The title ‘Sun, Moon and Stars’ was inspired by several works in the programme such as ‘Rusalka’s Song to the Moon’ and the words ‘sun’ and ‘stars’ heard in the poems of Isaac Rosenberg, featured in Liz Lane’s ‘Silver Rose’.  

The latter was commissioned by Bristol 2014 (funded by Arts Council England) and first performed by Lydbrook Band with narration by Robert Hardy CBE.

Expanded original

For this occasion Liz Lane had expanded the original with the addition of full SATB Chorus, supplied by the University of the West of England Singers, and the first ever public performance of members from the South West Open Youth Orchestra, the UK’s only disabled-led youth orchestra, directed by Doug Bott.

The five orchestra members provided startling additional musical colours from two ‘Eyegaze’ electronic instruments, one electronic ‘Linnstrument’ and two pianists sharing one grand piano.  This new version was made possible by a UWE Faculty of Environment and Technology Public Engagement and Outreach Award.

Eclectic mix

This eclectic mix of performers brought together in ‘Silver Rose’ provided an equally eclectic audience mix.  However, looking around, perhaps not as many brass band concert goers as followers of UWE and the Cathedral; an observation substantiated as the Lydbrook Band began Eric Ball’s arrangement of Boellmann’s ‘Suite Gothique’.  

The opening richness of the ‘Introduction-Chorale’ caused many heads to peer around those in front to see where this sound came from and again when mutes were used in the third movement.  The acoustic of the cathedral was surprisingly accommodating of the sound although perhaps trapped the detail of the brighter cornet sounds.  

By the time the ‘Toccata’ came to a thundering end, aided by five tubas, the audience knew that this would be quite an evening of new musical experiences for many of them.

Solo spot

The only solo spot of the concert followed with principal cornet, Philip Storer, performing Langford’s arrangement of ‘Rusalka’s Song to the Moon’ with elegant lyricism.

The brass was then reduced to four trumpets, three trombones and tuba to accompany the UWE Singers in Rutter’s ‘Gloria’.  

In the first movement the brass were a little strong for the chorus, which was short of numbers of male voices, thus some of the choir’s exaltation of the 'Gloria in excelsis Deo' was perhaps overshadowed.  However, in the second and third movements the brass and percussion had found a more sympathetic balance allowing the chorus to shine in the devotional and jubilante sections.

Silver Rose

After the interval ‘Silver Rose’ was given a short introduction by Bernard Wynick, nephew of Isaac Rosenberg, describing the difficult early life of the poet before his death in the Great War in 1918.

Liz Lane’s opening music sets the scene of foreboding prior to the reading of ‘On Receiving News of War’ - Barry Farrimond frighteningly portraying this with the words of Rosenberg’s poem.  His artistic reading of the poems, punctuated with dramatic silences, provided an atmosphere of tension, drama and pathos.  

Enhanced

This revised version of the work is magically enhanced by the instruments of the members of SWOYO - additional electronic pedal sounds giving even more depth to the lower brass and the crisp piano shimmering adding a sparkling topping to the cornets.

There was so much joy, concentration and happiness being expressed by these young musicians who, with the large chorus, wonderfully contributed to the newly extended picture which Liz Lane has captured in this composition.  

An aspiring young conductor, Gideon Kua, currently receiving conducting tuition from Ian Holmes, took over to conduct the UWE Singers in the short excerpt from Elgar’s ‘The Saga of King Olaf’, ‘As Torrents in Summer’.

Impressed

In a concert such as this, Ian Holmes could not be criticised for including Wagner’s ‘Procession to the Minster’.  By now the band were ready to give it their all and stretched the cathedral’s acoustic to its limit for the majestic ending. The audience was duly impressed.

The finale was Saint-Saens’,‘Organ Symphony No. 3’, another favourite when band meets organ.  The composer was known to have said “I gave everything to it I was able to give” and the band and organist, Alison Howell, certainly tried their best to do the same.

Wonderful evening

It was a wonderful evening combining both traditional and contemporary music and introducing cutting edge technology which enabled the members of SWOYO to be a real part of the music making.  

Of the ‘Sun, Moon and Stars’ the five members of the SWOYO were perhaps indeed the ‘Stars’.

Nigel Morgan