Dreaming of a Morrison Christmas

Kensington and Norwood Brass, conductor: Bruce Raymond, James Morrison, Saturday 26th November, Adelaide, South Australia

The bringing together of an Australian trumpet ‘Virtuoso' and  South Australia's ‘Premier' Brass Band was the centrepiece of a concert held in Adelaide on Saturday evening 26 November.

In nearby Rundle Street - central Adelaide, the bars and restaurants were in full swing. Crowds were spilling out on the pavements and the boy racers were strutting their stuff up and down the strip.

One block around the corner on Adelaide's North Terrace, a slightly more select audience were gathering outside the ‘Freemasons Hall'. It wasn't quite the hustle and bustle of nearby Rundle Street but it was a buzz of activity nonetheless.

Yes indeed there was a queue out the door and an ‘air' of anticipation for those queued to purchase their tickets. No time to waste for those lucky enough with tickets in hand and it was all on inside with ticket holders jockeying for the best seats in the sizeable auditorium.

Then to a packed audience, the evening commenced with Kensington & Norwood Youth Band performing Peter Graham's Away in a Manger and Barry Gott's Mumbo Jumbo which featured Steve Monger and South Australia's Junior Champion of Champions, Aaron Deanshaw.  And who better to conduct and perform with the Youth Band, but James Morrison himself. 

What better inspiration for the members of K & N Youth to be led, by none other than James Morrison. He didn't hold back either on his enthusiasm for this fine group of young musicians.

There was an earlier break than anticipated for the change to Kensington & Norwood Brass.

The second half of the night's performance saw K & N perform three wonderful arrangements courtesy of Nicholas Childs and the Black Dyke Mills Band and arranger Robin Dewhurst, Nobody Does it Better, Swonderful, Flintstones.

James Morrison's exquisite Christmas arrangements were rescored for Brass band by Bill Broughton, God rest ye merry Gentlemen, Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The band also performed Three Swingin Kings, another magnificent arrangement by Bill Broughton.

The evening also featured a number of K & N Soloists with James Morrison. First up was Bob Johnson. Bob's association with James Morrison goes back to the early ‘80s' when Bob was James' trombone teacher in Sydney. Bob Johnson, with K & N's Trombone section, then performed Mary's Boy Child, a trombone feature for five trombones, arranged by Bill Broughton. Other soloists included Bill Broughton himself performing Have yourself a Merry Christmas.

Many of the evening's works featured Mark Fergusson on piano, John McDermott on kit, and Linden Gray on string bass.

Throughout the night's performance, it was evident that Musical Director, Bruce Raymond and James have been friends for many years. During the past 25 years they have performed many concerts together and you could get a feel for the warmest of ‘light-hearted' banter between the pair.

James did most of the comparing for the evening. He's a fine orator, telling such tall stories as his ‘Official tour guide in Latvia' (Apparently she wasn't very attractive – not!) and then to his story recounted for a Berlin audience of how reindeer got their red noses in Darwin. Apparently the Berlin audience believed every word, which was of course was the punch-line!

The evening was wrapped up with an impromptu auction of an old baritone that had been lying around in the K & N band-room for the last 50 years. James, signed the baritone on stage and the auction commenced in lively fashion initially in $5.00 increments. It eventually sold for $650.00 or thereabouts.

James then performed all of his magic with a memorable rendition of the Old Rugged Cross on the 100-year-old high pitched brass baritone that had just been auctioned.

The evening ended with a standing ovation.

James Morrison, Bruce Raymond and the Kensington & Norwood Youth and Brass Bands had succeeded in performing a truly world class performance.

Andrew Stone

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