Diamond Heritage

Brighouse and Rastrick Band
Conductor: David Hirst
PACD CD 01
Playing Time: 60.56

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The Brighouse Boys have a bit of a reputation in the banding world of being "rough diamonds" – lads who like to enjoy themselves (who doesn't though eh?), but the one thing you can't take from them is that on their day they are capable of being the best brass band in the country (or Europe for that matter). Rough diamonds maybe, but diamonds none the less.

Therefore it seemed appropriate that this release from the lads in Caesarean Purple and Gold is entitled "Diamond Heritage" – for they have a history as long and varied as any of our top bands and one that has mined enough diamond winning performances to have kept Ernst Blofeld happy in the 007 film.

Its release comes under the banner of Prima Arts, who's proprietor David Hirst takes the baton for a concert programme of light easy listening music that is very well directed and equally well performed. Nothing too strenuous for the lads, but enough for them to get their teeth into and show off the type of detailed muscular playing that really is their forte - the quiet stuff is pretty impressive as well and the production values are of a high order.

The march "McArthurGlen" is as bouncy and fun filled as a Samantha Fox bra and has echoes of the type of marches such as "Bandology" by Eric Osterling, even though it was written to celebrate the opening of a Designer Outlet Store in Bolsover – that's the left wing MP Dennis Skinner's constituency. Wonder if he was at the opening?

The music to "Schindler's List" is well adapted by Sandy Smith and although it lacks the emotive intensity of the original it's still a very moving piece of music and is especially well played by the bands soloists, whilst Graeme McCulloch is on superb form performing Bach's "Hungarian Melodies". The recording was done in May 2000 so it was just before the talented but wayward lad went AWOL and done a Lord Lucan. By all accounts he's playing now on a cruise ship on some foreign sea – so this is a reminder of a fine talent who was cursed by a bit of an "oingy boingy" head on his shoulders.

"Singin' in the Rain" has a nice relaxed feel and fine bit of shoe shuffle brush playing to imitate Gene Kelly (or was that Eric Morcambe) dancing down the street and the famous "Adagio" by Samuel Barber is well realised in a brass version from Rieks van der Velde. Briggus make a lovely rounded full plumb tone that has a dark hue – just right for the music.

A film interlude follows Darrol Barry's arrangement of the "Olympic Fanfare" with the Titanic in full flow on "My Heart Will Go On". It's very well played stuff, but you can't help feeling that it was a bloody awful song that droned on and on and on. The film wasn't much better (a woman in the audience next to me said why couldn't they have made it without the ship sinking at the end), but it's pleasant enough concert filler for all those girls who have a lust for Leonardo di Caprio. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is totally different - a great Saturday morning pictures film with a proper hero, great villains and a soundtrack that racked up the excitement by the second. It all comes across in a cracking arrangement by Steve Sykes that Brighouse ham up to in the full.

Mike Kilroy has a deserved reputation as a fine euphonium soloist and he justifies this to the full with an excellent performance of "So Deep is the Night" that reveals a player of true style and musicianship. Top class playing. "Strike up the Band" ends the CD in fine style, but before that we have the very interesting "Diamond Heritage" – the piece from which the CD gets its title. Written by the friends of Pleasley Pit and funded by the National Lottery it's a celebration of the pit of the same name that closed after the Miners Strike of 1984.

Written by Darrol Barry, it was initially composed for brass band, choir and narrator, but has been successfully re scored for brass band and it comes across as a fine piece that could well be used as a difficult test piece for the Second Section say. It has plenty of atmosphere and detail and is a welcome inclusion on a CD of high class playing. A good choice Mr Hirst.

"Diamond Heritage" should prove to be a popular release from the West Ridings band as it shows off their considerable talents to the full. They enjoy the freedom the music and direction allows and so we hear a relaxed top class band playing very well. Light, bright and frothy it never the less has enough serious moments to ensure it makes for interesting listening. It's a good hour of quality playing. Brighouse enjoying themselves eh? Heaven help us when they start to take things really seriously then.

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