Call of the Cossacks - Peter Graham – Volume II

Black Dyke Band
Conductor: Nicholas Childs
Doyen Recordings: CD 138
Total Playing Time: 70.59

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Peter Graham is something of a composing chameleon for brass – yet even though he has a considerable talent and flair for imitating styles, forms and characteristics of others, he is no common mimic or musical impersonator.

"Cry of the Cossacks" is the second of two dedicated CD's that Black Dyke have released of the composers output, and whilst the first (Music composed by Peter Graham Volume 1) sought to establish his original extended works, this second CD highlights the talents of his musical palette in terms of flexibility and versatility. What it shows is a composer and arranger of subtlety and practical skills, with a knack for producing easy listening accessible music in more varieties than Heinz and Company can manage. Being able to blend and mix, to entice and cajole and finally deliver works that combine wit and lyricism, melodic and rhythmic ideas in crafted packages that maintain interest for the listener, shows that he is no composing equivalent of Tom Keating (the forger who copied the works of great painters so well even the museums thought them originals). Peter Graham is a 24-carat original.

The extent of his skills can be heard in all 15 items, from the John Williams inspired opener, "Summon the Dragon" through his own take on the Irish "Riverdance" phenomenon in "Gaelforce" and on to the "Call of the Cossacks" – the Russian edition of the "travelogue" suites that Graham himself developed with "Windows of the World". All have the familiar feel of good taste and design that makes them sound like a musical trip around IKEA, but they remain so individual as to define themselves as substantive one offs. That really takes some doing.

Black Dyke themselves are on somewhat inspired form and give cracking accounts of each of the works. Nicholas Childs has imposed his character on the band in the last two years so that the hallmarks of his direction shine through. The balance is weighted towards a full rounded bass end, with the middle strata of euphoniums up to horns giving a substantial quality medial layer. The cornets are tight in ensemble and bright in tone with a very classy top off on soprano. The percussion team on this release alone is about the best we have heard anywhere – superbly geared to the demands of the pieces with individual and team playing of the highest order.

After the opener, which also has a subtle echoes of the bands own "Queensbury" march woven into the fabric, comes three movements from the composers "Windows of the World" – the suite that Yorkshire Building Society so successfully premiered a few years back and which makes more than a nod and a wink to the Ketelbey inspired "In a Persian Market" and "In a Chinese Temple Garden". The revised ending to "Drums of Thunder" give the work something of a bigger bang to close but isn't too radical a change to make you think the original close wasn't a good idea.

Roger Webster makes short shrift of the delicate intricacies of "Whirlwind" in such a controlled manner as to make you think he wouldn't get his hair ruffled in a gale (although that in his case may be the wrong metaphor to use – no slight intended Roger!) and there is a full blooded rendition of "Swedish Folk Song" which gives the band ample opportunity to open their lungs.

"Shine As the Light" is also another piece that the composer has expanded from the thematic core of a well know Salvation Army work, "The Candle of the Lord" and it has proved a popular piece since first being performed by the Star Lake Music Camp Band in 1996. The ideas are fresh and warm and the playing beautifully controlled and finely shaped - and the same can also be said of Brett Baker, who is as smooth as a pair of 20 denier stockings with a lovely performance of "The Name" – a gem of a work inspired from the Salvation Army song, "There is beauty in the name of Jesus", and this type of work highlights Brett Baker's greatest strength as a player with superb control, pure trombone sound and a fine sense of style.

We have all heard the all dancing, all singing, all over hyped "Riverdance" until it comes out of our ears, but Peter Graham gives the style a new and original twist with clever use of three popular Irish jigs, and so it remains well within the sell by date, whilst Paul Judge gives a cracking performance of "The Whistler" on the xylophone that has a real stamp of class.

"Hine e Hine" is a lovely Moari lullaby skilfully crafted, before David Thornton gives a commanding performance of the slightly idiosyncratic "Slaviche Fantasie" by Hohne, arranged with considerable skill by the composer. Lots of meaty Bohemian chords surround a light and breezy set of interlinked variants make for a solo that is just a bit different.

The only piece for us that doesn't hit the mark is "Cartoon Music" - a melange of witty ideas, musical one-liners and bon mots that doesn't quite work. The reason why is hard to explain, but it is rather like watching the beginning sequence of "The Simpsons" cartoon on the television with the volume turned off. The brilliant sequence of images of Bart and Co racing home from school, work and the shops is fine on it's own, but really comes to life when the amazing music of Danny Elfman is added. The same applies when the process is reversed – the sounds and effects are somewhat meaningless without the images, so that you really need to see Homer being run down by Marge in the garage to appreciate and enjoy the panic the music creates.

Finally though we come to the composers dip into the breathtaking world of the Cossacks – all vodka chasers, big Russian women and men who can dance with both feet off the ground. This is a superb suite of five movements that Black Dyke premiered at the recent European Championships and starts with a pulsating rhythmic "Procession of the Tartars" before leading into a swishing, rouble in the belly button "Gypsy Dream". "Cossack Fire Dance" starts with a vivid vodka induced slippery bit of trumpet playing from Chris Turner, before each of the bands soloists rip through their "feature" spots with a nonchalance that Russian weightlifters used to flick unbelievable weights above their heads at the Olympic Games – brilliant techniques. "Doyle's Lament" has just a faint echo of both the theme to the 1960's film "The Ipcress File" and even odder, "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, but is superbly played by John Doyle, before there is a thigh slapping, high five clapping, Russky ripper of a finale in the shape of the "Cossack Wedding Dance" – heaven help what the stag night was like!

The suite brings to a close a CD of some of the best playing we have heard for a good while – tremendous soloists, ensemble playing of brilliance and directed with the iron hand of Nicholas Childs – Joseph Stalin never had this much control. If this is the start of a five-year plan from the representatives of Republic of Queensbury, then all other bands better beware. This is a breathtaking release.

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