Derwent Brass

Conductor: Kieth Leonard
Guests: Treorchy Male Voice Choir
Assembly Rooms
Derby
Saturday 12th April

Put together a brass band with a Male Voice Choir and most people would question spending two and a half hours in their company.  

But when Derwent Brass, invites the famous Treorchy Male Choir, then there’s something special going to happen.  And happen it certainly did, when one thousand people packed into the Assembly Rooms in the heart of Derby to listen to a ‘Brass and Voice’ spectacle, the quality of which has probably not been seen in the area for some time

Compeered by Steven Blakeley, aka PC Geoff Younger from ITV’s 'Heartbeat', he introduced the choir’s guest conductor, Dr Alwyn Humphreys MBE, to direct the well-known G & S ‘Entrance of the Peers’.  Immediately the band sounded well prepared, and a sympathetic accompaniment made sure of a perfect marriage between them and choir from the start.

Carefully prepared

The programme had been carefully prepared, with the choir continuing with, ‘With a Voice of Singing’, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ and the spiritual ‘Give me that Old Time Religion’, accompanied expertly by Helen Roberts, whose delicate touch on the piano was an enhancement to the excellent singing.

Derwent Brass opened with the baroque ‘King’s Hunting Jigg’. Expertly navigating the Howarth arrangement, MD Keith Leonard, made light work of this complex piece.  They followed with Wilby’s ‘Great Redeemer’ before the cornet section was put to the test in ‘Hora Staccato’.  I say put to the test - but all eleven members played entirely from memory….not bad eh!

Dr Humphreys took the stage again for the choir’s traditional Welsh spot with ‘A Song in his Heart’. 

The choir sung from their own hearts, and ‘Tydi y Roddaist’, ‘Y Darlun’ and ‘Unwaith E’ton’, the latter which featured Dean Powell in solo verse filled the Assembly Rooms with the most splendid sounds.

With a subtle shifting of stage layout, it was left to Derwent Brass to play out the first half with their Big Band set.  As tonight was the official release of the bands new CD, ‘Big Band, Big Screen’ we were in for a treat of entertaining music. 

‘Just a Closer Walk’ followed by ‘Hot Toddy’ featured great solo work from the cornet of David Neville, flugel Pam Davies and Martyn Johnson on trombone.  ‘Mack the Knife’ and Mark Freeh’s arrangement of ’Malaguena’ finished off a first half that sent most people off to the bar breathless. 

Second half

Derwent opened the second half with Howard Snell’s arrangement of the dynamic ‘Folk Festival’ and was followed by one of the highlights of the evening when Derwent Brass met the River Derwent head on, or so it seemed, as they danced their way over ‘Riverdance’.  No bandy legs here tonight, just good solid solos and some notable percussion work from the boys at the back (and the front).

The Band’s MD, Keith Leonard, is also a dab hand at arranging as he showed when joined by the Treorchy boys in Keith’s own arrangement of Verdi’s ‘Va Pensiero’.

It was then the choir’s turn to take us to ‘A Faraway Place’, before they turned their attention to Karl Jenkin’s ‘Adiemus’.  Karl wrote an entire score of nonsense words to be sung to this fine score.  That is to say, they are meaningless, but it’s not until you hear them sung at first hand that you realise each word reflects an articulation that gives the music real flavour.  Bravo! 

Final selections

The choir’s final number took them on an African chant ‘Sinzenina’ before bringing them straight to their homeland to rapturous applause for everyone’s favourite ‘Men of Harlech’, sung with a sense of vigour that only the best can pull off.

The band’s final selection opened with the march ‘Death or Glory’ and even the most popular marches can sound special in the right hands.  This was followed by Sandy Smith’s arrangement of the Laurel and Hardy classic tunes from ‘Way out West’ in ‘Another Fine Mess’ with soloists Adam Rutter and Rob Stew pulling off an excellent ‘don’t try this at home’ performance, complete with DJ’s and Bowler hats and a rather large wooden mallet! 

The band’s final item was a selection of music from the hit movie ‘Gladiator’ in which the band, lead us on a metaphorical journey to ancient Rome.  Breathtaking!

Treorchy Choir, made their final selection with ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, ‘My Way’ and concluded with a magical ‘Nessun Dorma’, which went to show that this modern day Male Choir is still in touch and can tackle anything. 

The evening concluded with the traditional joint item of  ‘Morte Christie’, ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’, followed by the joint National Anthems lifting the roof off the Assembly Rooms one final time.

The people of Derby will, no doubt, be looking forward to the return match?

Graham Jacklin
MD Leicestershire Co-op Band

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