*
banner

Band of the Scots Guards

Music from the Stage
Household Division Festival of Music
Conductor: Major Ian Johnson
The Guards Chapel, London
Friday 29th June

Fortuitously, this Scots Guards' concert was held in the open air, capitalising on the warm weather to attract a fine audience.  

Goff Richards' 'Stage Centre' provided a brisk opener, showing off the tone colours to good effect. 

Vocalists Lara Martins and Paul Tabone, currently performing in 'The Phantom of the Opera' were featured early in the programme to fit in with their performance times.

Lara sang first, with 'O Mio Babbino Caro' and 'L'Ascia ch'io Pianga' aided by exemplary accompaniment from the band, especially in the Handel, which favoured the delicacy of the woodwinds.

Fine form

The band currently has the luxury of two excellent bassoons, together with the fine flute playing of C/Sgt James Dutton, playing his final concert after 22 years with the Guards - and all three were on fine form throughout. 

Paul Tabone sang 'The Prayer' with keyboard accompaniment, switching seamlessly between English and Italian with a gorgeous falsetto ending. A powerful 'Nessun Dorma' led into the duet 'Time to Say Goodbye'.

The overture 'L'Italiana in Algieri' also brought the woodwind to the fore, although the solo oboe would have benefitted from amplification.

The band currently has the luxury of two excellent bassoons, together with the fine flute playing of C/Sgt James Dutton, playing his final concert after 22 years with the Guards - and all three were on fine form throughout. 

Highlights

The famous 'Slaves Chorus' from ‘Nabucco', occasionally used by Guard’s bands as a slow march, preceded one of the highlights of the evening, and a fine selection from 'The King and I'. Most of the familiar melodies were present in a well-crafted arrangement.

Although the allotted time was up, Major Johnson was given the go-ahead to continue and, after a brief interval, took up the bass guitar to join the band for 'The Red Baron' and 'The Best of Wind and Fire'. 

The former was in big band style, and would perhaps have been more effective if the sections had been seated closer together, but the final item had the audience clapping along, with great work from the trombone section and a central flugel solo that was an absolute corker to round off a fine concert event.

Peter Bale

Support us for less than a cup of coffee...

4BR wants to ensure that the brass band movement remains vibrant and relevant. We also want to be able to question, challenge and critically examine those who run and play in it, producing high quality journalism that informs as well as entertains our readers.

So if like us you value a strong, independent perspective on the brass band world - then why not consider becoming a supporter and help make our future and that of a burgeoning brass band movement more secure.

So one less cappuccino then?

Support us    



Regent Hall Concerts - The Central Band of the Royal Air Force

Friday 25 April • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London. . W1C2DJ


Newstead Brass - Under Gaia

Saturday 26 April • Mansfield Palace Theatre. Leeming Street . Mansfield. Nottinghamshire NG18 1NG


Newstead Brass - St George's Day Celebration

Sunday 27 April • St Wilfrid's Church, Church Street, Kirkby In Ashfield NG17 8LA


Regent Hall Concerts - Royal Greenwich Brass Band

Sunday 4 May • St Alfege Church. Greenwich Church Street SE10 9BJ


Contest: European Brass Band Championshiips

Friday 9 May • Konzerthaus, SandvigÃ¥ 1, 4007 Stavanger, Norway


Dobcross Silver Band

April 24 • Great opportunity for a PERCUSSIONIST to join this already talented section in what is already a band with a full brass section. We are looking to enhance our percussion section as we prepare for Nationals in September . Enjoyable playing and social band!


Hathersage Band

April 24 • SECOND TROMBONE. Hathersage Brass Band is a thriving non-contesting community band. We enjoy making music and have a comprehensive gig schedule. Are you the right person to join our happy band?


Chinnor Silver

April 22 • Our COMMUNITY BAND are recommencing rehearsals on 28th Monday at 11am in our bandroom and we would love you to join us.. We welcome players of all abilities who just fancy a friendly fun blow with cake and coffee thrown in.. Its all free so join us.


Nigel Seaman

ARMCM ARNCM
Conductor, band trainer, teacher and adjudicator


               

 © 2025 4barsrest.com Ltd