Image: Gordon Ratcliffe

Conductor: Ian McElligott
Featuring: Colne Valley, Gledholt, New Mill Male Voice Choirs
Piano Accompanist: Jane Robertson
Compere: David Hoyle
Huddersfield Town Hall
Saturday March 23rd 

This was a night of deserved celebration.  

The presentation of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service was the proud focal point, added to by the type of music making that makes these bi-annual concerts so popular.  

It made for a memorable evening; the formalities of the presentation to Band President Stephen Howe by the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire a fitting reminder to those present of the West Riding band’s commitment to excellence in representing their community.  

Arguably, never has the ‘Fanfare & National Anthem’  segueing into ‘Crown Imperial’  full of brio and brilliance held as much direct inference in the long history of these events.

Arguably, never has the ‘Fanfare & National Anthem’  segueing into ‘Crown Imperial’  full of brio and brilliance held as much direct inference in the long history of these events.

Balances

From there on it was traditional fayre led with knowledgeable purpose by MD, Ian McElligott. MacCunn's 'The Land of the Mountain and the Flood'  was presented with vivid characterisation, whilst Alford's 'Colonel Bogey'  also maintained its chipper sense of non- conformity.  

Ernest Tomlinson’s delicate 'Little Serenade'  was played with a lightness of touch, before Hepworth’s tenor horn soloist, Georgia Woodhead was a confident, lyrical voice in 'I Don't Know How to Love Him'.

Melded well

The massed choirs delivered both traditional and modern works: 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross', 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Gwahoddiad'  and 'Another Day'  offered a refined counterpoint to the brass under the Brighouse MD and pianist, Jane Robertson, with Holst's playfully rousing 'Jupiter'  and 'Non Nobis Domine'  melded well.  

The fun of Malcolm Arnold's 'Padstow Lifeboat'  was also balanced by the yearning beauty of Vaughan Williams’ 'The 49th Parallel',  before Tom Smith brushed off ‘The Nightingale' with chirpy elan

'Cavatina'  and 'Loves Changes Everything'  offered the audience more easy going, sumptuously played quality, before Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance march No,1'  brought an evening of deserved Brighouse pride to a fine close.

Malcolm Wood