Elland Silver Band
Featuring: Elland Youth Band; Training Band; Community Band 
Soloist: Lewis Barton; Toby Stott 
Conductors: Brett Baker; Daniel Brooks; John Doyle; Samantha Harrison 
Just Music Productions: JMCD 1049 

The Elland Silver Band organisation was formed in 1850. Thanks to its progressive outlook at the heart of its local community, it will undoubtedly be providing fantastic musical opportunities for players of all ages and abilities when it reaches its 200th anniversary.

This uplifting release celebrates the elements that make up the current organisation – from the successful Senior Band and outstanding Youth Band, (30th anniversary this year), to its Community Band (now in its 10th year) and the Training Band, which won the 2024 National Youth Band Development Section.  All that and they also have percussion, beginner and starter classes.   

Showcase

With a mix of recorded and live performances of original and arranged pieces, it’s a musical showcase of all that the organisation stands for - the jaunty title track march written by Roy Newsome (who led the senior band to the Fourth Section National title in 1958) setting things off splendidly. 

With a mix of recorded and live performances of original and arranged pieces, it’s a musical showcase of all that the organisation stands for 

The well drilled senior outfit provides the bulk of the tracks – the clever ‘Bridego Fiasco’  from their inventive ‘Great Train Robbery’  entertainment set, and the psychedelic 60s beat of ‘California Dreamin’,  balanced by Nick Brocklehurst’s engaging storyboard thread on ‘An Elland Overture’. 

The Morecambe & Wise theme tune ‘Bring Me Sunshine’  and ‘Eleanor Rigby’  will always appeal to universal musical tastes, as would the tender playing of former principal cornet Lewis Barton on ‘Sanctuary’.

Vibrant

Elsewhere the vibrant Youth Band is on fine form with ‘The Magnificent Seven’,  with their featured soloist Toby Stott a wizard on ‘Joplin on Wood’.   

The collective musical strength of the organisation as a whole is heard to fine effect with ‘Essence of Brass’  recorded live at Huddersfield Town Hall in 2024

The Training Band bring the fun of ‘The Big Top’  and the Community Band are featured with the contrasts of Petula Clark’s ‘Downtown’  and Alan Fernie’s ‘Stal Himmel’. 

The collective musical strength of the organisation as a whole is heard to fine effect with ‘Essence of Brass’  recorded live at Huddersfield Town Hall in 2024 - a title and performance that sums up the ethos and outlook of an admirable organisation.

 Iwan Fox 

To purchase: https://ellandsilverband.co.uk/basket/

Play list:

1. Stepping Out (Roy Newsome)
2. Eleanor Rigby (Lennon & McCartney arr. Fernie)
3. The Magnificent Seven (Elmer Bernstein arr. Fernie)
4. Bridego Fiasco (Nick Brocklehurst)

5. The Big Top (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
6. Sanctuary (Sparke)
Soloist: Lewis Barton

7. Stal Himmel (Fernie)
8. Downtown (Hatch arr. Stephens)
9. Bring Me Sunshine (Kent arr. Bond)
10. Joplin on Wood (Breuer arr. Smith)
Soloist: Toby Stott

11. California Dreamin’ (Phillips arr. Adam D.J. Taylor)
12. Essence of Brass (Gavin Somerset)
13. An Elland Overture (Nick Brocklehurst)