Whilst many eyes and ears were focused on the contest action in Blackpool last weekend, brass band enthusiasts in Solihull were to be found enjoying the Shirley Band in their annual spring concert.

Busy

The event begins a busy summer of engagements which will include an appearance at Pershore Midsummer Brass and an early-morning musical accompaniment for the Olympic Torch Relay when it passes through nearby Earlswood.

Under the direction of David Bishop-Rowe the band included favourites such as Heaton’s march ‘Praise’, Ray Steadman-Allen’s arrangement from ‘The New World Symphony’, and in tribute to the Diamond Jubilee, Paul Drury’s up-tempo march ‘Jubilee’.

Soloists featured were baritone player Richard Robinson in ‘Carrickfergus’ and solo euphonium Kevin Short with Eric Leidzen’s ‘Song of the Brother’.

David Bishop-Rowe’s new composition ‘Titanic’ featuring band and narrator in an emotional commemoration of the tragic events of April 14th 1912, when the great liner sunk beneath the waves4BR

Titanic

The biggest talking point of the evening however was the first public performance of David Bishop-Rowe’s new composition ‘Titanic’ featuring band and narrator in an emotional commemoration of the tragic events of April 14th 1912, when the great liner sunk beneath the waves.