Essential Dyke Volume IX

Dyke gives number 9 an Aussie flavour as the longest running CD franchise still proves to have a bit of life left in it yet...

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Black Dyke Band
Conductor: Dr Nicholas Childs
Doyen Recordings: CD 270
Total Playing Time: 67.14

The latest release in what is becoming perhaps the longest CD franchise in the history of brass band recordings, reaches its ninth incarnation – or should that be re-incarnation.  

The title itself may well be past its sell by date, but as long as the current National Champion keeps producing slick output such as this, the legions of Pondasher fans won’t complain.

USP

The USP this time is a concert programme that takes inspiration from the band’s recent trip to Australia.

All 16 tracks were performed in the Southern hemisphere to critical acclaim, so it was a natural bit of commercial good thinking that they should be recorded as soon as they got home.

What we get then is Dyke in fine fettle; even if they are not exactly over extended in terms of the chosen repertoire. As was heard at the recent Brass in Concert Gala Concert though, when they are in cruise control mode they do produce playing of rare polish. 

Opportunity

The opportunity is therefore given in full to exploit the full talents at the MDs command: It’s not often you get to hear no less than 11 different soloists.

The usual top notch playing is heard from Richard Marshall (with a sublime ‘Willow Echoes’), Brett Baker (producing a facile ‘Fantastic Polka’), David Thornton (a thrilling Rossini ‘Variations’), Alex Kerwin (a coquettish ‘That’s Amore) and Sandy Smith (a luscious ‘Autumn Leaves’), but there is much to enjoy with the back up squad too.

Back row

The back row cornets take centre stage in ‘Luck be a Lady’, the horn section snatch a rare opportunity to shine in ‘The Lady is a Tramp’, and the percussion duo of Andrea Price and Lee Skipsey revel in their moment or two in spotlight – both adding nuance and colour with their ensemble contributions too. 

There is even the chance to hear Matthew Routley’s stentorian tones as a narrator on the final track, the rather preposterously named, but highly enjoyable, ‘Immortal’.

The opening march is an old cracker – Rimmer’s thumping ‘The Australasian’, which is followed by the pastiche feline delights of Peter Graham’s ‘Cat’s Tales’, delivered with a suave aplomb.

Elasticity

The ‘Kings of Cool’ set is well played, but it is the underpinning kit work of by Lee Skipsey that is the most impressive element in making it fit for purpose: Black Dyke are stiff swingers, but get away with it thanks to elasticity of the kit man – his detailed, lazy rhythmic pulse is a subtle delight.

Interesting

With the quality soloists playing their part to the full, two interesting ensemble works close the release; Philip Wilby’s high tempo ‘Swinging Matilda’, which manages to encompass just about every musical style in just over 3 minutes, and the finale, Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s ‘Immortal’, which is an interesting showcase item that just loses part of its overall dimension due to it lacking the projected images that usually accompany the work in concert.  

There will be a time when even this franchise runs out of steam, but at the moment there is still a bit of quality life left in it to be squeezed out before it is laid to rest.

Number 10 will be with us soon.

Iwan Fox

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