Indian Queens provided rich entertainment for their self-promoted ‘Last of the Summer Brass’ Concert; performing music drawn from their recent Exmouth Entertainment contest appearance as well as repertoire used throughout their busy summer of engagements.

Capricious weather

With the capricious Cornish weather cancelling two previous outdoor events, the band secured the sanctuary of the local church to ensure their audience wouldn’t get wet - and it proved to be a masterstroke as they enjoyed the trio of ‘Stabat Mater’, ‘Bandstand Boogie’ and baritone soloist Hannah Curnow on the rather appropriate ‘Feeling Good’ to open.

Summer season regulars such as ‘Police Academy March’, ‘James Bond’ and ‘Daydream Believer’ were enhanced by principal cornet Tim Roberts, with a super rendition of ‘First Light’, before the band rounded off the first half with the classic ‘Music’ by John Miles.

Entertainment

After the break came more entertainment with a bit of audience participation in ‘Amarillo’, before Paul Mitchell gave a sultry rendition of Cole Porter’s ‘Every time we say Goodbye’.  ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, was followed by the lyrical beauty of ‘Northern Lights’ written especially for the band by composer Ola Gjeilo.

After the break came more entertainment with a bit of audience participation in ‘Amarillo’, before Paul Mitchell gave a sultry rendition of Cole Porter’s ‘Every time we say Goodbye’.  

Dry witted

Peter Skellern’s dry witted ‘Torramawakfield’ led into Emily Henderson’s evocative flugel playing on ‘Domen’ by Jan Magna Forde, before the band rounded things off with Michael Jacksons ‘Thriller’. 

The encore of Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ summed the concert up perfectly for everyone. By all accounts even the weather outside was great too.

Winston Graham