By Arrangement

Leyland Band
Conductor: Russell Gray
Soloists: Ian Twiss, Lucy Pankhurst, Brenden Wheeler
Egon Recordings: CDSFZ135
Total Playing Time: 64.16

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These really are the best of times for the Leyland Band. After an uneasy period where they bumped along with something of a nomadic existence, changing personnel and a feeling of short term planning rather long term ambition, they have been transformed.

In the last four years they have won the All England Masters, the North West Regional Championships twice, come 6th at the Europeans and crowned it all with their victory at the 2006 National Championships of Great Britain. They are now ranked securely in the top ten bands in the 4BR World of Brass rankings and have recently gained a permanent rehearsal facility in their home town.  The only thing missing on their increasingly impressive CV is a return to the British Open. On the form they have shown on the contest stage of late and here with this enjoyable recording, that won't be too far off.  

This recording is ostensibly a celebration of the 60 years of the Leyland Band's proud existence, from Harold Moss through to Richard Evans and finally to what is the current successful link up with Russell Gray. However, it is also a craftily produced CD that surely has one eye on the opportunity to raise funds (the sponsorship years for the band ended some time ago now) as an easy listening purchase for concert going audiences.

There is nothing here that really extends the current crop of players in terms of technique or musicality, but that is more to do with the fact that on this evidence this is a well rehearsed, talented outfit on very good form.

The release opens with a cracking little march entitled ‘The Goat' – the name of the traditional watering hole for National Champion winners on Kensington High Street and meanders through another 16 tracks including three fine soloists.

Ian Twiss shows just why he is so highly regarded as a top line soprano with Gary Westwood's neat arrangement of the ‘Adagietto from L'Arlesienne' by Bizet, whilst Brenden Wheeler seems a young man reborn now that he has been allowed to develop as a soloist and ensemble leader without the pressure of continually being hailed as the next great thing to come out of Australia since Shane Warne. Lucy Pankhurst is also a fine tenor horn voice, on her contribution ‘For Yours Eyes Only' from the James Bond film. 

Elsewhere Gary Westwood's fine arranging skills are shown to good effect with the Shostakovich duo of ‘Galop' and ‘A Spin through Moscow' - the latter with just that right feel of a little Trabant pootling along at top speed, whilst the other giant of Russian music, Tchaikovsky gets a nice work out with ‘Dance of the Buffoons'.    

The easy listening feel is also enhanced with music from the 1999 film ‘The Mummy' (not the great old Boris Karloff one unfortunately) with ‘The Sand Volcano', ‘Hora Staccato', which fairly whips along and ‘Fossils' from ‘Carnival of the Animals'.

Add to these, well prepared and executed arrangements from the pens of Ian McKnight (the composer of ‘The Goat' march) with ‘Moment Musical' and Goff Richards with ‘Pasadena' (an affectionate take on a 1920's roof top orchestra) and you have a well balanced selection of works that get the feet tapping without dumbing down the quality.

Leyland's automotive history (something the town and band has been closely associated with throughout its history) is also remembered with Goff Richard's ‘Doyen' and Harold Moss's ‘Royal Tiger', both names of fine old charabancs of yesteryear. The highlight though is a particularly fine performance of ‘Ruler of the Spirits' in a good old fashioned arrangement by the bands first Musical Director Harold Moss which is played in authentic good old brass band fashion by the band and its latest MD, Russell Gray.

All in all, ‘By Arrangement' is a very thought out and produced release. Production values are excellent, as you would expect from Brian Hillson and his team, whilst Gary Westwood provides well-researched sleeve notes on both the music and the band.   These are indeed the best of times for the Leyland Band.

Iwan Fox.

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