This latest CD from Regent Brass showcases a band that continues to build in technical as well as musical strength.
Formed by a collective of brass musicians under the leadership of Paul Fensom in the London Borough of Brent in 1985, their ascent to the top strata of UK banding reached a pinnacle earlier this year when they won the London & Southern Counties Area title for the second time in their history.
Litmus test
This release, under the direction of MD Alan Duguid provides something of a litmus test to gauge their current standing in the elite echelons of banding; which on this evidence shows them capable of playing in various styles and genres in a considerable degree of comfort.
In addition, three new works are featured from the pens of band members Martin Pearce, Philip Doe and the MD himself, with Martin’s surprising march setting of the eponymous hymn tune ‘Deep Harmony’ a lively old starter.
Sets out
Philip’s ‘On a Mission from God’ derives its central theme from the old slave song ‘Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet, Gabriel’ and is inspired by the gospel mission scene from the comedy film, ‘The Blues Brothers’.
It’s a lovely piece that really grasps the feeling that it is sets out to portray – even if its cinematic fame is a little more questionable.
Granite
Meanwhile, the MD’s lovely treatment of ‘The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen’ seals the ambience of the whole release.
Written for the 50th birthday of Eric Kidd, the well-respected Aberdonian brass teacher, it evokes a sense of granite-like musical conviction.
Excellent soloists
The featured soloists are all on excellent form, with John Gafney delivering an exquisite Japanese inspired ‘Aka Tombo’ played with the delicacy of a piece of origami, Barbara King producing a slick rendition of ‘Napoli’ and Testuro Okamura really nailing Gordon Langford’s ‘Rhapsody for Trombone’ in a performance of substantive class.
He returns later to showcase his lyrical qualities in a tasteful ‘Berceuse de Jocelyn’, whilst flugal player Victoria Curran evokes a suave Latin style with ‘The Children of Sanchez’.
It’s also good to hear a true lightly timbred baritone voice in the Maori tune ‘Pokarekare Ana’ – not a heavy handed wannabe euphonium – finely played by Michael O’Shaughnessy.
Gareth Wood’s ‘Japanese Slumber Song’ is treated evocatively as is ‘Mid All the Traffic’, whilst there is just about the right sense of 60’s cool to the Burt Bacharach classic ‘Say a Little Prayer’.
Demanding
The major work of the release is ‘Year of the Dragon’, which once again features the excellent Testuro Okamura on the demanding trombone lead in the central ‘Interlude’, although there is some scrappy playing on show in both the Coplandesque ‘Toccata’ and free-wheeling ‘Finale’.
Overall though, the CD creates a solid impression of an emerging top flight band – not free of its slightly acidic moments of discomfort but more than balanced by the excellence of the soloists and the desire to create musical contrasts.
Amy Sheridan
Contents
1. March: Deep Harmony, Martin Pearce, 3.24
2. Rhapsody for Trompone, Gordon Langford, Trombone Soloist Tetsuro Okamura, 12.07
3. Japanese Slumber Song, Gareth Wood, 7.17
4. Napoli, Herman Bellstedt, arr. Andy Owenson, Cornet Soloist Barbara King, 4.54
5. On A Mission From God, Philip Doe, 3.51
6. Aka Tombo, Kosaku Yamada, arr. Hiroshi Yamagishi, Euphonium Soloist John Gafney,3.28
Year of the Dragon, Philip Sparke
7. Toccata, 3.10
8. Interlude, 7.15
9. Finale, 4.14
10. The Children of Sanchez, Chuck Mangione, arr. Reid Gilje, Flugelhorn Soloist Victoria Curran, 6.17
11. Mid All the Traffic, Leonard Ballantine, 3.08
12. Bercuse de Jocelyn, Benjamin Godard, arr. Gordon Langford, Trombone Soloist Tetsuro Okamura, 4.58
13. I Say a Little Prayer, Burt Bacharach arr. Ray Farr, 2.53
14. Pokarekare Ana, Paraire Tomoana, arr. Peter Maunder, Baritone Soloist Michael O’Shaughnessy, 2.08
15. The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen, Mary Webb, arr. Alan Duguid, 6.49
