagai.
 
Jason Smith has been playing with Sutherland Shire Brass since he could move a trombone slide and blow into a mouthpiece at the same time! He completed his HSC last year and is now studying Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Jason wrote a piece especially for this concert and so the title of Happy and Glorious didn't require to much time to come up with! A very good number with a bright opening, beautiful slower section in the middle featuring flugel and tenor horns and exciting finish. Jason received prolonged appluase for his efforts from a very appreciative audience.
 
Romola Togher returned to the stage and got the audience singing along with I Still Call Australia Home (Peter Allen arr. Barrie Gott) and White Cliffs of Dover (arr. Edrich Siebert) before the band played another Sousa classic Stars and Stripes. Jerusalem (Parry arr. Hanmer) and You'll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers & Hammerstein arr. Darrol Barry) featuring Dallas Watts and Romola had the audience calling for more! They joined in singing Advance Ausrtalia Fair before the band played Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No 1. This of course went over very well and the audience were in fine voice at the end singing along with Land of Hope and Glory.
 
Auld Lang Syne had 800 pairs of arms linked together in the traditional chain before the band's encore number Hava Nagila (arr Edrich Siebert) had them clapping wildy at the end of a fantastic afternoon.
 
This was a terrific event. The audience had a ball and the band had a great time performing it all. Everyone was a winner on the day!
 
Stephen Williams