Leeds Metropolitan University Summer Prom

Black Dyke Band
Conductor: Dr Nicholas Childs
Leeds Metropolitan Singers
Conductor: Andrew Dean
Yorkshire Youth Brass Band
Headingley Campus
Sunday 16th July

The latest partnership between Leeds Metropolitan University and the Black Dyke Band enabled over 1000 people to attend the first ever Summer Prom held by the University in the spacious surroundings of its Headingley Campus.

The Graduation Hall (which in effect was a gigantic marquee already in place for the forthcoming Graduation ceremonies) was air-conditioned, providing some relief from the intense heat outdoors and with everybody seated at the same level the television screens throughout the marquee were a huge bonus giving the audience close ups of the action. 

In addition to the British Open Champions, the concert featured the Leeds Met Singers and the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band who had assembled earlier in the day for some tutorage from members of Black Dyke, and whom made a huge impression on everyone present.

Although the Yorkshire Youth Band had appeared alongside Dyke in May, this concert was to be the first time they'd played individually and the eighty-five members on stage loved every single minute of their short appearance.  Led by 18 year old Tom Hutchinson, the band opened up with an accomplished performance of Ray Farr's ‘Adventures in Brass' which featured some well balanced sounds and nice detail shining through, before the youngsters really enjoyed themselves enormously in Peter Meechan's ‘Rio Carnival' – a real sense of the Brazilian samba atmosphere with a plethora of percussion instruments rhythmically played as they went around the hall.

Black Dyke's contributions to the concert weren't too demanding on the lips after the previous night's concert in Chichester.  They commenced the whole concert with John Williams' ‘Olympic Fanfare & Theme' before really getting into gear with a cracking performance, full of dynamic contrast, of Brahms ‘Academic Festival Overture' written in 1880 for the conferment of his own honorary doctorate of philosophy degree by Breslau University.  This mini-set was concluded with Joseph Cook royally entertaining the audience in Monti's ‘Czardas'.

The second half had a more traditional promenade feel to it.  Holst's ‘Jupiter' and ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' opening with a quartet comprising of Morvern Gilchrist, Gareth Brindle, David Childs and John Doyle, before Bass Trombonist Adrian Hirst took the limelight performing the identifiable tune.

Andrew Dean was at the helm to direct the band and the Leeds Met Singers through ‘Zadok the Priest', ‘Speed Your Journey' and the Hallelujah Chorus before Nicholas Childs returned to engage the audience's participation in the ‘Patriotic Fantasia of British Sea Songs', ‘Jerusalem' and ‘Pomp & Circumstance March Number 1' (‘Land of Hope & Glory') with Bridget Budge leading the singing.

Prior to the concert, the Youth Band were featured live on the BBC's Politics Show which looked at the controversial subject of music teaching and funding in schools whilst Philip Wilby led a composers forum that featured solo performances from David Childs, Joseph Cook and Paul Woodward.

The idea to perform a Promenade concert for the public of Leeds proved to be an overwhelming success. Black Dyke and the opportunity to hear musicians very much of the present, let alone the future in the form of the Yorkshire Youth Band was appreciated by everybody.  From its inception, the Youth Band has exceeded its initial expectations and the foundations are now in place to nurture players from within the county onto greater things whilst maintaining the ethos of enjoyment.

Malcolm Wood

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