Spectacular Classics Volume 5
3-Feb-2006
Black Dyke Band
Conductor: Dr. Nicholas Childs
Soloists: Brett Baker, John Doyle, Peter Roberts, David Thornton, John French, Roger Webster, Leslie Howie
Obrasso Recordings: CD 906
Total Playing Time: 62.25
What is a classic anyway? For those with a mind to horse racing it is of course the five great flat races of the season; for those with a mind to motor cars perhaps a Ferrari Dino or an early E Type Jag. For those with a slightly different out look on the world perhaps a couple of episodes of ‘Porridge' or the cover of a Led Zeppelin LP. It is a term though that has become cheapened through its use to describe perceived unique excellence. It has therefore become meaningless.
What about all the other ‘classic' hose races all over the world such as the Kentucky Derby or the Prix de L'arc de Triomphe; cars such as a Aston Martin DB5 or a Morgan, or heaven forbid, every other sit com episode on UK Gold? No. Calling something a classic nowadays simply means absolutely nowt.
It was a thought in mind when reviewing this latest offering from Black Dyke from the Obrasso stable. A fifth volume of classics – and spectacular ones at that eh? Methinks not.
It's not Black Dyke's fault, but you do start to wonder if it won't be too long before the sound you hear on any further release won't be the sound of a brilliant band having to play fairly non descript tosh under the banner of Spectacular Classics Volume 15, but that of a concept that is beginning to scrape the bottom of the musical barrel.
As a marketing ploy producing CDs in the same way as magazine publishers Pannini or Del Prado try to flog their inexhaustible supply of magazines with such titles as ‘How to build a life size Ark Royal each week out of matchsticks' – Volume 1 (of 720 – they never tell you how many there will be) with free box of Swan Vestas, is tired and dated. It doesn't stop people doing it though does it?
To their credit Dyke can produce the goods on these things in their sleep, but the producers cannot, and this release in particular seems to have been churned out in a catatonic state. Dr Roy Newsome produces clear and concise sleeve notes that are an excellent accompaniment for the 15 eclectic tracks, but the biography of the band itself is at least three years out of date (the recording being made in June and July 2005, but no one has updated the bands notes to mention their 2004 National Finals win), the old picture of the band should also have been replaced and they are still using biographical notes on the MD which are a cut and paste job. Black Dyke is being ill served by allowing their excellent standards to be diluted in such a way.
The playing from the band is first rate however and a saving grace. All the soloists are on top form with excellent contributions from the usual ‘end chairs' and a chance to hear the likes of John Doyle, Leslie Howie and John French get some well earned spotlight time. The arrangements are pretty good too as you would expect from the talents of Sandy Smith, Alan Fernie and Howard Lorriman, who are three of the featured notesmiths.
The repertoire is light and easy listening, although it is stretching a point to call them ‘Classics' in any way. Poor old Joaquin Rodrigo for instance must be spinning in is grave faster than a leg break from Shane Warne on a dodgy sticky dog pitch in Adelaide after yet another corruption of his ‘Concerto de Aranguez'. If he wanted a flipping aimless drum kit backbeat to it, you would have thought he would have written one for his original.
The good stuff is the more well known stuff: Newsome's cracking arrangement of ‘French Military March' is full of mock franco bluff and pomposity, whilst the overture ‘Oberon' arranged by Howard Lorriman is an excellent bit of work by both band and arranger. All the soloists are top notch even on some pretty prosaic material, although it still remains a bit of a mystery that the famous duet from ‘The Pearl Fishers' written for baritone and tenor voices is still arranged for two euphoniums rather than euph and baritone. The original most famously worked when sung by Jussi Bjorling and Robert Merrill as the blend of their two voices gave it a sheen and variance in timbre that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Even in the hands of two great players such as David Thornton and John French, the lack of that variance gives the aria a rather dull feel.
Spectacular Classics – Volume 5 has the feel of a recording done by numbers. Dyke raise it above the ordinary by their input, but the producers are asking a great deal of them to do this with this repertoire. Lets hope Volume 6 (and there is little doubt there will be one for certain) can get back to deservingly calling itself a ‘Classic' of its type.
Iwan Fox.
What's on this CD?
1. French Military March — from "Suite Algérienne), Camille Saint-Saëns arr. Roy Newsome, 4.27
2. Recuerdos De La Alhambra — Solo for 4 Cornet, Francisco Tárrega arr. Sandy Smith, 4.55
3. Ave Maria — Cornet Solo, Guilio Caccini arr. Sandy Smith, 4.37
4. Deep Inside The Sacred Temple from "The Pearl Fishers" — Euphonium Duet Georges Bizet arr. Goff Richards, 3.49
5. Einleitung zum 3. Akt from the Opera "Lohengrin", Richard Wagner arr. John Howarth, 3.26
6. Der Hölle Rache — Queen Of The Nights Aria from "The Magic Flute" — Soprano Solo, W. A. Mozart arr. Sandy Smith, 3.02
7. The Dance Of The Pirates from the Ballet "Spartacus", Aram Khachaturian arr. Sandy Smith 1.22
8. Vocalise Op. 34, No. 14 — Eb Horn Solo, S. Rachmaninoff arr. Sandy Smith, 5.48
9. "Oberon" — Overture, C.M. von Weber arr. Howard Lorriman 8.30
10. Berceuse from the Opera "Jocelyn" — Trombone Solo, Benjamin Godard arr. John Howarth, 5.15
11. The Second Waltz — from Jazz Suite No. 2, D. Shostakovitch arr. Alan Fernie, 3.38
12. So Deep Is The Night — Euphonium Solo, Frédéric Chopin arr. Alan Fernie, 3.25
13. Farandole — from "L'Arlésienne", Georges Bizet arr. Howard Lorriman, 3.15
14. Concierto de Aranjuez — Flugel Solo, Joaquin Rodrigo arr. Alan Fernie, 4.41
15. Grand March — from the Opera "Moses", Gioacchino Rossini arr. Ray Woodfield, 2.21
Total playing time: 62.25
