Another Openin’ Another Show

Cory Band
Conductor: Dr Robert Childs
Obrasso Recording: CD923
Total Playing Time: 72.27 mins

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Amongst the large number of recordings which come on the market, many are produced by music publishers, and are clearly primarily intended to promote their publications.  The music contained therein may not be the most testing technically or intellectually demanding, but when the playing is entrusted to a band such as Cory the end result is that there is usually much to enjoy. 

For the casual listener, the biggest drawback with such a release, rather surprisingly in the light of their obvious desire to sell copies of the music, is a total lack of any information on the pieces themselves or the composers and arrangers.  Whilst there may be a desire to reduce costs as far as possible, they may generate more sales, both of the cds and the band sets, if the listening public were to be given a little more background, rather than just a brief history of the band and a biography of the composer.

With that gripe out of the way, what then of Cory's latest offering on the Obrasso label?  The disc consists of predominantly lighter material, with contributions by such familiar names as Darrol Barry, Alan Fernie, Sandy Smith and Stephen Roberts, each of whom has a reputation for producing music equally popular with bandsmen and with audiences, played with commitment by Robert Childs and his team from Cory.

The first two items, from the pen of Stephen Roberts, both originated in arrangements for the quintet Fine Arts Brass, the composer having been their French horn player for many years, during which time they broadcast frequently, even having their own series on Radio 2 and Radio 4. 

"Another Openin', Another Show" comes from Cole Porter's "Kiss me Kate", based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew".  Celebrating the life of the itinerant musicians and actors depicted therein, Stephen Roberts has taken the opportunity to include references to other show tunes, including "My Favourite Things" from "Sound of Music", "Tonight" from "West Side Story" and "Anything Goes". 

This is followed by Stephen's take on "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", played as a cornet trio by Ian Williams, Chris Turner and Darren Thomas.  The spiky style of the music is captured effectively, with suitable use of mutes and percussion.

The first of the three more substantial items in the programme is Alan Fernie's suite "Three Spanish Impressions for Brass Band".  This is based on an earlier work written for The National Youth Brass Band of Switzerland B Band, entitled "Spain".  Whilst not entirely happy with it, feeling it was overlong for the material, the composer has reused much of the material, tailoring the new work towards lower section bands. 

The three contrasting movements are untitled, and are not "about" anything in particular, but aim to capture something of the distinctive Spanish atmosphere, slow and sultry in the first movement, a lilting 3/4 dance in the second, complete with echoes of the bullring, and a lively finale, with some crisp rhythms and admirable precision in the off-beats.

Sandy Smith, solo horn with Grimethorpe for many years, produced many of his arrangements for them, and in particular for their prize-winning programmes at Brass in Concert.  George Dobson's "Black Note Fantasy" is a horn trio, finding Owen Farr, Lynne Turner and Lucy Rogers on top form, nicely balanced and with some clear bell effects, fluent runs and a swing-style middle section.

The cornet solo "Craiglea" (one word, not two as shown in the track listing) is named after Alan Fernie's house in the Scottish borders.  It could have been tailor-made for Ian Williams' lyrical, understated approach which has contributed so much to Cory's recent successes, both on the contest stage and in concert.

Show tunes always seem popular with audiences, and Alan's "Broadway Spectacular" certainly lives up to its title, with numbers such as "The Deadwood Stage" from "Calamity Jane", "I won't Send Roses" from "Mack and Mabel", "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from "Oklahoma!", "Old Man River" – featuring the tubas very effectively – from "Showboat", "Tomorrow" from "Annie" and finishing with Harry Warren's "The Lullaby of Broadway" (written initially for the show "Gold Diggers of 1935").  The tunes link smoothly together, with snippets of other melodies appearing, the band giving a committed and exuberant reading.

Ray Woodfield is possible best known in the brass and world for his euphonium solo "Varied Mood", the title being an anagram of the dedicatee, David Moore.  He has also transcribed many items from concert band into brass band format, but here he is represented by another euphonium solo, this time entitled "Showcase".  Opening in a lively swing style over a walking bass line, David Childs as soloist is as reliable as ever, although the piece itself does not seem particularly distinctive, and one feels there is a certain amount of note-spinning going on.

Darrol Barry's "Samba Symphonique" is a lively Latin American offering of the sort that the composer takes in his stride.  With the percussion setting things off, followed by trombones and flugel, the music builds layer on layer right up to the sudden cut-off at the end.

The "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Requiem" is presented as a duet by Michelle Ibbotson on soprano cornet and Joanne Childs on flugel horn, in another arrangement by Sandy Smith.  Michelle's full soprano sound blends better with the flugel than is sometimes the case, and the two parts are well balanced throughout, with sensitive accompaniment from the band.

Luc Rodenmacher comes from Luxemburg, obtaining diplomas in trumpet, harmony percussion and double bass from the Luxemburg Conservatoire.  He is currently the conductor of the Philharmonie Municipale de Diekirch, one of Luxemburg's leading orchestras.  "Ontario (Schoener See – Beautiful Lake)" is a substantial composition lasting nearly ten minutes.   The composer writes of the turbulent waters surrounding the lake, where one will encounter rapids and fast-flowing, noisy currents.  The lake itself – translated from the Iroquois language the name means "Shining Water" – provides a peaceful, romantic contrast, and this is portrayed in the music.

Arthur Pryor was a prolific composer, particularly for his own instrument, the trombone, and Sandy Smith has provided an arrangement of his "Razzazza Mazzazza" for trombone trio and band.  The three soloists, Chris Thomas, Suzanne Hathaway and Andrew Williams, blend well together in what is a lively item, undemanding for the listener but an enjoyable way to while away a few minutes.

Darrol Barry's "A Nordic Trilogy" is a three movement work looking back to the days when Viking raiders wrought havoc on the coastal areas.   "The Longboats" sets the scene menacingly as the boats are prepared, with driving rhythms; the raiders intone their "Hymn to Odin", which wouldn't be out of place in one of the "Lord of the Rings" films; lastly, the more substantial third movement depicts the "Perilous Voyages, Remembrance and Coda", with pounding timpani and frantic figurations from the cornets, the "Remembrance" section offering an oasis of calm.

The ballad "I Love You Because" was memorably recorded by Jim Reeves, and Alan Fernie has entrusted the solo line to the mellow tones of the bass trombone, in true George Roberts tradition.  It is a number that may well prove a popular addition to many bands' libraries, and Andrew Williams proves an effective advocate.

When seeing the name Karl L. King on a concert programme, one tends to expect another of the rip-roaring circus style marches with which American bands often bring the house down at the end of their programmes.  The brief "Men of Music", a relatively late composition, dating from 1952 and with shades of Osterling's "Bandology", is taken at a fairly steady pace, and is not the most striking item on the programme. 

Maybe there was a slight lack of concentration, or perhaps the track was recorded at the end of a long day, but the sound is a little shrill at times, the playing not seeming quite as precise as it could be.

All in all, however, this is a very enjoyable recording, with the band interpreting each work, rather than just a perfunctory play-through, with several of the items in the programme currently appearing in their concerts.  It would be a pity for such fine playing to be overlooked because of the lack of a decent sleeve note, as this issue is well worth exploring.

Peter Bates

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