Wingates Band

Conductor: Andy Berryman
Victoria Hall, Bolton
Saturday 27th October

It’s not the most profound statement ever to have been written, but all bands need to go through the routine of ‘Preperation, Practice and Performance’ (also the title of Dr Roger Webster’s excellent book, so you can see it works) be it for a contest or a competition.  

When it’s a contest there’s always that extra bit of determination and incentive to get things right and at the moment, Wingates’ focus is on their forthcoming performance in Chicago at the US Open Brass Band Championships.

Hence, the current preparation is intense, as is (hopefully) the players own personal practice, the immediate benefit of which was seen and heard in front of audiences such as this one, in their home town of Bolton where there was more vocal support for the local heroes from their fans than can be currently heard at the nearby Reebok football stadium. How Sammy Lee would have loved to have had a team of players as committed to the cause as this lot. 

It wasn’t the biggest of surprises to discover that much of the concert was given over to American themed music, with the second half being a run through of the band’s programme for the US Open contest. There is no substitute for running things through in front of a live audience and discovering what works, what doesn’t and what needs to be addressed before it’s done for real. The evidence on show was that they are coming to the boil very nicely indeed.

Listening to the opening march, ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ (what else could you start off an American themed concert with?) it was clear that the band had been putting in plenty of work sounding well drilled with tight and balanced ensemble. Matthew Bolson put in the infamous obligato solo with consummate ease and with a touch of bravura panache that the Yanks will surely love.  

The same can be said for the up-tempo ‘Strike Up the Band’ before the band’s Principal Cornet, Andrew McDonald produced a slick and facile interpretation of ‘Charivari’.

Andy Berryman, the band’s conductor is also the principal trombone of the Halle Orchestra.  Andy is not just a terrific front man for the band, he’s a cracking trombonist as well, as he demonstrated in a virtuoso performance of jazz trombone playing in Jiggs Whigham’s ‘Wooden Snow’.

Following an energetic romp through Howard Snell’s arrangement of the overture ‘Candide’ the main chunk of the first half was devoted to ‘The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace' which has been expertly arranged for brass band from the Karl Jenkins original by Tony Small.

In a performance dedicated to the memory of Stuart Pullin, the band demonstrated a stylistic understanding of the music from the vibrant opening ‘Armed Man’ and ‘Charge’ through to the beautiful ‘Benedictus’ delivered with excellent musicianship from the band’s principal euphonium, Gary Curtin.

And so to the US Open programme including the MD’s attire that should go down a storm in the US – and no doubt bring some comment from compere, Frank Renton.  It’s certainly an interesting mix of repertoire with the band really taking some well judged risks out of its usual comfort zone at times. The band is really intent on making the required impact on the judges in Arlington Heights on 10th November for sure.

The traditional British march from William Rimmer was played with all the confidence you’d expect from a band with such a history (100 years ago they completed the double with him at the helm of course – something the Americans who like a bit of historical culture will no doubt lap up), whilst the key ingredient of all major entertainment competitions, the ‘new composition’ was a little cracker too.

For this, the band has turned to Lucy Pankhurst, the band’s solo horn player and composer-in-residence for a piece of music entitled ‘Wicked’. Lucy is an up and coming composer who has a clear individual style of writing.
 
‘Wicked’ is a contemporary composition that has a somewhat funk and rock music feel to it. It’s very different but just great fun– commencing with some euphonium pyrotechnics from Gary Curtin. The music evolves from that virtuoso point to make an impressive impact. The Americans should enjoy it a great deal.
 
In complete contrast, a new arrangement of the popular ‘Mambo Number 5’ (including touches of choreography that the Royle Family would be proud of) was well handled which lead into the band’s featured soloist, trombonist Peter Moore.  Peter is 11 years of age and is currently the British Open Junior Solo Champion (in fact his presence at the US Open means that he won’t be able to defend his title) and after a bit of stagecraft with the MD in which they temporarily swapped roles, Peter demonstrated what a naturally gifted musician he is courtesy of one of his familiar trombone solos. He will go down a storm.

‘Malaguena’ meanwhile was taken at a fair old lick to round things off, whilst with a sigh of relief (and to a rapturous reception from the audience) that the public dress rehearsal had gone extremely well, the players concluded the night’s music with ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ and a conservative performance of ‘Riverdance’ where unanticipated darkness descended on the hall in the final bars.

On this evidence Wingates are certainly on excellent form ahead of their trip across the Atlantic. It’s now a case of fine-tuning their programme ahead of one the most prestigious excursions the band has taken in recent years with the real possibility that they can return crowned as US Open Champions.

Malcolm Wood

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