The Incredible PolySteel Band
18-Jul-2008
Bish, bash, bosh - PolySteel enjoy themselves in their own very 20/20 special way...
PolySteel Band
Conductor: Philip Harper
Soloists: Danny Winder, Spencer O’Leary, Andrew Hicks, Vicki Reynolds, Chris Howley
Egon Recordings: SFZ142
Total Playing Time: 75.57
To pinch an analogy from the world of cricket: If the great test piece contests of the banding movement are the genres test matches, then entertainment contests and CD releases are surely the equivalent of the much hyped 20/20 short form of the game.
Both may well require the same notional skills, but the adaptation of them is totally different to gain their desired outcomes.
Bish, bash, bosh stuff
Take the PolySteel Band – the West Indies of the brass band world. A bit hit and miss in the long form purist game it must be said, but still one heck of a mightily entertaining outfit when it comes to the pyjama wearing bish, bash, bosh, stuff.
Ever since Philip Harper took over the helm in 2001 PolySteel has become one of the best entertainment bands around. Slick, highly innovative and professional, they have produced numerous outstanding performances from Yeovil and Butlins to Brass in Concert and various stops in between. They may remain frustratingly inconsistent at ‘test piece’ level, where their talent has not really been reflected in major silverware as yet, but on their day they can still mix it with the very best.
Stick them on a stage with the chance to show off though and what you get is invariably cracking stuff - sometimes not successful, but always unmistakably innovative, interesting and invariably highly entertaining.
Expertly distilled
That mixture is distilled quite expertly into this highly enjoyable release, which very, very nearly lives up to its ambitious title – nigh on 76 minutes of polished fare that showcases the bands (and the MDs ability) to perform expertly in a number of genres.
Not everything quite comes off, but those items that do are so well executed that you can forgive them for allowing their enthusiasm and musical freewheeling spirit to just get away from them at times.
Philip Harper provides the majority of original and arranged items – and all very cleverly done they are to, whilst others come from such diverse sources as Paul McCartney to Rimsky – Korsakov.
The bubble gum and popcorn stuff such as the opening items ‘Curtain Up!’ and ‘The Incredibles’ are well balanced by more reflective items such as the lovely, ‘The Water of Tyne’, and the subtly delivered ‘L’il Darling’, whilst there is a cultured performance of Sparke’s ‘A Malvern Suite’ that retains a fine sense of restrained style throughout.
Top class form
The soloists are on top class form. Vicky Reynolds delivers a breezy rendition of the ‘Finale’ from Tchaikovsky’s ‘Violin Concerto’, despite some heavy handed accompaniment at times, whilst Chris Howley and Andrew Hicks are classy, lyrical voices in ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Benedictus from the Armed Man’.
Spencer O’Leary certainly enjoys his chance to rip through ‘Live and Let Die’, whilst Danny Winder makes the most of his chance to do his George Michael impression on ‘Faith’, although at times the arrangement seems to make the solo voice sound as if the old stubbled pill popper was originally doing a bit of helium induced yodelling.
Surreal mix
Philip Harper’s ability to produce neatly packaged original compositions of his own is well shown with the thumping ‘Lionheart’, originally written for the European Youth Band, and the contrasting, but rather thematically similar duo from his ‘PolySteel Collection’. ‘Magee’s Patrol’ is a slightly surreal mix of the ‘Jamie’, ‘Berne’ and even Snow Patrol by the sounds of it, and is followed by ‘Blue Sleeve Step’, which somehow could be the same piece but translated into a mutant form of musical Esperanto – it’s odd.
Three crackers
That just leaves three crackers to round things off. ‘Copacabana’ is as butchly camp as Liberace in a sailors gift shop – brilliant stuff, even if the vocals do sound more Western Super Mare than West 39th Street in LA. Is it me or are they singing ‘Coco Pops’ to start?
That leads into a spirited whip through ‘Capriccio Espagnol’ and a final flourish with a super arrangement of ‘The Gloucestershire Wassail’.
Bish, bash, bosh – like a 20/20 cricket game it’s all over in 76 minutes with plenty of excitement, lots of fun and games, some great cameo performances and enough time to enjoy a quick pint and enjoy it all again. A very fine release in all respects.
Quite incredible in fact.
Iwan Fox
What's on this CD?
1. Curtain Up!, Philip Harper, 1.43
2. The Incredibles, Michael Giacchino arr. Philip Harper, 4.15
3. Faith, George Michael arr. Philip Harper, Danny Winder (Flugel Horn), 3.54
4. A Malvern Suite, Philip Harper, 2.28 / 4.58 / 3.55
5. Live and Let Die, Paul McCartney arr. Ray Farr, Spencer O'Leary (Soprano Cornet), 3.28
6. The Water of Tyne, Trad Philip Harper, 3.57
7. Benedictus (from The Armed Man), Karl Jenkins arr. Tony Small, Andrew Hicks (Euphonium), 5.43
8. Li'l Darlin', Neal Hefti arr. Philip Sparke, 5.18
9. Lionheart, Philip Harper, 3.45
10. Finale from Violin Concerto�����Tchaikovsky arr. Philip Harper, Vicki Reynolds (Tenor Horn), 5.50
11. Magee's Patrol, Philip Harper, 3.33
12. Blue-sleeve Step, Philip Harper, 3.52
13. Ave Maria, Bach/Gounod arr. Ray Farr, Chris Howley (Cornet), 5.39
14. Copacabana, Barry Manilow arr. Philip Harper, 4.08
15. Capriccio Espagnol, Rimsky-Korsakov arr. Keith Wilkinson, 6.09
16. The Gloucestershire Wassail, Trad arr. Philip Harper, 3.09
