Music for Brass and Voice

Cambridge Heath Brass
Soloists: Edward Hallinan (tuba) & Andrea Hazell (mezzo soprano)
The Church of St John of Jerusalem
Hackney
Monday 2nd July

St Joseph's Hospice is situated next door to the Salvation Army's Cambridge Heath Corps, and has benefited from various fund-raising events since its foundation in 1905.  For their latest venture, Cambridge Heath Brass, under the direction of Roy Terry, were joined by tuba player Edward Hallinan, an undergraduate at the Royal College of Music, and mezzo soprano Andrea Hazell, a member of the Royal Opera.

After the band had opened proceedings with Leslie Condon's festival march "Universal Message" Edward Hallinan presented two movements from Bach's "Cello Suite No 1 in G".  Kenneth Downie's "Princethorpe Variations" was perhaps a rather over-adventurous choice for a group that is only able to get together infrequently, but it drew a warm response from the audience who had braved the torrential rain, which even penetrated the roof of the church, causing people to move to find a drier seat.

Andrea Hazell's items in her first slot were all drawn from the world of opera, with Bizet's "Habanera" from "Carmen", Saint-Saens' "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" from "Samson et Dalila" (possibly better known by the English title "Softly Awakes my Heart") and finally "Vilia" from Franz Lehar's "The Merry Widow".  Piano accompaniment was ably provided by Christine Burton, who also assisted the band on percussion.

Dean Goffin's meditation "The Compassionate Christ" led up to a time of reflection from Commissioner Paul du Plessis, who spoke from his own experience of the work of compassion being carried out in God's name around the world.

Edward showed excellent control of the upper end of the register in the "Romanza" from Vaughan Williams' "Tuba Concerto in F Minor", before demonstrating a lighter touch in Roy Newsome's "Bass in the Ballroom", both performed with piano.

The "Siciliano" from Malcolm Arnold's "Little Suite No 1" featured Cambridge Heath's Principal Cornet Derek Watson, and was followed by the "March" from Gustav Holst's "A Moorside Suite".

For her second slot, Andrea had chosen items from the lighter end of the repertoire, commencing with two Jerome Kern songs, "Smoke Gets in your Eyes" and "Can't help lovin' that Man" from Show Boat.  In "The Saga of Jenny" from "Lady in the Dark", Kurt Weill's 1941 collaboration with Ira Gershwin, she made the most of the dark humour of the lyrics, drawing many chuckles from the audience.

The best playing of the evening by the band was to be found in Leslie Condon's classic "The Call of the Righteous", from the unison opening on the cornets through to the rousing finale.  After words of appreciation and a benediction offered by the Rev James Fennell, the band set feet tapping with Patrick Rivers' march "Keep Singing".  In addition to the money raised through ticket sales, a retiring collection was taken to support the vital work carried out by the Sisters of Mercy at the Hospice.

Peter Bale

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