Black Dyke opened the 2015 Festival of Brass in the refurbished RNCM Concert Hall with a superbly delivered programme under Prof Nicholas Childs and Elgar Howarth.

With the magnificent trophies glistening under the lights, Dyke revelled in the opportunity to demonstrate their ‘Double' winning credentials; playing with musical freedom and expression throughout a challenging programme in front of the largest audience of the weekend.

Birthday presents

The festival’s birthday celebrations for Prof Gregson and Elgar Howarth's also saw the band provide the duo with a brace of terrific musical presents.

Gregson’s revised 'Variations on Laudate Dominum' was slickly polished; enhanced by excellent solo interventions and with each variation full of musical character.

Meanwhile, Howarth's ‘Sonatina for Cornet and Band', performed with mature virtuosity by Richard Marshall and with the composer at the helm, was flawless; the delicate quirkiness of the opening leading into a darkly hued lyrical central section before concluding with a vibrant ‘Rondo Toccata’.  

Capricious energy

To close the first half, Martin Ellerby's (who was also in welcome attendance) warm and affectionate 'Malcolm Arnold Variations’, was full of dark wit, luscious melody and capricious energy - a wonderful musical portrait of complex, wayward genius. 

Flair and lyricism

Elgar Howarth returned to open the second half with three movements from 'Music from the Elizabethan Court', featuring a sublime 'Pavane' and joyous 'Kings Hunting Jig', before Gary Curtin gave a thoroughly substantive world premiere of Ellerby’s 'The Four Elements' (Partita for Euphonium and Band) - a concise work that splendidly combined flair and lyricism in equal measure.  

Stunning Angels

To close, Dyke delivered a quite stunning performance (and one of the highlights of the entire weekend) of Edward Gregson's, 'The Trumpet of the Angels'.

On introducing the work, the composer dedicated the performance to the late Ray Steadman-Allen, before Mark O'Keefe led the fearsome angelic trumpeters on the musical journey through the last clarion calls of The Day of Judgement in a manner even the best fire and brimstone Salvationist preacher could not better. 

The intense musicality was staggeringly powerful - brought to a conclusion of frightening terminality by O'Keefe's final cadenza. 

It was phenomenal stuff to bring an outstanding concert to a close. 

Malcolm Wood