Anyone looking for an unusual Valentine’s Day treat could not have done any better than to pop along to Cadogan Hall, where the Band of the Coldstream Guards presented a Gala Concert in aid of the Army Benevolent Fund. 

Top and tail

The opening sequence, topped and tailed with the marches ‘When the Guards are on Parade’ and ‘The Standard of St George’, featured a brass group marching in from either side of the auditorium. 

They remained centre-stage for a new arrangement by Major Wolfendale of ‘Enter the Galaxies’, effectively illustrating the range of instrumental colour available.

Adam Gorb’s ‘Awayday’ is described by the composer as “Gershwin, Bernstein, Stravinsky and James Bond all in a mad-dash car ride”.  

With spiky rhythms and schmoozy saxes, this challenging homage to the sounds of Broadway drew some excellent playing from the band.

Tribute

The march ‘The Adjutant’ was written by James Scott as a tribute to a recently-retired incumbent, and was an attractive piece in traditional style, which included references to ‘The Eton Boating Song’.

WO1 Milne then took over at the helm, with James Scott showing his prowess as a vocalist with his own arrangement of ‘Unforgettable’, featuring some effective close harmony work.

Honour

Rodney Newton’s ‘Song for Luthien’, based on writings by Tolkien, was premiered with piano at one of the lunch-time concerts at the Guards Chapel organised by the work’s dedicatee, flautist Rachel Smith, who gave a performance full of luminosity and clarity

Later in the concert Lord Cadogan was to present her with an award in honour of her conspicuous military service. 

The first half closed with music from ‘Phantom of the Opera’, vividly arranged by Warren Barker, with soaring French horn countermelodies enhancing the familiar tunes.

Jingling Johnny

The wonderful 18th Century band ensemble took to the stage with natural trumpets, valveless horns, jingling Johnny, field drum, modern bassoon and clarinets to reproduce period music, with the serpent solo by Gareth Craik being of particular interest in this light-hearted but illuminating slot.

The much more modern sounds of flugel horn and classical guitar were heard in ‘Children of Sanchez’, with David Wright and Chad Barrigan as the accomplished soloists.

The Buffet Group had sponsored the appearance of Fabrice Moretti, Professor of Saxophone at the Paris Conservatoire.  His performance of Roger Boutry’s three-movement ‘Divertimento’ was a master-class in sax playing, unmistakably French and showing great control over the full range of the instrument.

Waterloo

Commissioned for the centenary of the Coldstream Guards Association, Peter Meechan’s ‘Hougemont’, complete with narration, depicted the scene on the battlefield of Waterloo with the increasing tension as the French approached, the battle itself, and a threnody for the victims, which ended quietly with solo flute, horns and low brass, and a final tubular bell.

To close, a vibrant reading of ‘Crown Imperial’ marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, whilst the 60th anniversary of James Band was commemorated in a selection including ‘From Russia with Love’, ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Live and Let Die’. 

The evening closed with the marches ‘The Music Makers’ and ‘Milanollo’.

Peter Bates