Under conductor Stephen Maw, the Royal Greenwich Brass Band presented a programme consisting predominantly of Salvation Army music.  

They set out their stall with Leidzen’s vibrant march ‘Invincible Army’, the divided basses and euphoniums showing off the lower brass to good effect.

Rhythmic setting

This was followed by ‘Psalm of Praise’, the rhythmic treatment of the hymn tune contrasting with the smooth cornet lines, and with the dynamics keenly observed.  

There was a suitably majestic feel as the melody appeared in full or the first time.

The band’s principal trombone, Ryan Hume, was featured in ‘Blue Bells of Scotland’, impressing all with his accomplished playing, complete with lip trills, glissandi, and octave leaps.

Contrasting Heaton classics

Stephen Maw likened Wilfred Heaton’s ‘Mercy’s Light’ to the ‘Gymnopedies’ of Erik Satie, and it certainly shared a similar ethereal quality.  

Very sparsely scored at times, the band produced a convincing reading of the somewhat fragmented score, which they followed with the same composer’s ‘Victory for Me!’  

The latter, with its bolero rhythms and free-flowing flugel solo, was possibly taken a little on the fast side, but still held together well. 

George Lloyd finale

To precede George Lloyd’s ‘King’s Messenger’, Gordon Watson set the scene by reading Robert Browning’s, ‘How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix’.  

The composer’s lyric style seemed to suit the band, with clear melodic lines, particularly in the quieter passages.  With vivid fanfares, quirky march tunes and a confident tuba soloist, the band produced a rich, full sound, with a crisp side drum in the closing bars.

Reflective coda

As a coda, Stephen May had chosen ‘Nimrod’, nicely sustained but never allowed to drag.  

Despite having lost a couple of players late on due to college commitments it was an excellent start to the day’s activities, given before a substantial audience.

Peter Bale