Wingates Band

Conductor: Andrew Berryman
Morley Town Hall
12th January

Wingates Band gave their first ever concert at the Leeds International Concert Season on Saturday evening at Morley Town Hall, and produced a most interesting programme that overall was both well delivered and received by its audience. 

Opening with the march ‘Ravenswood’ the band gave a spirited performance of this great march although it did take a little time to settle as the ensemble integrated itself with the acoustic. 

The band chose the Overture ‘Nabucco’ by Verdi to follow and gave a most musical show with some fine controlled playing throughout with nice warm sounds from the middle of the band and a precise ensemble a feature.
  
The band’s solo baritone player Katie Smallwood delivered a well shaped nice rendition of ‘Donegal Bay’ by Paul Lovatt Cooper. The soloist played lyrically but the band accompaniments were too loud at times - a problem that many bands have here when supporting soloists. 

Kenneth Downie’s beautiful ‘In Perfect Peace’ gave time to reflect on the problems we all face, and the playing was sensitively delivered with control and lyrical warmth in both solo and ensemble lines.

‘Tea for Toobas’, featuring Mick Morris and John Clough on basses, was an entertaining item well played with humour as well, before the first half finished with one of the great brass band classics ‘Life Divine’ by Cyril Jenkins.

The MD created a fine atmosphere with some good work from the trombone section a feature. Towards the end it became a little tired but overall a good performance of this thrilling music and one that left the impression that even thought there were a few rough edges to smooth out before Butlins, Wingates were very much on the right track in terms of contest preparation.

A stirring opening to the second half with ‘Summon the Heroes’  was followed by ‘Wicked’ by the bands solo horn player Lucy Pankhurst, which the band premiered at the US Open late last year.. This had some unusual backing effects but it was a clever and interesting piece of music. Gary Curtin on euphonium then went on to give an excellent performance of Peter Grahams ‘Bravura’ showing solid technique and sound, well backed by the band.

Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’ which featured some excellent solo cornet playing from Andrew McDonald and a great xylophone solo from Andrea Crossley in ‘When Johnny comes Marching Home’ led us to Evelyn Glennie’s beautiful ‘Little Prayer’ in which the band showed its full, well balanced warm sound of to good effect once more, even if a touch more dynamic control would have helped at times.

The finale was the second half of John de Meij great test piece ‘Extreme Makeover’ -one of this reviewer’s favourite pieces of music, and although at times it lacked clarity it was exciting and a great end to the concert.

As an encore they gave us ‘Mambo No 5’ arranged by the MD, which was light, bright and breezy with the added bonus of some good singing too.

A very good concert indeed from a band that is certainly heading in the right direction and the reception they received from an appreciative and knowledgeable audience could well see them back again next year.  I am sure they will be invited again to this great concert series.

Dave Tinker

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