Brighouse & Rastrick & Colne Male Voice Choir
Conductor: Dr Jonathan Corry
Huddersfield Town Hall
Saturday 26th March

The traditional sounds of brass and male voice filled Huddersfield Town Hall for the latest Brighouse & Rastrick massed band concert series.

The diversion from the norm of two bands still attracted a fine audience who enjoyed a balanced programme of ‘Hymns and Marches’ under guest conductor Dr Jonathan Corry, who led the West Riding band on their recent CD of hymnal recordings.

His direction maintained dynamic balance and clarity throughout in the joint works, whilst the single items provided by both ensembles lost nothing in their emotional impact. 

Bright start

Goff Richards’s medley ‘Hymns of Praise’  featuring a mixt of the traditional and modern got things off to a bright start, before the lyrical qualities of principal cornet, Tom Smith shone in  ‘Amazing Grace’.

The 60 or so choristers performed without music, with ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’,  followed by the joint items of Verdi’s ‘Speed Your Journey’  and ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth’  to conclude the first half. 

Solo euphonium Chris Robertson was a refined lead with ‘In Christ Alone’, whilst the consideration taken with the familiar strains of ‘Blaenwern’  also had a vocal quality of elongated phrasing. 

Solo euphonium Chris Robertson was a refined lead with ‘In Christ Alone’, whilst the consideration taken with the familiar strains of ‘Blaenwern’  also had a vocal quality of elongated phrasing. 

March array

Contrast came with the splendid array of marches: Alford’s ‘Great Little Army’  and ‘French Military March’  had swagger as well as bombast, whilst ‘Knight Templar’ was more in keeping at a tempo heard at the Whit Friday march contest, and just as razor sharp. 

The combined forces of brass and voice came into its own with ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’  and ‘Take My Life And Let It Be’  whilst the communal ‘sing-a-long’ came with ‘Jerusalem’.

Xylophonist, Harriet Kwong sparkled in James Curnow’s ‘Scherzo’,  before the band dedicated ‘The Day Thou Gavest’  to the late Raymond Ellis, a former member of the choir and patron of the band. 

‘Let There Be Light’  was a rousing joint finale before Dr Corry sent everyone on their way with a clap and spring in their step with ‘Radetzky March’.

Malcolm Wood 

Image: Gordon Ratcliffe