Legend - Peter Roberts

Yorkshire Building Society Band
David King
Egon Recordings: SFZ119
Total Playing Time: 60.61

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This long overdue CD release is a testament to brilliance – the brilliance of a truly unique brass band performer.

Peter Roberts is without doubt the finest exponent of the soprano cornet in the history of the brass band movement – the direct descendent of a lineage that started with the likes of Joseph Brooks at the turn of the 20th Century and passed on through a line up of amazing talents such as Charlie Cook, Emlyn Bryant and Brian Evans. What makes him so unique though is the length of time he has now been acknowledged as the best player in the world on his chosen instrument. For the past 25 years or more he has reigned supreme – a phenomenon; a true master of his craft and a performer as a soloist and band player who has pushed the boundaries of soprano playing to new, previously uncharted heights.

This release confirms what 4BR was delighted to contribute as a "Peer Quote" to his best selling autobiography "Peter Roberts – A Legend in his own Lifetime", and it bears repeating again.

"When the definitive history of the Brass Band movement comes to be written, the name of Peter Roberts will hold pride of place in the pantheon of it's greatest players. There is no doubt…that he will be seen as… the playing equivalent of a Pele, Bradman or Nicklaus – a performer and artist of a very rare talent indeed."

Much has been written about this unique performer, and many have tried to explain why he, above all other fine players (and there have been many in the last 25 years or more) has remained such an artist, as well as the acknowledged "Guvnor" of his trade. Just like the true superstars such as a Donald Bradman or Jack Nicklaus, his is a natural talent that has been honed to near perfection through practice and experience. His appetite to improve himself remains, even after his 50th birthday, unsated; his abilities show no signs of diminishing, his brilliance shows no sign of losing it lustre. That is what made the likes of Nicklaus and Bradman the phenomenon's they were to the very ends of their careers – it what makes Peter Roberts the extraordinary musical talent he is today.

4BR must acknowledge that we were also privileged to provide the sleeve notes on the pieces that Peter chose on "Legend" - but even that cannot hide our appreciation of this display of his talents. This is simply fantastic solo playing.

The 15 tracks on this release cover all aspects of the soprano players craft – from the bravura to the subdued, from the technically brilliant to simplistic beauty. Peter Roberts is the master of them all, and he displays his wares to the full. From the red blooded swagger of his famous signature pieces such as "On With the Motley" and "Memory", through to the sublime purity of "Intermezzo", "La Califfa" and "The Lark in the Clear Air" we are given exhibitions of total commanding technical and musical authority.

That clarity of production, the sensitivity displayed in the intuitive understanding of the musical line and the ability to colour the timbre of his instrument stand him apart. He can play loud (very loud when the mood takes him), but can also play as quietly as he dares without ever losing the sheen and body to his tone. He can play as high (probably higher) than anyone playing the instrument today, but he also commands totally the middle and lower reaches of the soprano cornet range with a sound that is always in tune and never hard or brittle. It is no coincidence that he was first and foremost a fine Bb cornet player in his youth – for it is the mastery of the technique of high class cornet playing that is one of his greatest strengths.

That technique is shown at its best in the opening track, "Escapade", which was originally written for the world class trumpet talents of Philip Smith of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra – he is some player, but after listening to Peter Roberts breeze through it with an air of almost disdainful refulgence, all you can do is just sit back and smile.

The same goes for all the other tracks – the old pot boiler, "Silver Threads" is played with a respectful nod back to the playing days on the Yorkshire solo contest circuit - an apprenticeship that literally made or broke a young player, whilst the newer items such as, "The Isle of Mull", "Somewhere in Time" and "Let me Try Again" are laid out in definitive fashion for the new breed of soprano players to admire and copy.

The other show stoppers such as "Flowerdale" and "Summertime", are of course given the equivalent of the Shirley Bassey treatment – all sparkle and brilliance, but are never compromised as pieces of well written music, whilst the soloist also shows his command of different genres in the Bennett "Trumpet Voluntary" and the operatic drama of the Bellini "Cavatina" (which he himself neatly arranged). The only possible disappointment to his legion of fans will be the omission of "The Debutante" - a solo that bears his individual stamp - but this is the most minor of quibbles.

Peter Roberts is a complex character; but he is as genuine and as straightforward as they come – "an ordinary man with extra ordinary talent", as we once wrote. He readily acknowledges the talents and commitment of those around him (the lovely duet from "Pie Jesu" with Ian Williams is a real treat) and invariably in return they responded in kind. The playing on the CD for instance from the Yorkshire Building Society Band is never short of excellent – the accompaniment throughout is superb and enhances the solos considerably, whilst the production values on the release are top notch – the recording took four days to complete, and the extra time and care taken is self evident.

There is little more you can say. Go out and buy a copy today – it is one of the most rewarding treats you will ever give yourself.

Iwan Fox

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