The culmination of a week of hard work, inventive tuition and a fair degree of self analysis saw Foden’s play host to the talents of the twelve delegates who had been part of Allan Withington’s latest international conducting course. 

Specific aim

As always the repertoire had been chosen with a very specific aim in mind; to improve the techniques as well as enlighten the musical minds - something which given the feedback from those involved, had certainly been a success. A small but appreciative audience certainly enjoyed themselves.

Conducting standards varied; from brass band newcomers and emerging talents to more seasoned old heads - although all shared that common goal for self improvment. You could clearly see throughout each performance where initial nervousness segued into enjoybale eagerness and final expression.

Receptive form

That was in part due to Foden’s on generous, receptive form; and highly respectful of the conductors who each took their turn to lead. 

Tricky blind corners and musical cul de sacs were negotiated with refined experienced and collective intelligence - allowing the more inexperienced MDs to extricate themselves from potential third party scraps without too much obvious discomfort.

Even in the shorter items such as ’Le Tricot Rouge’ and the individual sections of ’Little Suite for Brass’ by Malcolm Arnold, concentration never wavered, allowing the conductors a generous amount of malleability. 

Flowed

In the more substantial works such as the overture to ’Henry V’, ’Riverdance’, ’James Bond Selection’ and the enjoybale ’Aurora Borealis’ by Foden’s Under 23 Composer Award winner Dave Hanson, the musical lines were confidently portrayed, whilst the experience of Mark Wilkinson and Glyn Williams ensured that their solo items flowed intuitively through the help of a sly old nod and wink of encouragement.

Presentation

Presentation skills (which had been worked on by rhetorician Mette Hojen) were given a neat sheen of polish, whilst it was noticeable that there was an obvious sense of collective pride at the end of an evening tnat had once again shown that Allan Withington’s inventive approach gains rich reward through receptive, willing  delegates.

Iwan Fox