Bridgewater Hall Live

Black Dyke, Williams Fairey, Household Troops Band, Fodens
Conductors: Nicholas Childs, Allan Withington, Major John Mott, Rusell Gray, Bramwell Tovey
Soloists: Nick Hudson, Douglas Yeo
Egon: CD-SFZ110
Total Playing Time: 70.22

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The theme for the 2002 Great Northern Brass Arts Festival was the centenary of the birth of Harry Mortimer and a celebration of the glory that was the great CWS (Manchester) Band. Both in their own way were worthy of such a tribute and the day long festivities once again showed that there is an appetite for quality brass band playing in the North. This CD is therefore a worthy reminder of a very impressive event in the banding calendar, even though there was surely enough fine playing to possibly have made this into a double rather than single CD release.

That we therefore miss out on the likes of Martin Winter giving a masterclass in cornet playing is a huge disappointment, especially as his rendition of the Ernest Tomlinson "Cornet Concerto" was as good if not better than the legendary Maurice Murphy's interpretation at the National Gala Concert close on twenty five years ago. Still, that apart this is a CD of some very fine playing.

The undoubted "band stars" of the day were Fodens under the direction of both Russell Gray and Bramwell Tovey and we are given two reminders of two of the three test pieces they performed with admirable aplomb. "Epic Symphony" is the one we miss out on here, but both "Life Divine" and "Resurgam" are given detailed accounts that benefit from some lovely solo playing and direction from the MD's that gives the music time to unfold. Both are old war horses of pieces that time has been gentle with and although the technical aspects and construction of "Life Divine" now seem terribly dated, "Resurgam" still has a powerful message to portray in committed and sympathetic hands. Fodens do both pieces worthy justice.

Black Dyke open proceedings with another aged steed in the form of "Lohengrin – Introduction to Act III" but it is a steed that has been given a few sharp cracks of the whip on its flanks and the result is an enjoyable entrée. The solo lines are nicely shaped and the triplet work and pick ups from around the band and the bass in particular are spot on.

"An American in Paris" however is a let down, even though the playing from Williams Fairey is excellent and the soloists in particular Kevin Crockford shine. The Snell arrangement is as good as you can imagine, but this is monochrome in musical colour and a brass band, however good, simply can't bring the sense of relaxed stylish lilt that the music is imbued with. The French are a sophisticated lot (or so they like you to believe) and this sounds more like a Yankee tourist in Disneyland than a suave American on the banks of the Seine.

The Salvation Army Household Troops are also featured thrice (once accompanying Nick Hudson) and perform well enough on two undemanding numbers "Ask" and "Deep River", but the playing is not in the same class as the others on the CD and it would have been a slightly better highlight if we could have heard Mark Wilkinson's top notch "Alpine Echoes" or "Zelda" which was performed brilliantly again by Martin Winter. What the link between these two items by the Household Troops were with either Mortimer or CWS is also beyond us.

Both Nick Hudson and Douglas Yeo though are two soloists and artists on the trombone who you would be hard pressed to better anywhere and once again they gave showcase accounts of their skills with performances that reeked of class. Both were neatly supported by their bands and the result was two pleasing pieces of slick and professional trombone work.

Dyke round things off with another old warrior in the form of "Marche Slave" and once more they give it plenty with excellent detailed playing and a bass sound that is as full and plump as a Xmas turkey. It ends things off in fine style, but how it would have been nice if we could have heard their equally top notch performance of "Academic Overture" which really did have a restrained academic air to it on the day which was a joy.

As we have said at the beginning, this is a worthy reminder, if not a real memorable keep sake of a fantastic event. Choices have to be made and someone must have had a difficult task in chopping the main feast into bite size morsels, but we think this time they could have left a few of the less meaty ones behind and replaced them with a couple of other juicier cuts.

This was a day in which brass band fans heard the likes of yndon Baglin and Carl Saunders, Faireys give a corker of a run through "Rhapsody in Brass" and Dyke showcase their talents on "Call of the Cossacks Fire Dance". With all that talent and more, couldn't a few extra bob have been spent on another CD to make it a "double"? It would have also been nice if the insert gave us a bit more info as well – the listener would have found some additional information on Harry Motimer and the CWS Band fascinating.

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