Leyland Band
1-Aug-2006Conductor: Russell Gray
Victoria Hall
Settle
Saturday 15th July
This was the second time that Leyland has visited the small market town of Settle and the Victoria Hall. Eighteen months ago there was a small but enthusiastic audience that were treated to a high class concert with the band under the direction of John Maines. What a difference those eighteen months have made! The audience was larger, just as enthusiastic, but the performance was of a much higher standard and the music of a much higher technical level but still as enjoyable.
The curtains opened to what has become the bands standard opener for the year "The Champions" and the audience became aware of the quality of sound that a championship section band of this standard can produce. "The Ruler of the Spirits" was the overture selected by the music director Russell Gray linking the win at London last year with the sixtieth birthday of the band which is this year. The music might be on paper that has yellowed with the passing of time but it is still a wonderful overture and the arrangement by the bands first ever conductor H. Moss shows the lighter touch along with solid strong chording.
Brian Hayes took centre stage for the first solo of the evening playing Harry James's "Concerto for Trumpet" arranged by Elgar Howarth. The solo, as Brian says, suits his style of playing and he took the opportunity to show his class as a performer who is more than happy to sit with Andy Lord as the principal of the band.
Czardas by J. Strauss followed before the band had a chance to show off their vocal skills with an item from a rustic scene "The Mill on the Dale". Not the usual sort of item that you would expect in a band concert but one that continues to show that Leyland are a band that want to entertain rather than educate at concerts. Whistled melodies, sheep and cow noises and even the odd baboon and along with jovial Ha Ha's and Tra La La's demonstrated a different sort of skill from the band that went down well with the audience.
"Swing Legends" arranged by Alan Fernie took the audience back to past times and as with the concert only a couple of weeks ago at the English Nationals showed that Russell is willing to switch musical styles and ask for completely different approaches to the music performed.
Lesley Howey was the next soloist and she was able to demonstrate her skills as one of the very best tenor horn players in the country with a performance of the Finale from Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. The audience were stunned by the versatility and skill of Lesley playing as well as the sound that she is able to produce whilst covering the full range of the instrument.
The first half was brought to a close with Sandy Smith's arrangement of Hans Zimmer's Barbarian Horde from the film Gladiator. Here the band was once again able to demonstrate their ability to move from one style of playing to another. The opening passage with it's soft and moving cornet solo played by Andy Lord, which then handed to Brenden Wheeler (Euph), moved into the Holst Planets like driving rhythm with that gave the audience the impression that the Hordes were approaching the quiet town on this hot and sticky night.
The interval gave the band and audience alike a chance to move outside and get some fresh air away from what was a very hot evening.
The first three items on the second half were taken from the Gala Concert performed at the Lowry Centre by the band two weeks previously and were just as dynamic even though the band had to stay in the usual seated format due to the size of the stage. Frode Ryland's "Tour de Band" was the very impressive opener full of flair and passion and gave the audience a feel of what was going to be in the second half. "Hora Staccato" gave the whole of the cornet section the opportunity to once again demonstrate their abilities and this was followed but the quiet and unusual piece "Letter from Home" by Pat Metheny and arranged by Svein Giske.
Gary Westwood one of the bands arrangers (and half of the third cornet section) arranged the next piece for the band Shostakovich's "A Spin Through Moscow". The trip does not take long as it goes at some pace with solo passages for flugel horn and passages handed from one section to another throughout showed how Russell Grey has developed the band into a unit that can perform at the highest level.
Brenden Wheeler took centre stage for a solo from the pen of W. Rimmer "Jenny Jones". Having just been awarded the best soloist prize at the English Nationals Brenden is fast building himself a reputation as a very fine soloist and he did not let himself down here with a wonderful rendition of the piece.
No band concert would be complete without a hymn and the band performed Goff Richards's arrangement of W.H. Monks "Abide with Me" which is also included on the bands most recent CD. From the soft running triplet passage in the cornets at the beginning through the long build up to the final rendition of the tune and then towards the final cords this was a wonderful performance.
Chris Doran was the final soloist of the evening performing Philip Sparke's arrangement of "The sun has got his hat on" and by now the band appeared to be wishing that it had as the temperature in the hall continued to rise.
Finally there was Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Buffoons" from "The Snow Maiden". With its references to Russian folk music its lively tempo and off beat accents this was a fitting and dynamic last number. The audience loved it and an encore was required with the band choosing the "Radetsky March". Audience participation was required and due to a number of the audience jumping in early a second start was required but under the leadership of Russell Grey everybody got to the end in one peace and together.
This was a wonderful evening of music played to the highest level by a band that is developing and getting better with every outing. The audience, although not quite at full capacity, gave the band their full support on a very hot evening and there were many requests for the band to return for a third time. What more could be asked!
John Bramhall
