Completely Catherall

Reg Vardy (Ever Ready) Band
Conductor: Stephen Malcolm
Amadeus: AMS CD066
Total Playing Time: 74.25

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Take a look at your CD collection, or in your band's library and have a look at how many arrangements there are.  Original works are of huge importance, but without arrangements and arrangers, various musical idioms would be all the poorer for that lack of output.  That said, a good copier of an original is worth his weight in gold for there is nothing worse than bad arrangement of an original idea. As Louis Armstrong once said: "A lotta cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original." 

The banding movement is no different of course, and one of its most current prolific arrangers is Alan Catherall. He is a quite unique talent as well - a copier of originals in his own clever and personal way; a man who can turn one idiom into another without ever losing the very essence of what the original was all about. 

This CD is a compilation of some of the best and most popular arrangements by the North Easterner.  As a member of the popular Reg Vardy (Ever Ready) Band, only one band was ever going to record this disc, and they pay tribute to their cornet player with nineteen arrangements in a light and entertaining manner, with Mussorgsky's 'Great Gate of Kiev' being the most substantial item featured.

It is interesting to read in the programme notes that Alan is a self-taught arranger, and before arranging for band, began arranging for five-piece brass groups. Alan also acknowledges that the catalyst for inspiring him to arrange was Ray Farr - the band's current professional conductor.  It was back in the 80s that having played and listened to a number of Ray's pieces that his own plethora of arrangements began. Has he has matured, so has his output and today it is quite fair to say that he is one of the very best at his trade in the business.

Alan has a love of big-band music, and has been influenced by the Boston Pops Orchestra and the compositions of John Williams.  Needless to say, a number of arrangements come to the banding word courtesy of these influences.

The only march on the CD is of one those American circus marches, entitled 'Bombasto' and the band certainly don't hang around.  Lovers of film music can take their pick as too what they want to listen to the most.  Music from 'Batman', 'Born Free', 'In the Pink', 'Seventy Six Trombones' and 'Tara's Theme' are all included and performed with a feeling that the band are enjoying themselves.

'Yellow Submarine', the popular Beatles number, gets the hallmark Alan Catherall treatment, as does the great show number 'Oklahoma'.  The other 'John Williams' from the instrumental group 'SKY' (remember them?) is featured in 'Tocatta', for no other reason than that Alan liked it - and it shows him to have pretty fine taste.

The disc also features a number of the band's soloists in a selection of arrangements.  Bryan Tait, arguably the most dependable of Principal Cornets at the top end of banding, demonstrates his quality in 'Ave Maria' whilst Paul Robinson on euphonium appears twice - firstly, on his own in 'Song of the Seashore', before being joined by Dan Cox in the popular euphonium duet, 'Softly As I Leave You'.  A flugel trio of Joanne Winspear, Nicola Williamson and Bob Temple appear in 'Autumn Leaves' that also includes Chris Bentham on solo trombone.

The final soloist features Anne Armstrong, on xylophone in an arrangement of 'On the Track'; the sort of solo where if you are watching live, you concentrate on what the soloist is doing as opposed to the music - although even without the visuals this is still a tremendous bit of playing.

This recording in summer 2003 was an indication of the quality of performance that Ever Ready would produce later that year and in 2004.  Success followed not long afterwards at the Brass in Concert Championships and Butlins Mineworkers event, whilst that has been further boosted by some tremendous shows at the All England Masters, The British Open and National Finals.

Within the band is a cornet player by the name of Alan Catherall - a quite uniquely talented arranger for brass. This is a fine tribute to him.

Malcolm Wood

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