Conductor: Erik Janssen
Guest Soloists: Jason Lewis, Clara Greening
The Great Hall
University of Swansea
Sunday 28th July

Although caution is maintained when highlighting the current state of music provision and arts funding in Wales, the health of its National Youth Brass Band offers a catalyst of positivity for the future. 

Now managed by National Youth Arts Wales (alongside the National Youth Choir, Orchestra and Theatre), the wider issues were touched on in the interval speech given by its CEO Evan Dawson.

Endorsement

Eight months into his new job he fully acknowledged the current challenges but balanced it with the announcement of a new partnership with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM).  A bold youth initiative, it was a significant endorsement that it was made at the event.  

Boldness too in the decision to return to a double band of 53 players - acknowledgment of an encouraging spread of talent in age (13-22) and geographic location throughout the nation. 

They were helped by Erik Jannsen’s intelligent choice of repertoire (and encouraging direction), challenging but achievable in its demands, aided by two fine soloists whose own musical success has been inspired by their National Youth experiences.

Boldness too in the decision to return to a double band of 53 players - acknowledgment of an encouraging spread of talent in age (13-22) and geographic location throughout the nation. 

Handel nod

Jason Lewis (Section Leader of the CBSO) gave assured renditions of Ballantine’s ‘Don’t Doubt Him Now’,  ‘Napoli’  and ‘Vidda’,  before being joined by soprano singer Clara Greening for the concert finale of ‘I Shall Love But Thee’,  inspired by Shakespeare’s famous Sonnet 18 with more than a nod to Handel’s ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’.

The solos were part of a first half of the fizzy PLC opener, ‘Through the Fames’,  Evelyn Glennie’s ‘A Little Prayer’  (cleverly arranged to feature harmonised singing) and Gareth Wood’s evocative ‘Japanese Slumber Song’.

Mature understanding

The centrepiece was Stijn Aertgeerts’ ‘Bipolarity’  – a reflection on youthful mental health issues of the here and now; of adrenaline highs and crushing lows remorselessly channelled by a social media world obsessed by images of conformity and acceptance. The performance spoke of a mature understanding not just of the music itself.

The performance spoke of a mature understanding not just of the music itself.

The second half was lighter in outlook; the sonic theatricals of ‘Space Chords’  and the uplifting march ‘The Jaguar’  leading to Michael Triggs’ ‘Steel Tracks’  – an intermittent high-speed stop/start journey all too reminiscent of the current Great Western Rail service from Swansea to London.

Billy Joel’s ‘Lullabye’  (featuring two trombone and flugel choirs) was a tender delight, whilst the deliberately manic performance of ‘Freaks’  – complete with dancing, percussion cornet cases and plenty of seriously energised playing rounded things off in the most positive way possible.

So too the communal applause for annual award  winners of Cari Jones, Solomon Maghur and Erin Maloney, the latter receiving the award in memory of Tony Small BEM, a founding figure in setting the band up.

Iwan Fox