Conductor: Ben Dixon
Grimsby Auditorium
Sunday 19th January 

Grimethorpe Colliery Band blew like the blustery weather into Grimsby for its first outing of the new year, armed though with a warmly familar programme packed with favourites and top class soloists.

They certainly attracted plenty of fans eager to hear them in action. They were not to be disappointed either with the standard set with a fizzing rendition of ‘Malaguena’  to fill the cavernous auditorium with hot glow of Spanish musical sun.

Thrill

Their affable MD Ben Dixon kept a tight rein on his charges – allowing scope to thrill without losing the precision and balance of the ensemble. The proud march ‘Arnhem’  led into von Suppe’s much-loved overture ‘Light Cavalry’,  played with distinctive gallop and thrilling rattling of sabres.

It paved the way for the first featured soloist with the impressive Jamie Smith delivering a capricious ‘Miss Blue Bonnet’ full of charm

It paved the way for the first featured soloist, with the impressive Jamie Smith delivering a capricious ‘Miss Blue Bonnet’ full of charm. ‘Molly On The Shore’,  Howard Snell’s feisty arrangement of the Percy Grainger song was a lovely contrast, as was Chris Gomersall on trombone in Sandstrom’s  ‘San Till Lotta’,  a gentle but curious melody played with lovely sense of musicality.  

The band’s noted musical partnership with the late Elgar Howarth was also marked with his elegant arrangement of the traditional ‘Bonnie Briar Bush’  – a little gem of the arranger’s craft. It was a fine and appropriate tribute.  The lush, ever-soaring ‘MacArthur Park’  closed the first half in superb style.

Dexterous

The second half followed suit – a whip-lash Shostakovich ‘Folk Festival’  followed by Rimsky-Korsakov’s proud and characterful ‘Capriccio Espagnol’.

The dexterous euphonium skills of Mark Glover were showcased with the Remmington arrangement of ‘Carnival of Venice’,  whilst ‘Misty’  featured the suave sound horn player Helen Varley.

The dexterous euphonium skills of Mark Glover were showcased with the Remmington arrangement of ‘Carnival of Venice’,  whilst ‘Misty’  featured the suave sound horn player Helen Varley.

The super-hero swagger of ‘Batman’  played into the softer, beautiful ‘Irish Tune from County Derry’,  before ‘The Pines of Rome’  was an epically proportioned close. The encore of the familiar sounds of the finale from ‘William Tell’ brought a superb audience friendly concert to a thrilling conclusion.

Simon Blow