Contrast in Brass 3!

Thundersley Brass Band with Zone One Brass
Hadleigh Temple
Saturday 21st October

The third joint concert arranged by Thundersley Brass Band followed the tried and tested format, with each band presenting an individual programme, and the evening closing with a number of massed items. 

The link between the two bands is provided by Keith Schroeter, Musical Director of Thundersley and a member of Zone One's horn section, and it was he who raised the baton first, as Thundersley opened their selection with Ray Farr's arrangement of "Riverdance".  The cornet soloist started off in the foyer, which proved quite effective, and the band coped pretty well with the rhythmic complexities, with Keith at pains to calm the exuberance of the percussion section, who were positioned a little distance from the rest of the band. 

The item certainly caught the imagination of the large audience, which included the Mayor of Castle Point and his guests.

Faure's "Pavane" (arr Langford) offered a total contrast, with the duet between rep and solo cornet being finely balanced.  After a somewhat tentative start, the accompaniment soon settled down, with particularly
sensitive playing from the bass section.   The melody was rather overwhelmed by the lower section of the band at the first climax, and it was just a little unfortunate that the Principal Cornet was masked by the soloist's stand.  Lauren Cave has recently taken over the Principal cornet position, and she was the first featured soloist, with a confident presentation of  Peter Graham's "Whirlwind", based on the song "I have found a great salvation, glory, glory, glory to God".  The band swamped her a little on occasions, and her projection would have been better if she had played over the top of the stand, rather than into it.

Introducing John Williams' "Hymn to the fallen" from the film "Saving Private Ryan", Keith pointed out that the producer, Stephen Spielberg, had explained that he did not want too much music in the film, but he was
looking for one theme that would create a deep impression on the audience. 

"Hymn to the fallen" certainly met is requirements, and Thundersley's reading was the highlight of their programme.  It was a sensitive performance, with a full, sustained sound, good control and well-balanced
chords.

It has become customary for the bands to exchange soloists on these occasions, and so it was that Craig Burnett stepped forward to play Nigel Hess's theme from the TV detective series "Hetty Wainthorp". Craig,
who until recently occupied the soprano chair in Zone One, produced a technically secure reading, if a little lacking in affection, and one was left with the impression that it would not have been his ideal choice of item.

For their final individual item, Thundersley chose more film music from the pen of John Williams, this time the theme from "Superman".  Once again, there was a little uncertainty in the first statement of the main theme,
although things soon settled down, and the central section, which somehow always reminds this listener of Richard Strauss's "Death and transfiguration", was presented with appropriate warmth and tenderness. 

Despite a little unevenness, Thundersley showed that they are a band with considerable potential, and once in their stride they play well, with good intonation and disciplined playing, which should hold them in good stead as they prepare to move up into the Third Section next year.

After a short interval to facilitate the changeover of the bands, Zone One Brass presented their individual items.  Formed in 2002 by students at the Royal College of Music, their charismatic conductor Simon Dobson has now relocated to his native Cornwall, leaving them without a permanent conductor.  On this occasion, the band was taken by trumpeter Paul Archibald, and he secured a sensitive and assured reading of their first item, Mendelssohn's overture "Fingal's Cave", as arranged by George Thompson.  Crescendos were finely judged and the band displayed a uniformity of approach, although the occasional pronounced accent in the bass seemed a little out of context. 

A special word of appreciation for Cliff Pask, formerly Principal Cornet with Aveley but on this occasion filling the soprano chair: his continuation of the solo cornet line and his playing of the rising figure right at the end were exemplary, as was his contribution throughout the evening..

Paul's expressive direction - without a baton - was also seen to good effect in Jan van der Roost's 'Canterbury Chorale".  Sections were well-blended, with featured passages emerging naturally from the texture, rather than being imposed upon it.  The long, sustained crescendo was well judged, with no over-blowing, and the effect was only marred by the ringing of a phone outside the hall in the closing bars.

Having played his last concert with Becontree the week before, Paul Hicks, Thundersley's new Principal Euphonium, was the featured soloist in Howard Snell's transcription of "Nessun Dorma".  His commanding rendition was marked by the sympathetic support of band and conductor, ensuring that the soloist could be heard even at the fullest climaxes, and was well received by the audience, which included his mother, a member of Hadleigh Corps.

Introducing Steve Sykes's version of "Caravan" (Ellington/Tizol) Paul Archibald pointed out that it was the first jazz number with a pronounced Latin American influence, and it certainly gave the band an opportunity
to let their hair down, with particularly fine contributions from trombone and percussion.  The exotic harmonies also came across well, particularly in the flugel/horn section, although the actual sound they produced did not quite balance up with the rest of the band.

Zone One closed their set with three movements from "Hymn of the Highlands" by Philip Sparke, himself a product of the Royal College of Music, who formed a brass band at the college during his time there. "Ardross Castle" opened with the horn and baritone off-stage in the foyer, whilst the featured trio in 'Alladale" were David Hopkin (flugel), Hannah Evans (tenor horn, but using a French horn mouthpiece), and Ben Whyntie, who produced a lovely sound on the baritone.  Ending with the final movement, "Dundonnell",
the band played well within itself, with a full sound, but never going over the top.  There seemed to be a good rapport between conductor and band, which could bode well for the future, particularly if rehearsals can be held on a more regular basis.

The first massed item was Ray Farr's arrangement of "Toccata in D minor" possibly a risky choice in the light of the thinly scored passages near the beginning, where there were a few hairy moments, and the two
xylophonists seemed to be getting in each other's way. Nevertheless it was a definite crowd-pleaser, even if it seems a little hackneyed due to over-exposure.

Peter Graham's setting of the tune of Repton, "Dear Lord and father of mankind", was marred by an awkward breath towards the end of the opening phrase of the melody, but after that the bands produced a good, full sound, as they did in Wilfred Heaton's march "Praise", taken at a fairly steady  pace which allowed for clarity rather than bluster.

Thundersley's young 2nd trombonist had selected the ensemble piece for the evening, and so it was he found himself on his feet with the rest of the section as they presented Goff Richards' version of "I will follow him".  The soloists captured the various styles well, although there were times when the accompaniment was a little heavy.

The final programmed item was William Himes' transcription of "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral". Under the direction of Paul Archibald, it was a reading marked by attention to detail, both regarding note values and dynamics, with the final crescendo all the more effective for being held back.  It was symptomatic of the friendly nature of the evening that the solo lines were shared out between the two bands, and their combined sound was never allowed to get out of control.

The Mayor spoke of his pride as Thundersley represent his borough, and also referred to their visit to play to Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond following his recent accident and hospitalisation.  An evening which had included a varied programme with something to suit a wide range of tastes, ended with an enthusiastic rendition of "Is this the way to Amarillo?" which had the audience tapping their feet, clapping and singing along.

Peter Bale

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