Grimethorpe Colliery UK Coal Band

Morley Town Hall
Conductor: Frank Renton
Saturday 17th April

The Overture Candide by Bernstein opened this concert in front of a capacity audience of around 700 people and from the start Grimethorpe were in fine form with some excellent playing in what for me is one of the great overtures. The band produced some super sounds especially from the middle of the band and the bass section whilst Frank Renton chose a sensible tempo from the beginning with all the detail showing. An excellent opening to the concert.

Russell Gray deputising for Richard Marshall on principal cornet who was on honeymoon then gave a superb performance of Cornet Polka by Arban using the 140 year old cornet from the Courois Museum in France. The sound and technique shown by the soloist proves it's not the instrument but the player behind it. Itwa superb playing.

Two pieces by Khachaturian were next in his Adagio from Spartacus followed by the Dance of the Pirates both played in great style and with good control of dynamics - the former better known to the audience as the theme tune from the TV series ‘The Oneidin Line'.

The Bands solo horn player Sandy Smith is one of the finest horn players in the country and in his chosen solo the ‘Finale' from the Horn Concerto by Strauss confirmed his standing as a very fine musician indeed. Music by Faure in his lovely Pavane saw band playing at its best with excellent control and balance - a lesson to all brass players as this was right out of the top drawer and no mistake.

Phillip Sparke has composed some wonderful music for bands and also some fine solo works and the bands principal euphonium player Michael Dodd chose the very difficult solo Pantomime as his offering in which he gave a most musical and at times thrilling performance with some excellent backing by the band. Here is a very talented player indeed, and to finish what had been an excellent first half the band chose music by Gershwin in Four Dance Episodes from An American in Paris. For me Gershwin's music is not easy to pull off for brass bands but under the excellent Frank Renton the band made it sound easy, playing in a relaxed style in a good arrangement by Howard Snell.

Music by John Williams got the second half under way with the exciting Liberty Fanfare which found the band revelling in this music from one of the worlds great film music composers.

The next solo item was a flugelhorn solo played by Helen Fox who was deputising for the bands regular flugel horn Ian Shires. Helen who is the flugel horn with the Foden (Richardson Band) gave a most moving and lyrical performance of Concerto de Aranaguez by Rodrigo, which in my opinion proved she is one of the finest exponents of the instrument in the band movement - a super sound and always in control her playing, not just here but all through the concert, which enhanced the bands performance.

Anyone Can Whistle in a catchy arrangement by Snell followed, a good choice, this and well played. A Selection from Andrew Lloyd Webber in Phantom of the Opera in which the band chose The Overture, All I Ask of You and Music of the Night gave for me the best playing of the concert with some outstanding playing from Russell Gray, Nigel Fielding, Sandy Smith and Helen Fox all superbly backed by the rest of the band. The audience reaction said it all.

To describe Shawn Crowther a character would be an understatement, as well as being a very fine Eb Bass player he is a very amusing man and after standing up as every soloist was about to play only to be sent back to his place in the bass section by Frank Renton he was finally allowed to play and in the Cuckoo Song where he was joined by the rest of the bass section in a very entertaining item.

This gave the rest of the band a chance to relax before the finale to the evening with music from Richard Rodgers in a terrific arrangement by Sandy Smith of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. What a brilliant piece to end the concert with. The playing was stunning with some superb work from the percussion section. As an encore the band played the march Death or Glory.

Once again thanks to Leeds City Council for this excellent series of concerts all compered in fine style by Mike Meadmore. Grimethorpe once again showed there isn't a better band around for the quality of their concert work. They may still be a bit of an enigma on the contest stage but nonetheless this was a superb evening of music.

David Tinker

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