Hepworth Persimmon Homes Band

Conductor: Mark Bentham
Stroud Band Festival
Saturday April 22nd
Compere: John Forryman

Stroud Band Festival is in its 41st season, a remarkable achievement which goes to show that if the product is good the public will continue to support it year after year. In an area not readily associated as a brass band heartland there is a loyal and enthusiastic audience for top quality brass band music and another full house was present to hear this concert given by the Hepworth Persimmon Homes Band conducted by Mark Bentham.

The National Anthem opened the concert followed by the thumping march 'Lights Out' by Earl McCoy which soon had the audience tapping there feet. Tis is a real fine march, premiered by the band at Brass in Concert last year and it really caught the attention straight away.

The bands solo horn player Rebecca Landon chose music by the Scottish composer Kenneth Downie in the 'Piper of Dundee' and gave an assured performance of this lovely melody with some fine lyrical playing which fully deserved the warm applause.

Music from the pen of Philip Wilby in his flamboyant suite 'Jazz'  is very much an appreciation of a musical invention of the twentieth century as the composer got his inspiration from a visit to New York with all its cosmopolitan influences.  The music has four dance movements with complex rhythms throughout the piece and the band showed great technique with some fine solo work from baritone, horn and flugel supported by a fine percussion section, who eally do hold the key to the success of this piece. This was a bold choice to play, but nothing ventured nothing gained springs to mind, and it was a change from some of the  mundane music you hear at some concerts.

The bands octet (when was the last time we heard an octect at a concert?) then played 'Three Renaissance Dances'  with four players situated on each side of the hall. The antiphonal musical effect of this arrangement by the bands musical director was well balanced and detailed and it certainly pleased the audience.

A piece entitled 'Simply Grand Minuet' arranged by the conductor was followed by Bach's 'Fugue in D Minor', both music which is easy on the ear and a good addition to any programme - especially if they are well played.

The first half ended with the second and third movements of Phillip Sparke's great test piece 'Year of the Dragon'  which featured some fine trombone playing from Yvonne Embury in the lament and some stunning playing all round in the finale.

'Peel Park' from Wilby's 'Lowry Sketchbook' opened the second half and Bach's influence was apparent in this music with its distinctive sounds and chords especially from the moment the EB tuba starts the ball rolling. It was a good start to the second half.

Graham Starr, the bands bass trombone player treated the audience to a Bill Geldard arrangement of Griegs 'Hall of the Mountain King' and this upbeat arrangement was given the full treatment by the soloist who captured just the right style, and the band who stayed in the background to aloow the deep throated tone of the player to really come through.

Robert Smith wrote his poem 'Song of Sailor and Sea' and put it to music, and this arrangement by Toshiyuki Nizzuma, a member of the band, is proving a popular choice at the bands concerts. Based on the Yankee Clipper ships racing across the Atlantic Ocean, this descriptive music was enchanced by some lovely flugel horn playing from Gareth Owen with the band capturing the  mood of the story with some fine contrasts.

The full cornet section led by Rob Westacott then gave us 'Trumpet Blues & Cantabile' (which has been played here on more than a few occassions one would suspect) but is still a number which always pleases the listener. This was followed in total contrast by Brodszky's moving 'I'll Walk With God', and this superb arrangement by Goff Richards showed the bands warm sound to great effect with fine work from the euphonium section a feature.

Bernstein's 'Symphonic Dances from West Side Story' arr Crees concluded the evenings concert with Arlen's 'Get Happy' as a encore.

This was a bold choice of programme by Mark Bentham and his band, but one that was welcomed by the appreciative and knowledgeable audience here at Stroud. Many remarked that it was nice to hear something different. The band  was on fine form and looking forward to next January when they return to Stroud.

David Tinker

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