Passport – A Musical Journey

Roger Webster
Black Dyke Band
Dr. Nicholas Childs
Guest Soloists: Leslie Flanagan, Baritone; Janis Kelly – Soprano; Philip Wilby – Organ
Doyen Recordings: DOYCD170
Total Playing Time: 64.43

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Just as there are seven ages in the lifespan of man, there are undoubtedly seven ages in the lifespan of a truly world-class musical performer.  And make no doubt about it – Roger Webster is a truly world class musical performer.

The first is the age of precociousness; the identification of a talent that is roughly hewn from it's musical bedrock, but unmistakably shines as luminescent as a nugget of pure gold.  It is the age when elders marvel at the skills and natural talent that sets the youngster apart from his immediate contemporaries.  The second is the age of development; the formative years in which the raw talent is nurtured by experienced teachers and peers and starts to flower on a wider musical stage. The third is the age of exploration; the artist is driven to broaden their musical horizons, experiment with repertoire, technique or even change direction in their search for diversity.

The fourth is the age of delivery; the artist as the mastercraftsman – resplendent in their glory and at the very peak of their musical powers. The fifth is the age of satisfaction; the reputation has been made, the place in musical history is assured and the performer plays with a contentment born of success. The sixth is the age of reflection; others place the performer in context with the masters of old and the prodigies of the future, whilst the performer takes stock of what they have achieved. Finally, the age of retirement; a time to enjoy the fruits of their labour, sit back and pass on the knowledge and experience to the next generation.

At the age of 43 (it says so on his passport), Roger (Barry – who would have thought?) Webster has entered the fourth phase of his musical life – a period that we the listener should be exceptionally grateful for, as he is now without doubt at the long and most productive peak of his playing powers – a true world class mastercraftsman of his chosen instrument.

In coming to this point and in respect to the first three ages of his musical life, Roger Webster has certainly excelled. Initially he was taught the piano, but at the age of ten he found his calling – the Bb cornet, and from that time his precocious talent was recognised and nurtured by sympathetic and talented teachers. The formative years were those of Carlton Main and Grimethorpe Colliery, and finally his first spell as Principal Cornet at Black Dyke, a period of five years in which he made his mark on the collective consciousness of the brass band public with a series of contest and concert performances that sealed his reputation as the most gifted cornet player of his generation.   

It was however the break from the general day to day grind of twice weekly banding rehearsals, weekend concerts and high pressure contests that perhaps made him decide to embark upon the third phase of his musical development – that of exploration.

Although he continued to perform with bands (most notably CWS Glasgow) his time away from the regular banding scene saw him develop as a player with experiences in high class orchestral work, recitals, recordings, concert tours and more importantly, teaching.  By the time he decided to return to the brass band world in 2000 as Principal Cornet of Black Dyke, he was therefore the finished article – and a performer who was entering his most important phase of his career. What we have on this exemplary recording is the result.

The nine tracks show Roger Webster, the complete performer in all his accomplished splendour.  There are two deliciously swanky big band items from the incomparable Harry James, three superbly crafted pieces from the Oratorio world of George Fredrich Handel, a beautifully laid out performance of a Michael Ball memoriam work, a neat breezy coloratura aria from Rossini and two immensely substantial Concerti from the pens of the brass worlds most gifted composer's – Elgar Howarth and Philip Wilby. Only a player of immense gifts can do justice to them all, and this is certainly what we get.  
The Harry James items are real lip smackers. For a man who only had one lung, spent much of his life on the road performing with some of the jazz worlds biggest hell raisers and still had enough stamina left to keep Betty Grable and her million dollar legs happy, its amazing to think he made it to the age of 67! Many a lesser soul would have pegged it years before. Both the ubiquitous "Concerto for Trumpet" and the tongue in cheek "Carnival of Venice" are brilliantly – and authentically played, with just the right hint of grubby, lasciviousness that the old boy was famous for – he was no angel you know.  But then, both he, and Roger wouldn't have sounded so good if they were, would they?  

The three Oratorio items are gloriously performed and are enhanced in no small measure by the two cracking voices of baritone, Leslie Flanagan and soprano, Janis Kelly, whilst the organ playing of Philip Wilby is as good as you could hear in any church in the country.

The inclusion of "Behold, I Tell You a Mystery" is welcome, as it rightly leads into "The Trumpet Shall Sound" which is given a shining rendition of pure, clean tonality from the soloist. "Let the Bright Seraphim" is one of the most famous Baroque duets and comes from Handel's "Samson" written in 1743, although this aria was added to the completed score in 1741 sometime before the first performance.  The original obligato trumpet part was written for the Englishman, Valentine Snow, who was regarded as the finest trumpeter of his day and who was the player Handel also wrote "The Trumpet Shall Sound".

Some world class performers have come together to give their individual renditions of the "Seraphim" duet over the years, including the famous award winning recording by Wynton Marsalis and Kathleen Battle in 1991. This performance may not have the bravura quality and technical pyrotechnics of that release, but it stands worthy comparison nonetheless.

The Michael Ball, "Cortege" pays fulsome homage to Herbert Howell, written as it was on the centenary of his birth in 1992. It is a reflective, wistfully nostalgic piece of writing, with strong echoes of the composer's second movement from "Pageantry" as it's musical core. It is a sublime performance from the soloist.

The only flat spot for us in the release is the somewhat staid and rigid "Una Voce Poca Fa" from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", which never quite captures the light breezy "Opera Buffa" style of the original. The soloist's playing is exemplary, but the transcription is heavy handed and as stiff as a whalebone corset, so try as he might, Roger Webster can't quite free himself to flounce around in the carefree manner the subject matter requires.

The two major works though simply take your breath away. Both Concerti from Elgar Howarth and Philip Wilby are immense undertakings, but are given definitive performances that contemporaries and listeners will admire for years to come. 

Elgar Howarth has for the most part been unfavourably treated by the brass band world as a composer of stature. It fills us with shame that more of his works are not performed more regularly than they are, for his is a unique composing voice for brass. The Concerto is immensely satisfying to listen to, full of clarity of purpose, wit and parodies that are at times subtle at others, almost brazen.  Each of the three movements have individual characteristics that although constructed from the same subject matter, meander and stray into new exciting territories. The second movement in particular is quite beautifully elegiac, whilst the third is a tour de force of technical brilliance. Roger Webster is at his imperious best throughout and gives it a stamp of authority that will take a very long time to fade from the memory.

The finale of the release is taken by the World Premiere recording of Philip Wilby's Concerto 1945, a work of substantial significance. The three movements recall a time in our history when as a people we were filled with new hope. The Second World War had just finished, a Labour Government promised universal help in the means of health care, production, distribution and exchange and there was a sense of a better future, a future based on equality and compassion.

All this and more is brought out in this work, from the energy and heroics of the first, through the intensity of reflective compassion in the second and the virtuoistic technicalities that herald the new age in the third. The Second Movement in particular demands so much, yet the soloists commands the narrative line with a scope that is simply awesome in it's delivery. It is a landmark performance.

Passport – A Musical Journey is a superb release from a superb performer. It has been excellently produced and put together (the cover is a really neat idea) whilst the accompaniment of Black Dyke is top notch.  As we have said, Roger Webster has entered the fourth phase of his musical life and it will be an extended period of brilliance for many years to come. When he is older he can look back on a great career, although the picture of him astride a Harley Davidson evoked slightly surreal memories of him as member of the Village People who sang "YMCA". His reputation as one of the worlds greatest ever cornet players though, is now secure – in fact it has never been in doubt.

Iwan Fox

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