The afternoon concert featured the current talented crop of brass students from the Royal Northern College of Music in a programme that encompassed two geographically inspired masterpieces of the test piece genre, a touching melancholic memory and a quite astounding piece of solo musicality.

Astute leadership

Under the astute leadership of Michael Fowles, 'A Moorside Suite' was spaciously laid out with time given to capture the delicate sprightliness in the mobile 'Scherzo', the languid beauty in the atmospheric 'Nocturne' and the touch of well paced bombast in the closing ‘March’.

With some lovely individual contributions on display from the main solo lines and robust warmth from the ensemble it was a modern take on a work that still has the timeless ability to scrub up well.

Simply superb

Former RNCM graduate David Childs was simply superb with his articulate performance of the Horovitz 'Euphonium Concerto' - delineated with a degree of artistic elegance that flowed with pastoral beauty.

The subtle shadings of colour and timbre, the malleable flow of the lyrical line and the understated execution of technique made for engrossing listening.  

Lingering loss

Philip Wilby's 'Shadow Songs' is arguably one of his lesser known works.  Dedicated to the memory of Harry Mortimer, the piece is unusual in the ensemble being muted throughout.  

This brought about a rather haunting effect to the melancholic solo passages featuring baritone, trombone, soprano and offstage cornet, which triggered a sense of lingering loss - tangible yet elusive.

Majestic

To close, a hard working account of McCabe's majestic 'Cloudcatcher Fells' which although not quite capturing the commanding musical vistas still managed to portray a sense of imposing landscape. 

It was a fine close to a very enjoyable concert.

Malcolm Wood