Frolic for Trombones …& Tuba

Wingates Band
Conductors: Andrew Berryman and John Dickinson
Soloists: Andrew MacDonald, Andrew Berryman, Rosalyn Davies, Adrian Morris, Ewan Easton
Amadeus Recordings: AMSCD099
Total Playing Time: 60.26

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If you are going to try something different then you may as well make sure you do it well.  The Wingates Band has been brave enough to do just that, and as a result have been rewarded with a very enjoyable and well produced release.

They have in fact gone a little bit ‘left field' so to speak, and teamed up with the trombone and tuba section of the Halle Orchestra in the form of Andrew Berryman, Roz Davies, Adrian Morris and Ewan Easton to give what could have been a fairly run of the mill recording a neat twist.

With the advent of ever cheaper recording facilities for bands to produce their own CDs, mediocrity of programming and performance has become somewhat the norm. Not here though, as the MD has chosen a varied selections of  works, balanced with the input of the four ‘pro' soloists, whilst producer Keith Farrington and sound engineer Richard Scott should also take their fair share of plaudits for bringing a well balanced and neutral ambience to the recording acoustic.

There are 16 tracks on offer, and that sense of welcome difference comes straight at the beginning with a lovely hymn tune – J.B. Dyke's ‘Vox Dilecti'. Not too many recordings open like that do they now?

Wingates are on excellent form throughout and sound well drilled, with a precise and balanced ensemble and featuring some lovely individual playing on both their own contributions and when they are in accompaniment mode.  Our one gripe is that we don't get to know whom the personnel are for the recording, but whomever the soprano player was, then take a bow – you deserve a medal. 

'Malaguena' for instance is given a fair old licking, even though the percussion foundation is not perhaps what good old dependable Stan Kenton and his brylcream boys would instantly have recognized. Meanwhile, the famous old overture to the opera ‘Zampa' (who by all accounts was a bit of a lad – pirate, blackmailer, philanderer and serial adulterer amongst other things) is given a rollicking work out that features some very neat ensemble work and a cracking bit of soprano playing.

John Parkinson's ‘Salute' is an atmospheric bit of writing well portrayed and the same can also be said of Andrew Duncan's ‘The Water is Wide' which features a balanced and tuneful cornet section. The band's individual finale is also another Andrew Duncan arrangement, this time, his corker of a ‘Scherzo' from Symphony No 10' by Dimitri Shostakovich, which according to urban myth was written as a musical portrait of smiling Uncle Joe Stalin just after the old despot died.

Old Dimitri was no mug then and the sense of almost psychotic menace is there for all to hear, especially as Stalin once urged by advisors in 1935 to appease the Pope by tolerating Catholicism in his atheist USSR remarked sarcastically, "The Pope! How many armoured divisions has he got?"  Nice chap eh?

Back though to the soloists who provide the main chunk of the material.

Andrew Berryman is a superb performer, as are his cohorts from the Halle. Each of their featured tracks showcase their abilities to blend their sound to suit the thematic material as well as display their technical virtuosity and musicianship. Herbert Clarke's ‘Cousins' for instance is redolent of a time when men called Hebert had walrus moustaches and starched shirts, whilst women were called Agnes and survived enclosure in whalebone corsets and suffered from the vapours.  Andrew and principal cornet Andrew MacDonald very neatly perform it, although which is which in the minds eye is something to keep to yourself.

So too is the other golden oldie in the form of Arthur Pryor's ‘The Supervisor' which reeks of the type of music that would have been played over a Harold Lloyd silent film caper and is every bit as enjoyable.

Roz Davies expertly performs her contributions with a very orchestral sounding ‘Where e'er You Walk' and a sensuous ‘Embraceable You' which really does showcase her ability to switch genres with ease. Her duet with Andrew on ‘Scarborough Fair' is a wonderful piece of classy presentation.

Ewan Preston meanwhile enjoys himself with the second movement from the Vaughan Williams ‘Tuba Concerto' and ‘Flight of the Bumble Bee' which sounds as fat as Ronaldo but as dainty as Darcy Bussell.   Adrian Morris is also on cracking form too, with a sound on the bass trombone which is as fruity as a jar of Hartley's best strawberry preserve, but as light as a Yorkshire tea cake. He is some player.

Finally, the title track itself, which is that old pot boiler by Reginald Heath, which the three troms enjoy even if the chance to showcase the percussion playing the woodblock in the style of a one legged tap dancer on a Formica table top was somewhat missed. A real pity that!

Much to commend on this release then, from the standard of the playing of the band and the soloists to the enjoyable sleeve notes by Andrew Berryman and the quality of the recording.  Slightly different? Yes, but all the more enjoyable for it.

Iwan Fox.

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