Wormshead Top Brass

All Saints' Church
Oystermouth
Wednesday 27th July

All Saints' Church Oystermouth was the venue for a lunch time concert by Wormshead Top Brass, the first appearance of the group in the Swansea area. This recently formed Brass Quintet, with percussionist Alan Hathaway, presented a richly varied programme of works ranging from Bach and Scarlatti through to Gershwin and Hoddinott.
 
Inevitably most of the pieces performed were transcriptions, several of them cleverly arranged by Nick Smith, the group's french horn player. Rather than move chronologically the programme juxtaposed old and new in a seemingly random way. Thus Bach stood next to Gershwin;  music by Holst was followed by Jack Simpson's 'On the Track'; while a transcription of a keyboard sonata by Scarlatti was followed by Alun Hoddinott's 'Quodlibet on Welsh Nursery Rhymes'. Yet far from lying uncomfortably together each work seemed to assume a heightened sense of character by being heard alongside works from very different musical periods and in very different styles.
 
Throughout the hour long recital the playing of the quintet was assured with each of the players showing individual skill and, occasionally, considerable virtuosity;  even the tuba playing of Wilfrid Driscoll was no less delicate or fleet of foot than the well articulated utterances of the higher instruments. The playing of the ensemble, undemonstratively directed by Robert Ferriman, was excellent throughout. It captured the imagination of the hugely appreciative audience who would gladly have remained in their seats for another hour or more to listen to playing of such high calibre. 

John Hugh-Thomas OBE

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