The Harry Mortimer Centenary Gala Concert

Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
Sunday 15th September 2002

In aid of the Harry Mortimer Memorial Trust
Sponsored by Brass Band World

Bands:
Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal), Elgar Howarth
Black Dyke, Nicholas Childs
Buy As You View Cory, Robert Childs
Yorkshire Building Society, David King
Fodens, Russell Gray
Williams Fairey, Allan Withington
Worcester Youth, Nicky Daw

With thirty years continuous banding under the belt, attendance at enumerable events sometimes leaving my family behind ("you must have a very understanding wife" it has been said to me) and now writing about the subject I think I would qualify as a bit of an enthusiast in most peoples eyes.

To say the least at over four and a half nearer five hours long this concert was a "bandathon" and if I say that I was ready for the end to come then that's saying something. I know the organisers will probably not thank me for this but it is possible to have too much of a good thing

With 8 test pieces, a premiere of a major new work, 5 solos, 1 duet and 9 other concert items it sounded like a mouth watering feast to a banding devotee like myself but then sometimes your eyes are bigger than your belly and this concentrated concert of many historical works challenged even my attentiveness towards the end.

The bands were uniformly excellent and presented the works with the expected levels of skill and musicianship.

Worcester Youth Brass Band, under the guidance of Nicky Daw, gave a pleasant and informal concert in the foyer of the Symphony Hall prior to the main event and a sizable, appreciative group watched them. They played music from the film ‘Gladiator', the ‘James Bond Collection' and variations on a hymn entitled ‘Swedish Folk Song' amongst others before taking places for the concert in the Choir Seats above and behind the bands.

John Maines, this time comparing alone, thank goodness, was unfortunately missed out of the programme credits but he rehashed many of his notes from the Bridgewater Hall Concert and did a fine job overall.

Grimethorpe Colliery under the baton of Elgar Howarth immediately threw him a curve ball by playing an unscheduled march namely ‘The Cossack'. With an economy of movement and using the language of expression Elgar Howarth was masterful and this came through in the music.

The first test piece to be played dated from 1957 Ralph Vaughan Williams ‘Variations for Brass Band' and in a warm, relaxed reading the chemistry that the conductor and band once shared was again on display.

In the finale from Richard Strauss ‘Horn Concerto No 1' Sandy Smith, solo horn, gave a nicely articulated account of the music that had an attractively light feel before moving on to their final contribution ‘Caractacus'. Walter Ainscough and the Doyen archive unearthed this test piece dating from 1903 and Elgar Howarth produced a performance that brought it back to life like a newly cleaned painting. Unfortunately like many old arrangements relying almost exclusively on ensemble playing, the principal cornet and the odd bridge, in this case the horn and soprano, the dramatic interest was limited and the melody lines were not that memorable.

It is accepted that furniture moving takes time but the gaps between bands was frustrating and the compare ran out of words at this point so after an uncomfortable pause in the proceedings Black Dyke took the stage.

Written for the NYBB of Wales ‘Summon The Dragon' by Peter Graham saw the cornets and trombone encircle the other players in a piece which echoed the style of the ‘Olympic Fanfare' by John Williams and was very effectively played.

Roger Webster knocked off the bravura lines in ‘Variations on Fatherland' got rapturous applause and then the band turned to its test piece ‘Academic Festival Overture' which they played even better than at the Northern Brass Festival. The playing was first class and Nicholas Childs was absolutely right when he told the band "very well played" at the end of the performance.

Although ‘the Firebird' was scheduled Dyke finished again, like a week earlier, with ‘Marche Slave' that was taken briskly with confidence with no lack of excitement.

Buy As You View Cory with Robert Childs presented a concert programme and a premiere with a work ‘Salome' by Gareth Wood who was in the audience.

The band proudly displayed the Open Shield they had won the day before and were warmly greeted before opening, in the same fanfare arrangement as Black Dyke earlier, with ‘Festmusik der Stadt Wien'. The band played this fanfare with bite and brilliance and maintained the sparkling sound when playing the march ‘The Medallion' composed by Harry Mortimer under the nom-de-plume H. Moreton.

The very traditional fare continued as Ian Williams and Ian Roberts dusted the cobwebs off the music for the duet ‘Mac & Mort'. Well played and it received a rapturous applause but the piece belongs in the past and this reprise should be its last.

The concert theme continued with ‘Spring' and in a simple account the band played competently but without particularly shining before David Childs brought the solos right up to date with good account in a shortened version of ‘Pantomime' by Philip Sparke.

Commissioned by the Welsh Arts Council ‘Salome' was a piece written for the Parc and Dare Band 100th anniversary and was an impressive work dealing with the story of Salome and her demand for the head of John the Baptist.

This atmospheric music, of test piece standard, commenced with single beating bass drum and timp (a la Hinemoa) offset with dark forbidding chords from the band with trombones playing an important figure of strong character. A lyrical passage for cornet and horn led to a rapid fire section for back cornets, trombones and glockenspiel before the gentle theme returned taken by cornet, trombone and euphonium. Clever scoring maintained an undercurrent of unrest and the full colour of the band was grasped before the flugel, soprano and finally the timpani introduced a restatement of the opening chords. Quickly the mood was charged with a rhythmic fire dance of high voltage that took different hues on its exiting way to an exiting conclusion.

Back into the hall after a short interval and the Yorkshire Building Society band to play three substantial items. Two movements from the very effective Hymn of the Highland suite could hardly be faulted. The rhythmic vigour of ‘Ardross Castle' and the delightful playing of Stuart Lingard in the movement ‘Lairg Muir'.

Andrew King, the current British Open Solo Champion, played ‘White Knuckle Ride' - music written to demonstrate the virtuosity that was not lacking in the performance.

The John Ireland test piece ‘Comedy' followed and it was performed with great success as the band captured the moods of the piece with some concentrated playing.

Williams Fairey now set the stage and with Allan Withington conducting - they opened with ‘Crown Imperial' with simple direct nobility.

Kevin Crockford was in fine form as he shone in a strong performance ‘Rhapsody in Brass' which was authoritative and stylish.

Philip McCann gave a rendition of ‘Alpine Echoes' and ‘Post Horn Galop' of such bell like tone it was just sparkling. That said I've heard it twice now in as many weeks and that's enough thank you.

Kevin Crockford won the best barking dog award closely followed by last weeks Fodens Eb bass team - let's hope they've not got fleas!

Scheduled for an approximate 4.15pm start, Fodens took the platform half an hour later and opened with a piece by American composer Claude T. Smith (arr. Barry Gott) entitled ‘A Declaration Overture'. Considering that the band have a very short time in which to learn this piece they played exceptionally well. A cornet fanfare stated a motif that ran through the whole piece and ended in a swinging style reminiscent of a Philip Sparke concert overture.

Two test pieces followed. ‘Epic Symphony' and ‘Resurgam'. A good performance of ‘Epic Symphony' was just off the boil with the percussion section not quite at their best in the 3rd movement.

Alan Wycherley took the applause as the winner of the solo prize in the British Open Contest and so to ‘Resurgam'. This was where my concentration was now certainly wavering as I looked around the hall to see people creeping quietly away and tired looking eyes with heads drooping. The band were playing really well until in one of the most serene moments - a phlegm busting cough which could break ribs echoed round the hall – the person surely needed treatment. That was it, the rest of the piece was ruined as the bronchitics chorus took over to undermine any tranquillity the work had to offer.

The concert was effectively now over as people left in droves. John Maines manfully tried to stem the tide offering a showcase ending with Fairey's and Foden's together on stage playing ‘Life Divine'. Martin Mortimer mumbled some thanks into the microphone before Peter Parkes encouraged the bands to indulge themselves in the test piece. Fodens took solos and quiet parts and the two bands blew their socks off making a big, brash sound that drew the concert to a close almost 5 hours later.

As a Centenary Concert it had all the traditional sounds one would expect but it wasn't a concert for a newcomer. They would have lost concentration far sooner than I. But there you go you pays your money and you takes your chance!

John James

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