Carl Richardson Memorial Concert

Burton Town Hall
Sunday 10th June

The memorial concert took place at Burton Town Hall Sunday 10th June 2007. Organised by Mark Bousie, the concert celebrated the life and work of the well known and popular tuba player, conductor and teacher, Carl Richardson, who sadly passed away in July 2006. It is a pleasant coincidence that the day would have been Carl's Dad's birthday.
 
There were about 120 players who had travelled miles to take part in this special concert, it really does show what Carl meant to so many. A considerable number of others were unable to take part, but sent their best wishes.  The music in the concert had significance to Carl's musical career, from pieces performed at the National Festival of Music for Youth Finals at the Royal Festival Hall and Schools Proms at the Royal Albert Hall to pieces he enjoyed conducting or pieces he simply loved to listen to.  All proceeds from the concert were donated to Leukaemia Research. Needless to say in line with Carl’s wishes much fun was had by all as well as sublime musical playing from some of the countries finest players.
 
The first half of the concert took the form of a massed wind band, under the baton of Phil Marshall, who treated the audience to an entertaining mix of music from the big band classics to modern day film music.
 
Getting off in spectacular fashion with brass fanfares from all around the Burton Town Hall in Paul Jenning’s arrangement of ‘Where no man has gone
before’.  Then followed two Sammy Nesto numbers, ‘An Ellington Festival’ and ‘Round Midnight’. 
 
This windband format lends it’s self extremely well to the music of John Williams and in particular the massive library of film scores. We were treated to a not too often played classic ‘The Cowboys’ from the 1972 John Wayne movie (who else!). In contrast we then moved to the a selection of George Gershwin numbers well arranged by Warren Barker followed by the John Higgins collection of Count Basie numbers in ‘Salute to Basie’.
 
Prokofiev was also one of Carl’s favourite composers and the next item tends to be used more at Christmas time but as this is a ‘celebration’ - why not  the brilliant ‘Troika’. After a bit of audience participation in the Chuck Rio classic ‘Tequila’ the first half was brought to fitting close was another piece of John Barry film music taken from the classic movie of 1984 ‘Out of Africa’.
 
The second half saw a plethora of 80+ Brass players jostling for a seat on the Burton stage for a Massed Brass Band performance that could probably been heard in Lichfield and Derby. Under the baton of old friend Michael Fowles, in typical Carl fashion the band started with an up tempo brass band march, and what better than William Rimmer’s classic ‘Punchinello’.
 
Showing Carl’s more serious side - as most friends will know Carl enjoyed Mozart and every chance Carl had of conducting out came ‘The Overture to The Magic Flute’.
 
After a moving performance of the much under-used haunting ‘Romance’ from Shostakovich score to the film ‘The Gadfly’ we moved to the other end of the spectrum with 10 or more percussionists rising to the challenge of Ray Farr’s brilliant arrangement of John Williams music from ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’. With Carl being a low brass player it was fitting that the massed section of euphonium players gave us a beautiful rendition of  ‘Deep Inside the Sacred Temple’ from Bizet’s ‘The Pearl Fishers’, before moving onto some more foot tapping stuff with Goff Richards collection of show tunes in ‘Breezin' Down Broadway’.
 
Another quieter and moving moment came with the lovely setting of  ‘The Irish Blessing’ and a beautiful opening quartet featuring David Thornton (Black Dyke), Leslie Howie (Leyland) Jayne Sadler (Sellers) and Pam Davis (Derwent Brass) had the audience spellbound.
 
And so it came to the soloist spot of the evening. Well obviously it had to be a tuba, and if Carl couldn’t do it, then why not one his former pupils - Les Neish. Les is currently Principal Tuba of the Fodens Band and one of the country’s top tuba players at the moment winning award after award. A brilliant solo performance of  ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ complete with multiphonic cadenza’s, brought back those fun memories.
 
How to follow that?  Well with difficulty obviously, but the entire herd of 16 tubas made a sterling effort playing ‘The Elephant’ from Saint Saen ‘Carnival of the Animals’.
 
Another quiet and reflective moment followed with Roy Newsome’s brilliant setting of ‘Deep Harmony’  before we hade the evening’s finale. The massed band, under Michael Fowles’s baton, all giving 110% in a stunning and memorable performance of the John Miles classic 70s hit ‘Music’ bringing the audience to a standing ovation. Surely the opening lyrics sum up this whole event and our memories of our dear friend:
 
Music was my first love,  And it will be my last
Music of the future,  And music of the past
 
To live without my music Would be impossible to do
In this world of troubles My music pulls me through!
 
Rob Stew
Band Manager - Derwent Brass

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