This year's Hendon Highlights opened in spectacular fashion as four trumpeters in the gallery struck up the fanfare for 'Laudes Domini' -a glorious paean of praise that showed off the varied tone colours of the band.
'As the Deer' then featured the flugel of Nick Tiplady with a delicate counter-melody from Philip Cobb. After a prayer, the hall echoed to the driving rhythms of 'Milestone', which also gave the expanded horn section a chance to shine.
Varied solo items
NChant, the Senior Girls Choir from Rochester Grammar School, entranced with their varied songs; displaying excellent balance and control, with impeccable intonation. 'Sing', 'Psalm 150' and 'The Lord's Prayer' featured a combination of solo, chamber and full choir sonorities, and the slight uncertainty in the opening soprano lines soon passed.
Peter Moore produced an exhilarating account of 'Rhapsody for Trombone', with a bright, open sound, beautifully clean arpeggios and an improvisatory feel. Vocalist Charlie Green commenced in Frank Sinatra mood with 'A Foggy Day', before moving into the laid-back style of 'Feeling Good'. For many, though, the highlight was 'Stars' from 'Les Miserables' - full of passion and emotion.
Impressive support
NChant's performance was enhanced by an excellent backing trio; the fine pianist alone accompanying 'Silver Moon' with great sensitivity, whilst bass guitar and drums joined in for 'You are so Beautiful'.
Gregson classic
'Variations on Laudate Dominum' closed the first half. Right from the solid entry on the trombones it was an impressive performance, well controlled with a wonderful breadth of sound in the more expansive passages. The basses provided a firm foundation, and the percussion section made a telling contribution.
Songs in contrast
After an up-tempo congregational song, Charlie continued in similar vein with 'Now I belong to Jesus', the band slipping neatly into big-band mode. NChant returned with 'Eatnemen', combining Scandinavian chanting with 'Fairest Lord Jesus', and finishing with the exuberant 'Shine Down'.
Brass playing par excellence
Peter Moore displayed innate musicality in a barn-storming rendition of 'Blue Bells of Scotland', making the fast variations with their myriad notes sound easy, and with some ringing pedal notes to boot.
Charlie ended with two items from his new CD, 'It is no Secret' and 'The Rose'. The former featured some fine trumpet playing on the backing track by Jonathan Corry, whilst Charlie pointed to the spiritual aspects of 'The Rose'.
Peter closed with 'The Lamb' - Dorothy Gates' arrangement of Michael Kenyon's setting of William Blake's poem. Opening with fragments of the tune, Peter's playing when the melody appeared in full was sublime, whilst the ending was somewhat enigmatic.
Triumphant finale
New song
Commissioner Adams spoke of how the psalmist uses music as a metaphor for God's transforming work, with the exhortation to 'sing a new song'.
Due to timing considerations he read the 'Celtic Blessing' in lieu of the band playing it before the finale. Stephen Ponsford's powerful 'The Day of the Lord' looks forward to the end of time, using the melody 'The Judgement Day'.
Aggressive at times as snatches of melody emerged, and with a majestic ending it was a fitting conclusion to a first-class evening's music-making.
Peter Bale
