Tredegar Band’s residency link with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has been marked by a series of inventive concert programmes.

The first at the Conservatoire’s new home was no exception; Ian Porthouse bringing together disparate strands of original and arranged repertoire with a time span of over 230 years - from Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ to Daniel Hall’s ‘Sanctuary’ - all rounded off with at thumping bit of massed band ‘Great Gate’ Mussorgsky to close.

Rich dividends

The Conservatoire Brass Band opened with a considered rendition Edward Gregson’s ‘Connotations’, played with clarity and purpose, before the MD drew a sympathetic, pastoral reading of ‘A Moorside Suite’. 

The recent visit of Dr Stephen Allen from the USA to give the students a deeper academic understanding of the pieces certainly paid rich dividends, especially with the Holst, in a textured performance of controlled tempo and dynamic that built to a bucolic climax.   

Daniel Hall’s vivid retelling of Victor Hugo’s gothic campanology novel, full of the evocative drama of the doomed love story between Esmeralda and Quasimodo, was played with a cracking touch of French fervour to close an enjoyable first half.

The recent visit of Dr Stephen Allen from the USA to give the students a deeper academic understanding of the pieces certainly paid rich dividends, especially with the Holst, in a textured performance of controlled tempo and dynamic that built to a bucolic climax. 

Rampant style

After the break the Welsh band was in splendid form with ‘Fest Musik Der Stadt Wein’ followed by the pulsating delicacy of Mozart’s opera buffa overture and John Rutter’s beautiful ‘The Lord Bless and Keep You’.

Chris Davies gave the ‘Finale’ from the Strauss ‘Horn Concerto No 1’ a rampant sense of style, before Tredegar closed its solo contribution with a fleet-footed ‘Le Corsaire’ - vigorously paced to maintain clarity and excitement.

With a quick re-arrangement of the stage seating there was plenty of time to enjoy a vicious ‘Baba Yaga’ and the full blown splendour of ‘The Great Gate of Kiev’, which certainly tested the excellent acoustic of the Bradshaw Hall to round off another excellent concert in this fertile musical link.

Meryl Teague