Tacky festive decorations and consumer merchandise are now put up so early that it won’t be too long before children will wonder why Santa Claus wanted to blow up Parliament on November 5th.
Nevertheless, it’s never too late to release a CD to help raise much needed funds as well as remind everyone of the true meaning of a brass band Christmas.
Musical flavours
‘Festive Gold’ amply meets both requirements; 16 neatly delivered tracks from a confident Sovereign Brass (which has enjoyed some well-deserved contest prezzies this year) that evoke the contrasting musical flavours of the season, from the traditional to the quirky, the thoughtful to the witty.
It's a Santa sack full of treats - starting with the bold sounds of ‘Fanfare: Christian Awake’ and the big band swing of ‘Little Donkey’,
It's a Santa sack full of treats - starting with the bold sounds of ‘Fanfare: Christian Awake’ and the big band swing of ‘Little Donkey’, through the pop hits ‘Do they know it’s Christmas’ and ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ to the galloping snowy bells of ‘Troika’ and the perky punch of ‘Yule Dance’.
The ensemble features offer supple changes of tempi and style, whilst the trio of excellent soloists perform with marked musicality
The ensemble features offer supple changes of tempi and style, whilst the trio of excellent soloists perform with marked musicality; Rebekah Lock on the Pat Methenyesque ‘The First Noel’, Karl Slater with ‘A Spaceman Came Travelling’ and Ian Brailsford on a languid ‘Silent Night’.
Plenty to enjoy
Occasionally it gets as fruity as a Charles Dickens’ plumb pudding with the odd shrapnel thruppenny bit flying about, but there is plenty to enjoy with the classic Leroy Anderson ‘Sleigh Ride’ and monkish-pop of ‘Gaudete!’. There is also a lovely sense of longing with ‘Who is He?’ and fun with Sandy Smith’s brilliant advent calendar ‘guess what’s next’ ‘Santa Claus-trophobia’.
Nicely directed, recorded and eye-catchingly sleeve-wrapped it fully deserves to be found in plenty of Christmas stockings alongside a Penguin book on important dates in history for children who may be starting to be confused to why Santa Claus is ending up on top of a bonfire.
Iwan Fox
To purchase:
http://https://www.sovereignbrass.co.uk/news
Play list:
1. Fanfare: Christians Awake (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
2. Away in a Manger (James R. Murray arr. Fendall Hill)
3. The First Noel (Trad arr. Jared McCunnie)
Flugel soloist: Rebekah Lock
4. Little Donkey (E. Boswell arr. Martin & Barber)
5. Ukrainian Bell Carol (Leontovych arr. Whelan)
6. A Spaceman Came Travelling (Chris de Burgh arr. Barber)
Cornet soloist: Karl Slater
7. Sleigh Ride (Anderson arr. Tomlinson)
8. Do they know it Christmas (Geldof/Ure arr. Fernie)
9. Gaudete! (Kevin Norbury)
10. Who is He? (Hanby arr. Richard Phillips)
11. Silent Night (Gruber & Moher arr. Stevens)
Trombone soloist: Ian Brailsford
12. Santa Claus-trophobia (arr. Sandy Smith)
13. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Wyle/Pola arr. Lafollette/Snyder/Barber)
14. Troika from Lieutenant Kije (Prokofiev arr. Farr)
15. O Little Town of Bethlehem (Redner arr. Fendall Hill)
16. Yule Dance (Philip Harper)
