*
banner

Black Dyke Band

Queensbury band provides the taste of their traditional brass band entertainment to entice the audience in numbers to Reading.

Conductor: Dr David Thornton
British Bandsman Concert Series
Reading Town Hall
Saturday 23rd November

Tough weather conditions didn’t deter fans of Black Dyke Band (who themselves endured a six-hour bus journey) in making their way to Reading Town Hall for a concert that deliberately appealed to Pondasher tastes.   

In contrast to the previous weekend’s Brass in Concert performances, the Queensbury band, led by Dr David Thornton, provided entertainment of a more traditional kind, including works by Ball, Bliss and Suppe interspersing excellent solo contributions and familiar ensemble features.

Bright sounds

The bright sounds of ‘Star Lake’  opened the first half followed by the classic overture ‘Poet and Peasant’,  the original violin passages played with dextrous articulation adding to the artistically played opening horn lead of Siobhan Bates.

Mike Cavanagh’s hallmark performances of Martin Ellerby’s ‘Baritone Concerto’  have almost made the work his signature. Yet again it was played with a superb mix of character and musicality in utilising the instrument’s range and tonal quality.

The first half was completed by a finely structured rendition of ‘Journey into Freedom’  – a welcome reprise of an audience favourite, at times briskly propelled, but still retaining its dramatically passionate heart.

The first half was completed by a finely structured rendition of ‘Journey into Freedom’  – a welcome reprise of an audience favourite, at times briskly propelled, but still retaining its dramatically passionate heart.

Immaculate construction

The immaculate construction of ‘Kenilworth’  by Bliss remains intact despite the passing years, the excellent solos features adding to the sense of majesty, pathos and pride.

The immaculate construction of ‘Kenilworth’  by Bliss remains intact despite the passing years, the excellent solos features adding to the sense of majesty, pathos and pride.

It offered a substantive prelude to a lighter second half that saw soloists Adam Warburton provide a ‘tug at the heartstrings’ ‘Londonderry Air’  even in a jazz idiom, Adam Bokaris’s rollicking ‘Rule Britannia’  and Gareth Hand’s whizz-bang ‘Robbin’ Harry'  on xylophone.

Easy listening

The ‘Strictly Black Dyke’  set offered dance move Saturday night easy listening entertainment with the trio of ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’‘Libertango’  and ‘Bolero’  before the rousing sounds of Respighi’s ‘Pines of Rome’  brought things to a close.

The encore, ‘Highland Cathedral’  topped a fine concert that made the journey through Storm Bert well worth the battle. 

Fiona Bennett and John Heritage

Support us for less than a cup of coffee...

4BR wants to ensure that the brass band movement remains vibrant and relevant. We also want to be able to question, challenge and critically examine those who run and play in it, producing high quality journalism that informs as well as entertains our readers.

So if like us you value a strong, independent perspective on the brass band world - then why not consider becoming a supporter and help make our future and that of a burgeoning brass band movement more secure.

So one less cappuccino then?

Support us    



Contest: Norwegian National Brass Band Championships

Friday 7 February • Grieghallen, Bergen, N-5015. N-5015


Regent Hall Concerts - Junior Guildhall Brass Band

Friday 7 February • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Haverhill Silver Band - Concert in Clare Church

Saturday 8 February • St Peter and St Paul Church, Clare, Suffolk CO10 8NY


Contest: Norwegian National Brass Band Championships

Saturday 8 February • Grieghallen, Bergen, N-5015 N-5015


Newstead Brass - VALENTINE'S VARIATIONS

Sunday 9 February • Ashwood Centre . Kirkby in Ashfield. Nottinghamshire Ng17 7ab


Haverhill Silver Band

February 4 • Haverhill Silver Band (champ section) seeks a BACK ROW CORNET. This is a superb opportunity to join East Anglia's premier brass band for the area contest, the Senior Cup, Whit Friday and beyond. Applications to join after the area contest also considered.


Bilton Silver Rugby Band

February 1 • Due to some seating changes, Bilton Silver (Rugby) requires a percussionist to join our Championship Section band for the Midlands Regional contest. Rehearsals are held on Monday and Friday at 7-45pm in our own purpose built bandroom.


Reading Spring Gardens Brass Band

January 30 • Reading Band (current joint 1st place in the L&SC 4th section grading tables and 2024 4th section National Finalists) needs a FLUGEL for the Regional contest on 15th March! Rehearsals in Woodley (RG5) on Thursday evenings with our MD Stephen Bucknell.


Sam Fisher

BA (Hons), PGCE, Dip.ABRSM
Conductor, Adjudicator (AoBBA), Composer/Arranger, Cornet & Flugelhorn Soloist


               

 © 2025 4barsrest.com Ltd