In introducing the first evening concert of the Guards Music Festival, Major Smith explained that he had been asked to prepare a programme for wind band that would contrast with some of the lighter repertoire later in the week. 

And although he explained that it would only last for an hour, by its close the well-satisfied audience would have well enjoyed a bit of musical ‘extra time’ away from the World Cup football.

Raucous energy

Todd Stalter's 'Ignition' made for a high octane opener - full of raucous energy. It was followed by Philip Sparke's concert march 'Skyrider'; the lilting 6/8 opening set against a 4/4 counter-melody in the middle of the band. 

Hayato Hirose's dramatic 'Captain Marco' was inspired by Marco Polo's explorations of far off eastern lands. This colourful work made quite an impression; with saxophones, horns and trombones all playing a prominent part, and a clarinet-led patrol-like section in the middle.

Sgt Gavin Hall was the highly accomplished trumpet soloist in Bruce Broughton's 'Excursions'. A demanding work for soloist and band alike, it was given a convincing reading under the direction of WO1 Sarah Marinescu.

Unfortunately, the evocative sounds of smashed plates at the end were a little lost - but health and safety requirements may have been understandably stricter at the Guards Chapel than at a local Greek taverna.

Smashed plates

'Dances from Crete - Syrtaki' (Adam Gorb) bought a Mediterranean feel with its depiction of arrivals at a party: vulgar trumpets (played with gusto by the seven-man section), then the horns, before a series of solo entries, runs and sudden explosions of sound. 

Unfortunately, the evocative sounds of smashed plates at the end were a little lost - but health and safety requirements may have been understandably stricter at the Guards Chapel than at a local Greek taverna.

The concert closed with Nigel Clarke's 'Sunrise'; depicting the launch, the weightless walk of the astronauts and the re-entry into the earth's atmosphere of one of the great Apollo missions of nearly half a century ago. 

Although much of the music has a thunderous quality it was a fine effort in an acoustic that was perhaps not ideal - with extended cadenzas around the stand and particularly fine work from the percussion section a real feature. 

Peter Bale