Local favourites Fairey made the relatively short journey down the A6 from Stockport to open the day's musical proceedings under the baton of Garry Cutt.

With a significant restructuring of personnel since their disappointing performance at the Brass in Concert Championship late last year, there was air of anticipation in the auditorium from a knowledgeable audience who have come to expect a great deal from one of the event’s stalwart participants. 

Impressive

They were certainly not disappointed, and although Fairey is by no means the highly polished finished article just yet, there were significant signs of a return to substantive form as they delivered an impressive rendition of 'Kenilworth', which had all the essential medieval elements of majesty, mystery and military brio about it throughout. 

Elite company

There was also a great deal of anticipation at the prospect of hearing Roger Webster perform Ernest Tomlinson's immense 'Cornet Concerto', premiered 40 years ago this year as a showcase for the sublime talents of the great Maurice Murphy.   

He certainly belongs in that elite company, but on this occasion the band accompaniment encountered a few technical issues that as a result took some ultimate gloss off the overall performance, despite the soloist's intrinsic ability to fully capture the austere darkness of the opening to the fabulous radiance of the rondo finale.   

Emotional intensity

A sense of emotional intensity permeated Elgar Howarth's 'In Memoriam RK' - a work Garry Cutt revelled in as he drew out it elements of Wagner, Strauss and Mahler without recourse to either bombast of misplaced sentimentality. 

Eloquent and at times a little fragile, it was a performance that resonated in the mind as well as the heart.

Elemental emotions

To close, Eric Ball's 'Journey into Freedom' - a classic of its type with its restrained inspirational nods to the same powerful elemental emotions of Mahler and Strauss found in the Howarth.

This was Fairey at their best - vivid, purposeful and committed, even with the stamina levels just beginning to finally wane. 

However, it was also a reminder of the Stockport band’s own powers of rejuvenation too.

Malcolm Wood