Champion Brass – Phil Beck Promotions

The Ever Ready Band
Conductor: Stephen Malcolm
Compere: John Maines
Uppermill Civic Hall
Saturday 21st February

The Ever Ready Band made the journey south down the A1/M62 into Saddleworth country to put on a concert that was worthy of them being the runners up at ‘Brass in Concert Entertainment Champions'.

Things got under way with an arrangement of Khachtaturian's "Sabre Dance". A great opener, showing the band's flair, and good use of stage presence with players dotted all over the place. The band used this piece as its opener in Spennymoor last November and it certainly makes an impact.

Conductor Steve Malcolm took to the stage to conduct another Russian piece, Borodin's "Polotsvien Dances". In all of the time I have been to concerts at Uppermill, for some reason, this was the smallest audience, I had ever been part off, and it affected the sound. The atmosphere when full is terrific but on Saturday night, the sound of the band boomed around the hall making it appear louder than what was coming from the stage, which was a real shame. The "Polotsvien Dances" was a classic example, and whilst the standard of playing was good, the sound reverberated around the hall just a touch more than was ideal.

The band's Principal Cornet player, Bryan Tait, must be one of those unsung heroes of banding. Bryan has held the principal's chair for twenty-two years at Ever Ready with great distinction. For his solo slot, Bryan chose the beautiful "Ave Maria". It is some time since I have heard Bryan play a solo, but his interpretation was so refined and so warm, that it is no wonder he has kept the principal's chair warm for so long.

The MD, Steve Malcolm deserves acknowledgement for his programme planning at this point. Whilst Bryan was playing his solo, some players disappeared back stage to get ready for the next number. Doubling up as Bryan's encore, the band performed "Post Horn Gallop". The band used the piece at Spennymoor and The Mineworkers contest at Butlins shortly afterwards. Whoever came up with the idea deserves praise, because it displays all the reasons why the band has won entertainment prizes. Its very much entertainment first, music second. Bryan Tait commences proceedings on the post horn, before Garry Reed, crawls out stage right on kneepads with an even bigger horn in an attempt to disrupt Bryan's playing. Of course, he succeeds and its watch all parts of the stage for various players having some fun in disrupting the performance. Terrific entertainment, and it is one of those things, that gets funnier, the more times you see it, as you are not completely sure what will happen next.

In total contrast, the band performed the traditional Irish number, "Erinshore" arranged for band by Leigh Baker of Brighouse and Rastrick. It was the nicest playing from the band as a whole during the night. The acoustic didn't help but the playing was calmed, controlled and reflective with some nice ensemble playing. All the band's principal solo players were having a good night, and soprano player, Tom Glendennie (hope that is correct spelling) seemed comfortable on the end chair.

Where would band concerts be without arrangements nowadays from the pen of Gordon Langford, Goff Richards and Alan Catherall to name just three? Alan is of course, a cornet player within the Ever Ready Band, but his arrangements of various tunes are familiar items at most band concerts. Ever Ready have just released in fact a new CD entitled ‘Completely Catherall' and yes, that's right, the next couple of pieces the band played from the world of film are on the disc. First up, memories of Peter Sellers and The Pink Panther films with ‘In the Pink', a lively up-tempo number, closely followed by a trip back to 1939 and Tara's Theme from ‘Gone with the Wind'. Again though in these numbers, the ambience of the hall didn't help the overall sound of the band, and I was surprised that band of this standard, didn't really adjust the sound it was projecting after seven pieces.

The film theme continued with flugel player, Joanne Winspear stepping forward to perform the popular "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, before concluding the first half with an arrangement by the band's professional conductor, Ray Farr.

Ray is well known for his entertaining concert programmes and arrangements, and entitled "The Ugly Peanut", it is another example of entertaining the public with some good quality music thrown in. Ray makes use of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", mixed in with "Peanut Vender". Plenty of choreography is on offer with Bryan Tait and Les Palmer playing at either side of the stage, before Les decides to ride across the stage on a wooden hobbyhorse. The whole piece is wrapped up with that infamous chant of "peanuts!" being accompanied by numerous packets of nuts being thrown into the audience.

The second half was the Alan Catherall show in terms of the music on offer. The band things off a lightning pace with an American "Circus' March" Circus marches or ‘screamers' are given the name because they are written in a high register, required to be played as loud as possible, and at a fast tempo. The bands choice was called "Bombasto" by O R Farrer, and it had all of those characteristics in Mr Catherall's arrangement. The Beatles' classic, "Yellow Submarine" got the Ever Ready/Catherall treatment before euphonium soloist, Paul Robinson took centre stage.

One of the most famous songs to come out of the North East is "The Blaydon Races". First sung in 1862, The race meetings were held on an island in the middle of the Tyne. Rumour has it that at low tide, there are places on the Tyne at Newcastle where the water is shallow enough to walk across it. The races finished in 1916, but the song will always live on, and Paul Robinson performed the Gordon Langford arrangement as though it was water off a duck's back.

Johann Sebastian Bach's "Tocatta in D Minor" is always a popular piece, and with it being arranged by Alan Catherall, it is clearly a favourite in the band's programmes. The percussion section had been in great form all night and anyone familiar with this arrangement will know that percussionists have a bit to do, and they certainly led by example.

Bass player, Joe Cook is a member of Black Dyke, but was helping the band out at this concert. The opportunity for Joe to play a solo was just too good for the band to miss, and all of the band (and audience) listened on in awe as Monti's "Czardas" was given the Joe Cook treatment. Joe's mum Linda, a horn player in the band must have been so proud to have seen her son perform one of those solos that displays a players virtuosity without (what appears) very little effort.

To conclude the concert, a trip back to where we started in Russia, and "Baba Yaga", followed by "The Great Gate of Kiev" by Mussorgsky. The playing suffered for me again though, as detail was lost due to the volume of the band. Despite the journey and the odd tired lip, the audience was treated to "Midwest" by JJ Richards for its encore with the cornet section taking the chromatic scales in its stride.

Those that stayed away missed a real good night of entertainment, and hopefully The Ever Ready Band will come back to Saddleworth in the near future to put on a concert that will be heard by an audience that is more in-keeping with brass band concerts in Uppermill Civic Hall.

Malcolm Wood

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