The Corn Exchange was the venue for my next engagement which was the Hungerford Town Band annual concert. Having attended a previous concert, I had expectations for a good evening’s entertainment.
Tim Crouter, the musical director and conductor, had prepared a robust and varied programme and the first piece Glemdene was rousing and the full force of a brass band resonated throughout the Corn Exchange (and possibly halfway along the High Street). The next piece was a cornet solo played faultlessly by the principal cornet player, Isabel Cook. After three more pieces, the senior band took a breather to make way for the B band. This did not infer a lesser quality band, but it was the band of very young players. It is difficult for someone as ancient as myself to guess the ages of young people but I reckon that some were around 8 or 9 to the more mature 15-16 year olds. They played 3 pieces; Three songs from the New World, Greensleeves and a Nursery Rhyme Selection. They played these delightfully and with great confidence. They were excellent ambassadors for the Town Band and for young people generally.
After the interval, a rousing rendering of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture was followed by a euphonium solo of Blaydon Races by Andrew Tilley. He gave a faultless performance of a difficult piece which stretched the range of the instrument and his technical ability. Tim Crouter said that he had spent some years as a bandsman in the Grenadier Guards band. He is certainly the best euphonium soloist I have heard for many years. We were then treated to a change of style in the form of a Mambo No5 – I am sure you will remember A little bit of this and a little bit of that from Prado, Bega and Zippy. No one however took the conductor up on an invitation to dance in the aisles!
Tim Crouter, the musical director and conductor, had prepared a robust and varied programme and the first piece Glemdene was rousing and the full force of a brass band resonated throughout the Corn Exchange (and possibly halfway along the High Street). The next piece was a cornet solo played faultlessly by the principal cornet player, Isabel Cook. After three more pieces, the senior band took a breather to make way for the B band. This did not infer a lesser quality band, but it was the band of very young players. It is difficult for someone as ancient as myself to guess the ages of young people but I reckon that some were around 8 or 9 to the more mature 15-16 year olds. They played 3 pieces; Three songs from the New World, Greensleeves and a Nursery Rhyme Selection. They played these delightfully and with great confidence. They were excellent ambassadors for the Town Band and for young people generally.
After the interval, a rousing rendering of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture was followed by a euphonium solo of Blaydon Races by Andrew Tilley. He gave a faultless performance of a difficult piece which stretched the range of the instrument and his technical ability. Tim Crouter said that he had spent some years as a bandsman in the Grenadier Guards band. He is certainly the best euphonium soloist I have heard for many years. We were then treated to a change of style in the form of a Mambo No5 – I am sure you will remember A little bit of this and a little bit of that from Prado, Bega and Zippy. No one however took the conductor up on an invitation to dance in the aisles!
No comments:
Post a Comment